Filtering by
- Creators: Department of English
- Status: Published
In recent years, immigration, especially concerning those individuals immigrating from Central America and Mexico, has become increasingly controversial. Within the last five presidents, policies concerning immigration have shifted. Under President Bill Clinton in 1997, the Flores Settlement, an agreement between immigration activist organizations and the government that created standards for detaining accompanied and unaccompanied minors was made. Following 9/11, in 2005, President George W. Bush increased the amount of money spent on immigration enforcement in an effort to deport more immigrants. President Barack Obama increased the number of deportations from President Bush during his first term. However, in 2014, an already imperfect immigration system was disrupted by an influx of child immigrants. As a result, detention centers were at capacity and unable to accommodate the increasing numbers of immigrants. Child migrants were placed in caged-areas, immigration lawyers and courts quickly became overwhelmed with cases, and children were alone and could barely communicate. This thesis explores the various relationships between accompanied and unaccompanied minors from Central America, the American legal system, and the media and broadcast news outlets’ rhetoric concerning child migrants. Focusing on the ways in which immigrant minors are objectified by the legal system and the framing of immigrants in the media, it is evident that their complex interaction allows for the oppression of the child migrants. Since the American legal system and the media influence and respond to each other, the responsibility of the child migrants’ dehumanization is on both the legal system and the rhetoric of the media and broadcast news outlets.
Cosplay, or the act of dressing up as a character, is a hobby that has become increasingly popular over the last several decades. Since its conception in 1939, the practice of cosplaying has always been heavily tied to that of conventions. Until 2019 these conventions were utilized by cosplayers to showcase their outfits and creations – in a phenomenon called “masking” – but with the widespread emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, conventions were put on hold for over a year. This paper questions how convention culture has changed in a world where cosplay can no longer rely on it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through analysis, personal narrative, and a critical reflection, the authors compare Saboten Con 2019 and 2021 to discuss that despite the numerous changes to the physical culture of conventions, the social essence of conventions has remained the same.
Cosplay, or the act of dressing up as a character, is a hobby that has become increasingly popular over the last several decades. Since its conception in 1939, the practice of cosplaying has always been heavily tied to that of conventions. Until 2019 these conventions were utilized by cosplayers to showcase their outfits and creations – in a phenomenon called “masking” – but with the widespread emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, conventions were put on hold for over a year. This paper questions how convention culture has changed in a world where cosplay can no longer rely on it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through analysis, personal narrative, and a critical reflection, the authors compare Saboten Con 2019 and 2021 to discuss that despite the numerous changes to the physical culture of conventions, the social essence of conventions has remained the same.