American Emigrants

  A lot of people did not know that Americans abroad are still taxed by the U.S.. The fact is that even if they are abroad for many years, they are still subject to U.S. taxes.  Even further, there is soon to be implemented a requirement in which these people will be required to disclose information about their income, foreign bank accounts, and other assets.  For some people, taxes were already a hassle and costly.  Now some people will have to pay $4,000-$5,000 to get their taxes done, just to find out they do not owe anything.  In response, some have even gone as far to renounce their citizenship, but this will not exempt them from any current or back taxes owed.
   I think this is a little extreme to renounce your citizenship, but many feel it is their only choice.  This is intended to catch people trying to hide funds or circumvent taxes, but it is unfortunately affecting the honest ones too. In class we examine pushes and pulls that bring people to America, so I decided I would check out a push from America to switch it up a little.

Click the link below to see the article
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24135021

Chinese Immigrants

  Between 1870 c.e. and 1900 c.e., 12 million immigrants arrived in the US.  This figure included the Chinese, up until 1882 c.e.. The Chinese mostly came between 1849 c.e. and 1882 c.e.. What attracted most of the Chinese to come was the gold rush in California.  These immigrants participated in mining for gold as well as jobs that catered to the miners: food services, laundry services, and other specialty services.  When things got bad, the competition for jobs jumped.  Soon people began to resort to racism, and eventually ended Chinese immigration for almost 100 years.
    It is crazy how desperate those people must have been for jobs to wholly stop Chinese immigration. The locals knew that the Chinese worked really hard for next to nothing, and that the people already there possibly could not compete with that.  The only solution they saw was to oust the competition.


http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/chinimms/

White American Population on the decline

    Last year the US Census Bureau, reported that white American (non-Hispanic) babies had become a minority group.  This year the US Census Bureau is reporting that, in the category of children 5 and under, white Americans are about to become a minority.  Racial or ethnic minority children 5 and under are at 49.9%, only 0.02% away from making white American children 5 and under a minority.  This could happen as early as this year or next.  This change is also accompanied by the fact that white Americans are having more deaths than births.  In the category of 18 years or younger, white Americans are said to become a minority within the next 5 years.
    I think if Benjamin Franklin knew about this, he would be rolling over in his grave.  As we have seen in his 1751 essay Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries, &c., Franklin was hoping that the British would inhabit the British colonies in North America, and that pretty much all other races be excluded.  Granted that the US has taken up the English language and many other characteristics of the Anglo culture as the norm.  A lot of people think that Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the US, but they are only second to Asians.

Click the link below to see the original article:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22895162

Sapelo Island

   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL2oCaRXLdg
       The link above is to a video clip about Sapelo Island, which the state of Georgia owns 97% of.  The remaining 3% of the island is owned by slave descendants called Geechees.  The island was originally a rice plantation, and is currently home to about 50 people.  The residents of Sapelo are currently facing a increase in property taxes, which most of the people cannot afford.  The big concern is that the preservation of the Geechee culture is at risk.  Many on the island may have to sell off land or other drastic measures to pay this increase in tax.  These residents are the largest community of Geechees and may "go under" from this tax.
     I agree that is quite a jump to increase property taxes 500x-600x more.  On top of that, they are not even receiving the same services as the rest of McIntosh County on the mainland.  From the governments stand point, it is not easy to just let Sapelo slide on their property taxes while others in McIntosh county get no slack.  I think if the appeals do not go through in regards to the property taxes, it would only be fair to at least invest in services for Sapelo: garbage collection, roads, street lights, fire station, etc.