My Life As An Undocumented Immigrant Essay

The Devil’s Highway, by Luis Alberto Urrea is the true story of 26 men who attempted to cross the Mexican border through the bleak Sonora Desert in May of 2001. Urrea describes the lives of the men who attempted to cross, what happened to them, and the response of the people working on the border and who encountered them. He explores the issue by describing both the personal experiences of people trying to emigrate from Mexico to the U.S., and of people working on the border. The story was made both realistic and compelling through the information gathered and research conducted for a full year prior to writing the story.

Not every immigrant get into the country using the legal means. There are those who get into the country on student visas and start working contrary to the visas they hold. There are others who get into the country illegally with no genuine United States visa. The immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 focusses on the matter of illegal immigration through placing major fines on the employers of those immigrants who hire them. The Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 allowed a number of barriers to immigration. The host family is only able accept an immigrant if it is accorded an income of about 125% of the poverty status. This Act additionally calls for the Immigration and Naturalization Service to ensure

Leho chavez states that in simple terms, citizenship for many is about the legal recognition that comes along with it, the formal membership in an organized political community (Chavez, 12). For those that are anti-immigration, citizenship is also about the rights, privileges and responsibilities (Chavez,12). There is a harsh effect when not being a citizen, since the 1996 welfare reform act made it harder for immigrants to achieve citizenship and also barred non-citizen immigrants from getting many social services like food stamps and medicare(Chavez, 13). Citizenship is further discussed with the discussion of anchor babies. Anchor babies, which are babies born to take advantage of 14th amendment. Babies that are born in the United States and are instantly U.S. citizens and thus can apply for their families citizenship once they are of age citing the reason of “ family unification”( Chavez,193). Birthright citizenship differs from traditional citizenship as it is a guaranteed right for the baby; which leads to discussions of whether they deserve to be citizens of the U.S. or not (Chavez,192). Parents of these anchor babies could be taking advantage of this birth right and thus giving them a surefire way to get citizenship of their own once the baby comes of age. While these types of citizenship differ, the definition of citizenship shown by Chavez is one that has emphasis of having a legal reason of belonging, while social stigmas

Chavez examines the assumptions made by the media and the public by drawing in sources like magazine articles and illustrations to provide the audience with exactly how these accusations are made and shared with the public. Chavez questions what it means and what it takes to be considered an American citizen and how Latinos, particularly Mexicans, have many things stacked up against.

As a teenager moving to a new country with a different culture, different language, and being thousands of miles away from everyone I grew up with was not an easy change, however, that was precisely what I did in January of 2013 when I came to the United States with my father. My whole world changed since, and shaped my way of thinking. From learning English, adjusting to a new culture, experiencing my first snow and finding my way in my new country, my life has been an exciting adventure.

Being a child of immigrant parents is not easy. You are constantly living in the fear that one day you’ll wake up and you parents won’t be there with you anymore. Specially now that we have a new president, things are getting more challenging. But don’t get me wrong, I live a happy life. I am proud to call myself a Latina. Being a child of immigrant parents has taught me so much. For example, being able to work hard for what you want. At school, I always strive to get A’s. My parent’s have taught me to never settle for anything less than a B. They know that in order for me to go to college and be successful, I not only have to get good grades but work hard to get there. I love a good challenge. Sometimes it’s not about the obstacles you face,

One of the toughest adjustments, having been born to Mexican parents, is migrating to an unknown country where traditions and languages differ from one 's own. Though many pursue an education and strive for a better life, the purpose behind an immigrant, like myself, differs from the typical American. Immigrants strive for a life that was once impossible, going to school is not only to attain an education, but to better prove that we can also become successful regardless of our traditions and skin color. I lived in a country for over fifteen years, fearing deportation, not only losing a home, but potentially saying goodbye to a bright future. Although many feel empathy for Mexican-Americans, it is undeniably difficult to truly comprehend the immense trauma children and even adults undergo  upon experiencing racism and prejudice. Attending a

An illegal immigrant, who works for their keep, pays taxes, doesn't get into trouble, and just wants a better life in a country, should be granted citizenship. An illegal immigrant is a person who migrates to a different country in a way that is in violation of the immigrant laws. Immigration has been a tough topic to bring up for many years in America. Illegal immigrants are seen as a bad thing for America, but some see them as an economic savior. There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many Americans have mixed views about citizenship for these people. Illegal immigrants should be granted citizenship based on how the person is doing. If they are causing trouble they don't need to be here. If they are working trying to get a check to provide for their family then why not keep them here. It could also help decrease the amount of debt America is in because of the increased tax returns.

An immigrant family wants the best for everyone lives, however moving to a new country brings struggles. There struggles include finding a home, a good paying job, avoiding to be deported, being separated ,and continuing their education. Immigrants expect a better life because their old home and country did have much benefits as the new country gives them. The advantage of an immigrant family is family values which tends them to be closer. Disadvantages of an immigrant family are the struggles that were first mentioned and including that they face other people calling them a threat. Their life may not be perfect but it’s their way of living to get where they want to be no matter who or what gets in the way. For instance, my parents were young

The achieved identity of an individual is the way in which one feels about his or herself. The way in which one understands his or her belonging. For the case of many undocumented immigrants, their identities vary depending on the time that they have spent living in the U.S. In this section, I asked several children of immigrants what they perceived to be their identity and if they felt that their status as undocumented or their heritage played a major role in who they saw themselves as.

Hispanic Americans, or Latinos, are a very large and diverse ethnic group in the U.S. Altogether, they make up about 44 million people or 15% of America’s population. Individuals who make up this category can identify with various nationalities and backgrounds. However, the 2010 U.S Census – as stated in the textbook -- reported that 75% of its total Latino respondents identified being of Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban origin. According to the lecture notes, 65% of Hispanics claim to be Mexican Americans, while 8.5% are Puerto Ricans and another 3.5% are Cuban Americans. These are the three most common Hispanic origins and the rest of the Latino population identifies with other Hispanic nationalities. Of the three common nationalities that

In the process of working toward the American Dream, people struggle to fit in, to belong, to be accepted. For many of them, an important part of the American Dream is the chance to reinvent themselves—the opportunity to become someone different, someone better. In “Outlaw: My Life in America as an Undocumented Immigrant”, Jose Antonio Vargas is an “undocumented immigrant” who has been living illegally in the U.S. since he was twelve years old. To chase his American dreams, he embodied a lie until it became unbearable and he expose his truth and let the masks crumble onto the ground. In “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, Martin Luther King Jr. broke unjust laws and engaged in nonviolence direct action in order to pursue his American dream of equality and freedom. From Vargas to

Undocumented immigrants are getting deported and they can’t have an experience they wanted to have when they came to america. But, because of the us government they can’t have this experience some get this experience but they still have to be very careful. They all also fear because some of them have kids then they fear for themselves and then there kids because it’s their family. Do you want to live in a community where you see mexican and people on the streets because of crossing the border. This is why i think that the government shouldn’t deport undocumented immigrants because then they don't get a chance to have an american experience.

Undocumented immigrants live with fear of deportation every day of their lives. Those with control of state institutions who do not consider undocumented immigrants as worthy American residents in our society, take advantage of their power by instilling fear of deportation. The restrictive federal and state laws towards migration in the U.S. has become a way to keep undocumented immigrants and their families living in the shadows. Arrocha (2013) claims that the paradox of the U.S. migration seems be that our free democratic republicanism is viewed as the land of freedom, equality, and justice. Yet, these undocumented immigrants aren’t treated equally or given the freedom to live in our society without intimidation. In states like Arizona, the program SB 1070 allowed state officials to profile individuals who presumed to be residing in the state without legal documents. Needless to say, this was a tool used to regulate migration and also a way to differentiate legal residents from illegal residents, which resulted as an inhumane and degrading way to treat these individuals. For that reason, it has become unreachable for immigrants to assimilate into our American society because they are characterized as either aliens, criminals, or

Immigrants from the mid 19th century and early 20th century consisted of mainly Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, and elsewhere. Immigrants motivations, experiences, and impacts shaped what an immigrant had to go through being a different person from another country. Although Americans dislike foreigners who came to the United States, immigrants had a role in political, economic, cultural, and social aspects of immigrants because of their motivations, experiences, and impacts in America. New Immigrants did not have it easy and went through obstacles natives, political figures, bosses and others had thrown at them.