TheImmigrants AmericanDream
TableofContents TheAmericanDream………………….....................................01 MyGrandfathersStory………………….....................................02 TheU.SCitizenshipRequirments…………………………………………….04 AmericasBackbone………………………………………….....05 TheProcessofanIllegalMinor……………………………………….…....08 TheDisastersUnderTrumpAdministration……………………………………….…....09 TheSpiritoftheChicanoCommunity………………………………………….....10 TheImmigrant’sAmericanDream………………………………………….....12 References………………….....................................14
Haveyoueverwonderedwhy peoplewouldsacrificetheirlife tocometotheUnitedStates fromMexico?Ihavealways wonderedwhypeoplewouldbe willingtorisksomuchtocome here.Thiszineisthestoryofmy grandpaandhisstoryandhis versionoftheAmericanDream. WhatistheAmericanDream? Tomostpeople,theAmerican Dreamistheimageofthewhite picketfence.Whichishavingthe nicesthouseinawealthyand safeneighborhoodwitha beautifulfamily.Formygrandpa andformanyimmigrantstheir AmericanDreamisdifferentand requiresagruesomejourney.
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TheAmericanDream Figure1:TheideallifeonanAmerican"TheAmericanDream"
MyGrandfathersStory
Mygrandpaimmigratedbyhimselfattheageof17.Thiswasinthe 1970’swhereoppressionanddiscriminationwasatanall-timehigh,thetension betweencoloredpeopleandwhitewasveryintense.Thejourneymygrandpatookto crosstheborderwasanightmare.TravelingdaysthroughthescorchingMexican desert,hismorningalarmwouldbesnakesrattlingtheirtailsjustinchesfromhim.It wasdangerous,buteventuallyhemadeitaliveandendeduptravelingtheUnited StatesfromArizonaallthewaytoOregoninsearchofsecurityandstabilityinajob. Heworkedrelentlessly,oftengatheringfruitinfieldsanddidn’tstopuntilthedaywas over.Hewouldprovidehisfamilywithallhisearnings.Overthespanof10years,he provided100,000dollarstohisfamilyinMexico.Heneverchasedsuccessfor himself.HeisthemostunselfishmanIknow.Heputshisfamilyfirstandmakessure theyhavefoodintheirstomachsbeforehedoes.Heknewheneededtoprovidefor hisfamilybackhomeandgetthemoutofMexico,asMexicoisacountryoflittle opportunity.Aroundtheageof30mygrandpamarriedmygrandmotherandtogether theycreatedafamilyofthreedaughters.Thefirsttwodaughterswerebornin Mexico,oneofthemismymother.Mymother,bornin1983,saidtheymovedtothe UnitedStateswhenshewas5yearsold.Shesaiditwasaveryscaryexperienceas noneofthemknewanyoneandnoneofthemknewhowtospeakEnglish.Mymother saidthatshewouldhavetohelpmygrandparentstremendouslygrowingupasshe wastheonlyonewhoknewhowtospeaksomeEnglishbecauseofschool.Itwasa struggleformyfamilyandoftenmygrandparentswouldtellmymothertheymoved toprovideanopportunityforherandhertwosisters.
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. Figure2:ThispieceofChicanoartshowcasesthelivesoftheChicanopeople. 03
TheU.SCitizenshipRequirements
MygrandfathereventuallybecamearesidentduetoReagan's ImmigrationControlActin1986,whichgrantedamnestytoimmigrants whocamebefore1982.Mygrandfatherhassincestayedaresidentand hasneverbecomeacitizen.Hashetriedtobecomeacitizen?Theanswer isyes,hehastriedtobecomeacitizenvarioustime,buthasfailedthe USCIStesttobecomeacitizen.Thetestisaround100questionsand asksvariousquestionsabouttheUnitedStatesfromgeographyto Americanhistory.Mygrandpahasattemptedthistestmanytimesand fails.It’snotduetoalackofnotstudyingeitherashewouldoftenspend hoursinsidehisshedtryingtocomprehendthepracticetestand textbooks.TheproblemisitishardforhimtoreadandspeakinEnglish. InmyopinionthistestisdesignedforthosewhohaveEnglishasasecond languagetofail.MygrandfatheristhebackboneofAmerica.Hehasspent hisentirelifedoingtheworknooneelseiswillingtodoandhasnever committedacrimeorevadedtaxes,yethestilldoesn’thavetherightto vote.
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ImmigrantsareessentialtoAmerica;theyaretheworkingclass andthefoundationofAmerica.Oftentimesmanypeoplecomplainthat immigrantsstealjobs.Ibelievethatimmigrantslegalandillegalworkthe jobsthatnoU.SCitizenwouldwanttoworkin,andmanywouldagree withme.In2020asurveybyPewResearchwasconducted,andabout 77%saidthat“undocumentedimmigrantsmostlyfilljobsU.S.citizensdo notwant,while21%sayundocumentedimmigrantsfilljobsU.S.citizens wouldliketohave.”Itisalsointerestingtoobservethisdataandnotethe differencebetweentheparties'opinions.87%ofdemocratsagreethat illegalimmigrantsworkunfavorablejobscomparedtothe66%ofthe republicanparty.Followingchartsprovethatimmigrantsareessentialin ourcountry. America’sBackbone 05
AccordingtothePewResearchCenter“About750,000 unauthorizedimmigrantsheldjobsinindustriesthatproduceand distributefood–foodproduction(290,000),foodprocessing(210,000), foodretail(170,000)andfooddistribution(70,000).”Withatotalof23% oflegalandillegalimmigrantsworkinginthefoodindustry.Notonlyare thesejobslowpayingbuttheyareathighriskoflosingespeciallyduring timessuchasthecovidpandemic.“84%ofundocumentedimmigrant workersheldsuchjobsin2017,includingthoseintheservicesector(2.3 millionworkers)andconstructionsector(1.3millionworkers).By comparison,62%ofU.S.workersheldthesetypesofjobs.”(Pew ResearchCenter)
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Herearesomeotherindustries andthepopulationofimmigrant workerswithinthem.Withthe biggestpresenceinthefarming industrywithanettotalof43%in 2017,22%beingundocumented. Thesestatisticsprovethat immigrantsaren’theretosteal jobs,theyareheretosimply havebetterlivesevenifitmeans workingatthejobsnoone wants.Theinhumaneactson thesepeopleareabsurd, especiallytothechildrenof migrantparents.
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TheProcessofanIllegalMinor
Underthehomelandsecurity actof2002,DHSandHHS areresponsibleforthecare ofmigrantchildren.They haveastandardofcare including“Accesstofoodand water,emergencymedical services,bathroomfacilities, andventilated,temperaturecontrolledsurroundings.” (Cheatham)Laterin2015in acourtdecisionthegoalwas toonlykeepthemigrant minorsforunderamonth. DHSisresponsiblefor determiningthesafetyofthe childrenandcanbesent backhome.WhileDHSis responsibleforplacingthem intheleastrestrictivesettings suchasfostercareifthe childneedslongterm custody.
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TheDisastersUnder TrumpAdministration
UndertheTrumpadministrationthesemigrantswereviewedasa nationalsecuritythreat,hencetheimplementationofmultiplepolicies.Thesepolicies arecruelandinhumandetainingminorsforlongperiodsoftime,increasingfamily separations.Thesepoliciescreatedharshandunsafelivingconditionsforthe migrantchildren.InAprilof2018,azero-tolerancepolicy“directedauthoritiesto detainandcriminallyprosecutealladultscaughtenteringtheUnitedStateswithout authorization,insteadofreleasingmostofthemtoawaitanimmigrationcourtdate.” Thiscausedtheseparationofover4,300childrencausingovercrowdinginmigrant facilities,thesefacilitieswereguiltyofchildabuseandpoorlivingconditions.“Six childrendiedinthecustodyofimmigrationauthoritiesduringTrump’spresidency, followingadecadewithoutanysuchdeaths.”(Cheatham)
Figure3:Overcrowding,atBorderPatrol'sMcAllen,Texas,station.
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WhathastheChicanoMovementdoneabouttheseissues previously?In2006,hundredsofprotestshappenedacrosstheUnited States.Thesewereprotestsfightingfortheirrightsagainstadraconian immigrationbill,the"BorderProtection,Antiterrorism,andIllegal ImmigrationControlAct"(HR4437)(Bada)Theprotestswouldbeduring theweek,evenontheworkdays“Daywithoutimmigrants”(Bada).Some protestersworewhiteshirtswithAmericanflagstomarchintheprotest. Thegroup'smottowas“Todaywemarchtomorrowwevote.”(Bada)The protestsspreadlikeawildfireacrosstheUnitedStates.Soontheprotests wouldhittheschool,asschoolwalkoutsoccurredinTexasandCalifornia. ThemovementwassuccessfulwhenonApril10andMay1millionsof protestersdidn’tworkthatday,asitwasthe“Daywithoutimmigrants.” Thisdayhadsuchadeepimpactontheeconomy,ashundredsof businessesclosedespeciallythosewhoutilizedimmigrantlabor.The movementsucceeded,asthedraconianimmigrationbillwaseliminated. TheSpiritoftheChicanoCommunity
Figure4:"TodayweMarch,tomorrowwevote"Thisphotowastakenin SanFranciscoonMay1,2006,"Daywithoutimmigrants." 11
TheImmigrant’sAmericanDream
ThroughouthistorywehavewitnessedwhentheChicano communityfoughtfortheirrights.Throughoutthe1960’s,theChicano movementwasbornandorganizedprotestsforbetterincome,education, rightsandabetterlife.Thisistheimmigrant'sAmericandreamandmy grandfather’sAmericanDream.Itwasnevertohavethewhitepicketfence onthelawn.ItwastoescapethecorruptionandpovertyinMexico,so myselfandmyfamilycouldhaveabetterlife.
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Figure5:TheChicanoMovementinfluencedthecreationofmany uniqueartisticstyles.DepictingthestrugglesoftheChicano community.
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References
“ChicanoMovement.”TheMexicanMuseum, https://www.mexicanmuseum.org/chicano-movement.
“ImmigrantRightsProtests--Spring2006.”2006ImmigrantRights Protests-MappingAmericanSocialMovements, https://depts.washington.edu/moves/2006_immigrant_rights.shtml#intro.
Krogstad,JensManuel,etal.“AMajorityofAmericansSayImmigrants MostlyFillJobsU.S.CitizensDoNotWant.”PewResearchCenter,Pew ResearchCenter,26Aug.2020,https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2020/06/10/a-majority-of-americans-say-immigrants-mostly-fill-jobs-us-citizens-do-not-want/.
Lappin,Todd.“TodayWeMarch,TomorrowWeVote.”Flickr,Yahoo!,1 May2006,https://www.flickr.com/photos/telstar/138523652.
“Mexican-AmericanPresentation1980-1989byMarcelaNorman Timeline.”TimetoastTimelines,1Jan.1960, https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/mexican-american-presentation-19801989.
“U.S.DetentionofChildMigrants.”CouncilonForeignRelations,Council onForeignRelations,https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-detention-childmigrants.
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