No matter where you go, there is a high chance that you will meet an illegal resident of that country. Even with today's high security, many people still cross America’s border without the correct paperwork. When they come over, they face similar obstacles that former Okies had to deal with. “Okie” is a term used to describe the people from Oklahoma, and usually has a negative connotation. These obstacles include: being persecuted and struggling with daily life, but with these come some minor differences. Even though the Okies were legal residents of America, compared to immigrants, they too faced much persecution and containment. When the Okies came many were treated inhumanely, and were not given help by the police. If anything, the police were …show more content…
the worst to them; this can also be seen in The Grapes of Wrath. One police officer says, “Give people hot water, an’ they gonna want hot water.
Give ‘em flush toilets, an’ they gonna want ‘em. You give them goddamn Okies stuff like that an’ they’ll want ‘em.” When this officer is talking he is describing how the Okies don’t deserve these “luxuries”, and how they shouldn’t get used to them because they don’t deserve them. Many people in California believed that they weren't human, thus treating them like they did. This hatred was also common for today’s immigrants; for example, they are spit on, given dirty looks, and are verbally abused. To contain the Okies, they were forced out of non-government camps because the people didn’t want them to become residents of California. This meant that they couldn’t receive welfare, voting rights, etc. These actions caused the Okies to very much dislike the police; this can be said for today’s immigrants as well. They don’t necessarily hate them, but since they are illegal residents; they fear any contact with the police because they don’t want to be deported back to their homeland. Even when beaten by their bosses, they are unable to retaliate for the fear of police interaction. This constant fear keeps them contained in a way that Felix Vega says," It's like being in jail." What he means is they have to stay
hidden away from police so it feels as if you are in a jail. Some migrants say that they get pulled over for their race; this statement may or may not be true, but for the Okies, it was relatively similar. Okies weren’t discriminated for their race, but it was because their behavior. This behavior didn’t have to be rude or condescending for them to be arrested. In The Grapes of Wrath, for example, Floyd is about to be arrested for asking for fair wages right before Jim Casy ninja kicks the officer in the neck. Struggling with daily life is a common characteristic between the Okies and illegal immigrants. Like all people, they have to get jobs to support their families; this, however, is not an easy task. Many illegal immigrants had to take farming jobs that require intense labor; this didn't provide nearly enough money to sustain the families. Just like the immigrants, many Okies were forced to take farming jobs with low wages as well. Since both were not getting nearly enough money, they both lived in harsh conditions. In The Grapes of Wrath the Joads have to live under a tarpaulin, because they could only make twenty five cent work even when the cost for food was much more. In Felix Vega's family, they lived in a trailer with no heating or air conditioning. Not only did they live in poor conditions, they also had no fresh food, and were surviving on a jar of protein powder. However, these poor conditions aren't the only struggle of daily life; many immigrants never went outside of their homes. Felix Vega had never been to a cinema; nor a hospital: when his family members get sick, they resort to folk remedies. Many Okies had very poor hygiene, due to containment via the police and local residences. These are things that most people don't have to deal with, but given these circumstances many Okies and immigrants constantly struggle with their daily life. Both the Okies and immigrants have many similarities, but with these come their differences; some examples include: being illegal, unionization, and their living conditions. Being illegal differentiated the Okies and the immigrants, because the Okies were legal citizens of the United States of America. Since the immigrants were illegal they faced many obstacles with unionizing; for many, they were too afraid to come forth and receive help. Okies, on the other hand, had an easier time with unionizing; this was mainly because they weren’t as afraid as the immigrants were. Throughout The Grapes of Wrath the Joads, as well as other migrants, talk of how they must unionize. Eventually, Jim Casy “Got one Started,” and unionized in front of the peach farms. In his quote he talks of how he was able to form a union, but soon after he is killed. For both of them the living conditions were harsh, but the conditions in which illegal immigrants lived were better. Unlike the immigrants, the Okies had to live on a dirt floor and had no liable roof. Felix Vega’s family had a trailer, rather than most Okies who lived in tents or under compiled trash. Even in today’s society many people still cross America’s border. Many come over for the idea that their life would improve, and for many cases it can be seen as a bad decision; however, if you ask the people themselves many will actually say they will do it all over again. Just like the Okies, they face persecution and struggle with daily life, but with these come some minor differences. If you were faced with an option that seemed so perfect it couldn’t be true, what would you do?
They were hungry, and they were fierce. And they had hoped to find a home, and they found only hatred. Okies—the owners hated them because the owners knew they were soft and the Okies strong, that they were fed and the Okies hungry; and perhaps they had heard from their grandfathers how easy it is to steal land from a soft man if you are fierce and hungry and armed. The owners hated them. And in the towns, the storekeepers hated them because they had no money to spend. There is no shorter path to a storekeeper’s contempt, and all his admirations are exactly opposite. The town men, little bankers, hated the Okies because there was nothing to gain from them. They had nothing. And the laboring people hated the Okies because a hungry man must work, if he has to work, the wage payer automatically gives him less for his work; and then no one can get more. (318)
In Richard Rodriguez’s “Proofs,” Mexican immigrant’s destination is described, as well as their perceptions and expectations of America. Rodriguez describes the passage to the United States as difficult, yet worthy. He states: “The city will win. The city will give the children all the village could not- VCR’s, hairstyles, drum beat. The city sings mean songs, dirty songs. But the city will sing the children a great Protestant hymn.You can be anything you want to be.” He also states: “Mexico is poor. But mama says there
In both the movie, La Misma Luna, and the newspaper series, Enrique’s Journey, there is a demonstration of abuse of power. Judicial policemen, immigration officers, and bandits all take part in hurting migrants in various ways. If a migrant is lucky enough to make it across the borders, then they will most certainly have physical and emotional scars. They also have their own story of survival to tell. One of the main messages sent relating to this topic is immigration officers, judicial policemen, and bandits abuse their authority by beating, robbing, and raping vulnerable immigrants in fragile situations.
Mexican immigrants in the United States are willing to work hard and long hours throughout the day regardless of the amount of sleep or rest they may get. Conversely, this is not how Efren Mendoza, a public city bus driver, views Mexicans and he believes they are not motivated to achieve things in life. One would assume that he would understand how difficult it is for immigrants to assimilate in a new foreign country without knowing anyone or anything here, but he is not on their side and it is somewhat hypocritical of him because he himself is Mexican. It is as though Efren sees his own people as invisible individuals because he does not acknowledge all their hard work and sacrifices they may have gone through in order to arrive in the United States. He further proves his insincerity when he mentions that the “new wetbacks [are] picky about what jobs they’ll do [and that they] half-ass [the] work” that they are given to do (77).
Joshua Davis writes how on a drive back to Phoenix there was an immigration checkpoint, “Everybody’s heart rate kicked up…and Oscar prepared for the worst. He imagined being torn from his family and dropped across the border” (107). This is a constant fear illegal immigrants live with. Since my parents and oldest brother had no papers, I lived with constant paranoia. I was scared that from one moment to the next my family will be taken from me, and that I would have to grow up in a foster home without them. This fear was always there whenever I saw police, no matter the reason police was there. Illegal immigrants wake up every day with the uncertainty if it will be last day they see their families. I felt the same fear Oscar and the boys felt that day, because it will be horrible to be separated from a
In Things Fall Apart, during Okonkwo 's seven years exile, he went back to his motherland. "It 's true that a child belongs to its father. But when a father beats his child, it seeks sympathy in its mother 's hut. A man belongs o his fatherland when things are good and life is sweet. But when there is sorrow and bitterness he finds refuge in his motherland." (Things Fall Apart 48) Okonkwo accidently killed a clan member, his personal rank changed from a respected warrior to an exile. And his societal conditions also changes, sine he is being punished, he cannot live in his own clan, he is forced to moved, a societal change occurred around
Most all ethnicities and cultures have been prosecuted at one time or another from an oppressing source. In the case of the Native Americans, it was the English coming in and taking their land right from underneath them. As the new colonies of the cohesive United States of America expanded, they ran into the territories of the then referred to Indians. These people were settled down south on the east coast, for example Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and the Carolinas. America obtained this land through the Louisiana Purchase, where they bought it from France. The Native Americans were already there before anyone, yet the big power countries bargained with their land. The Native Americans did not live the way the American democracy did, and they
Before they go to the US, they have an idealized image of the US in their minds. They are pushed out of their own country due to systemic violence and have seen images of the US in magazines that make life there look glamorous. They risk everything they have—including their own lives—to get to “The North” because they view it as a land of wealth and opportunity. However, when they actually make it to LA, things aren’t quite as they imagined. They struggle to find and keep jobs, they live in constant worry of being caught,
Johnson mentions his nephew that is only four years old, who is growing up to be terrified of the police. Johnson captured the moment when his nephew exclaims: “Oh man, Uncle 5-0, we gotta hide” (Line 28). The term 5-0 is another reference for cops. The dialogue Johnson uses with his nephew shows the fear this little kid has with the police. Why should a little kid have to be afraid of the police at such a young age? Society is teaching the little kids that they should be afraid of the police because of all the brutality they have caused against black people over the years. As a child, the majority of the time they grow up fearing the police. However, as they grow up they start to feel hatred against the police because of what they make their people go through. They feel as though they have to make a stand and let it be enough with the treatment they get. The dialogue Johnson shows helps emphasize the damage that the police has against people especially the little kids. Kids should do nothing but admire the police because they are supposed to be heroes. However, due to the circumstances of how they treat colored people, they have kids who are in fear of
Okonkwo and Rodrigo are both very action orientated and don’t think rationally about their actions or the consequences they will have. They think only about the moment and how they can do something that momentarily fixes the situation. Okonkwo wants to get rid of the white Christian now. He doesn’t care how, he just wants them dead. He even goes as far as to kill a messenger thinking it will spur the rest of the tribe on and kill with him. He doesn’t think that maybe the tribe doesn’t want to cause a fight because the repercussions will be too severe in the future. If they manage to drive this lot of white men out of their tribe it is all well, till he returns with an army. He thought too in the now and
Since farmers had lost their land and stock that left them in need of a job so they moved to California in hopes of finding a job to support their family. Californians didn’t exactly welcome the migrants, they called them “Okies” which is another meaning for dumb and lazy. Source two and paragraph three states that farmers had to migrate to california, “For many, there was nothing left to do but leave their farms and head west to California.” When Farmers lost their land and stock they also need a place to go, so they went to california with hopes of finding a job. While some farmers found jobs others were not as fortunate. Farmers were hit hard by the dust
One element that greatly affects an immigrant’s experience in a new country is how they are viewed and treated by the people of that country. In the article President Obama: “Immigrants and Refugees Revitalize and Renew America”, President Obama is giving a speech at a naturalization ceremony in Washington, DC. He is welcoming new citizens from many different countries. Immigration being a popular topic in America today, President Obama brought some good points about it to our attention. In the speech, President
Mary Wollstonecraft, a women’s rights advocate in the year 1792 summed it up perfectly when she said, “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” She is describing the fight within every woman in the Feminist Movement that began in the 1700’s and extended throughout the late 20th century. This powerful motion was a drive to address the debated issues of reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. As time has passed, feminists have pushed extremely hard to gain equal rights and respect from their male counterparts. Unfortunately in today’s world, society still puts an emphasis on a women’s exterior beauty. They emphasize it in magazines, television commercials, and even the infamous beauty pageant. The industry of beauty pageants is growing rapidly, jeopardizing the continuous work of many women’s rights advocates, throwing away the continuing efforts for equal rights (Miss America, 2011).
If you are an immigrant or just want to live in one of the best counties in the world illegally, with no penalty if you get caught come to Americana. They will welcome you with open aims Just like (Fred Reed) – said in “Why Blame Mexico” (we say to impoverished Mexicans, “See this river? Don’t cross it. If you do, we’ll give you good jobs, driver’s licenses, citizenship for your kids born here, school for said kids, public assistance, governmental documents in Spanish for your convenience, and a much better future. There is no penalty for getting caught. Now, don’t cross this river, hear?” How smart is that? We’re baiting them. It’s like putting out a salt lick and then complaining when deer come. Immigrant parents would be irresponsible not
Sailors attacked and violently stripped many young men of their clothes and dignity, my brother included. After some time, sailors began attacking any Chicano youth they saw, regardless of their clothes. What was once a fight between zoot-suiters and sailors became a racialized war between white sailors and citizens and Mexican-Americans. These racially charged riots deeply affected the Chicano youth, we felt as though everyone was against us. During the riots, the Los Angeles Police Department was seen siding alongside the sailors, only arresting Chicano youth. This favoritism was prevalent during the entirety of these uprisings, they saw us as gang-members, trying to corrupt the city. After the riots ended, police officers were still seen actively discriminating against the pachucos, they made wearing the zoot suit punishable by law, which eventually led to the abrupt end of the zoot suit trend. Ultimately, the events that took place during the riots led the harm of many innocent Mexican-American