Immigration Case Study
The border between Mexico and the United States has witnessed millions of individuals crossing to and from each country. Migration involves the (more or less) permanent movement of individuals or groups across symbolic or political boundaries into new residential areas and communities (Marshall, 1998, p. 415). Some cross for travel experiences, some cross for quick visits to see relatives, and others are crossing the border to improve their quality of life. From a negative point of view, some pay an absurd amount of money to "coyotes" to smuggle themselves and family members across the border, and some cross to smuggle narcotics for the drug cartel. This case study ethnography focuses on how government issues have a spiraling effect on immigrants trying to make a living in America, with a special focus on immigrant's experiences working in day labor sites in America, a solution, and a resolve.
The first person I spoke with to get a little bit of insight on Mexican immigration was Grandma Soria, my wife?s grandmother. She was born in Durango, Mexico and when she was five years old her mother passed away. She was left living with her two brothers, a sister and her father. Even back in the 1920?s, Grandma Soria said that it was difficult to make a living in Mexico and her family immigrated to Luboc, Texas. She only attended school up until the third grade because her entire family unit had to work together in the cotton fields in order to make enough money for rent and food. Because of her limited schooling, she had to teach herself the English language. Her family traveled often to find work and spent many hours in fields to earn only a few cents a day. She actually met her husband working in a cott...
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...ity Press.
www.azcentral.com/news/specials/migrants/overview.html, Dying to Work the human face of illegal immigration.
http://0-infoweb.newsbank.com.library.lib.asu.edu/iw-search/search/we/InfoWeb, Borden, T Mexican Farmers say NAFTA Ruins Lives, Forces Migration, Republic Mexico City Bureau, Arizona Republic, The (Phoenix, AZ)
Clark, C. S, Article 10, The New Immigrants, CQ Researcher, January 24th, 1997. pp. 49-72, By Congressional Quarterly, Inc.
Vergara, C. J, The Freeway and the Border, Quaderns d? Arquitentera I urbanisme, 2001 Barvelone: College d? Arguitectes de Catalunya
Sorell, V. A, (1998) Broken-Promise(d) Land, The Culture of Immigration and the Immigration of Culture across Borders, University of Arizona Press , pp.99-112, 137-143 (first portion of chapter only)
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Recently illegal immigration has become a very pressing issue among people. Many people around the borders are being greatly affected by the issue and think immediate action needs to be taken to put a stop to the issue. The Documentary Border War: Battle Over Illegal Immigration takes a stand on the issue using many examples of pathos, ethos, and logos to try and persuade people that illegal immigration is a very serious issue and we need to put a stop to it. This documentary follows the lives of people who have been affected by illegal immigration, and explains how they feel about the issue. Another way that people can look at the issue of illegal immigration is through the eyes of the immigrants, and the reasons why they might be trying migrate to another country. The documentary Wetback: The Undocumented Documentary focuses on the issue from this point of view. This documentary uses pathos and logos to show the lives and hardships of those people who are trying to migrate to a new country. Although Wetback used many examples of pathos and logos to show the struggles of the migrants, Border War did a better job showing pathos by following the lives of people who were affected by the illegal immigrants they were also very persuasive with ethos by following credible people.
Through the experiences of over 150 individuals, the apparent divisiveness of American public policy and political climate comes to the forefront in a dispiriting dichotomy of the undocumented experience coping in the
Weber, David J. Foreigners in Their Native Land: The Historical Roots of Mexican Americans. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1973.
...y Burnett, “The Noncitizen National and the Law of American Empire” , “in Major Problems in American Immigration History, ed. Mae M Ngai and Jon Gjerde (Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2013),278
Martinez, Oscar. Border People: Life and Society in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands. (Tucson: The University of Arizona Press, 1994), 232.
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Roberto Suro, the author of “Strangers Among Us”, wrote arguably one of the most sincere and informative immigration related narratives. Suro’s analysis and observations of the emergence of social and economic immigrant contribution go into great depth and explanation of exactly how Latino Immigration is slowly but surely transforming America. Suro’s narrative gives an in depth look at various Latino groups and how each group adapted and intertwined with American societies around the nation. Each Latino group regardless of immigrating location had its own separate story and journey as they each have immigrated to an American generation that is seeing economic changes with an overall unsympathetic American attitude towards immigrants. Immigrating to another nation forms
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Ngai, Mae M. 2004 “Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America” Publisher: Princeton University Press.
The American dream, as some may call it, is a cherished idea by those who may lack opportunities. For those in Mexico, it is something that is sure to have crossed their minds sometime in their life. The United States, to foreigners, has been looked at as a sign of opportunity and freedom from oppressive governments or unfortunate living conditions. The Other Side of Immigration takes a look at the Mexican nation and provides thought-provoking interview segments about the people still living in the nation who experience and observe the effects of immigration to the United States.
Ngai, Mae M. Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America. Princeton, N.J. [u.a.: Princeton Univ. Press, 2004. Print.
Martinez’s story is not so much one that pieces together the events of the crash, nor the lives of the three youths, but it is an immigrant’s tale, discovered through the crossings of the various Chavez family members and profiles of Cheranos in Mexico.
Thompson, Art. “Illegal Immigration Hurts the Economy.” Opposing Viewpoints: Immigration. Eds. David M. Haugen, Susan Musser and Kacy Lovelace. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, 2009. 30-35. Print.
Erika, Lee. "U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Laws and Issues." Journal of American Ethnic History. Vol. 20. Issue 2 (2001): n. page. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Mexican Americans are the largest Latino, or Hispanic American, group. There are many events that have had an influence on the Mexican American way of life. Immigration from Mexico flourished during the Mexico Revolution in 1910. Trouble was arising in Mexico and many people were fleeting hoping to stray away from the issues. After World War II, there was an increased demand for labor. This caused an increase in Mexican American immigration as well. The government of the United States fought back towards the immigration. “Operation Wetback” was put into place in the 1950s as a program in which almost 4 million Mexicans were deported. Mexican American’s privacy was vandalized, raided and broken into. Operation Wetback caused hard feelings towards Americans and has been a continuing issue for Mexican Americans to accept (Healey, 2012). One of the most significant changes in Mexican society came from the North American Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. In this agreement, the U.S. began to move their factory operations to Mexico. Jobs were offered at factories along the board but the wages were decreased (Heale...