Immigrants And Refugees Revitalize And Renew America Analysis

The way immigrants are viewed and treated like they are beneath citizens, an immigrant’s past traumatic experiences, and the services and laws that hinder immigrants are all elements that characterizes the immigrant experience.

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

We need to treat them as equals and not forget that we were once in their same position. He “feels” for them and recognizes that their safety and importance is equal to any citizen’s. Another example of people’s views and attitudes towards immigrants, affecting their experience in America is when Virgie Mae begins to speak very disrespectfully about immigrants who come to America. Virgie was an elderly woman who lived with her good friend Edna Poppy who regularly looked after Turtle and Dwayne Ray. Virgie Mae, Edna, Esperanza, Estevan, Taylor, Lou Ann, Turtle, and Dwayne Ray were all eating dinner at Taylor’s house. Virgie begins to talk about how immigrants take jobs from Americans and the “jibber-jabber” they speak will eventually become the new English language. (Kingsolver, ch.7) Estevan, an immigrant from Guatemala, acts as if he hears this same thing everyday. People like Virgie create a negative stereotype about Americans, that we don’t care about immigrants and only see them as criminals who steal

In The Bean Trees, Estevan and Esperanza are a young Guatemalan couple who fled their home country for a better life. They were both in danger in the country because of their affiliation with the teacher’s union and the secretive information they know. Both Esperanza and Estevan were ripped away from their daughter and other loved ones. “‘We have no children,’ Estevan said. Esperanza looked as though she had been slapped across the face.” (Kingsolver, ch.7) After her own daughter and brother was ripped away from her, she was forced into a catatonic stage. She wasn’t able to enjoy her new found freedom and safety in the U.S. Alejandro, a boy whose experience is talked about in the article “Fleeing Violence in Honduras, a Teenage boy seeks Asylum in Brooklyn,” is another example of past traumatic experiences affecting his experience in a new country. Alejandro was a fifteen year old boy who decided to make the treacherous journey to America in search of a better life for both him and his brother Jeffrey. In Alejandro’s home country, San Pedro Sula, Honduras, gang violence is a huge problem, especially when it comes to teens. Gangs will often create massacres, rape young girls, and recruit young teens with the options of join, or be tortured and/or executed. After a news report saying that “unaccompanied minors” will be allowed into the country, the two young brothers set out