Oliviana's Blog

As I have mentioned in my previous blog, for this paper, I have been researching the Roma/Romani Genocide which occurred during the Second World War. This has been the most difficult paper to research so far, simply because there are not as many easily accessible resources for this subject. However, I am trying my best and have found the USC library resources helpful.  This source that I found from The National WWII Museum: New Orleans, summarizes some of the traumatic experiences these Roma victims faced, "known as “Gypsies”...to outsiders, the people who called themselves Roma, Sinti, and Manouches (among others) were declared to be of alien blood under Germany’s Nuremberg Laws and suffered under the same genocidal regime as Europe’s Jews," but also details what life was like for them after the War.  I would recommend this resource to my classmates who are interested in WWII and understadning the true hatred and horrors which were spread at that time.     ...

History class was always one of my favorite courses throughout my education. I was fascinated in understanding my own culture better, as well as the cultures and stories of people around the world. In my History of the Holocaust class in 12th grade, there was one sub-topic by teacher touched upon that I always wanted to research further and that was the Romani Genocide. Even my teacher herself said that this horrible massacre of at least half a million people is not talked about nearly enough inside or outside of the classroom. I believe there may be social and political reasons why this Holocaust is not spoken about as much as the horrors of the Jewish Holocaust, because the Romani, sometimes degradingly referred to as “Gypsies”, were/are considered untrustworthy and still remain third class citizens in Europe, even to this day. It is important to me that these victims and their descendants receive the recognition and aid that they deserve. 

                      The USC digital library has been a very useful source as I have begun my initial steps in this researched essay. Since my topic discusses how African American women are discriminated against in America’s healthcare system, I have been using research terms such as “African American Women and Health,” or “Women of color and Access to Affordable Health Care” or “POC and Mental Health.” I have used ProQuest, Credo and the Public Health Database as references. I am including two resources that I believe will be helpful: Works Cited Krieger, Nancy. “How Discrimination Can Harm Black Women's Health.” News , 31 Oct. 2018, www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/discrimination-black-womens-health/.    Vaz, Kim M. "Racial Disparities in Health and Health Care: Implications for African American women psychotherapy clients." Annals of the American Psychot...

                                                           It was difficult to narrow down a topic to select for this paper, when there are so many, specific communities which face discrimination in the healthcare system. However, I have chosen to write about the struggles African American women face. These women are both a racial   and   gender minority. They have been historically discriminated against, and are often unfairly assumed to have a lower pain tolerance as female-identifying individuals, therefore their claims may not be taken as seriously by healthcare professionals. I will need to further research the specifics of institutionalized racism and how, for example, the effects of the Jim Crow laws may still influence our current health system. 

As I have mentioned in my previous blog, I have been researching the Tongva Tribe, who once lived in what is now Los Angeles to Orange County and on the Catalina and San Clemente islands. They were forcibly moved out of their homes by the mid-1840s and now both USC and UCLA occupy their territories for their universities. In my paper, I argue that the Tongva victims of cultural displacement and their descendants should be given financial scholarships, and that the universities should offer classes, majors and/or minors to educate and raise awareness, as well as sympathy for the Tongva Tribe and their history.   The article sited below , from the USC library, talks about a 2021-22 academic year scholarship for the descendants of boarding school survivors, provided by the American Indian College Fund and National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. It discusses the effectiveness of these scholarships as a reparation for those affected by displacement and therefore...

                                                                        Making Amends with the Tongva Tribe “The History Department of USC acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Tongva people and their neighbors: (from North to South) the Chumash, Tataviam, Kitanemuk, Serrano, Cahuilla, Payomkawichum, Acjachemen, Ipai-Tipai, Kumeyaay, and Quechan peoples, whose ancestors ruled the region we now call Southern California for at least 9,000 years."     I have learned a lot from the readings that we have done this past week about the Tongva tribe, who lived in what is now Los Angeles to Orange County and on the Catalina and San Clemente islands. They were forcibly moved out of their homes by the mid-1840s and both...