Why use of the term "illegal immigrant" is offensive, inaccurate and should be eliminated from our public discourse?
Conventional wisdom has it that "Illegal immigrant" is not a legal term. The term “illegal immigrant” implies that a person’s existence is criminal. Actions can be illegal — never people. Whether intentional or accidental, the use of these terms has shaped public opinion on immigration policy. These term is highly inaccurate and pejorative. Therefore, the these term should be eliminated from our discourse.
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America is the land of opportunity for immigrants Many immigrants have made the decision to immigrate, legally or illegally, to the U.S. People take the risk of illegal immigration because they had hopes of achieving what they believed to be the American Dream.
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When it comes to the topic of illegal immigration, most of us will readily agree that People who are undocumented according to federal authorities do not have the proper visas to be in the United States legally Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of why people choose to be illegal immigrants? Whereas some are convinced that Many immigrants come here for better job opportunities and education for their children and wanted a better life for their family, others maintain that Many enter the country illegally, but a large number of this group initially had valid visas, but did not return to their native countries when their visas
With the difficulties and the dangers of migrating are big, people are willing to risk their lives in order to reach the American Dream. People dream of making it to the US and having a big luxurious life when in reality all the jobs they can get is working in the fields and or factories. They discrimination they are going to face because how they look and speak, the idea that they may never make it to the top unless they go back to school and get a degree. The harsh realities with being an immigrant in the United States is big, always having to worry about ICE, or losing a job, this constant fear of being deported. In every society there is hegemonic society that prevails over everyone else and controls everything and everyone. In a country that strives to for every person to be equal is a myth, we live in a world were only the rich will prosper and the poor will get
Her insistence that citizens use of the word illegal is narrow and it is time to add to the “American immigration lexicon”(Pilardi 386) is problematic because it is a stereotype about every American person, when in fact the majority of the population is immigrants and are generally opposed to the title of illegal immigrant, but it is true that the natural tendency is to associate that word to the brown skinned people trying to develope a better life for themselves. It is time to associate a different word to people known as illegal immigrants, this way the populace of America can look to other things hiding behind the word illegal that are faced in the country
As has been demonstrated by Ochoa and Rios’s findings, labelings’ repercussions are negative and assign expectations that in turn limit life opportunities. In Gonzales and Tobar’s books, we see the over reactions and distorted views that labeling migrants as criminals creates. The repercussions of this is to further propagate fear to quell dissent within the migrant population.
Immigration has been prevalent in The United States of America since the days of colonization in the 17th century. Masses of migrants around the world have sought a place in which to escape persecution, gain economic fortunes, and live their lives in freedom. America has always symbolized the land of opportunity everyone has been looking for, as exemplified by the inscription on The Statue of Liberty:
America is often known as the land of opportunity, a place where you can be free. Many Immigrants came to America so that they could have a greater possibility at succeeding in life. Immigrants took a leap of faith when coming to America, for some it worked out well but for others they had a difficult time here. Despite the struggles that the immigrants encountered such as; standing out from others, being separated from their families, and breaking their culture, the immigrants are still grateful to be in America because they were in better conditions than they were in their home land. When viewing interviews or looking at an immigrant’s perspective you get many responses to being in America, some major things that stood out were the amount of freedom the immigrant had, and the age of the immigrant. These two things had a huge impact on the opinion of America from an Immigrants point of view.
We live in a nation that has been called the land of opportunities, a nation that was developed on the hands, sweats and hard work of many people. These same people are those who are from here but are poor, or who come here for a better life and migrated from other countries some by force and others by choice. We live in a country that many look at immigrants as if they are different from the rest, what makes them different is how they speak or dress. At the end of it all we are all humans and they should not be considered to be call illegal immigrants. What is so illegal about that is the question to ask, and why it is that one word is the one to define someone’s character of who they are. One piece of paper is what define who we are in this
The United States of America, being a country founded by immigrants, is known all over the world as the land of great opportunities. People from all walks of life travelled across the globe, taking a chance to find a better life for them and their family. Over the years, the population of immigrants has grown immensely, resulting in the currently controversial issue of illegal immigration. Illegal immigrants are the people who have overstayed the time granted on their US, visa or those who have broken the federal law by crossing the border illegally. Matt O’Brien stated in his article “The government thinks that 10.8 million illegal immigrants lived in the country in January 2009, down from a peak of nearly 12 million in 2007.”(Para, 2) While some argue that illegal immigrants burden the United States of America and its economy, others believe that they have become essential and are an important part of the US, economy.
There are three different types of illegal immigrants: fraudulent entrants, visa abusers, and those who enter without inspection (EWIs). Eighty percent of illegals run the border and are known as EWIs (Anderson 54). When people hear the term “illegal immigrant” this is the type people typically think of. Some illegal immigrants are "visa abusers" who overstay their visas (Anderson 54). The Department of Homeland Security estimates that 300,000 people overstay their visas every year (Marcovitz 30). The other type of illegal alien is a "fraudulent entrant" who pays a fortune for forged documents (Anderson 55). Because illegals usually have very little money, this method is the...
In conclusion, America’s journey while not always easy and not without conflict is enriched by its immigrants. Immigrants choose to come to America because there is something in our culture that is missing in their own culture. Immigrants can blend in with American culture and retain their own cultural identity by passing along the best of both cultures.
America, “The Land of the Free”, “The Home of the Brave”, “The Melting Pot”, “The Land of Milk and Honey”, “The Land Across the Pond”, “The Western World”, “Uncle Sam”, and most importantly “The Land of Opportunity”. America is still “The Land of Opportunity” because there is much more freedom in America than most other countries. There are no caste systems to limit what someone who is in America can do. Additionally an American’s destiny is created by his/her own choices, not the choices of his/her family or peers. America is a country founded by immigrants for immigrants, and although the Land of Opportunity has suffered an economic crisis in the last decade, it still maintains its reputation for being the greatest country in the world. The United States is still “The Land of Opportunity” because there are no caste systems, one’s destiny is made by his/her choices, and American freedoms are a part of everyday life.
The word “illegal” has been used for several years to describe a person who is
Illegal Immigration, words that spark an argument between Americans in a split-second. Some believe that the illegal aliens should be allowed into the country no matter what, but others believe that people should only be allowed if they do it the right way, by taking a test. The earliest migrants came here legally, the rules haven’t changed, so the people who want to enter the country should follow in the footsteps of those who have came before us. Border War and many Americans believe Immigrants should take the test and earn their citizenship, not go against the rules and sneak in.
Among every other country in the world, the United States of America is where people feel the most comfortable place to come and live a better life. Immigrants are people who leave their counties to reside in other counties that are rich and safe to better themselves. Every year people immigrate to the USA for many reasons. Many people are having difficulty living in their native country such as over population, jobless which make the economy so hard. People from outside of the United States think there is peace, love, equality, free education, jobs, good food to stay healthy, but most importantly freedom of speech to express yourself in America. Today, I will only focus on some reasons why people in my country immigrates to America. This is
What really is an illegal immigrant? It is defined as “an alien (non-citizen) who has entered a country without government authorization or remained beyond the expiration date of a visa”.
Determined to join the American lifestyle thousands of immigrants have journeyed to this great land to have a life based upon “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This country’s backbone is immigration and it started when this