This book was written by Juan Gonzalez and he explained the struggle of being a Latino/immigrant. Journalist Gonzalez takes a look at how many immigrants lives are being affected due to a U.S Economy and military interests, that in return is causing a flood of immigrants, which are changing the U.S landscape, and its economy. He also digs deep in order to provide interesting detail, of the rarely talked about success of the Latino community, and the many sacrifices Latinos have to undergo in order to succeed in this country despite all the hate and alienation of those that oppose them. “The scorn of the neighbor who does not know us is our greatest danger...Through ignorance it might even come to lay hands on us. Once it does know us, it will …show more content…
As a American society we assume that we can shut people out, that includes trying to intimidate by using a border wall, yet this will stop no one with the mentality to survive. Gonzalez shares a conversation he had with a Coyote, in which the coyote humorously made fun of the wall and how weakly it was built, he also said that regardless of the obstacle he’s still going to keep moving immigrants across. Gonzales also explains that those who are seeking the north risk their lives believing that one day they’ll make it, regardless of age, sex, or motive. Everyone's motives are different, some seek a better life away from the corrupt government they come from, while others are just mothers, fathers, sons, and children seeking their loved ones who were separated by the …show more content…
For the next fifteen years 40,000 plus migrated to the United States, they were also uniquely suited for a pioneer role. Part of this group was Gonzalez parents who came escaping the troubles that awaited his grandparents in Puerto Rico, this movement ensured the safety for later generations. Despite desperate times and the loss of 5 out of their 11 children, the Gonzalez were struggling in this economy, performing odd jobs did not provide enough money to suit a family that big therefore as a countermeasure they began giving their children away to relatives in hopes of saving them from starvation. They soon established themselves in El Barrio, where they encountered both help and hostility from the inhabitants. They acquired jobs in a highly visited nightclub, yet they landed lower end positions as dishwashers. Despite the income and positions they worked hard for their money, these are the extremes immigrants go to moneywise. Anything that provides money is great regardless of amount, which is true to this day for immigrants, we accept whatever job despite its atrocities, while many Americans think different. They believe fieldwork is too hard for little pay yet complain that there's immigrants who are willing to be underpaid and still do the job. That's the difference in our societies, we all have different motives for
In Leo R. Chavez’s ethnography, The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation, the claimed problem of Latino immigration, specifically Mexicans, is tackled using interviews, statistics, and other works of literature. Chavez’s ethnography not only discusses Latino immigration but Latino invasion, integration, organ transplants and even Latina fertilization. One of Chavez’s big topics is on how the media influences the public to believe that Latinos are planning an invasion or take-over in order to gain the land that was originally Mexico’s. The topic of Latina reproduction and fertilization comes up multiple times through Chavez’s ethnography. Another main topic that plays a part in Chavez’s argument is the Latino role in public marches and the citizenship aspect of their actions.
The article titled "The New Latino Underclass" by Douglas Massey is an insightful reading that shows the readers just how profoundly discrimination affects the Latinos/Latinas in the United States. It was quite insightful as he stated the history of the discrimination along with the two concepts of "Latino Threat Narrative" and "Hispanic Challenge. " Not only was this article by Massey insightful, but saddening too. I was unaware how harsh the immigration process here in the United States could be especially to innocent people who are seeking safety from their own country. I overall agree with Massey in the sense that we cannot just deport bunches of people, but we must understand they are human.
• Briefly (1 paragraph) summarize the story in the video(s). Latino Focus - A Class Apart This video covered the Mexican- American historic civil rights court case Hernandez v. Texas in the 1950s. Discrimination against Mexican- Americans could be seen throughout the United States during this time but particularly in the southwest part of the country.
To my knowledge, many Latinos are/were immigrants or the children of immigrants. Due to this, they would prefer staying away from anything that is associated with the government; they would much rather not vote than be deported back to their country. A lot of those children have not been accustomed to voting which effects the results of the Latino vote in view of the fact that they are unfamiliar with how the system functions. It is also important to realize that those Latinos have been “hiding behind the shadows” for so long and they may think the safer way is to continue to hide.
Humans rarely change their ways; they stay in their own worlds and always interact with the same types of people. Unfortunately, this habit often creates unseen barriers that divide and alienate human beings from one another. In Luis Alberto Urrea’s book The Devil’s Highway, Urrea provides a personal perspective to immigration by telling the story of 26 illegal immigrants, known as the Wellton 26, who are abandoned as they cross the Mexico-U.S. border. Through their story, Urrea proves there are invisible borders among people that create prejudice, such as language, ethnicity, and economic status. By reading The Devil’s Highway, it is clear that these barriers must be broken down to ensure harmony within society.
Growing up as a first-generation Mexican American was a huge advantage for me in that it allowed me to grow up in a culturally diverse community. I learned how to work well with people of all backgrounds and empathize with people from all walks of life. However, while being the first in my family to go to college was a momentous accomplishment, the lack of instruction and guidance lead me to commit many mistakes that could have been easily avoided during my first years at college. My timidity and downright arrogance lead me to believe that I did not need anyone’s assistance and thus I found myself denial that there was a problem in terms of my grades during my first semesters. I have since addressed this issue and have worked diligently to
Immigration is deeply rooted in the American culture, yet it is still an issue that has the country divided. Marcelo and Carola Suarez-Orozco, in their essay, “How Immigrants Became ‘Other’” explore the topic of immigration. They argue that Americans view many immigrants as criminals entering America with the hopes of stealing jobs and taking over, but that this viewpoint is not true. They claim that immigrants give up a lot to even have a chance to come into America and will take whatever they can get when they come. The Suarez-Orozco’s support their argument using authority figures to gain credibility as well as exemplification through immigrant stories.
Hispanics in America Every day, Hispanics in America face challenges that they have to overcome, but they often have trouble overcoming them. Many Hispanic families in America live in poverty, and the parents and children have no way to overcome that. Hispanic adults also are often uneducated and aren’t able to get jobs that can fully provide for their household. Hispanic children also have to go to school and aren’t allowed to make money due to laws on children working in America. In America, Hispanics face many challenges on a daily basis from food insecurity to low income.
The first of two essay questions focuses on Leo Chavez’s book , “The Latino Threat”. The questions and statements that will be answered include “ What is the Latino threat?, ‘How does he define citizenship?” ,“Identify and discuss two examples of the Latino threat” and “ Identify one policy recommendation and discuss whether you think it is achievable”. Leo Chavez’s book focuses on the guise of Latinos threatening the American way of life. He defines this as “The Latino Threat” , He states that the Latino threat narrative positions Latinos as not sharing similarities with any previous migrant groups into the U.S. and that they are unwilling and incapable of integrating and becoming part of the national community (Chavez,3).
In his essay “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” (2011), Jose Antonio Vargas asserts that we should continue immigration reform, and discover a way to grant authorized citizenship for the population who remains here undocumented―and who contribute every day to society. Vargas, a journalist and immigration rights activist, is known for divulging his position as an undocumented immigrant in his essay “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”―in hopes of sparking effective changes to the immigration system in the United States. His argument is that the United States should gradually progress with the DREAM act, and to initiate a sensible and tenable path for the children who suffer from the similar situation. In my analysis of Vargas’s essay,
The immigrants entering the United States throughout its history have always had a profound effect on American culture. However, the identity of immigrant groups has been fundamentally challenged and shaped as they attempt to integrate into U.S. society. The influx of Mexicans into the United States has become a controversial political issue that necessitates a comprehensive understanding of their cultural themes and sense of identity. The film Mi Familia (or My Family) covers the journey and experiences of one Mexican-American (or “Chicano”) family from Mexico as they start a new life in the United States. Throughout the course of the film, the same essential conflicts and themes that epitomize Chicano identity in other works of literature
“The virtual personas of Latino immigrants (represented as a threat to the nation) make the authority that has accumulated for real immigrants in their role as workers and consumers vanish” (Chavez 47). In the public eye Latinos are depicted as noncompliant and dangerous citizens and noncitizens of the United States. “The virtual lives of ‘Mexicans,’ ‘Chicanos,’ ‘illegal aliens,’ and ‘immigrants’ become abstractions and representations that stand in the place of real lives” (Chavez 47). It is depressing to understand that the majority of the United States strictly sees Latinos as these distorted images. At the end of the day each individual’s life matters, we all need to become more compassionate for one another.
Junot Diaz’s The Money provides the audience an interesting experience. Through this short story he gives the reader a glimpse of how his childhood was and the intriguing details of his culture. He takes the readers through some of his life lessons that everyone should understand in order to be more prepared for life. One interesting aspect of this short story is family cohesion.
During the Chicano Nationalist Movement, a well-known speaker, Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales, delivered a speech titled Chicano Nationalism: Victory for La Raza. In this speech, Rodolfo Gonzales tries to unify the Latin American people within the United States by using the idea of a family and to create a new political organization for the Chicano people. This speech was a cumulation of various ideas which stemmed from his own life, the experiences of the Chicano people, and the Chicano Nationalist Movement in general. Each of these factors contributed to the context of the speech and how the ideas within the speech are presented by Rodolfo Gonzales. Rodolfo ‘Corky’ Gonzales was born to Federico and Indalesia Gonzales, two Mexican immigrants, on June 18, 1928.
He was a grape farmer working from 6 am to 7 pm almost more than 13-hours a day his salary was $2.56 an hour from that salary he had to support his family that was still living in Yemen. Many migrant farm workers who pick these fruits travel across the country and cross borders to fill the agriculture jobs in the U.S that U.S citizens are not willing to take. (McKenzie, 2015). Agriculture jobs is not an easy job, but these migrant farmworkers are willing to fill these physical exhausting jobs because of the economic hardship, and the lack of jobs in the there country, therefore, courtiers that have these immigrant farmworkers should recognize immigrants for their hard work.