Personal Essay: Immigrants

Anahi Herrera
Collin Deeds
Final Essay

My father and grandfather are only two of the hundreds of immigrant workers who suffered through hardships and exploitation in order to provide their families with economic stability, public safety and greater academic opportunities. My father’s burnt skin is evidence of the merciless nature of the Yuma sun and his calloused hands reminders of a dream that was not hampered even by the toughest of circumstances. Appreciation, self determination, sacrifice and the importance of visions are lessons that were passed down to me by my father. My personal ambitions have been shaped, not only by an appreciation for the better life I inherited, but also by admiration for the richness of cultural diversity I

Ingenuity and innovation are fostered by the open exchange of information and ideas. People from different backgrounds provide unique perspectives that contribute to the overall open-mindedness and creativity of the people in their communities. If as a country we were to let go of our prejudice and fear; if we were to invest less in symbolic politics of division and discrimination, then we could form mutually beneficial relationships with our neighbor countries, including Mexico.
When I used to think about issues of immigration, it would frustrate me. The people in power said they cared, they said they would bring reform, but time and time again, our nation’s policies were driven by economic priorities and merely political agendas. Immigrants were nothing more than trade commodities that could be governed by our policies of trade; they were nothing more than symptoms of a larger problem that was not of our immediate

In Collin’s class, through the readings and lectures, more and more of the pieces came together. There were specific cause and effect relationships and everything was interconnected in some way. The reality is that many of these issues are cyclical in nature. Poverty and income inequality made Mexican citizens more likely to get involved in drug smuggling and cartels. Poor government institutions of public safety allowed the cartels to gain more power and made people skeptical of their government. Increased poverty and fear continued pushing people to the United States where they would be safer and have greater economic gains to support their families. The U.S. signed NAFTA with Mexico and then subsidized American farmers, leaving Mexican farmers out of work. The circular nature of these issues might make the problems even more daunting, but in a way I find this encouraging. If one selfish, careless, or bad decision can catapult so many negative effects, then how much more can a well-thought-out decision that prioritizes human rights and recognizes the possibility of a mutually beneficial relationship with Mexico, make a positive impact? I believe the U.S. has a certain amount of responsibility to collaborate with Mexico to alleviate poverty and income disparities and to help them improve