Los Angeles is a city with a large population which consists of a substantial number of immigrants. A wide range of immigrants from around the world have settled in Los Angeles making it one of the most diverse cities in this country. Many citizens of Los Angeles have strong arguments on whether or not an immigration reform is beneficial or if it is going to harm the city and its residents. The topic of immigration is of great importance because it is an issue that Los Angeles has experience for several of years and will continue in many more to come if action is not taken. Any changes made in regards to immigration are going to affect people in Los Angeles one way or another regardless of the perspective they might sustain about the subject because money and the community are involved in case of any modification. The city of Los Angeles is no stranger to the issue of immigration, which requires a solution through the process of an immigration reform to enforce constitutional value through the process of establishment of citizenship and amnesty. Immigration reforms will develop a political policy that is going to improve, modify and change our current immigration policy. It is essential and beneficial for the city of Los Angeles to obtain an immigration reform which will benefit families by offering broader, equal and fair opportunities as it will provide the city with economic growth.
There is an estimated count of “about 1 million unauthorized immigrants in Los Angeles” (Capp and Fortuny) out of a population of nine million reside in the city (US Census Bureau). Immigrants from all over the world move to Los Angeles because of the wide opportunities the city provides through the numerous schools and various employment occupati...
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...Fortuny. “The Characteristics of Unauthorized Immigrants in California, Los Angeles County, and the United States.” The Urban Institute; Research of Record. 6 Mar. 2007. Web. 07 Apr. 2011
5. Arnold, Shayna R. “What Kind of Immigration Reform Could Work for CA and Los Angeles? City Think – Los Angeles Magazine.” LAMAG.com – Only the Best In LA. 05 July 2010. Web. 08 Apr. 2011
6. “Los Angeles County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau.” State and County QuickFacts. Web. 09. Apr. 2011
7. “Data Support Benefit of Immigration Reform in a Bear Market Economy.” Immigration Impact.” 13 Apr 2009. Web. 09 Apr. 2011
8. Keogan, Kevin. “A Sense of Place: The politics of Immigration and the Symbolic Construction of Identity in Southern California and the New York Metropolitan Area.” Sociological Forum 17.2 (2002): 223-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 09 Apr. 2011.
Islas, Arturo. From Migrant Souls. American Mosaic: Multicultural Readings in Context. Eds. Gabriele Rico, Barbara Roche and Sandra Mano. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 1995. 483-491.
...ewish enclave to a predominantly Mexican community” (Sanchez, 2004, p. 640) due to the fact that the “Jewish community of Los Angeles as a whole was transformed by the demographic changes, clearly becoming “white” in the racial hierarchy of the region both geographically and politically” (Sanchez, 2004, p. 640). The place of the Jewish community changed along with their identity. Once they became “white” they no longer were restricted to living in Boyle Heights. In Los Angeles, it is clear through what happened to this one group of people that one’s metaphorical place in society, meant to be one’s racial and class status in what Sanchez refers to as a hierarchy, has a direct link to one’s literal or geographical place in the city. The ongoing divisions within society caused by stratification have become the basis of the meaning of place in contemporary Los Angeles.
Los Angeles was the place to find work if laboring was all you knew. Not speaking a word of English, but able to labor in the fields of California's various crops, Mexican immigrants flocked to Los Angeles. Los Angeles quickly became a Mecca for Mexicans wishing to partake of the American dream establishing themselves and creating families. The American dream, however, became just a dream as harsh unequal assessments by white Americans placed Mexican-Americans at the bottom of the social, economic, and political ladders. Whites believed that Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans had no place in their society: a place shared by many minorities (Del Castillo 7). Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles were at a great disadvantage despite their great numbers. No representation existed for the minorities.
The United States was formed by the immigration of many people from all over the world. Americans take pride in knowing that we are a people of vast ethnic backgrounds and culture. However, at the present time, the flow of illegal immigration, as well as a large influx of other legal immigrants is placing a strain on our land of "huddled masses." Legal immigration to the United States can easily be handled and is welcomed by most Americans. However, the flow of illegal immigrants, especially from Mexico, must be stemmed, due to the strain it is placing on the government, (at the local, state and federal level), as well as the general population. Illegal immigrants are costing the United States over 24 billion dollars a year in taxpayers money (National Review 12.13.93). Something must be done to reduce the flow of illegal immigration into the United States. The focus of this paper will be the problems caused by and possible solutions to the problem of illegal immigration.
Eleanor Roosevelt said, “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected.
These immigrants venture to the U.S. in pursuit of a ‘Dream’. As a result, areas where
Pia M. Orrenius. “U.S. Immigration and Economic Growth: Putting Policy on Hold.” Dallsfed.org. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Research Department. December 2003. Web. 7 October 2011
This essay will discuss the issue of migration in South California, Los Angeles. This subject is very topical and affects many people. Why thousands of people immigrate to the city? Why other leave Los Angeles? There are a lot of reasons: economic, social, environmental and others. Arguments and all information will be analyzed thoroughly.
Passel, Jeffrey S., and D’Vera Cohn. “Undocumented Immigrants’ State and Local Tax Contributions. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP).” The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP). N.p., July 2013. Web. 17 Apr. 2014.
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).
Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton, N.J. [u.a.: Princeton Univ. Press, 2004. Print.
Today, the city of Los Angeles remains a magnet to immigrants, and Latinos now make up more than 40% of its population. The LAPD is now bigger, with nearly 10,000 officers, and claims to be more sensitive than it was before the riots. The riots opened up the eyes of people of all races and careers in Los Angeles, and especially opened the eyes on Capitol Hill. Changes have been made, and LA is a better place because of it.
Johnson, Hans and Laura Hill. At Issue: Illegal Immigration. San Francisco: Public Policy Institute of California. 2000. Print.
Despite having to battle discrimination and poor neighborhoods, second and third generation Mexican-Americans have made a great strife to overcome large obstacles. Mexican-Americans are finally gaining representation in city government representing the 9.6 million Mexican residents of Los Angeles. White politicians can no longer ignore Mexicans in Los Angeles, as former mayor Richard Riordan saw in the elections of 1997, in which his re-election was largely in part to the high turnout of Mexican voters in his favor. Although Capitalism still exists in the greater Los Angeles, its influence is not as great as it was fifty years ago. Los Angeles continues to serve as the breeding grounds for new cultures, ideologies, and alternative lifestyles. The pursuit of the American Dream becomes a reality for most immigrants in LA. LA is a great place to live, party, and be from. I knew little about the history of Los Angeles prior to this course, but now I am well prepared to answer the question of, “What makes Los Angeles, Los Angeles?”
Haines, David W and Rosenblum, Karen E.: Illegal Immigration in America: A Reference Handbook. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. 1999. EBook. , Database: eBook Collection (EBSCOhost).