I am a 16 year old girl and I am currently a sophomore at Lipscomb Academy High School. Recently, as a service learning opportunity, my classmates and I had the privilege to hear from several speakers from minority groups. These speakers gave insight into how their life has been growing up and some of the hardships and obstacles they have faced over time. One of the speakers talked about her experiences growing up with immigrant parents and her time living in Guatemala. After hearing how difficult it was for her parents to gain citizenship, I felt the need to address the issue. Immigration as a whole is an issue I feel strongly about. There is no direct path to citizenship. There are many immigrants who have become very successful in America, therefore it …show more content…
This scenario is much too familiar--- countless immigrant families are dealing with similar situations. America’s legal process of gaining U.S citizenship is broken and needs to be reassessed. Though many argue that immigration will hurt our country as a whole and that American jobs will be lost, I beg to differ. These people who have allowed themselves to believe such are ignoring the overwhelming contributions immigrants have made. It is estimated that states could lose up to $11.74 billion dollars in revenue if the undocumented immigrant population were to be deported. Many Americans say that citizenship is earned. I would like to know what I, or any other American born citizen, have done to “earn” citizenship. No one is in control of where they are born. I am blessed to have been born in a country, where as a white American I will have not have to worry about the injustice and prejudice that many face everyday. If citizenship is in fact “earned”, I have done nothing to do so. Immigrant families work so hard just to have the chance of a better life in
deporting lots if Hispanic that come to the United States to get the American dream . Because they left their home country to have a better life opportunity and to give their families a better life.Most of the people that come to the united states, they come from ‘Mexico and Central america’ Because their country have a bad economy and don 't have no jobs for the people that live there. Some of the people that are trying to come to the United States, its because of the "drug war" they are lost of innocent people and children dying for no reason .The government don 't do nothing to stop all that killing and kidnapping on their country.They are lots of corruption on the government of "Mexico and South America ' that the cartels are involved in the government. The people don 't feel safe no more in their own country . The ones that are more in danger are the women 's and children that are trying to cross the border .Because the women most of the time theyy get keidnappingnd get repaid by the coyotes the people that help them to cross the border or they get killed and the families don 't never get to know nothing about them .The childrenthat are trying to get the American dream they are in lots of danger when
The policies implemented by the United States to strengthen the border and enforce immigration policies have led to the abuse and profiling of undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants live in constant fear of deportation and are subjected to multiple human rights violations as they are abused, exploited and discriminated against. Immigrants are racialized and stereotyped. The US government has passed laws that discriminate against undocumented immigrants, making it harder for them to live and survive in America. These laws are due to the perception that undocumented immigrants are a burden on the US economy, but on the contrary undocumented immigrants provide an economic benefit to the US, and due to the benefit they provide society
Everyday over 11 million people battle with the fact that they can’t be legal in America. Hiding in the shadows, petrified of what might happen to them if they are caught trying to help their kids and families be successful in a safe home. Millions of undocumented immigrants are denied a “path to citizenship” due to immigration laws. These laws need to be altered and should allow these hurting families a chance to be legal. If these immigrants get deported, the United States is losing vital resources, they will fear losing their families, and since they are trying to get right by law, why not give them a chance? Furthermore undocumented immigrants are worthy to fight for, and this is why.
The theme of education and undocumented students has been a key issue for many decades. Undocumented students are often deprived from higher education because of their migratory status. They not only have to face discrimination and fear of deportation, but also after high school, they have to face the crude reality that their dreams of success and educational achievement are far from becoming a reality due to their lack of opportunities. Many personal stories shared in William Perez and Douglas Richard’s book “Undocumented Latino College Students: Their Socioemotional and Academic Experiences.” Relate to their fears, difficult conditions, emotional challenges, limitations, and other circumstances that multiple undocumented students live daily
As an immigrant, my father worked multiple hours, starting his morning in the field work picking fruits, vegetables, etc. and evening at a restaurant. The little money collected, with time, my father was able to pay for the loaned money he used for a ?Coyote? that transported him from the border to a near city with family and to cross my mother. Both parents working morning and evening jobs were granted a residency card from their field job because of their extended years of working with the company. The residency card is to be renewed every ten years and as a resident, they are to obey the laws and stay out of trouble. Therefore, allowing my parents to have better opportunities such as; minimum wage jobs, Driver?s License and renting their own home. Although my mother had the opportunity to minimize her working hours and stay home with her children she continued to work and pay a nanny because she learned to work at a very young age and has been self- sufficient since then. The Immigration and Nationality Act is also known as the Hart-Cellar Act and other immigration groups have shaped my families past by being a diverse community. The different languages used in the U.S. is an advantage for those who are bilingual and there is a high demand for bilingual speakers. Also, the work and wage opportunities there are now available for those with their
Undocumented immigrants are mostly in every country, the U.S maintains a high status of illegal or undocumented workers. Every country seems to think there is a problem and are trying to cut the number of undocumented immigrants or illegal workers. We seem to think, why is this happening? Are undocumented workers ruining the economy or supporting it, are they stealing jobs from Americans or just taking unappealing jobs? Undocumented workers are moving to the United States, seeking a better life and opportunities for themselves and their families. They live in a country where their unable to find work and eventually struggle. Some feel that undocumented/illegal immigrants shouldn’t be a major concern. They support this opinion by denying the major problems that result from the arrival of illegal immigrants into our country.
Imagine yourself in a life of poverty. No healthcare, earning low wages in poor working conditions. This is the life of an illegal immigrant, surprisingly, in the United States of America. What, exactly, is an immigrant? According to the World Almanac of U.S. Politics 1997, “Not subject to any numerical limitation, immigrants [are] classified as immediate relatives (spouses, parents, or natural children) of U.S. citizens; returning permanent resident aliens; certain former U.S. citizens; and certain long-term U.S. government employees” (Wagman). The fear stemmed from being caught as an illegal immigrant hinders every decision of his livelihood, from education to employment—their whole lives are affected in a negative manner. No one needs to live that way. The solution, however, is not to simply accept every willing immigrant freely, but to give all foreigners a more fair and reasonable chance of becoming a citizen of the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” Strict enforcement of a more streamline verification process by the government in supervising legal immigration is needed to continue America’s evolution culturally and economically with the addition of individuals from foreign nations trying to properly enter the United States of America.
My family has become very concerned with the current hostile political climate. Although their status has always been a concern it has never caused so much fear and uncertainty as it is today. Mexican and Mexican Americans have been a target for discrimination for many years as explained at the beginning of this section. It is unbelievable to think that what people of my ethnic group experienced about 90 years ago, is still happening today. It is clear through my parent’s story that their main reason for coming to this country was to be able to provide a better future for their families back home and their children. Which was something that would not be possible in their beloved country. My heart breaks thinking that my cousin who was brought to this country when she was three months old runs the risk of being deported to a country that she has never lived in. This is her country, and just as the Mexican and Mexican American farm workers who were deported in the 1930’s all she wants is a chance at a better
There are over 11 million undocumented individuals living within the United States today (Passel, 2011). Along with experiencing the same stresses and risk factors the other Latino immigrants face, undocumented students face a unique set of challenges when looking to attaining post secondary schooling (Perez 2010). Undocumented students are not eligible for federal financial aid and many private scholarships, formal employment, are unable to obtain driver’s licenses, and often live in fear of being deported at any time. However, research shows that undocumented students have been able to overcome the odds against them through community and family resources and the support of educators working with and for them on matters of importance, such as tuition equity policies for state institutions. On June 15, 2012, President Obama authorized the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals executive order, which deferred the removal process for The social, psychological, and educational experiences of undocumented students have a number of effects on their success throughout their lives. This paper examines the academic resiliency and educational persistence of undocumented college student populations through the collective action resiliency framework.
Throughout the past centuries, immigration has had many positive and negative impacts on our country and society. Law and order have been the founding cornerstone of our democracy, and the mandate of the U.S. Constitution is for Congress to do the work of the people and that of the nation. Immigration has continuously been a passionate debate within our society. This particular topic will always be a sensitive subject due to Americans personal beliefs and morals.
President Roosevelt once observed, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Nevertheless, people need fear, people love fear and people fear fear for multiple reasons. It fuels society and its decisions in ways that people do not realize. In fact, fear is one of the strongest and most influential emotions people experience. One’s perspective of fear might be vastly different from another, since it provides a unique experience for each human being. Nonetheless, fear, the emotion of darkness, is a weapon that cannot only be used against people by others, but be an obstacle one faces within one’s self.
Today, immigration has been a very popular topic especially in the media. It has been a subject of intense national debate because of the new election. Every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, from around the world, come here to the United States. Because they feel like the United States has more benefits, and freedom. These people all have different reasons; some hoping to get a better life, some hiding from persecution etc... Many of them believe America is the best place to go. I plan on finding answers to the following questions: Why should/shouldn’t immigrants be allowed to stay? Should we have any restrictions on who is allowed to immigrate to this country? If so, which ones? How does immigration affect the
The issue on illegal immigrants has been facing America over so many years “What is illegal immigration? This is the migration of foreigners to a country who are not legally eligible to migrate or extend their stay for more than a given period yet they refuse to leave. According to the United States Department of Home Security, people involved in illegal immigration are those non US residents who either crossed the borders without inspection or people who are given visas to stay for a while but instead of leaving, they overstay.” There is no reliable count of illegal immigration. Of course, people coming into the United States illegally are trying to avoid detection. The best indicator available is the number of people arrested
Immigration poses an ongoing debate in which people are becoming increasingly unsure as to whether immigrants are benefiting their society. This paper will examine three of the main benefits of immigration: the increase in diversity it provides, the rise in skills and labor and the benefits to the economy. Immigration leads to cross-cultural integration, therefore increasing ethnic variety. This increase in diversity is beneficial as it leads to improvements in society, as well as educational development. Increased immigration also means there are more skills and experts available to the hosting countries, as well as extra workers to take up jobs that need filling. Immigration also leads to improvements in the economy as taxes are paid and employment and wages increase.
While immigration for our country is good the ability to become a legal citizen has become insanely hard therefore leading immigrants to illegally cross our border, which negatively impacts our country.