Stigma Against Illegal Immigrants

Chapter three "Racism and Nativism in Immigration Policy" plainly outlined the evolution in immigration and deportation policy from the 1800 's to the 21st century. There were two specific policies that stood out to me, deep rooted in nativism and racism "Operation Wetback" and "Oriental Exclusion Act." First the Oriental Exclusion Act, which "expanded the Chinese Exclusion Act and prohibited most immigration from Asia." During the Great Depression, many Americans including the politicians were not open to immigrants coming to America. There was economic fear and anxiety and a limited number of resources to be dispersed.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) has taken a stance against the immigration bills being drafted in congress which all include amnesty in one form or another. Ted Cruz said, “…you’ve got Republicans falling all over themselves to grant amnesty and a path to citizenship to millions of people who are here illegally. That is a mistake. It’s wrong. And we shouldn’t be doing it.”

Being an immigrant is difficult, therefore people are sacrificing their lives for freedom to have a better life. In her short story “The Trip”, Laila Lalami shows a dangerous trip for freedom. Also in his essay, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant”, Jose Antonio Vargas explains his troubles with his immigrant life. Courage in both Murad and Vargas stories is a common theme. They both had the courage to do something important in, their life and might not survive.

Every person has a story. A story that is more complex than what we believe to be. A story that does not only have a beginning, middle, and end but as well has obstacles, achievements, and characters that have to face everything that life throws at them. However, some people are quick to judge and stereotype people based on their appearance and their diminutive amount of knowledge rather than listening. If people listened, they would understand the history and lives of the immigrants that call the United States their home.

Data in the current research will be obtained through the qualitative research study design. Qualitative research is exploratory, and it is used when we don’t know what to expect, to define the problem or develop an approach to the problem (Mora, 2010). Case studies are defined as qualitative research studies that focus on groups or individuals. The two main characteristics are: First, they investigate a certain phenomenon within its real life occurrence. Second, they are used when no clear boundaries exist between the factor being investigated and its context in real life.

America is currently home to over 11 million illegal immigrants, most of which occupy farm worker positions. Some experts argue that immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans and that they are potentially going to cost America trillions. Others experts have claimed that illegal immigrants have proven to be vital to the economy of America. Illegal immigrants substantially benefit the United States’ economy because they occupy a large sum of our labor force while providing money to agriculturally dependent businesses.

Response to “Our Fear of Immigrants” In “Our Fear of Immigrants” Jeremy Adam Smith takes a neutral stance on the immigration and anti-immigration argument. Smith begins by telling the story of a 4th grade class at Jefferson Elementary School in Berkeley, California who try to fight back against immigration laws after a classmate of theirs was deported back to his home country. Smith then goes on to compare the 4th graders to the adults of their town who fight for stronger immigration laws asking his readers what qualities the children possess that the rest of the citizens do not to make them react so differently.

America is a land of immigration (legal and illegal). Legal immigrants undergo a compulsory medical screening before entering the country, but illegal immigrants are not. Therefore, they may enter in the country with infectious or chronic diseases. Because they are illegal immigrants, they do not benefit to medical treatment like U.S. citizens or legal immigrants (Angel and Angel, 2006). Linguistic and Cultural Barriers Immigrants both legal and illegal face very often language linguistic and cultural barriers.

The Immigrant Crisis in Europe There have been many dreadful wars going on in the world. We have had problems with warfare, Paragraph 3: As many more refugees come towards Europe, they face many of problems. With cold weather coming in Europe, children have been caught with sicknesses and they need more doctors to help. Yahoo news stated that one Afghani refugee said, "We have dreams of a peaceful life, without any war, or without any other distractions.". Another problem is that people wait for a long time to get into European countries in order to be citizens.

Dear Independent Press Standards Organisation, I am writing this as I am certainly worried of the use of language when describing immigrants and immigration. The word “Migrant” is being used as a neutral term in the past. It says nothing about their entitlement to cross that border or whether they should be. " But it is worrying that the word has recently developed a sour note. It is being used to mean "not a refugee".