Anthro Volume 2 Issue 1

Page 1

THE PALANTIR PROTESTS DOWNTOWN: I.C.E.’s PRESENCE IN PALO ALTO

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

1


ANTHRO Palo Alto High School’s Social Activism Magazine

MISSION STATEMENT The ultimate goal of Anthro Magazine, Paly’s social activism publication, is to create a platform and forum for students to express their opinions and voices. Social activism is bringing issues into the spotlight to spread awareness and create change in society. On this platform, we will promote unity, diversity and respect. As a publication, we aim to be inclusive but do not tolerate hate speech or the targeting of individuals. We hope to highlight issues that we see in our community, create a safe place to discuss these issues and to make sure that student voices are heard.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear readers, In this issue of Anthro, we explore the weekly protests in downtown Palo Alto against the notoriously elusive company, Palantir. We focus not only on the why and how, but the energy of the protests, which we hope to capture in the photos taken by staff writer Anya Lassila. After reading our cover story, read a reflection on the harms of Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson spreading anti-vaxx ideology, “A Return To Denial” by staff writer Olivia Wolfe and guest writer Antonia Zhou. In our recurring book review, staff writer Josephine Andersen discusses the topics brought up in the book “The Ungrateful Refugee” by Dina Nayeri in “Not-so American Dream.” Finally, in “#Activism,” staff writer Karlene Salas delves into an analysis of modern online activism.

SEPTEMBER 2019 VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michaela Seah

STAFF WRITERS

Josephine Andersen Juliana Griswold Jacquelyn Lai Anya Lassila Karlene Salas Olivia Wolfe Gwyneth Wong

GUEST WRITERS

Paul Birmingham Luis Michel Jonan Pho Antonia Zhou

ADVISER Paul Kandell

CONNECT

@anthro.magazine issuu.com/anthro.magazine anthromagazine.paly@gmail.com

Enjoy our first issue of the year! -Michaela Seah

ON THE COVER

Protesters gather in front of Palantir headqaurters in Palo Alto to protest the comapny’s conttact with the governemnt. Photo by Anya Lassila.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

2

OCTOBER 2019


CONTENTS 4

SJP Updates

5

Escapism

6

Debatable: Antifa

7

Not-so-American Dream

8

Paly Pride

10

Climate Contribution Palantir Protests

11

A Return to Denial

14

The Hong Kong Effect

16

#Activism

18

The Disloyalty Charge

20

World Map

22

PUBLICATION POLICY Anthro, a social activism magazine published by the students in Palo Alto High School’s Magazine Incubator class, is a designated open forum for student expression and discussion of issues of concern to its readership. Anthro is distributed to its readers and the student body at no cost.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS The staff welcomes letters to the editors but reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, grammar, potential libel, invasion of privacy and obscenity. Send all letters to anthromagazine.paly@gmail.com or to 50 Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, CA 94301.

ADVERTISING The staff publishes advertisements with signed contracts providing they are not deemed by the staff inappropriate for the magazine’s audience. For more information about advertising with Anthro, please email us at anthromagazine.paly@gmail. com or through our adviser at 650-329-3837 for more information.

PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Anthro is printed by aPrintis in Pleasanton, California. The Anthro staff will distribute copies around the Palo Alto High School campus. All Anthro work is available at anthromagzine.org.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

3


Text/Design by GWYNETH WONG and JACQUELYN LAI

PRACTICING POETS. A Social Justice Pathway English10A class works on a poetry assignment. The students choose a social justice issue they are passionate about, write a poem from that perspective, then present the poems to the class. “It [Poetry slam] has the same tenants of revision [as the English classes not in the pathway] and rewriting and critiquing each other and working together and then going deeper into a topic instead of just writing different types of poems” teacher Lizzie DeKraai says. Photo by Gwyneth Wong.

Social Justice Pathway Updates In the fifth year of the Social Justice Pathway, the project based english and social studies program at Palo Alto High School hopes to encourage more intergrade relations and teamwork. This refinement of the Social Justice Pathway, along with the various projects, field trips and guest speakers will work to create an enhanced experience for students in the unique program. Major Projects: 10th grade: Fall: C-SPAN project in English 10‑A. This year the prompt is “What’s Your Vision in 2020?” Students will create a short documentary on a topic they most want presidential candidates to address in their campaigns, prompting critical thinking about issues within communities. Spring: Junk Couture Project in U.S History. Students will read books from a country and its colonial history and then will showcase their learning by creating an outfit for a fashion show.

Field Trips: Students in Social Justice go on the annual overnight camping trip at Little Basin. This is a chance for inter-cohort bonding within different grades.

11th grade: Fall: Symposium project. “Students will work on social justice issues that they’re interested in and they’ll have a lot of ability to design what they do, but in the past what they’ve done is exhibits and they’ve had speakers,” World History teacher Caitlin Evans says. Spring: Fort Laramie Project in History. Students will create an exhibition of posters for the Fort Laramie Treaty.

Seniors: • To be determined at a later date

12th grade: Fall: Urban Plan project in Economy. Teacher Eric Bloom says, “The seniors will do a redevelopment of a pretend community where they’ll sort of remove some blight and think about how to design a new development inside a community.” Spring: Although the exact projects are yet to be decided, they will revolve around culture, socialization and deviance.

4

OCTOBER 2019

Sophomores: • 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco Juniors: • Chinatown • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Guest Speakers: All three cohorts of Social Justice will be attending these presentations and all Paly students can attend. Oct15: Holocaust survivor Ben Stern will speak about maintaining compassion and empathy in dark moments. Nov. 6: Curt Kinsky on mechanisms to redistribute income and influence individual and group behavior, Enoch Choi on healthcare for the homeles, Loree Draud will talk about gender equality in the military.


ESCAPISM

Text by JONAN PHO Art/Design by MICHAELA SEAH

A Break from Reality

S

CHOOL. The neverending cycle of capism, other than it’s accessibility. Escapism classes, to jobs and extracurriculars, allows for creativity, as you delve deeper into to homework, with nothing to look whatever interests and entertains you more forward to besides the weekend that than the world around you. In his 2014 book, you spend catching up on work and studying. “The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why BeWith that kind of stress, what do you do to ing Your Whole Self—Not Just Your ‘Good relax? Is it reading a book? Is it drawing? Is it Self ’—Drives Success and Fulfillment,” cogstaring at Instagram and then looking at the nitive scientist Todd Kashdan wrote, “When clock and realizing it’s midnight and you’ve we’re zoning out, really what this is, is the done nothing? Or is it playing a video game? incubation period of creativity.” Zoning out is a natural process for us as All of these methods of stress relief are forms of escapism. Escapism, or the action humans to create ideas, and is something of distracting yourself from the stresses of that is completely natural for people to do. school and reality, is generally done either As Kashdan later wrote, “we are not, evowith the use of technology or using one’s lutionarily, designed to stay in this blissful, own creativity. By doing so, a person can re- present moment awareness state.” While escapism disconnects you from the lax and avoid thinking about the work that is coming up in the future. For many teens and outside, it allows you to focus more on the inadults, escapism has become their main way ternal parts of you that you rarely get to see of unwinding, allowing them to keep peace with the busy lives people have nowadays. As said by American phiof mind and prevent losopher John Dewey, them from burning “For many teens and adults, “We do not learn from out. But with so many escapism has become experience … we learn people relying on estheir main way from reflecting on expecapism as their method rience.” of relaxing, some have of unwinding.” However, escapism become concerned can have it’s downsides. As written by Jim with its effects on the people using it. With the ever-growing number of people Blascovich, a psychology professor, and who spend hours and hours on completely Jeremy Bailensen, a professor of comzoned out to escape their monotonous busy munication, in their book “Infinite lives, it’s no wonder people fear the worst. Reality: Avatars, Eternal Life, We’re scared that people will be trapped New Worlds, and the Dawn within our minds’ creations, wasting our of the Virtual Revolution”, time in a place separate from reality. In a published in 2011,“The 2010 Harvard study, “A Wandering Mind Internet and virtuis an Unhappy Mind,” psychologists Mat- al realities easily thew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert satisfy such soconcluded that “People spend 46.9 percent cial needs of their waking hours thinking about some- a n d thing other than what they’re doing, and this mind-wandering typically makes them unhappy.” The truth is, some people do end up overusing it, but it isn’t because they are lazy. While there are other ways of relaxing, such as exercising and meditation, escapism is just the easiest and most convenient way for many people. There are many pros to using es-

drives— sometimes [they are] so satisfying that addicted users will withdraw physically from society.” The loss of connection combined with guilt and regret makes escapism seem like a bad thing. And while these are all true, the fact of the matter is that it has two sides, both good and bad. Ultimately, there is no real answer to whether escapism is good or bad for you. As reddit user _hephaestus states “this is like asking if water is bad, it depends on whether you’re parched or drowning.” If someone really needs to de-stress, then escapism is beneficial, but if you’re zoning out to music for 5 hours straight and procrastinating on everything, maybe cut back a little. Escapism, like anything else in life, is good in moderation and bad in excess. And as long as we have stress in our life, escapism will be there as our bridge from reality.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

5


Debatable:

A N T I FA

Design by MICHAELA SEAH

This is Anthro Magazine’s debatable, WHere Palo Alto High School students share their Opposing views on an issue. This issue’s topic is Antifa, the left-wing militant movement against Fascism. What has made them eSpecially contoversial on both left and right-wing spheres is their use of violence in their counter-protests. If you are interested in participating in our next debatable, contact anthromagazine.paly@gmail.com

B

uenaventura Durruiti was a famous anarchist who fought facism in the Spanish Civil War. “Facism is not debated it is destroyed,” Durruiti once said. This quote perfectly describes what antifa does. Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is movement mostly comprised of socialists, communists, anarchists and others who oppose fascism. It operates on a local level with activists working together to protest, and is neither unified nor organized. The point of antifa is to deplatform white supremacists and fascists. Throughout history, facism has been passed through force. Antifa’s roots can be traced to the 1920’s and 1930’s, when Mussolini’s right winged government gained prominence and grew. Groups, such as the Arditi del Popolo, fought against those ideas using violence. Antifa movements push back against these dangerous ideologies and insure that they do not have a place in our society. Examples range from the Spanish Civil War, where people rose to defend the republic and democratic ideals, to World War II were facist regimes were toppled using military force. And today,

as white supremacy and neo-Nazism rise, it is not only appropriate for force to be used to get rid of them, but necessary. This makes the actions of antifa justified. Their actions are needed to ensure that the ideology of the alt-right does not get a platform to spread their ideas. If fascists were able to walk on the street with no push back from counter protesters, their ideology would grow by allowing for more people to become aware of those ideas. And these ideas are not of mainstream conservatism, these ideas are ones that endanger democracy, minorities and the very ideals of the American way of life. Antifa’s methods of counter-protesting ensure that those ideas do not grow. Just this August, a rightwing hate group meeting was stopped because of antifa in Portland. Their actions, disallowing white supremacists to express their ideas, made sure that they did not have a platform to spread their ideology to more people. Antifa is a necessary evil, one could say. They insure that the horrible ideologies of facism and white supremacy do not spread. Antifa is necessary in our world today for the opposition of facism.

PRO

T

By LUIS MICHEL

here is no denying the rise of the far-right, commonly known as neo-Nazism, in the United States. Many, for good reason, view this growing group with a sense of terror. Some, however, have decided to turn to vigilante justice, and have started to clash with these groups in the streets, rather than through electoral or legal means. Calling themselves antifa (anti-fascist), they duke it out with members of the far-right in the street. Although their intentions are laudable, their methods are disagreeable. The tactics used are not effective, and spit in the face of the principles that America was founded on. There is the question of the effectiveness of antifa groups. Yes, they keep neo-Nazis off the streets. However, when the day is done, what happens to the people that were attacked? Let’s pose this question in simpler terms. Say you are protesting, and someone comes and decks you in the face. Would that make you want to change your political beliefs? Of course not. Any person would only be emboldened in the actions, and would intensify their hate for the person, or group, that attacked them. This has

the same effect on the neo-Nazis. A right-winger who is violently assaulted by an antifa member would destroy any goodwill towards left-wingers, which antifa represents, and push them further deeper into the far-right sinkhole. In addition, the militant nature of antifa gives the far right the opportunity to create anti-left propaganda. This, coupled with their property damaging tendencies, antifa makes groups with similar aims but peaceful methods look overall unappealing to the general populace. With their methods, antifa is essentially fixing a leaky faucet in a burning building, as they are dedicated to sporadically combating “fascists” instead of addressing what creates them. The continued existence of antifa goes against the principles that have made the USA the country it is today. We in the U.S. enjoy rights that many take for granted, such as freedom of speech, as well as a right to trial by jury. The vigilante justice that antifa practices, directed at their political enemies, violates both of these principles. America is a nation governed by laws, and a place where disputes are solved through courtroom or ballot box, not by the violent operations that antifa conducts.

CON

6

OCTOBER 2019

by PaUL birmingham


Text/Design by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN

Not-so-American Dream Review: New book illustrates the reality of being an immigrant

F

or generations, many have gees will never find a home. She believed dreamed of immigrating to first herself lucky to be granted access to the world countries, believing that United States while many of her peers with reloacting, comes a better were forced to remain undocumented, life and a better future. That is, until their hiding in Rome. wish comes true. This is the idea that auAfter finally moving to Oklahoma, thor Dina Nayeri, explores in her new Nayeri wanted to have everything the autobiography “The Ungrateful Refugee: westernised media had promised her of What Immigrants Never Tell You,” pub- an American lifestyle. However, upon lished in May. arriving in the United States, she discovThe narrative is told through the au- ered that this image of American perfecthor’s contempotion required her to forrary perspective, reget her past experiences flecting on the most and how they defined her impactful memories She worked “If I failed to stir up in differences. of her childhood as to become a “true-Amermyself enough grate- ican,” trying to get rid of a refugee. Nayeri, at the Iranian accent. Nayfulness, or if I failed to her age of 6, her motheri even dreamed, like properly display it, I er and brother were many other Americans, forced to flee Iran would lose all that I had of acceptance to an Ivy during the height League college. gained, this western of the Iranian revA point brought up olution due to their by Nayeri multiple times freedom.” conversion to Chrisis that even though her — Dina Nayeri tianity from Islam. family had been granted Although escaping full access to this country, a world of shame they have still been tarplaced upon her geted and unaccepted. family for this conversion, the author says This sense of unacceptance has acted as that her life in Iran had been a fairytale a theme throughout the story. She writes in comparison to the life her family led in about how immigrants have been presthe United States as immigrants. sured their entire lives living as a refugee Before settling down in Oklahoma, to be grateful for all that has been done Nayeri and her family led lives in Dubai for them. and Rome, each for only short spans of Nayeri’s story is especially impactful in time. The author writes about her expe- accordance to America’s current heightriences in each place with great nostal- ened discourse towards immigrants. gia and appreciation for making her the Nayeri says that she is “ungrateful” to person she is today. However, the stories America because of the anti-immigrant of her neighbors in both of those places rhetoric President Trump has instilled shine a different light on how some refu- with his followers.

About the Author Dina Nayeri, an Ameircan-Iranian writer, has dedicated her life to sharing stories of refugees. As well as “The Ungrateful Refugee: What Immigrants Never Tell You,” Nayeri is most commonly known for her works of fiction such as “A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea” (2013) and “Refuge” (2017). Nayeri has also written articles, all relating to immigration, for The New Yorker and The Guardian. After graduating from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters inEducation from Harvard, Nayeri spent time living in Amsterdam before settling down in London. For her writing, Nayeri became the 2018 Paul Engle Prize Winner, and won the 2018 Best American Short Stories award for “A Big True” from The Southern Review, among others.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

7


Text/ Design by JACQUELYN LAI

Photo: junior Jane Gwinn-Kerr

P

ride parades are held every year to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community around the world. The San Francisco Pride Parade is one of the oldest and largest LGBTQ+ parades in the world and is organized by a non-profit organization called The San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration Committee. On June 30, Palo Alto High School students celebrated the LGBTQ+ heritage and culture by participating in the SF Pride Parade. Here are some photos from the event.

8

OCTOBER 2019


LOOKING BACK ON IT. Junior Atticus Sherer and his friends pose in front of a sign stating “Living with Pride.” This is the first year that Sherer is attending Pride. “Pride is a celebration of self love where I can be who I want to be and recognize the beauty in our differences,” Sherer says. Photo by passerby.

PROUD PALS. Juniors Azalea Wakalee, Anna Harner and former Paly student Jessica Fisher take part in Pride Parade in San Francisco. “Pride is about inclusion and acceptance of everyone no matter who they may be or how they express themselves,” said Fisher. Photo by Paloma Shelton.

ALL SMILES. Juniors Anna Harner and Kayla Shepherd are allies of the LGBTQ+ community. “I believe that you should be able to love,” Harner says. Photo by Gabriela Wilkison.

FIERCE FLAGS. Emma Cudahy and Nora Bajor stand in front of San Francisco City Hall with Pride flags draped on their shoulders. “Everyone is very comfortable and liberated … they don’t really care about who’s going to be looking at them.” Cudahy says. “It’s not about other people and what they think of you. It’s about you being proud of yourself and who you are.” Photo by Elise Adamson.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

9


PROUD TO PROTEST. Palo Alto High School students take time out of their lunch to participate in the international student climate strike on Sept. 20. Standing on the corner of Embarcadero and El Camino Real, these activists bring awareness of the issue to passersby. The Women’s International Leauge for Peace and Freedom’s peninsula branch joined students at the protest. “We are for action against climate change. We are for people joining together to stand publicly,” said Judy Adams, member of the groups peninsula branch which opened in 1922. Photo by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN Text/Design by JULIANA GRISWOLD

Climate Contribution Our city’s efforts and how you can help reduce impacts

M

illions of people displaced from rising sea levels. Drought, famine and natural disasters from extreme weather events are expected to increase. These are just a few realities of a world where we don’t change our habits. Staggering statistics on Climate Change are released every year, warning of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, but as the threat of ultimate doom increases so does the need to take action. The United States was rated in the top three coal consumers in 2018, behind China and India, and carbon dioxide emissions are the single largest source responsible for a global temperature increase above pre industrial levels, according to National Geographic. In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a special report stating that to stop irreversible effects of Climate Change, the global temperature must not exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, which means net zero carbon emission by the year 2030. “Emissions, most of that’s connected to energy and that’s ... something that’s out of the individuals hands,” Alicia Szebert, Palo Alto High School AP Environmental Science teacher said. In recent years, Palo Alto has made many changes to its energy’s emissions. As of 2013, the city has been using 100% carbon neutral electricity and since 2017, Palo Alto’s natural gas is also 100% carbon neutral. While the city is doing what it can to reduce climate change impacts, it is also up to the consumers to make conscious decisions in their lives. Buying from environmentally conscious companies and reducing your intake of trash and recyclables are two simple acts that will reduce your carbon footprint. Some actions Paly students can take are commuting to school by biking, walking, public transit or with an electric car. All of these

10

OCTOBER 2019

alternatives will reduce the carbon emissions that come with driving a gasoline powered car. Furthermore, bringing lunch in a reusable container will reduce the amount of single-use plastic packaging that often comes with packaged lunches from Town and Country Village. “If you’re buying more sustainably, if you’re using things that are less processed and less packaged, you’re going to ultimately be creating less and less emissions,” Szebert said. “Along every step of the process, extraction, processing, refining, all of that is going to create pollution and emissions.” Another step taken by Palo Alto is the goal to be zero waste by 2030. One of the biggest changes made was Palo Alto’s plastic bag ban, in place since 2013. This legislation was reported to have reduced 20 million plastic bags from usage after the first year, according to the City of Palo Alto. “Overall, reducing of plastic is definitely a good step. … It’s going to bring awareness,” Szebert said. “All the plastic bags that don’t exist, that’s less waste.” Reducing plastic waste is an important step to becoming zero waste. Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose due to the chemicals and preservatives used to make them. There are still steps to be taken not just by local communities and individuals, but by big business and the state and national government. Legislation must be put in place to cap and eventually halt all emission by companies which are doing the bulk of the damage. The only way to reach net zero carbon emission by 2030 is to hold companies responsible for their contributions and make them stop. Write to your legislators, demand change and most importantly, vote for people who will make a difference.


PALANTIR PALAN TIR PROTEST PR O TE ST

THE PALANTIR PROTESTS DOWNTOWN: I.C.E.’s PRESENCE IN PALO ALTO

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

11


A

lthough it is not unusual to see a crowd of people bers of undocumented immigrants, according to the Mijente in downtown Palo Alto on a Friday, on Aug. 30, it report. This information is then used to plan raids where was clear that the crowd did not come for a cup ICE officials arrest multiple illegal immigrants, sometimes of coffee. hundreds at a time. Chants like “Palantir, you can’t hide! We charge you “We started out with a seven to eight week campaign prowith genocide!” roared through the crowd as the protesters testing for them to not renew their contract with ICE. … marched. With people blasting out notes on their trumpets [Palantir’s] mass doxxing of migrants makes it easier for ICE and banging out rhythms on drums, the noise was reminis- to terrorize and deport migrants. ... We stand against it. We cent of a parade. are disgusted with their actions.” Michelle Schudel, member But instead of a cheering audience, pedestrians worriedly of the CCCC and the Party for Socialism and Liberation eyed the buckets of red paint carried by the protesters. Rath- said. “We demand that Palantir does not renew their second er than floats, police cars tailed the procession and two large ICE contract this November and that their CEOs will be moving trucks were stationed right in front of where the pro- taken off the board.” test centered, making sure no one walking on the street could To achieve this goal, the CCCC hopes to catch Palantir’s see the protest. This was the third week of protests against attention through picketing. software company Palantir’s contract with Immigration and “A lot of stuff we do with Palantir is, we believe there’s a Customs Enforcement, more widely known as ICE. basis to mobilizing enough people so that we can ultimately Palantir is a Palo Alto based software company that over begin systematically disrupting the work that they do,” Anthe past years has become a go-to provider for multiple gov- drews said. “Our strength and ability can go on the offensive, ernment agencies. In addition to against these institutions, against ICE, Palantir also works with the these companies, against these Department of Defence and the policies. It can only be strengthUnited States Intelligence Com- “Our strength and ability can ened by mobilizing more and munity. go on the offensive against these more people.” According to a report by LatDespite public outcry, Palantir inx political grassroots organiza- institutions, against these compa- refuses to budge. Alex Karp, CEO tion Mijente, Palantir has a total nies, against these policies. It can of Palantir, even defended the of $1.4 billion in government company’s actions this September contracts. Palantir’s most recently only be strengthened by mobilizin a guest column he wrote for the renewed contract, which would ing more and more people.” Washington Post. “What is worriensure the continuation of its some is that some Silicon Valley — Dayton Andrews, CCCC partnership with ICE for another companies are taking the power three years, is worth $49 million. activist to decide these issues away from Reports of children being sepaelected officials and judges and rated from their families and being giving it to themselves — a deeply locked in cages at ICE detention centers have caused a lot of unrepresentative group of executives living in an elite bubble tension. Activist groups nationwide are on the streets and at in a corner of the country. … I don’t believe I should have detention centers themselves protesting ICE. One such orga- that authority,” Kard said. nization, the Coalition to Close the Concentration Camps, The CCCC continues to rally in front of the Palo Alto is the main organizer for the weekly protests at Palantir. The headquarters every Friday in hopes of creating change. CCCC’s membership consists of multiple different left-lean- However, the protest against Palantir is not just limited to the ing groups, all coming together to fight for one common streets. Around 200 Palantir workers themselves confronted cause: the immediate and complete end of the migrant de- Karp in August in a signed letter about the issue, according tention centers. The CCCC belives that Palantir plays a key to the Washington Post. Also, students from universities such role in the arrest of undocumented immigrants. as Stanford and MIT have pledged to not work for Palantir “Palantir is creating software and technologies that ICE unless they cut off their relationship with ICE, as reported by is actively using to track and detain migrants,” Dayton An- Business Insider. drews, CCCC and Revolutionary United Front activist said. Despite this resistance from Palantir employees, Andrews “We feel that it’s a very important avenue to expose the re- says it is not enough to consider their efforts successful. “Our lationship between the federal government and large tech successful campaign would be a way to get thousands of companies.” organizers and activists in just this area alone, when there Under the contract, Palantir would continue to provide are millions and millions of people nationally who can and ICE with data software which is used to find the workplaces, should be working in solidarity with migrants in this counphone numbers, immigration history and even family mem- try.”

12

OCTOBER 2019


Text/Design by ANYA LASSILA and MICHAELA SEAH Photos by ANYA LASSILA

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

13


A RETURN TO

D E N I A L

How a presidential candidate spreads anti-vaxx rhetoric Text and Art by ANTONIA ZHOU and OLIVIA WOLFE

I

f you have been following the Democratic debates, you should have noticed the rise of Marianne Williamson. Name dropped by celebrities such as Gwenyth Paltrow, Kim Kardashian and Oprah Winfrey, Williamson has been basking in the light of mass media coverage for some while now. Following the second democratic debate, Williamson was the most googled candidate in 49 of the 50 states. Williamson markets herself as a celebrity self-help guru and is treated as a mildly kooky, but ultimately “woke” candidate. Williamson has been quoted saying many “inspirational” things such as “Your body is merely your space station from whence you beam your love to the universe. Don’t just relate to the station; relate to the beams.” But what has been ultimately ignored by the media is Williamson’s past of promoting anti-vaccination rhetoric — a past which still overlaps into her current beliefs.

14

OCTOBER 2019

In Williamson’s book “A Return To Love,” published in 1992, she claims that “Sickness is an illusion that does not actually exist. Healing doesn’t come from the pill. It comes from our belief.” Williamson’s response to her own words? “I am not anti-vaxx,” she said via twitter, after announcing her candidacy. “I am pro-science & medicine. I’ve never suggested to anyone they should pray away their illness & not see a doctor. I’ve never blamed a victim nor fat-shamed anyone.” Still, this appeal seems far-fetched from a candidate who once called government-mandated vaccines “Orwellian” and “draconian.” Even in 2018, Williamson published since-deleted tweets contesting the use of antidepressants, a claim which she refuted on CNN in 2019. On her radio show “Living Miraculously” Williamson agreed with an interviewee’s stance that vaccines are linked to autism, saying “Yes, absolutely. ...I think all I’m calling for in this program is for every-

body to be awake and really do your due diligence and do your research.” Williamson also maintains that the debate around government-mandated vaccines is “no different than the abortion debate. The U.S. government doesn’t tell any citizen, in my book, what they have to do with their body or their child.” This, and fear-mongering around Big Pharma and the myth that vaccines are linked to autism, are foundational pieces of the anti-vax movement. By just repeating these statements, Williamson makes them seem more credible through the illusory truth effect. This effect, confirmed by multiple studies, postulates that people trust false information after repeated exposure. This quote in conjunction with Williamson’s history of regurgitating anti-vax rhetoric makes it clear she is against mandatory vaccination. Unfortunately, this policy spells trouble for children across the country. As the ability to opt-out of vaccines is


VAX STATS

10

WHO ranked vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 health threats of 2019. (World Health Organization)

19 out of 20 people must be vaccinated for effective herd immunity. (Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project)

80%

Due to an acceleration in immunization activities, global measles deaths have decreased by 80%. (World Health Organization)

Half of the three million vaccines preventable deaths each year are children under the age of five. (World Health Organization)

granted to misinformed parents, previously eradicated diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella are making a comeback, according to Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, in an interview with USA Today in March. Simply put, declining vaccination rates have led to a weakening of herd immunity. Parents’ decision to skip recommended vaccines not only affects their cwhildren, but also all vulnerable members in their community: the immuno-compromised, eldery, and infants. Objectively, Williamson’s presidency is the longest of long shots, especially considering she failed to qualify for the third debate. Still, the impact of her beliefs — boosted by her campaign, popularity, and growing platform — are felt whether or not she holds public office.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

15


Text/Photo/Design by MICHAELA SEAH

Text/Photo by MICHAELA SEAH

HK The impact of the Hong Kong protests 7,000 miles away

A

S OF WHEN THIS ISSUE will be printed, the infamous 2019 Hong Kong Protests, originally started to oppose an extradition bill that would allow criminals to be transported to China, will have gone on for five months now. When there is a movement in America, the effect on Americans is apparent. However, when it comes to foreign affairs, the effect is less obvious. The complex impact of the Hong Kong protests hits Bay Area residents 7,000 miles away in ways that regard their identities, emotions and loved ones. Here are just a few words from Palo Alto residents.

DIVIDE: “My relatives are qute divided on this. ... We try not to talk about it. With the protest five years ago, my uncle didn’t talk for awhile after the protest because of the divide. We try to avoid the conversation, but when it comes up there’s a slight tension because of everyones different opinions.” — Shaun Lau, Gunn High School sophomore “I think both sides have prejudice against each other. I’m from mainland [China] but I’vve been living in Hong Kong for a long time, and I have connections to Hong Kong relatives, even when China was poor. I used to watch Hong Kong TV shows when I was really young so I admired the living style of Hong Kong and the people living there for a long time. ... But I think things change ... Hong Kong must humble themselves ... They should be more humble and appreciate the other side.” — Tong Jun Gao, Gunn parent “Some of my friends support China, and we were arguing and somehow we just don’t talk anymore. ... We should try to avoid talking about those stuff but it’s really hard to avoid it. Everyone has different views, at school I have a bunch of Chinese friends but I avoid talking about political stuff with them because you know we will get in a fight and we will argue.” — Thompson Wong, Gunn sophomore

16

OCTOBER 2019


FEAR, DISTANCE: “When I first watched videos of the protestors throwing tear gas back at the police, I felt goosebumps on my neck. But eventually, I got tired of being spoon-fed information twisted by Western news outlets—I have no doubt the state-owned news networks in China are also spewing propaganda as well—because if we are doing such a poor job of safeguarding our democracy, why should I trust the media in its agenda to promote “democracy” in other countries? Most of the articles I’ve read were disgustingly ethnocentric too.” — Samantha Wang, Palo Alto High School sophomore “I feel like it is a helpless situation becuase I’m not there although I was born there, I’m not living there. I cannot do anything to drive where the movement goes ... Because I am a reciever of the news I cannot determine if the news is true or not myself because I’m not in the city. ... I worry that my posts will effect my [circle] because you do see companies fire people who speak out publically ... My brother works in a sensetive industry [in Hong Kong] so I dont know if my view point will effect him. ... The press freedom is effected and also individual safety. The fear is intangible. Theres the intangible pressure on the freedom of speech ... I am afraid my opinion will effect my friends and family. ... It is self censorship because you predict something bad will happen, you will stop saying something that is truthful.” — Christy, Palo Alto parent who asked that her real name not be used out of concern that her relatives abroad could be targeted for retribution.

“My grandma lives in Shawtin which is where the triad [white shirts] was at night. Because my grandma and my grandpa are old now, they could be on the street buying something and they can be attacked.” — Shaun Lao, Gunn sophomore “There was one time, my mom was going home from work and they were protesting on the street and at the MTR, and so she couldn’t get home. She just stayed at her office for the entire night.” — Thompson Wong, Gunn sophomore

IDENTITY: “If I had to [describe] my heritage I would perfer to be called a Hong Konger. Because now the Hong Kongers are against saying that they are Chinese, they don’t like that.” — Kevin Chat, Gunn senior “Am I really Chinese or am I Hongkongese? My parents will say “you’re Chinese,” but the people of Hong Kong will say “No, I’m from Hong Kong.” It’s actually quite a big problem because personally I identify as Chinese, so for other people to say “no we’re not part of China we’re our own independant place ” It is really frustrating.” — Shaun Lau, Gunn sophomore “If you are talking about the Chinese identity, it is really complicated. My ethnicity is Chinese. But I think culturally, I am a Hong Kong person. ... I think everyone globally enjoys freedom and human rights and freedom of speech, I think a majority of the people of the world enjoy that. Actually, if it comes to my identity I am a citizen of the world. Because I connect to lots of people with simular feelings and identities. ... We have so many identities that intrically tie together just in the Chinese community or Asian community, in the US ... You can see that even though we are Chinese American we are so tied with China. ... I think we all have a very profound culture that we all treasure and we feel proud of, so we can never forego our Chinese identity.” — Christy, Palo Alto parent who asked that her real name not be used out of concern that her relatives abroad could be targeted for retribution.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

17


#ACTIVISM nd a a i d e M l a i Soc cts how it impa sm i v i t c a l a i c o s

O

nline activism, also known as “hashtag activism,” has reached millions of people across the world. Hashtag activism allows anyone who has access to the internet to become active civic participants, something that was not possible just a couple decades ago. A notorious example of online activism in motion was the #IceBucketChallenge in 2014, which was created to spread knowledge on a brain disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. According to the ALS Association, this movement prompted more than 17 million people to post their own videos as well as a number of celebrities including Oprah, Lady Gaga, Bill Gates, and former president George W. Bush. Supporters raised over $115 million for the ALS Association. In just two short years, it led to the discovery of NEK1, one of the most common genes that contribute to the disease, providing scientists with a potential target for clinical trials. “Viral hashtags are absolutely an effective way to spread awareness about a cause,” Twitter activist The Calitaliano Kid, called C.K. for short, said. “For one, the hashtag creates a space, whether it be on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or any other Social Media, where one can go to see what lots of different people and sourc-

18

OCTOBER 2019

es are saying or posting about a current event or trend. This ‘repository’ so to speak of what everyone is talking about is already, in and of itself, an interesting resource.” C.K. said. Hashtags can attract views, bringing in engagement and discussions about a specific topic or cause. It is different from traditional “feet on the ground” forms of activism such as protesting, speeches, sit-ins, and other historic examples of resistance. Online activism refers to online participation for a movement. It encourages conversation and interest but the ambiguity of what is considered as “activism” in the digital world sparks criticism against the rise of hashtag activism. In 2014, television show creator and author Shonda Rhimes gave a commencement speech at Dartmouth, criticizing online activism. “#YesAllWomen, #TakeBackTheNight, #No tA llM en , #Brin gBac k Ou rG irls, hashtag stop pretending hashtags are the same as doing something,” Rhimes said. “A hashtag does not change anything. It’s you, sitting on your butt, typing on your computer and then going back to binge-watching your favorite show.” Rhimes and other critics, who dub online activism “slacktivism,” claim that because of the easy nature of online activism,

it allows users to collect brownie points for their good deeds rather than work toward actual change. The United Nations has defined slacktivism as when people “support a cause by performing simple measures” but “are not truly engaged or devoted to make a change.” Although C.K is proud of his work as an activist, he said critics have a valid point. “All the time we spend tweeting is less time we spend calling our MOCs (Member of Congress), writing letters, signing petitions and voting,” he said. “Of course, I do all of those things as well and so do many ... of the online activists.” Moving from California to Italy and being physically away from America, C.K. says he regrets not being able to do more for his country. However, due to the rise of online activism, C.K. is able to fight for his beliefs despite the geographical divide. “I feel like I am part of something bigger,” C.K. said, “As far as calling [online activism] ‘slacktivism,’ it’s obvious they’ve never put in the time to do online activism seriously… Just like anything else, it requires time, thought and effort.” In a New Times article, Ashley Rudo Chisamba, a gender activist, defends online activism. “It is different from real life activism which is normally dependent on numbers. Hashtag activism enables one to start


Art

by ZA CH

AR YD

ON

AK ER

Text/Design by KARLENE SALAS

“Hashtag a ctivism en ables one to star t a m ovement a nd it can grow beyo nd your so cial circle; a big popu lation of t h e world is on social m edia” —As hley Rudo Chisamba

“A hash ta thing. I g does not cha t’s you, nge an sitting ytyping o n your on your b u comput tt, going b er a ac favorite k to binge-wa nd then tching show.” your —Shon da Rhim es

a movement and it can grow beyond your lence,’” Breen says. “He was looking for social circle; a big population of the world chapters for the rallies and I started orgais on social media,” Chisamba said. nizing it with a bunch of friends.” And it did. Five years ago, 276 girls were The hashtag #VegasStrong was used abducted from their school in Nigeria by throughout all of the rallies. What may the terrorist group Boko Haram. The size appear to be just a hashtag to many is an of this mass kidnapping led to the #Bring- indication of strength and resilience to BackOurGirls hashtag Las Vegas residents and that went viral all those involved in the #Veambiguity of gasStrong rallies. over the world. It was “The what is considered as shared by the likes of “#VegasStrong repactivist Malala Yous- “activism” in the dig- resents the people living in fazi, the Pope, and for- ital world sparks criti- the area and who were in mer first lady Michelle cism against the rise of the concert,” Breen says. hashtag activism.” Obama. Because of “They now have an emothe hashtag, The Unittional connection to Vegas ed States deployed a 200 military and law because they were there during a terrible enforcement members to help search for thing that happened. You’re strong because the girls. In a matter of months, 57 of the you survived that.” girls were returned. In today’s day and age The argument that online activism is where movements go as fast as they came, not real activism because it does not lead to #BringBackOurGirls is still going strong in real changes or is not meaningful is simply its fifth year. false. Yes, not all online activism is effective In our own school, Palo Alto High or will go viral. What is trending on social School students are rising up. Senior Miles media will come and go. However, we have Breen organized a rally last year for the one seen already that online activism can help a year anniversary of the Las Vegas shooting. movement significantly. Breen said that his friend prompted him to Online activism may be seen as silly to organize the event. many, but no one can deny the impact of “Someone I was friends with on Snap- the causes which went viral were, and still chat who was in New York was part of are, significant. an organization called ‘Shattering the SiA hashtag is not as simple as it seems.

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

19


Text/Design by ANYA LASSILA Art by OLIVIA WOLFE

The Disloyalty Charge How Jews have been perceived as disloyal throughout history and how it impacts us today

L

iving in Palo Alto, I haven’t personally experienced outright anti-Semitism. Aside from general ignorance and the errant Holocaust joke, I just don’t have to deal with it. Of course I know people who have, and I know how it impacts my family, but my experiences of anti-Semitism don’t compare to those of people in other parts of the country or the world. Still, that doesn’t mean the fear isn’t there. People say things, and these things always have the potential to turn into action. Actions like the October shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, or the April shooting at Poway in Southern California. This distant but intense fear is what I feel when I think about what President Donald Trump said on Aug. 21: “If you want to vote Democrat, you are being very disloyal to Jewish people and very disloyal to Israel.” It’s easy to pass this off as a campaigning tactic or a dig at Democrats. But knowing

20 OCTOBER 2019 2019

how the language of disloyalty has been the ground.” In the Book of Esther, mass used against Jews throughout history, makes genocide was planned against all Jews in it take on a different meaning. the Persian Empire because they were seen “The matter of dual loyalty has been as a threat to the king’s power. a charge laid against Jews for literally Centuries later, during the Enlightenhundreds of years,” said Jon Levine, who ment era, the idea of Jewish dual-loyalty worked at the American Jewish Committee was still being used to estrange Jews, acfor over 30 years. cording Jerome “It is done to difChanes, author ferentiate Jews o f “Dark Side The goal of anti-Semites from others. of History: Anwho use this technique The goal of anti-Semitism — this accusation of dual ti-emites who use Through the this technique — Ages.” It beloyalty — is to make peothis accusation of came a belief inple see that Jews are difdual loyalty — is grained in Chrisferent. to make people tian societies, fed see that Jews are by the idea that — Jon Levine, former member of the American Jewish Committee different.” Jews had a highThe charge of disloyalty has alienated er loyalty to each other, threatening the Jews since biblical times. In the Book of Christian countries they lived in. Jews were Exodus, Pharaoh justified the enslavement either forced into sectioned-off ghettos or of Jews in Egypt because it was believed banned from cities entirely. Although the that otherwise, Jews would “join our en- French Revolution and Napoleon’s sweep emies in fighting against us and rise from across Europe liberated many Jews from


STAB-IN-THE-BACK. An from a 1919 Austrian postcard showing a caricatured Jew stabbing a German soldier, representing the German army, in the back with a dagger. Source: the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

these ghettos, the cries of disloyalty never went away. The accusations of disloyalty reached a crescendo after World War I, according to the US Holocaust Memorial Encyclopedia. Even though a bigger percentage of the German Jewish population fought in the war than almost any other ethnic or religious population, Germany’s loss was painted as the result of Jewish traitors with foreign interests to undermine the war effort. This idea, that Germany’s loss in WWI was a result of Jewish disloyalty, came to be known as the Stab-In-The-Back myth. Using the Stab-In-The-Back myth, Nazis began to rewrite German history. The idea that Jews had always been working against Germany caught fire. Conspiracy theories about Jews’ foreign ties and trans-national loyalties became reality in the eyes of the public. Henry Ford even contributed his opinion with his pamphlet “The International Jew,” where he asserted that Jews across the globe were planning for economic world dominance. It sounds out-

landish, but it was believed and accepted loyalties in the context of Jewish Demointo public perception. crats,” Levine said. “Leaders of all sorts When World War II started, it was these can make certain ideas acceptable simply ideas of loyalty to each other and disloyalty by repeating them. [...] After all, if the presto their countries that in part led to the ex- ident can say it, it can’t be too bad, can it?” termination of Jews during the Holocuast. Anti-Semitism in America has never This is why it’s so scary to see a leader speak reached the level of extremity that inspired about Jews like Trump did in August. the Holocaust. It’s quieter, and it’s easier to Palo Alto High School senior Kayla believe that it’s not a problem anymore. But Brand shares this sentiment. “I’m slightly the absence of genocide does not mean the paranoid that we’re going to have a geno- prejudice is gone. Jews are still being aliencide,” she said. “I know it’s not going to ated, shot in their places of worship by conhappen here, but ... I am worried about the spiracy theorists emboldened by comments rise of anti-Semitism in the US, and I am from those in power, such as the comments worried that more synagogues will be shot made by Trump in August. up.” Like any other form of prejudice, anI know Trump’s comment was just a ti-semitism can’t be completely eradicated. short remark, a There’s nothing throwaway comI nor any othment. But that er Jew can do If we can just change doesn’t change to convince the the mind of one person, the fear I still feel, public of our loyrealizing the same alty. But we can or change the behavior ideas that fueled stop thoughts of one person, that’s a the Holocaust and feelings from are still present turning into acsmall step in the right ditoday. It’s a chilltion. rection. ing reminder that I think Levine — Jon Levine, former member of the pierced through said it best: American Jewish Committee my Palo Alto bub“There’s not a lot ble of safety. However insignificant it might we can do to change the minds of hundreds seem, the fact is that leaders speaking like of thousands of people. But sometimes, if this has an impact. we can just change the mind of one person, “It legitimizes these kinds of [disloyalty] or change the behavior of one person, that’s charges if the president talks about dual a small step in the right direction.”

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG 21 21


Text/Design by JOSEPHINE ANDERSEN Art by MICHAELA SEAH

Canada: On Sept. 27, Greta Thunberg joined Canadian students in their fight against climate change. In the streets of Montreal, Thunberg, alongside 315,000 others, urged the government to reject new oil and gas projects and reduce carbon emissions by 2030 to one fourth of what they were in 2005. (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Germany: Led by student activists, Berlin, Germany had one of the largest turnouts world-wide in the international climate strike. Over 100,000 people gathered before the Brandenburg Gate demanding their leaders take action. (Public Radio International)

Brasil: In response to President Jair Bolsonaro, who is said to be allowing fires to destroy the Amazon rainforest, thousand of Brazillians took to the streets in protest. The Brazilian protests were partially led by the student organization Youth for Climate. During the global climate strike, social media users criticized Bolsonaro and advocated for environmental protections. (Reuters)

22

OCTOBER 2019


ACTIVISM around the WORLD Thailand: 200 students in Bangkok, Thailand, chanted “Save our earth” as they marched into the environmental ministry before ‘playing dead,’ demonstrating what will occur if actions are not taken against climate change. (Reuters)

On Friday, Sept. 20, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg inspired thousands of students to join in the worldwide climate strike, advocating against climate change. The youth-led climate strike took place across 150 countries to pressure world leaders into action.

South Africa: Wearing their school uniforms, many of Cape Town’s students marched to Parliament in support of the worldwide climate strike. Organized by the African Climate Alliance, a youth-led advocacy group, over 1,000 people were in attendance. Prompted by Cape Town’s water crisis in 2018, the protester’s demanded the government declare a national emergency. (GroundUp)

Australia: Over 300,000 people took to the streets in Australia in support of the climate strike, including 100,000 in Melbourne and 80,000 in Sydney. The student-organized event was the largest public protest in Australia since the marches against the Iraq War in 2003. Many protesters spoke out against the prime minister, Scott Morrison, who confirmed he would not be attending the United Nations Emergency Climate Summit. (The Guardian)

ANTHROMAGAZINE.ORG

23


Art by MICHAELA SEAH

INTRESTED IN ADVERTISING WITH ANTHRO?

Email us at anthromagazine.paly@gmail.com for more information

24

OCTOBER 2019


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.