Part I. Introduction (approximately ½- ¾ page) Did you know that over 200 million people illegally leave their country in search of a new one? Immigrants from all around the world travel to the United States for a better life for themselves and their family. However, making a living in the U. S is not that easy. Majority of illegal immigrants travel by train or smugglers, such as Enrique, from Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey. Life for immigrants living in the United States and those trying to leave their homeland is like a game of chess. In Nazario's, she describes the utter dehumanization that immigrants face. In her work, she endeavors to humanize significant characters through her writing style. Nazario also points out the perpetual …show more content…
The trash squishes beneath their feet, moistened by loads from hospitals, full of blood and placentas. Occasionally, a child, with hands blackened by garbage, picks up a piece of bread and eats it. As the youngsters sort through the stinking stew, thousands of sleek, black buzzards soar in a dark, swirling cloud and defecate on the people below (Nazario 26).” This quote illustrates the heartbreaking moments where children dig through tons of trash. These people search through piles of garbage to find any source of food they could get their hands on. In most cases, the leftover food that these people are eating is very unsanitary and unhealthy. Nazario presents her argument on illegal immigrant children by introducing a very flawed economic system. She believes the only way to truly stop illegal immigration is to improve the economy of poor areas such as the one where Enrique once …show more content…
Unlike Nazario's claim, the only true way to halt illegal immigration is to improve the border security and increase the number of armed forces on the border. In exact words, " So people have to decide. Do they want to have the security? Do they want to continue to plug the gap [ in border security ] that GAO has identified and recognize that there will be some costs to doing that? Or do we want to make sure that business isn't hampered and that people can move back and forth readily, and recognize that, if we don't put some barriers in place, we're going to wind up with dangerous people coming into the country? (Michael Chertoff)." The information describes Michael Chertoff's concerns after 9/11. Chertoff questions if America is safe. As suggested by Chertoff, he worries that the major lack of border security is a major contributor to the number of criminals present in the United States. In contrast to his concern not all but many illegal immigrants have brought major crime to the United States. As described, “ In the last year alone, illegal immigrants were responsible for 18 percent of drug trafficking; 30 percent of kidnapping and hostage taking; 75 percent of drug possession; 10 percent of money laundering; 21 percent of national defense; and 5 percent of murder sentences (Hannity).” This quote was said by Sean Hannity on Tuesday, August 23rd in a slide presented on Hannity’s show during an interview with Donald
Starting a new life is very problematic for many Central American children that migrate to the United States. There are a lot of difficulties involved in the process to migrate to the United States including the journey to get there. An extremely common way to migrate is by train. Migrants usually take away many life lessons from the journey to the United States such as the generosity and assistance from fellow Central Americans. On the other hand there’s extreme hardships. For example, the many robberies, and gang violence a migrant can face on the journey to the United States. During the trip, migrants learn that they usually cannot take things for granted, especially how scarce food, supplies, and other necessities are.
In both the movie, La Misma Luna, and the newspaper series, Enrique’s Journey, migrants are faced with many issues. The most deadly and scarring issues all relate back to bandits, judicial police, and la migra or Mexican immigration officers. The problems that arise are serious to the point of rape, robbing, and beating. It is not easy crossing the border illegally and secretly, but the successful ones have an interesting or even traumatic story about how it worked for them.
Fort Morgan is a small town community with a small population. This means that it easy for community members to bond and know each other. One way that the people could bond is through books. More specifically, the One City One Book program. The One City One Book program is a way for the community to get together through discussions of a piece of literacy. The book that would be a good option to use is Enrique’s Journey because it is a nonfiction piece of work that has many lessons to teach people, and it is all through a story of a young boy’s journey. This program would benefit Fort Morgan with Enrique’s Journey because it enlightens the people of the community about the hardships other people have that are not in America, it is an educational
In a story of identity and empowerment, Juan Felipe Herrera’s poem “Borderbus” revolves around two Honduran women grappling with their fate regarding a detention center in the United States after crawling up the spine of Mexico from Honduras. While one grapples with their survival, fixated on the notion that their identities are the ultimate determinant for their future, the other remains fixated on maintaining their humanity by insisting instead of coming from nothingness they are everything. Herrera’s poem consists entirely of the dialogue between the two women, utilizing diction and imagery to emphasize one’s sense of isolation and empowerment in the face of adversity and what it takes to survive in America.
Life is like a game of blackjack where we unknowingly are dealt good or bad cards. This unpredictability makes it difficult to gamble decisions. Unfortunately many factors can lead to the bad card where in both the game and life, people are trying to prevent us from achieving the goal. There are two choices to change the outcome however, we may either give up (fold) or we may take a chance (call). The beauty of taking the risk is that if lucky, life gives you that much-needed card. When dealt that winning card, a person is immediately uplifted. That one good hand drives a person to outweigh the pros from the cons and continue to strive for the winning pot or in this case, the goal in life. Enrique in Sonia Nazario’s “Enrique’s Journey,” is dealt both the good and bad cards in life, as he undergoes a battle of being pushed internally to continue while also being pulled externally to quit, thus leading him to unearth himself as a worthy human being while on the journey to the U.S; sadly however, his arrival in the U.S refutes what he clearly envisioned for himself.
There’s about 11.7 million immigrants living in the United States illegally. But more than 6,000 didn’t make it through the dangerous journey from Mexico to the United States. Migrants wish to come to the US for jobs, money, family, a better life, etc. But what some don’t realize is how dangerous the trip really is. These illegal immigrants are risking their lives by facing many dangerous obstacles. Some of these obstacles include: rape, robbery, starvation, hunger, death, accidents, etc. Not only do they have to be cautious of what people on the journey can do to them, but also what they can accidently do to themselves. If they are taking the train route to the United States they have to make sure to hold on and not get thrown off and sucked under the wheels, because they can lose body parts or their entire life. Mexico needs to figure out a way to get immigrants to the United States safer. One solution to help decrease the amount of danger on the trip, is to provide a much safer transportation system for the immigrants.
The main events of the story occur in Honduras and Mexico. Tegucigalpa, Honduras is where Enrique was born and raised by several family members. In Tegucigalpa, Enrique is shuffled from house to house simply because he is unable to control his emotions. This makes Enrique angry and he begins to rebel against the people he lives with. At the age of 17, Enrique decides to leave his family in Honduras and travel to the United States in hopes that he will reunite with his mother. His journey will take him through Chiapas, Mexico, the most hostile city at the point of his travel. In Chiapas, corrupt Mexican police officers and gangs stop migrants and order them to give up anything in their possession. Enrique was beaten and thrown off a train in Chiapas by gang members who raiding the train. After being thrown off of the train Enrique realizes that the journey is not going to be as easy as he dreamed it was. The second most hostile city of the trip, Oaxaca is where many migrants are deported. The people of Oaxaca have a very distinct way of speaking and behaving. In Oaxaca Enrique is kept on toes, wondering if he will be deported because of his awkward dress and dialect. The last important place in the story is Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Nuevo Laredo is last stop for immigrants travelling to the United States. From Nuevo Laredo immigrants will illegally enter Texas and begin their struggle for financial success in America. Enrique does finally enter Texas after being pushed on a boat from Nuevo Laredo. Once he entered Texas, Enrique takes a cab to North Carolina hoping to find his mother. Sonia Nazario begins the story by describing Enrique’s confusion as to why his mother has left him. He doesn’t understand that she can’t afford food and ...
“We are a nation of immigrants. We are the children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the ones who wanted a better life” said former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Since its establishment, the United States has grown through immigration, lending to a multicultural society. However, immigration and its government policies have become of great public interest due to illegal immigration at the Mexican border and violent events in the Middle East. For this reason it seems sensible to investigate the lives of immigrants so that U.S. citizens may take a stance on this disputed topic. Regardless of their origins, whether they are from Latin America, Asia, or anywhere else, immigrants seem to encounter similar endeavors. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies, the author depicts the immigration of Indian citizens to the United States. Noting various matters ranging from motives to the cultural identity crisis, Lahiri exposes the struggles and ramifications of American immigration. The collection elucidates the lives of first and second generation
Imagery within a book adds an extra layer of detail for the reader so that they may receive insight into what is happening in the book. This quote is very important to the journey part of the book due to its insight into the event that helped Enrique to make it through the long journey on the train. The imagery of dozens of people rushing out to help travelers like Enrique by throwing bundles to the travelers as they pass through the city is very powerful. This imagery is representative of the kindness that some people have for the travelers. Without the kindness of others, and their willingness to help, Enrique and many other travelers may not have been able to make it all the way to the United States. These generous people provide the travelers with a greater chance of success by giving the travelers food and other necessities that keeps them alive.
The quote “Enrique cannot see blood, but he senses it everywhere. It runs in gooey dribbles down his face and out his ears and nose. It tastes bitter in his mouth….The sun is high and hot. Enriques left eyelid won't open. His battered knees don't want to bend” is a great example of how the author gets our attention by appealing to our emotions (Nazario 61). In Sonia Nazarios book “Enrique's Journey,” the author does a great job of using all three of the Aristotelian appeals. The one that stands out the most is pathos, the appeal to emotion. In this novel, the author uses pathos to better the story; and try to change the minds of Americans about immigration by using many different techniques such as
Anthropologist Leo Chavez presents a very descriptive and detailed account when he wrote Shadowed Lives, UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY it takes readers into the lives and experiences of illegal immigrants. Chavez is detailed within the book points are placed regarding people's choice to migrate as well as their stories of crossing the border into the United States We can learn a lot from Chavez's book, making distinct opinions on immigration itself, and the difference in immigration culture after migrating.
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.
Jose Antonio Vargas’s article on My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant is a writing about his childhood journey from the Philippines to the United States as an Undocumented Immigrant. Vargas writes this article to emphasize the topic of immigrant and undocumented immigrant in the United States. He uses all three appeals: pathos, ethos, and logic in his writing, in specific, he mostly uses pathos throughout of his entire article with a purpose for the reader to sympathize and to feel compassion for him. The use of these appeals attract many readers, they can feel and understand his purpose is to ask for others to join and support other people who undocumented immigrant like himself. In addition, it gives other undocumented immigrant people courage
In The Beast: Riding the Rails and Dodging Narcos on the Migrant Trail, Oscar Martinez comments on the injustices that occur while migrating from Central America. Central Americans are forced to leave their countries in fear of the inevitable consequences. The systematic abuse Central Americans endure while migrating is founded on that fear which results in more repercussions for migrants. The psychological effects of migrating is used by Martinez to give insight on the atrocities that happen in Central America. The corruption involved while migrating in Central America is against human rights and should be brought immediate attention internationally. Martinez uses the experiences of migrants to expose Mexico’s passivity on the subject and to expose readers’ to the hard truths that occur while migrating.
The choice to suddenly leave your own home to live in a whole new country is extremely difficult. Immigrants face many difficult obstacles along the way, and even after they arrive. In “Exile”, “My First Free Summer”, “All-American Girl”, and “Antojos,” these struggles of immigration are portrayed through Julia Alvarez’s view. Alvarez portrays her own experience, the complexity of cultural dilemmas, and the struggle to fit in as she incorporates Spanish language and figurative language throughout each or her pieces.