Organizing For the Community

            It has been fourteen years since my family and I migrated to this country from Ecuador and we still cannot understand why they told us the United States was almost paradise.  In the year 1999 Ecuador had its highest migration to Spain and the United States, we were part of that group.  Majority of the people who left were indigenous low class ciudadanos Ecuatorianos, our case was different.  We were told that work in the United States was very easy, no one mentioned anything about laws against and for immigrants, we did not know what a social security was, we did not know what we were getting ourselves into. 
            A couple of years passed and we quickly learned being an undocumented family was not easy, it was one of the hardest things we had do go through.  Besides living in limbo, being an ESL immigrant child was very difficult for me.  I used to and still struggle in school because I did not get the education I needed in both English or Spanish.  When I arrived in the United States at the age of eight, the elementary school took me out of classes and I had an American lady teach me English, while teaching me English I was missing out on the important lessons of how to write and read.  My Spanish was very well conserved and until this day I express myself better in Spanish.
            After battling with school I was finally admitted to NIU for the second time and I was able to embrace my status, lack of education and experience by working with the undocumented students here at the University, as well as the Latino high school students that desperately need role models. I still struggle with my two languages, not to mention the psychological shifts that are slowly healing by being involved in the Latino community.
              When working with high school students who are immigrants I see they are facing the same problems I did.  They come here at a young age; learn enough English to get them to communicate but not enough to navigate the education system.  What happens to these students is that they get pushed along to make them pass but are not being prepared for higher education. 
            Dream Action NIU has been running since 2009 and is holding up strong within the university and the Dekalb community.  It was first organized to fight for the Dream Act proposed in March, 2009.  As the years have passed Dream Action NIU moves with the needs of the immigrant community and provides resources to aid la gente. 

            After my family saw how hard life is here in the United States we advice our family and friends to
 come visit only.  My mother has said multiple times “si yo hubiera sabido que la vida iba a ser así en este

país, no hubiera venido” “if I would have known that life was going to be like this, I would have not come” 

The Rising Cost of Citizenship

The Rising Cost of Citizenship

Just in the last 15 years, the cost of becoming a U.S. citizen has risen. The application fee has risen from $95 in 1997 to almost $600 today. For many immigrants, this is a big financial problem. And it could be one of the main reasons why more of them don't pursue citizenship.

            The report from the University of Southern California's Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration connects the cost of obtaining U.S. citizenship to the nation's 8.5 million legal permanent residents who are eligible to apply for naturalization, but haven't done it.

            With reference to related studies, it points out that in 2007, about 52 percent of legal permanent residents who were eligible to naturalize were low-income. The cost factor has surfaced in other surveys of immigrants, including in study from the Hispanic center which noted that Mexican-born legal residents naturalize at lower rates than other immigrants. The report’s survey lets us know that an overwhelming 93 percent of Latino immigrants who have not yet naturalized say they would if they could. Of those Latino immigrants eligible to naturalize, almost 20 percent have found financial costs as a main problem factor to naturalizing, with another 28 percent conveying language and other personal problems. This further suggests the negative impact of high costs on the rate of naturalization, especially for groups with lower incomes and English-language difficulties.      

            Naturalization numbers over the years from the federal government do show out how fee hikes have affected applications, in particular the steep increase in 2007, when the price of applying for U.S. citizenship rose from $330 to $595, not including an additional $85 fee for bio metrics. The 2007 fee hike prompted a rush on N-400 naturalization applications. The numbers spiked in the earlier part of that year as people tried to get in ahead of the fee increase.  As for fiscal 2007, a year in which the increase was in July, there was no surge in all other applications in that year but there was a big surge in N-400 applications, followed by a decline in the latter part of that year and into 2008.The government processed almost 1.4 million naturalization applications in 2007; applications dropped to less than half that number the following year.

            As much of a hurdle as it is for some, the price problem is difficult to solve. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that handles naturalization  operates based on the fees it collects.  A more recent round of agency fee increases in 2010 spared the N-400.
The report suggests it might be worthwhile for Congress to appropriate more money to the agency; it also mentions micro-loans as one solution that's sprung up in immigrant advocacy circles, although some observers call this "a Band-Aid to a deeper problem."

            There's an economic irony as well. The same low-income legal residents who say it costs too much to could ultimately benefit financially from having U.S. citizenship. The report points to one study that examined immigrants' income the year they naturalized and found that citizen immigrants realized an eight to 11 percent increase in individual earnings, with the increase taking place over the course of several years after naturalizations.

            I personally do not agree with how the prices of becoming a citizen are rising so high. Immigrants that come to the United States from Mexico in search for a better life find a promising future here but with these prices these dreams are put on hold. Not only do the higher prices affect the immigrants themselves but also affect the United States because the higher the price the greater the chance for people to become less likely to pursue a citizenship and prosper in the United States. All this at the end affecting the U.S because whether one is a citizen or not in this country the money being worked stays in this country. This also affects Mexico because its ensuring that most of its people are likely to stay due to the high costs of citizenship leaving all hard workers in their native lands to help the economy prosper there. Bottom of Form

Sources:

• http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=480ccac09aa5d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD
• http://www.fitzgeraldlawcompany.com/faq/criminal-charges-immigration.php

United States: Anti-Diversity?

United States: Anti-Diversity?

                Many immigrants struggle daily wandering the streets of the United States after a long day’s work contemplating their next move to avoid deportation. Some were born in other countries and raised in the United States illegally.  These people are often law abiding and hard-working occupants trying to mimic the American dream; making the best of the situation they have dedicated for their future. Some may ask themselves why these immigrants sneak across the border verses go the legal route. A lot of these immigrants lack the necessary qualifications to obtain the work visa and do not have the time to wait due to family starvation and stresses. The lack of medical care and financial stability often play part in why purchasing the visa seems far-fetched. One more major key in why immigrants do not attempt to take the legal route is because they lack the educational knowledge of reading and writing. Many families pay smugglers to bring them across the border and see the risks worth the reward of a chance to reach a state of financial stability.

                Growing up in a community with a lot of minorities I have seen first-hand struggles dealing with not only the struggle to get to the United States, but also the struggle of remaining in the United States without being deported. I personally know a close friend whose parents brought him here illegally to ensure him a better life. He grew up, a smart young man and graduated from high school. He currently is in a relationship and works a full time job; however due to a traffic violation he now faces deportation to a country he knows nothing about. Mexico is a dangerous drug cartel ran poverty stricken country with little government authority if any.  Deporting this man would strip him from his family and his true home.

                Hopefully with the passing of the “Dream Act,” my friend will be able to stay in the United States and own the life he has grown to be accustomed too.  According to the American Immigration Council, “The DREAM Act addresses the plight of young undocumented immigrants growing up in the United States who wish to go to college and obtain lawful employment. The bill allows current, former, and future undocumented high-school graduates and GED recipients a pathway to U.S. citizenship through college or the armed services.”  They also have research to prove this would help the United States with an economic boom dealing with job availability. This would allow many immigrants like my friend who were born in another country yet have been here their whole lives. It’s these kids who do not have a chance in the deportation system.

                Barack Obama is fighting for this Act and hopefully with his help and the help of our nation we can change the ongoing cycle. The U.S was discovered by immigrants so why push them out now and on top of this is not the U.S known for being a melting pot? We are the most diverse country in the world and changing that now does not make much sense.

Seeking Better Life

            Imagine risking you very life just trying to seek a better future, not only for yourself but for your family. Imagine traveling for days on end through the blistering desert or trying to swim across a river that can swallow you whole and not knowing if you will make it to the great land many people talk about. Unfortunately this is the case for millions of immigrants who choose to make that journey to seek a better life here in the United States.

There are many reasons why people choose to make this like risking journey through the desert or cross the river to the United States. The reason that most people are familiar with is that they come seeking the “American Dream.” That is to work and provide a better future for their family here and help their family back in Mexico. In Mexico there are not many job opportunities. According to Fox News Latino there are about 60 million Mexicans who fall below the poverty line in Mexico. So seeing that there is not much of a future in Mexico many choose to risk their lives by making the journey across the border.

 But as of lately that is not the only reason. According to The Christian Science Monitor many immigrants are now coming to the United States because they fear for their safety. Since 2006 there have been more than 13,000 people have been killed in drug related violence. And now many people get threats saying they have to “pay” for their safety. So now people are not even safe in their own home country so they seek peace in the United States.

So even after the people who actually make this like risking journey and arrive at the United States they face so many problems. The most simple is that they are in a new country not really knowing anyone or even knowing the language to communicate with others. Also when many come, they come with nothing but the shirt on their back and the shoes on their feet. They have to start all over. But how can they start all over when they don’t even have a job. Many are stuck working in factories, construction, or just very low end jobs working for sometimes less than minimum wage. A lot of the people that I know that are stuck working in factories are actually happy even though they bust their backs doing the work and getting paid less than minimum. But what they tell me is that they are just happy to actually have a job and have money in their pockets and not worry about “paying” for their safety.

I feel like people shouldn’t have to risk their lives in order to seek a better future. I am sure there could be some ways that the United States can help out. Many say they don’t want Mexicans here because they “steal” many jobs, but if the U.S can help Mexico with creating jobs many would have “steal” these jobs because they will have jobs back in Mexico. And why not just help out those who have already been here the majority of their lives who just seek to make something of themselves. I think that bills like the “Dream Act” should be passed to help those who have been here and seek to better educate themselves and hopefully have a better future. 

Fox News Latino

The Christian Science Monitoe

Beyond The Border

Since its inception, the United States has been founded and populated by immigrants from around the globe. During the early 1900s, millions of people entered the country in search of a more prosperous future through Ellis Island. In more recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to become a legal citizen of the United States for foreign emigrants. Under the current system, it is often times harder to immigrate to the United States legally than it is to enter illegally. Processing of a family visa can take several years depending on where an individual is coming from. For example, the waiting period for a F4 (family) visa in the Philippines is over 20 years. Processing times of F4 visas from Mexico, China and India are each over 10 years. Work visas are equally inefficient. Several work visas must be filed well in advance of the employer needing help. Work visas for “unskilled” workers can also take several years to be processed. Depending on where an individual is emigrating from, the cost of applying for a visa can also be a deterrent. I have heard numerous stories of individuals waiting several years for approval of their visa to live with their families from my girlfriend who is from Bogotá, Colombia. She also mentioned that the cost of applying for a visa is extremely high for an average person in Colombia. The $720 application fee could take a Colombian worker two to three months to earn, not accounting for living expenses.

 

The current system is not only a burden on individuals attempting to emigrate; it is a financial burden on the United States. Since it is so difficult to immigrate legally, there are over ten million illegal immigrants in the United States today. Since these workers are undocumented and working for cash, the United States government is unable to collect taxes from them. In our current trying economic times, tax revenues from ten million people could help substantially. The amount of money the United States spends on protecting the border is also money that could be better spent. Based solely on the number of illegal immigrants currently residing in the United States, it is apparent that the American taxpayers are not getting their money’s worth ($90 billion in 10 years). By loosening the immigration laws, the U.S. wouldn't have to spend so much money to protect the border from non-violent, non-drug trafficking immigrants. Coupled with the increased tax revenues, the United States would have a great sum of money to relocate into other programs. With no incentive for immigrants to enter the country legally, it is unlikely that many will. 

It is undeniable that the infusion of different cultures into the melting pot of the United States is and has been beneficial to us as a nation. The desire to come to the United States is so great that people will find a way here one way or another. The United States shouldn’t turn its shoulder on the very thing that made it what it is today. The current system benefits nobody and needs to be amended.

References:

http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2006/03/the-real-problem-with-immigration-and-the-real-solution
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/us-spends-90-billion-border-security-drugs-keep-pouring
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-10-24/legal-immigration-usa/50895150/1

The Search for a Better Life

Immigration is one of the most hot button issues facing the United States today.  It is at the root of some laws like the Arizona Immigration Law and the Dream Act Law. While there are many central topics concerning immigration, one of the most debated is the migration of field and farm workers to the United States. 

 

Many men and woman endure scorching heat and exhaustion trying to survive and feed their families by working in slaughter house or growing food themselves. To their dismay, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened up Mexican markets to massive pork imports from US companies causing Hispanic workers all over to lose jobs since food was being produced at a faster and cheaper manner in the United States. Consequently, this causes many workers to seek employment in the United States since their jobs were terminated due to the more advanced technology of the United States. The migration for better work and a better life altogether is what caused the 12 million undocumented immigrants in the Unites States to call this country their new and hopeful home. I honestly believe that those seeking a better life for themselves and their family should NOT be ostracized and turned away just because they were born in an underprivileged country. I thought that America was the home of the Land of the Free, and a place for new opportunities and yet, Hispanic immigrants are being denied that right. I know firsthand the cruel treatment inflicted upon those who are not “legal citizens” (whatever that means). 

My best friend, Pablo Alvarez, is one of the smartest individuals that I have the pleasure to have met. He is so passionate about his studies and also about helping out the Latino community. He helped organize fundraisers to raise money for scholarships for undocumented high school students, talked about the Latino community and our progress at events and presentations and worked at a Latino High School in downtown Chicago for 2 years. He was a AP student, captain of the soccer team, active member of various clubs and a 4.0 GPA student. Now you would think he went to UIC, or Loyola, DePaul, Northwestern or any other top school around Chicago. Sadly no. He wanted to attend a private school, and even went to spend a few nights over there and absolutely loved it. He was also talking and bragging about the university and I knew at that moment, he was destined for greatness in college. However, his dreams were shattered when the university found out he was undocumented, and thus, was not allowed in the university. He was shocked, depressed and heartbroken. A well rounded student rejected just because he doesn’t have a little blue card with 9 numbers on it. It made me so angry. He ended up going to Northeastern, but as his last choice. 

I really want to stress how imperative it is to stop these petty immigration issues. Let those who want a better opportunity for life, work, or in my friends case, school, have it and show the that United States really is what it makes itself out to be.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12779175/gomberg.munoz.2009.pdf 

https://webcourses.niu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-3075082-dt-content-rid-16628804_2/courses/20132-ILAS-100-----1/How%20US%20Policies%20Fueled%20Mexico%27s%20Great%20Migration%20_%20The%20Nation.pdf

What is the American Dream?

 

For many years now, Immigrants have been coming to the United States for the American Dream. The dream of living a better lifestyle, making more money, and having hope for their future. The reality is that sometimes that American Dream isn't that special at all. Many immigrants come here with even more of a struggle then when they lived back at home. People suffer from leaving their families, crossing the border, fearing that someone will catch them. When they finally get to the United States, it is the struggle of actually finding a job and making the money they need. In many situations, some immigrants take jobs that don’t pay well at all but they still will do anything for that money.

                In the article about the Veracruz workers, some of these workers had the advantage of moving to the U.S. and working for these tobacco industries because they have experience. With this experience and being in the country already, they have more opportunity to develop more skills and have other job offers from other businesses. They have hope for the future and one day find a way to get their families to move with them. What a lot of people don’t understand is that these immigrants that cross the border have many experiences with agricultural. The United States has many opportunities for these people to make a living off of their expertise. People who live in the states now don’t want to take those jobs because of the harsh working conditions and the amount of pay that is offered. If there are people willing to work under these conditions then why not give them that opportunity.

                I believe that there isn’t an American dream anymore. We have become a very selfish country and our economic standing isn’t considered to be great anymore. Yet we still have immigrants wanting to come to our country. Yet we are still deporting people who have been in this country for years, created families, and created a life here. I don’t think it is fair especially since these people don’t get the same benefits as a normal citizen would. There should be an easier way for these innocent people to be a part of this “great” nation.

                The first Article I found is a brief summary of a book called “Killing the American Dream: How Anti-Immigration Extremists are destroying the Nation”.  The book summary explains how there are plenty of anti-immigration hate groups who terrorize immigrants in this country. This is developing harsh laws being taken place in many states in the southern part of the United States. The ending of all this hate crime is the diminishing thought of the American Dream.

                Although there are many people who find immigration to be a problem, there are still people who try to help these civilians and their families. The second article I found was about a school district that developed programs for Latino students and their parents. It helps parents take GED classes and gain certain skills for better jobs. They help them land interviews and help them learn the English language as well. For the younger kids, they also help them learn English and put them in programs to advance their learning environment. This program also helps students gain scholarships to universities they want to attend in the near future.

 

http://my.firedoglake.com/elliott/2012/12/16/killing-the-american-dream-how-anti-immigration-extremists-are-destroying-the-nation-book-salon-preview/

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/19/us/iyw-la-amistad

United States of Immigrants

Immigration is the action of migrating to live permanently in a foreign country. People emigrate from their country and immigrate to another for many reasons but the bottom line is to prosper and improve their lives, as well as their families. Apparently it’s been a big deal in the United States as far as can be imagined. Every since the mid-1800s the United States has been the land of opportunity. The reason for immigration is quite clear; the Land remained plentiful, as well as it was fairly cheap. Jobs were of abundance, and labor was scarce and relatively dear. An increase in industry and urbanization also reinforced this situation. Though now days it is very frowned upon by our government, the United States was built by immigrants. Every early settler, pioneer, every single one of our ancestors was an immigrant. The great cities, the ways of our transportation have all been created because of the existence of immigrants. For instance the transcontinental rail road was built because the Chinese, Irish and Scottish. The Chinese were very useful most Chinese handled most of the heavy manual labor needed in order to get over as well as through the Nevada mountains and across the desert. Even after they dedicated themselves to creating this great amenity that would impact the United States greatly, the government still found a way to kill hopes and dreams. The passing of the Chinese exclusion act provided an absolute 10-year moratorium on Chinese labor immigration. This basically stopped the immigration of the Chinese as well as set restrictions on the current immigrants. As far as immigration goes it has always been illegal in any circumstance, I just can’t believe that even after the immigrants have worked so hard to create something that would put the united states on the map.

The newest set of immigrants has been Hispanics and Latinos. One of the many Mexican immigrants happens to be my father. Hearing what he went through and sacrificed for his family is to me is pretty amazing. Crossing a total of 10 times back and forth not because of being deported but he would go back because of a promise made to his father. All while sneaking back into the U.S to continue to work and support his family. Working from the meatpacking companies located in the back of the yards Canaryville, to being able to land a good paying job helping build the John Hancock Center. He tells me to him it was an honor being able to contribute to such a building even though his time there was cut short. A couple months into the building my father was unfortunate to be working on site and happened to look up and as soon as he opened his eye a small amount of fresh concrete mix landed straight into his eye. He quickly was treated and taken to the hospital but needed to get a small surgery as an immigrant with not a whole lot of money saved up he wouldn’t be able to pay out of his pocket. Though the company had millions of dollars they decided to take advantage of his illegal status and not pay for anything. My father wasn’t the privileged one to be a part of this and contribute what he could to this building but how did the legal’s repay him? They repaid my dad by allowing and letting his left eye slowly lose its use, All because they didn’t feel the need to look out for one of their fellow immigrant workers. As you can see that even though this country was created and built by immigrants, it will always be a problem and as hard as they might work immigrants will always get the short short need of the stick.

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/immgnts/

http://www.lehigh.edu/~ineng/VirtualAmericana/chineseimmigrationact.html

Immigration: Signs of a Hard Struggle

Plenty of times, people see Mexicans as lesser people. Americans in particular, look down on a Mexican, call us a wet back, and act as if their history is more important than ours. In their mind, this may be true, but in a Mexican’s mind, our history is more important to ourselves. It may be that every race in the world suffered greatly at one point or another, but as of now, it is us the Hispanics, who suffer the most racially. More specifically, I will be talking about Mexicans, since it is what I am more familiar with.

            A huge issue that Americans have against immigrants coming to the U.S. is that there immigrants take most of the jobs. In my opinion, it is a crucial thing to say that immigrants take all of the jobs, or at least the working class jobs. It may be true that immigrants are taking positions that actual U.S. citizens could have had, but there is a problem here. If an actual U.S. citizen could had have these jobs, don’t they still have an advantage to getting these jobs? There are a lot of companies that hire illegal workers. We may not know the reason for why these companies do this, but I do know that illegal workers aren’t the only workers that these companies hire. If someone has their life stable, and basically has all the requirements to be successful in America, why are there so many people who give up on life and become homeless or commit suicide?

            My uncle, Antonio Ibarra, was the first from my mom’s side of the family to come over to the U.S. Antonio had hopes that he would find a better job over the border, and that he would one day be able to bring his family over here. In the 80’s, my uncle paid a coyote to cross him over. With little to no friends or family in the United States, my uncle managed to make something happen. He ended up finding a job in a company that paid minimum wage at the time. Over time, he met more people, began networking. Eventually, he landed a position in a job that would have great benefits in the future. As of this day, my uncle has been working in the same company for over 15 years. Looking back, it is not much, but to think about it, having a secure job like the one that he has was probably hard to come by around those times. Because of his hard work and dedication, my uncle is now getting paid over $30 an hour, has his own house, a brand new Acura, and his whole family in the U.S., thus, me writing this paper.

            I just think that if we all saw immigrants as welcome newcomers, then there would be greater things being done in America. The fact that there is discrimination already creates a lot of problems, now imagine how immigrants feel when they hear some of the most racist things. There are plenty Hispanics that I know of today, that are far more successful than an American who did not care to become successful in life. There are professors who are Hispanic, there are extremely rich people who are Hispanic. Just how there are Americans who are extremely wealthy but there are also Americans who have failed at life. It only took one brave Hispanic to say “I’m going to cross the border,” in order to give life to some of the great Hispanic leaders that we have today.

Migration: the Search for the American Dream

Everyday there are thousands of people attempting to cross the border into the United States in search of one thing, the American dream. The goal is to cross the border and find work in order to earn money to provide for their families back home. Many of these people get apprehended by border patrol agents, but the few people that do successfully cross the border still face many challenges. Once these immigrants cross the border, legal or illegal, survival is still a major task. These immigrants need to find shelter, but more importantly a job.

Many Americans do not accept these immigrants, legal and illegal. These immigrants are faced with discrimination and racism because Americans are under the impression that these immigrants are stealing their jobs. However, the claim Americans are making is not true. These immigrants are making the bare minimum working jobs that nobody wants to work. Many of these jobs revolve around farming, agriculture, construction, fast food industry, and retail. Furthermore many of these jobs require long hours in terrible working conditions.

In The Nation article titled, “How US Policies Fueled Mexico’s Great Migration,” we learn of Roberto Ortega and David Ceja, two Mexican immigrants from Veracruz, Mexico. Ortega and Ceja worked as farmers and butchers in their hometown of Veracruz until they were no longer able to provide for their families due to massive pork imports from US companies such as Smithfield Foods thanks to NAFTA. Ortega and Ceja were forced to migrate to the United States by raising money to cross the border. Once in the United States they both struggled to find jobs. Ceja explains how he could not find work for three months and was desperate to find work in order to provide money for his family. Eventually, both men ended up in Tar Heel, North Carolina, where they found work in meat plants. The company they worked for ironically was the same company that forced them to come to the United States, Smithfield Foods. In addition, the article explains how many of Veracruz’s farmers who left their hometown in search of work in the US ended up working for Smithfield Foods.

Similarly, I can somewhat relate to the stories of Ortega, Ceja, and many other immigrants as my parents are both immigrants. Both of my parents migrated to the US from Poland in the mid 1980s. My parents fled Poland in order to escape the socialist government as well as to live the American dream to provide for their families back home. Many Poles at the time had the bare minimum to survive. They were forced to wait in long lines for long hours in order to buy a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk. Once my parents made it to the United States, they found a small place to live with a few friends who had also fled Poland. My mother worked at a small local grocery store while my father was a factory worker. Fast-forward to today, my parents can say they are living the American dream. Although neither of my parents have attended college, they are both successful immigrants that have gained US citizenship living the American dream providing for their families.

"Immigrant Employment: Most Common Jobs." Jobs in the USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar.

2013. <http://www.usa-job.org/immigrant-employment-most-common-jobs.php>.

Urban-Klaehn, Jagoda. "Three Waves of Massive Polish Immigration - Polish Culture."

Three Waves of Massive Polish Immigration - Polish Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2013. <http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art41fr.htm>.  

Mexican or American: The Struggle for Cultural Identity

What struck me most about the articles is the overwhelming way that politics has shaped the view of Mexicans in the United States, as well as the identity of American-born children of Mexican immigrants. The article from The Journal of Latino-Latin American Studies claims that by increasing restrictions on visas and increasing border control, while at the same time decreasing restrictions in other areas of production, the United States is encouraging an influx of illegal immigration. It seems to me as if this may be a purposeful tactic. The United States is able to give the appearance of enforcing border control, while maintaining low-wage production and keeping costs down. I am not sure if this is truly the case, but this hypocritical ideal does seem to support the growing animosity towards Mexicans and Mexican-Americans in the U.S. This in turn contributes to the struggle that many Mexican-Americans face in terms of their cultural identity.

CNN contributor Ruben Navarrette tells of his struggles with identity in his article "My Mexican-American Identity Crisis". On a trip to Mexico he was faced with an identity question right away. In the Mexican airport there were two lines: one for Mexicans and one for Foreigners. Growing up in California, he was always labeled as Mexican, but there in Mexico he was American. Navarrette explains the perpetual struggle brilliantly when he says, "Meanwhile, many Mexican-Americans I know don't feel like they're part of either [the U.S. or Mexico]. ... You get the best of both worlds, but you're rooted in neither. In Mexico, we're seen as Americans. And in the United States, we're considered Mexican.” What Navarrette portrays in his article is not what I believe many Americans think about the relation between Mexican-Americans and their Mexican heritage. From the way Navarrette puts it, it seems that Mexicans of the higher class dislike Mexican-Americans and their parents because they consider them to be traitors of their home country. However, because of the way the American government portrays immigration, Mexican-Americans receive resistance on the other end as well.

George Sanchez, professor of American studies, ethnicity, and history at the University of Southern California gives another take on Mexican-American identity in the United States. He claims that Mexican-Americans have had some clear lines in regards to their culture. According to him, many Mexican-Americans were either for assimilation or wanted to keep their Mexican culture and heritage. Particularly in the 1970s and 1980s, the distinction was quite clear. His cultural struggle occurred in college when he realized that this way of viewing culture was to flat and unrealistic. His belief is that culture is always changing and evolving, as well as incorporating new aspects from other cultures. In this way Sanchez is promoting the idea of a separate Mexican-American culture that is not strictly Mexican or American, but a mixture of both.

While both of these articles reference the struggle for cultural identity among Mexican-Americans, there is also proof of the development of a strong Mexican-American (or Chicano) culture in the United States today. There are festivals celebrating the music and art of the Chicano culture, as well as other cultural events. As neither Mexican nor Mexican-American, it is amazing to me that politics in the United States can cause a person to feel so displaced from their own country, not to mention their own heritage.

Links: http://blog.theautry.org/2011/10/06/george-sanchez-disentangling-mexican-american-identity/

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/opinion/navarrette-mexican-american

"Not Just Mexico's Problem: Labor Migration from Mexico to the United States (1900-2000)" by Ruth Gomberg-Munoz in The Journal of Latino-Latin American Studies

From Mexico to the United States: The Great American Mexican Dream?

     Immigration has always existed in societies due to push and pull factors. People seek out better opportunities for themselves and their loved ones and if moving is the way to go about it that it what they will sacrifice in order to achieve their objectives. Immigration is how all Nations came to become their own nation by people leaving and establishing their own societies. In fact the United States is made purely of immigrants all over the world which is why it is known as the melting pot and why many immigrants sought their opportunity for their dreams to come true. A massive population that continues to immigrate to the United States is the people of Mexico, just south of the United States. Mexican migration has occurred in the United States ever since the U.S. became industrialized and had better opportunities for its workers. Even today, Mexican people still attempt to get to the United States because of necessity.
     When my father first traveled to the United States he was 18 years old. He managed to get himself a passport which enabled him to get from Tijuana and enter 125 miles into the United States for 72 illegally. From there he traveled to California where he would send his passport back to Mexico so if immigration would get him he could redo it. It wasn't until 1987 when my father finally became a resident in the U.S. and eventually became a legal citizen. He had spent over 20 years working illegally in the U.S. When my father applied to become a resident he did it by proving that he worked his entire time here by using his income tax reports as evidence. My father endured many deportations and hardships but he said the most difficult part of being an illegal immigrant was changing his identity and not being able to tell anyone your true identity. Otherwise, you could get caught and deported. My father would move between California and Arizona until he finally made his way to Chicago Illinois where he brought my mother and had my sister, brother, and myself.
     Many Mexican families look for this opportunity as well and some have similar success while others sadly do not. However it is still important to analyze how  it is that these opportunities rose for them. An example could be found in 1942, when Mexico signed a treaty with the United States allowing for Mexican migration to the United States. Also, many times American Corporations would often hire Mexican immigrants for cheap labor, and that set off a chain of people who wanted to work to come to the U.S. This also meant that these labor jobs would need massive employees and since immigrants are the cheaper option, corporations choose them to do the labor as opposed to paying a citizen minimum wage. Corporations like Smithfield allowed for massive trade of pork to be made between the U.S. and Mexico, but more importantly hired Mexican workers.
    Mexican immigrants come to the U.S. in order to seek better fortunes for themselves and their loved ones. The United States provided the means for massive amounts of immigrants to come into the nation and work and earn a living. However the controversy now is the numbers are beginning to worry the political figures and anger the working class claiming that immigrants are stealing jobs from Americans. It is why even now laws towards immigration are a very touchy subject and one that most political figures prefer to stay away from. However it is an issue that needs to be addressed because putting it off will solve nothing. I do personally feel that Mexican immigrants come to the U.S. with honest intentions and due to the current situation that is occurring in Mexico at the moment, however it is also very necessary for something to change in Mexico internally otherwise people will only seek to leave it.


http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-02-24/news/ct-oped-0225-krauthammer-20130223-2_1_legal-status-lawful-prospective-immigrant-immigration-bill

http://www.pbs.org/kpbs/theborder/history/timeline/17.html

Immigration Reform

Immigration is such a big issue. I, as coming from a Mexican background I have had family members cross the border illegally in order to be able to provide more for their family. Their intentions have never been to “steal” jobs away from people. They are not picky about what job is available. All they want to do is work. For the most part, many take the jobs that are offered and that not everyone is willing to do. Not everyone has that motivation to wake up early and cut the grass or do a job at a pay that is ridiculously low and unfair. They are not bringing violence or anything. They all want the American dream and everyone has the right to that. The United States should not decline in welcoming anyone in.

When I heard about the dream act, it made me really happy and excited for everyone who is going to benefit from this act. It is going to provide so much for students that graduate from the High School here. By giving them their Residency, their life is going to change and only for the best. The fact that they are able to get an education that they are capable of obtaining and take of advantage of the opportunity is wonderful! By passing this act, there would be no regrets. The knowledge and experience learned is a benefit because it will stay in the states.

   There are some big college names like Cornell University and Arizona State who support the Immigration Reform. They don’t want to retain students. Some of them have to be denied because they are illegal and that is not fair. There are many bright minds out there but because they do not have citizenship they can’t continue their education. There is always an advantage by having bright minds. Our president has brought up an idea about having a green card stapled to their diplomas with a Master’s or Ph.D. Imagine having talented and smart young adults from around the world be from the U.S.

Recently the former governor from Florida, who agreed on the path to citizenship, has changed his mind about it. An article found in latinopost.com states that, “But Bush's new book says it is unwise to offer citizenship to undocumented immigrants, since he says that might encourage more illegal immigration”. Were we not all illegal immigrants at one point? What makes it different now then back in the day? It’s still the same why shouldn’t one illegal immigrant have the same rights that in this case Bush’s grandfather did.

Immigration is and always will be a heated debate. There are people who agree that they should have the same rights and be able to obtain their citizenship while others believe that they shouldn’t. Everyone has his or her own reasons about why, but the picture should be looked at a broader view. I only see positives by offering illegal immigrants, not only Latinos but also everyone across the world citizenship to not only themselves but for everyone in the States.

http://www.latinospost.com/articles/13528/20130304/immigration-reform-news-2013-jeb-bush-opposes-path-citizenship-new.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/colleges-universities-cornell-care-immigration-reform/story?id=18669154

http://www.dreamact2009.org/