Month: February 2018

Blog Post #2

 

Jacob and I were provided with a variety of local resource connections through our initial meeting with USCA’s Instruction/Reference Librarian, Deborah Tripp. As we expressed initial interest in examining post-war industrialism and the impacts of SRS on local migration, Deborah provided us with connections to George Wingard, a member of the Savannah River Archaeological Research Program, and recommended that we visit the Savannah River Site Museum, as well as the Aiken History Museum. In addition, she suggested going through the digital archives of local newspapers and review the archival collections of Gregg/Swint Memorial Room, which focuses on Southern economic, social, and labor history. After spending hours scouring through decades worth of newspaper articles published by the Aiken Standard and sorting through census data, I felt defeated. We couldn’t substantiate the ties between migration and SRS and, as such, Jacob and I decided to approach this from a new angle. Researching migration within South Carolina is not a simple task, given the state’s hostile racial landscape and complex history of racism, nativism, isolationism, and ethnocentric values. However, we were finally able to locate a few studies that pointed to a growing population of Mexican immigrants in Aiken and the surrounding areas. We are currently in the process of scheduling an additional meeting with Deborah Tripp to gain additional resources and instruction.

From here, we plan to gain insight into the implications of southern identity and the state’s post-war industrialization on Latino immigration. As Latino migration to the South is a relatively new trend compared to other areas of the nation, very little research has been done on the micro level. For South Carolina, and Aiken in particular, this research is virtually non-existent. We know the migration trend exists, but little attention has been given to the personal experiences of these migrants. While exploring the implications of post-war industrialization and labor, we’d like to shed light on the processes through which Mexican migrants experience South Carolina’s unique social, political, and cultural systems and how they are navigating social and cultural life in the deep south. Some possible research questions include:

 

  • What brought you to South Carolina, and to Aiken in particular? What was the migration process like?
  • Was the cultural transition easier or more difficult than you’d initially expected?
  • In what ways do you think you have changed since moving to South Carolina? Are there any new cultural practices that you’ve adopted since your move?
  • What Mexican traditions would you like to continue practicing? Is the richness of Mexican culture becoming more evident around the state?
  • How do you think your experiences in Aiken compare to those of Mexican immigrants in other areas of the country? Can you describe some of the greatest problems specifically faced by Aiken’s Mexican community?
  • Do you feel accepted as a community member? 
  • What can the city do to better accommodate the needs of its’ migrant community?

Blog Post #1

https://arcg.is/0qb4G8

My StoryMap on migration can be found here!

I decided to synthesize the knowledge I’ve obtained within the past week through the use of the Story Maps digital tool. Through this activity, I’ve largely learned that indecision is, by far, my most glaring flaw! As an amateur with technology, the magnitude of content and overwhelming degree of customization initially left me with sore eyes and low moral. However, I was determined to utilize this tool to the best of my abilities. The geographic layout of regions on a page conveys more than just spatial relations. The simple sight of a map can conjure something visceral and Story Maps allowed me to emphasize the geo-political nature of migration in a way that would otherwise fall flat.

Through this activity, I became acutely aware of how difficult it is to summarize the phenomenon of migration. In a way, the nuances and complexities of this digital tool were reflections of the immense scope and intricacies of the issue itself. Conveying the history and human impact of oppressive conditions through such a technological vessel felt somewhat surreal and I often found myself questioning where to place the emphasis and bulk of my focus: on the technology or the information? After meticulously scrolling through map layers and sorting through endless page layouts, a realization finally hit me. I’d been missing the entire point. Technology and the social sciences do not have to be mutually exclusive fields, and this exercise allowed me to truly synthesize the two realms for myself.  

Voices of Migration

I was immediately intrigued at the idea of participating in COPLACDigital Voices of Migration, as I’ve been quite interested in exploring the human impact of the Savannah River Site and its influence on migration patterns of my hometown and surrounding areas. Local demographics and identity in the deep south are subjects that have fascinated me throughout my academic career. As a sociology major, I’m deeply interested in conducting geographical analysis of social problems and studying the forces that contribute to migration, such as industrialization, urbanization, political conflict, access to labor force participation, and resource scarcity. I believe that COPLACDigital Voices of Migration has provided an outlet and means to shed a humanizing light on the migrant community in and around my hometown of Aiken, South Carolina.