One Year Older!: world

A Smile Can Change a Life:

"A smile is something most of us take for granted — but for a child born with a cleft lip or palate, it can be the difference between isolation and acceptance, sickness and health, silence and speech. Smile Train is working to change that, one smile at a time."

Smile Train’s Mission:

"Smile Train empowers local doctors in over 70 countries to provide free cleft surgery and essential care to children who need it most. These life-changing procedures don’t just transform faces — they transform futures."

What is a cleft?

Globally, 1 in 700 babies is born with a cleft lip and/or palate. Clefts can cause difficulties eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking.

A cleft occurs when certain body parts and structures do not fuse together during fetal development. Clefts can involve the lip and/or the roof of the mouth, which is made up of both hard and soft palate. Around the world, many children with clefts will never receive the reconstructive surgery they need.

There are varying opinions on the actual incidence of clefts, but most experts agree that, in part, it depends on ethnicity. Some experts say that the highest cleft incidences are among Asians (approximately 1 in 500 births). Caucasians have an average incidence of 1 in 700 births and individuals of African descent have the lowest incidence, of approximately 1 in 1,200 births.

Most experts agree that a cleft might be caused by any number of factors, potentially including genetic predisposition, as well as environmental issues such as maternal drug and alcohol use, smoking, illness, infection, or lack of Vitamin B, also known as folic acid. In most cases, we can't know why any given individual has a cleft, but research is ongoing to better understand the condition.

1854: People v. Hall determines that Chinese people cannot testify against white defendants

With hate crimes against Asian Americans skyrocketing during the pandemic, many choose the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act as a historic marker for how they are treated in the U.S. Rather, in 1854 California Supreme Court case of People v Hall. George Hall had been convicted of murder through the testimony of three Chinese eyewitnesses.

On appeal, the court disqualified the testimony.

California banned specific groups (“Negros, blacks, Indians, and mullatoes”) from testifying against whites, but “Chinese” was not included.

This judge became legislator by interpreting, through his convoluted logic, that the Chinese were “Indian” and/or “Black.” The opinion spewed vile racism citing the eminent threat that if Chinese people can testify against whites, they would become full equal citizens. This marks the beginning of how discrimination against Asians became the norm.

Hall got away with murder.