Many Americans do not want immigrants in this country, but they also do not want to do the dirty jobs that immigrants do. The topic of immigrants is a touchy subject. Just the mere mentioning of them can cause a furor. Through all this controversy immigrants are not treated as citizens in America. Americans believe they do not belong. In the poem “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora, the memoir Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, the historical document “Executive Order 9066” by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the NPR interview “Breaking Down the Complexities of U.S. Migration Law” by Michel Martin and Karen Tumlin immigrants are not treated as they should be. In the eyes of natural born citizens immigrants never are full-fledged citizens. Also immigrants are …show more content…
not welcome in America and therefore cannot attempt to succeed. Lastly immigrants are not given opportunities to succeed. In the eyes of natural born citizens immigrants never are full-fledged citizens. Mora talks about how she is a legal citizen but is treated like and alien and is judged before people even attempt to get to know her. Mora explains that she is “viewed by Anglos as perhaps exotic, / perhaps inferior, [and] definitely different” (Mora 9-10). Even though Mora is a legal citizen, people judge her because of her appearance. No matter what she does she will always be viewed as an immigrant. It will never be possible for her to be viewed as equal by natural born citizens; as a result an immigrant will never be a full-fledged citizen. There is nothing and immigrant can do, they will always be considered an immigrant. Dumas talks about how no one could pronounce her name or did not even want to attempt to pronounce it. Dumas decided that she was going “to add an American name” to hers (Dumas 64). Dumas believed that to become an American she had to change her name. Although she changed her name she was still viewed as an immigrant by people who did not know her American name. No matter what her name was, based on her appearance she was an immigrant. Even if she were introduced with an American name, when her parents would talk people would realize they are immigrants. Therefore there is no way to be viewed as a full-fledged citizen by a natural citizen. Americans treat immigrants not as they should be by judging them as soon as they see them. In both of these examples Americans judge them as immigrants before they judged them as people. Immigrants deserve to be treated as equal and they are not. Immigrants are not welcome in America and therefore cannot attempt to succeed.
Tumlin explains the conditions of refugees no able to get into a country. Tumlin also explains that America had a “really ugly outburst of xenophobia” (Martin 1). Xenophobia is the hatred of fear of immigrants. In America people do not welcome immigrants, whether it be for fear of hatred. People do not allow them to do daily activities; henceforth immigrants have no way to try and succeed. Fear of other human beings or hatred of other human beings is not morally right. To treat people differently because they are not born in the same country as Americans is unfathomable. Even if immigrants would attempt to be successful, an American would bring them back down because of xenophobia. Dumas talk about how her father’s pension got cut off and now her father was unemployed with no money. Dumas’s father could not get a job because “nobody wanted to hire an Iranian” (Dumas 117). Her father could not become successful because Americans did not want immigrants as employees. Other Americans would not buy products from a company with an immigrant working for the company. If immigrants were welcome by Americans they could do whatever they wish and become successful as American citizens. Since they are not considered American citizens any success they make will be as immigrants. As Americans they will not have a résumé but as immigrants they will. Immigrants should be given the opportunity to prove themselves but Americans do not give that to them, which is wrong. They are not treated as citizens. Even though people are immigrants it does not mean that they are not entitled to what other Americans
are. Immigrants are not given opportunities to succeed. Roosevelt wrote the order after the bombing of Pearl Harbor to make sure that any Japanese people in America were not spies. The president gave permission “to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as [the Secretary of War] or the appropriate Military Commander may determine” (Roosevelt 1). Japanese people were placed in camps for fear of them being spies. While they were stuck there they could not do their regular jobs. Since they are not out in the workforce they cannot attempt to be successful. Placing them in camps takes away there opportunities: jobs, school, and basic rights. Once they get out of those camps they will not able to get a job because they have not been able to use their skills. In the minds of Americans they are different; however they are the same person as before they were placed in those camps. Everything was taken away when this happened and there is no way that after this people would think of them as American citizens. Dumas had used Julie as her name up until she graduated from college, from then she went back to Firoozeh. Dumas started looking for jobs but she “couldn’t get a single interview” (Dumas 65). Dumas’s name was the issue. She could not get a job because her name was foreign. Americans had not given her an opportunity because she was an immigrant —which was gathered from her name. She could not be successful due to the lack of a job that she could not get because she is an immigrant. She was not able to become a worker and had no opportunity to become successful. If she had a job, she could prove herself as a citizen. In both examples immigrants were no given the opportunity of success. They could not be great citizens because to do that they would have to be successful. Immigrants deserve a fair chance at the same jobs as natural born citizens. The actions of one do not define all. They were treated as if they were not human beings. The fact that because they are different and Americans are fearful of them they cannot have opportunities is incomprehensible. They are judged before people get to know them. They are not treated right by this. They deserve more than Americans give them the opportunity at. In conclusion immigrants deserve to be treated better than they are. They are treated badly and because of that they have no opportunity at being successful American citizens. It is like a chain reaction. If an American went to a foreign country they would not expect to be treated like this, so why do Americans treat immigrants like this. Everyone has heard treat others as they themselves wish to be treated. People do not follow this however and just expect to be treated as if they are superior. Immigrants are treated badly and deserve to be treated better in the poem “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora, the memoir Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, the historical document “Executive Order 9066” by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the NPR interview “Breaking Down the Complexities of U.S. Migration Law” by Michel Martin and Karen Tumlin. People are rude without even meaning to be. They can do it without realizing. Treating others in a kind manner is easier said than done. If people truly see each other as equal suffering but others oculd be ended.
America is a nation consisting of many immigrants: it has its gates opened to the world. These immigrants transition smoothly and slowly from settlement, to assimilation then citizenship. These immigrants are first admitted lawfully as permanent residents before they naturalize to become full citizens. In her book “Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America”, the historian Mae Ngai draws our attention to the history of immigration and citizenship in America. Her book examines an understudied period of immigration regulation between 1924 and 1965.
I think that the strongest message on immigration was in the poem “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora. “Legal Alien” really shows how hard it is for people that are bi cultural.
In Marcelo M. Suarez- Orozco and Carola Suarez- Orozco’s article “How Immigrants became “other” Marcelo and Carola reference the hardships and struggles of undocumented immigrants while at the same time argue that no human being should be discriminated as an immigrant. There are millions of undocumented people that risk their lives by coming to the United States all to try and make a better life for themselves. These immigrants are categorized and thought upon as terrorist, rapists, and overall a threat to Americans. When in reality they are just as hard working as American citizens. This article presents different cases in which immigrants have struggled to try and improve their life in America. It overall reflects on the things that immigrants go through. Immigrants come to the United States with a purpose and that is to escape poverty. It’s not simply crossing the border and suddenly having a great life. These people lose their families and go years without seeing them all to try and provide for them. They risk getting caught and not surviving trying to make it to the other side. Those that make it often don’t know where to go as they are unfamiliar. They all struggle and every story is different, but to them it’s worth the risk. To work the miserable jobs that Americans won’t. “I did not come to steal from anyone. I put my all in the jobs I take. And I don’t see any of the Americans wanting to do this work” (668). These
Humans have a never ending thirst for a better life, and a better existence for themselves and those they hold dear. Jose Antonio Vargas was sent away from the Philippines by his mother hoping that he would be able to achieve a better life, and be happy. In “Outlaw: My Life in America as an Undocumented Immigrant” Vargas is able to find his better life and happiness in America but also fear and anxiety. Vargas gives us a look into the life of an illegal immigrant the good, the bad, their achievements and their constant struggles. Very much like Vargas my father immigrated to America, but legally in 1986.
... many immigrants faced discrimination, thus leaving them no choice but to live in the slums of some areas and try fight their way up to success.
Considering the ideas that both authors have brought to the table, I have concluded that in order to make progress in solving the problem of undocumented immigrants, we as a country must decide what’s best for our country. We either look at undocumented immigrants as an asset or a parasite. America is the ‘land of opportunity’ where millions of people want to live there and pursue the ‘American Dream’. We should not let people stop from achieving their dreams. But on the other hand, a quantity of immigrants leave their country because it does not have “stable democracies and free markets” that “ensure economic growth, rising standards of living and thus, lots of jobs”, because the countries of these immigrants “birth rates and native populations fall”.
Daniel, Roger is a highly respected author and professor who has majored in the study of immigration in history and more specifically the progressive ear. He’s written remarkable works over the history of immigration in America, in his book Not like Us he opens a lenses about the hostile and violent conditions immigrants faced in the 1890’s through the 1924’s. Emphasizing that during the progressive area many immigrants felt as they were living in a regressing period of their life. While diversity of ethnicity and race gradually grew during this time it also sparked as a trigger for whites creating the flare up of nativism. Daniel’s underlines the different types of racial and ethnical discrimination that was given to individual immigrant
To say that immigrants in America have experienced discrimination would be an understatement. Ever since the country formed, they have been seen as inferior, such as African-Americans that were unwillingly brought to the 13 colonies in the 17th century with the intention to be used as slaves. However, post-1965, immigrants, mainly from Central and South America, came here by choice. Many came with their families, fleeing from their native land’s poverty; these immigrants were in search of new opportunities, and more importantly, a new life. They faced abuse and Cesar Chavez fought to help bring equality to minorities.
The United States is in the midst of a major debate over immigrants and their place in our economic and political life. As during other times in our history, immigrants, are being blamed for causing or contributing to the social, economic and political ills of our society. Politicians from both major parties, at both the national and state levels, are promoting a range of punitive legislative proposals that single out immigrants for adverse treatment by the government. Many violate basic civil liberties principles.
Nowadays, United States is the country that has variety of cultures, races, etc. mixing together by having immigrants in their countries. However, they need to control these group of people also. More people out of country are trying to stay in the U.S. However, this is not an easy process to deal with. There is an immigrant policy that they have to go through. In the past, United States is wide open for people to settle down on this land. There is no process of immigrants. However, in the middle of 1840 to 1880, immigrants started to come in the U.S. such as Irish and Chinese because of demanding of unskilled and cheap labors. In the 1920, automation replaced unskilled labors as a result immigrant’s policy is limited quotas for immigrants
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.
Immigration is a current issue that has caused a lot of drama in the media but this isn’t the first time. During the early nineteen hundreds immigration was treated in a harsh light. The start of the First World War brought a strong distaste for immigrants. People hoping to assimilate by working in the American community were quickly faced with troubles. Immigrants from countries in Eastern Europe (specifically in the Slovak region) were discouraged from working and the new motto “100% American” began t...
America is sometimes referred to as a "nation of immigrants" because of our largely open-door policy toward accepting foreigners pursuing their vision of the American Dream. Recently, there has been a clamor by some politicians and citizens toward creating a predominantly closed-door policy on immigration, arguing that immigrants "threaten" American life by creating unemployment by taking jobs from American workers, using much-needed social services, and encroaching on the "American way of life." While these arguments may seem valid to many, they are almost overwhelmingly false, and more than likely confused with the subject of illegal immigration. In fact, immigrants actually enhance American life by creating, not taking jobs, bolster social service funds through tax payments, and bring valuable technical knowledge and skills to our country. If we are to continue to excel as a nation, the traditionalists who fear an encroachment of foreign-born Americans must learn to accept that we achieved our greatness as a result of being "a nation of immigrants."
Who is an immigrant? An immigrant is a person who has a citizenship in one country but enters another country to set up as a permanent resident. Sometimes countries are suffering greatly from lack of leadership, internal strife or war, and a collapsed economy. This is the case in Somalia, as well as in Syria, Libya, and Yemen. Syrian people are moving to Europe in order to find a peaceful home. Mexican immigrants come to the US looking for jobs. The people then move to new countries where they don’t speak the national language. In America, when the immigrants come, there are many difficulties: cultural differences regarding time and scheduling, transportation issues, and language difficulties.
United States is a typical immigration country. There are many people come from different countries around the world who immigrated to the United States. As a new immgration of my self, since the day that I came to the United States, cosmopolitansim’s problem is the one that I deal with every day, and it is also the problem that I have been thinking a lot. Acoording to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty”(A2). It is because of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the new immigrants could integrate into the new environment well, and not feel that they are not belong to this place. On the other hand, new immigrants in early period and the immgrants of some other countyies were not lucky because they need face the problem of discrimination, especially illegal immigrants. As the novel of Little Bee that we just read, is written by Chris Cleave. It’s about the main character Little Bee, a little girl was born in Nigeria village, and the greatest happiness of her life was playing on the swing with her friends. During the escape, her sister was killed by thugs. In order to hide the refugee status, she conceal her real identity when she was in UK, just call herself “Little Bee”. In the UK, she met Sarah again, a Britis...