Tag: Social Activism ARC

Presenter(s): Giovanni Ricci

Faculty Mentor(s): Noah Glusman

Poster 170

Session: Social Activism ARC

In the nearly twenty years since September 11th attacks, the United States has seen, as a result of changed cultural values, a dramatic increase in aggressive immigration policy as a means of controlling the influx of both high risk individuals and various racial and ethnic groups. Paired with the refugee crisis from the Syrian Civil War, there has been an increase in the government’s pursuit of more aggressive immigration policy. Regardless of the effectiveness of such immigration policies, there has been increasing criminalization of South and Central American immigrants, a growing anti-Muslim sentiment, and a general increase in xenophobic rhetoric in the American political sphere. As such, the United States has seen intensifying public criticism of various administrations’ immigration policies, and perhaps most notably, the increasingly aggressive tactics utilized by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). Many argue that the aggressive nature of these policies infringes on the human rights of immigrants. However, due to the vulnerable nature of their immigration status, these immigrants often lack the ability to make their voices heard without risk of detainment, deportation, and family separation. This has since raised the question of whether or not ICE is actively targeting immigrant activists as a means of preventing immigration policy criticism in the public eye. Upon review of various first hand accounts and the work of investigative journalists, there is evidence that ICE is deliberately targeting immigrant activists. This is immensely problematic as it poses a number of potential human rights violations under both US constitutional law and various international human rights treaties of the United Nations. ICE’s policies infringe on the human rights of the especially vulnerable population of immigrant refugees, as such practices limit the right to speak out against the potential human rights violations caused by current immigration policies and practices.

Presenter(s): Emily Mirbod

Faculty Mentor(s): Noah Glusman

Poster 169

Session: Social Activism ARC

Portland, Oregon has one of the highest rates of human sex trafficking, especially of juveniles, in the United States. The high number of homeless youth, as well as youth who have ‘run away’ from home, are high targets as their more often than not increased vulnerability, psychologically and physically, can be manipulated and coerced by traffickers. One in six ‘runaways’ in 2014 were victims of sexual exploitation. Although trafficking of youth populations may not always be openly discussed or treated as the most prevalent issue, it is blatantly apparent that youth are targeted by the trafficking industry at alarmingly high rates. This is due to the populations increased vulnerability and in this case, Portland’s location which often allows for much more efficient transportation of the trafficked youth. Statistical evidence shows that 36% of those subjected to human trafficking in Portland, Oregon are 15 years old. The number becomes even more alarming when looking at homeless and runaway youth populations- 1 in 6 of these youth have been affected by exploitation. All available data on the subject shows that the more attention paid to this issue, the more likely people can recognize victims of sex trafficking and attempt to help them. With these findings, people may push for a greater federal and state information campaign. A campaign like this can extend beyond policy to not only to punish those responsible for these heinous crimes but actually prevent more cases and recognize those already in the system to safely extradite them from their captors.

Presenter(s): Evie Blythe

Faculty Mentor(s): Noah Glusman

Poster 167

Session: Social Activism ARC

When the 13th amendment to the US Constitution was added, it outlawed involuntary servitude for almost all cases. The only exception is punishment for a crime. Today, prison labor generates massive amounts of revenue, upwards of $28 million for prisons in Oregon. Oregon passed Measures 17 and Measure 68 in 1994 and 1999 respectively. Measure 17 required that people incarcerated work 40 hours a week (with the ability to devote half that time to school or other educational purposes). Measure 68 made it so that labor done by people incarcerated could not be in a highly competitive market. Today, people incarcerated in these prisons work in laundry facilities, call centers, textile, metal, and wood shops, and various other menial tasks that both benefit the penitentiary and other companies who are allowed to subcontract prison labor. The University of Oregon contracted Oregon State Penitentiary workers to make most of the new furniture for residence halls. Incarcerated peoples get paid much less than minimum wage, some working for as little as $0.20 per hour. Our research question looked into whether or not it is constitutional and productive to society to have people incarcerated, whose numbers are racially disproportionate due to racism in other sectors of the criminal justice system, work 40+ hours for less than a dollar per hour. The working conditions and wages of prison labor constitute a form of modern slavery. We used articles posted by researchers who went into these prisons and interviewed the people incarcerated who work these jobs. The findings of their research were mixed. Some people incarcerated thought that money mattered less than receiving an opportunity to learn valuable skills and feel as though they were needed. Others voiced their concerns about being taken advantage of. Oregon Corrections Enterprises, who contracts the prison labor, said they could not afford to pay people incarcerated more, even if they wanted to. Regardless, it is still unclear as to whether or not this practice is constitutional. The practice of paying little to nothing for the work of people incarcerated feeds into the argument that mass incarceration is the Jim Crow of our era.

Presenter(s): Alexis Blaschka

Faculty Mentor(s): Noah Glusman

Poster 166

Session: Social Activism ARC

This project stems from the treatment, and lack thereof, of undocumented individuals in the United States, with a focus on the quality of healthcare treatment, access, and constitutionality of this issue. Furthermore, there will be a focus on these guidelines and the morality behind it. This investigation will cover the disparate treatment of undocumented citizens in regards to healthcare; this marginalised demographic receives less than adequate care in medical facilities, as compared to their documented counterparts. There are myriad vulnerabilities that dictate the extent to which undocumented citizens suffer at the hands of the American healthcare system. The procedures for discovering the disparities within the healthcare system consisted of searching online for reliable sources. Many sources come from prestigious schools or peer- reviewed journals. There is a plethora of media that has been uncovered, from websites to videos, each including a different aspect of these healthcare disparities. There are two witnesses who have experienced ill medical treatment/advising due to their immigrant-citizen status. As citizens of California they are entitled to medi-Cal insurance and received no compensation or accurate treatment as diagnosed cancer patients. There is also have statistical evidence of racial/ethnic discrimination in most medical facilities.The importance of this topic lies in the unfortunate mistreatment of underrepresented and marginalized groups all across the nation. This is relevant given that the United States currently has a highly unaffordable health care system that very few are able to access, as well clear racial disparities being integrated into its medical institutions.