essay 3

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Martinez, Yancy
English 101, Section 1301
Professor O’ Connell
August 20, 2008

American Immigration Policies : A Smoke-Screen or
A Solution


In the United States of America, the goal of the
immigration policies, and hence border control policies, are geared
towards creating a more effective, diverse, secure, and fully
functioning, potent American Machine. In this, The United States, does
a relatively good job at fabricating a system in which immigrating
into the United States ,legally, is a reasonable and plausible
possibility for citizens of other countries, if they are in a position
in which the United States decides that their presence in this country
would be a positive addition. On the other side of the immigration
coin, the amount of money spent on the prevention of the entrance of
illegal immigrants into this country is pretty much parallel to the
countries economic need for them, and the cheap labor that they
provide. American companies hiring these people (illegal immigrants)
for the cheap labor they inevitably offer, and exploiting them for
that purpose is both a contradiction to the aim of American
immigration policies as well as a sheerly irresponsible form of
conduct. It all comes down to the fact that the entire situation could
be better handled in an entirely different way.
In Shakespeare’s play Antony and Cleopatra, there is a
clear similarity between Antony’s irresponsible, and what could
possibly even be considered, lazy, decision to leave his empire, in
order to be with his mistress, instead of being in Rome, where his
bureaucratic duties lied, to America’s conduct around illegal
immigrant labor. Antony , like American businesses and companies
today, basically, choose pleasure over a more demanding level of
existence, such as (in America’s case) giving illegal migrant workers
fair and legal pay, and in Antony’s case, going back to Rome. Behaving
in such a manner and dealing with situations in such a way is both
immoral and incorrect.
Another example in which similarity can be found between
America, and Antony, in the way that Antony was conflicted and pulled
in two different directions during one of the scenes by both his
soldiers and his “woman” Cleopatra. It very much reflects the
situation in which America finds itself in today, in regards to the
direction in which America, as a country (i.e. its people) want
immigration policies to go. Like the opinions of Antony’s army, and of
Cleopatra, the varying demographics that make up The United States,
have very different and conflicting ideas as to how to handle the
inevitable presence, and influx of immigrants into the country. One
side of America is very much pro-immigration, and whole heartedly
recognizes the benefits that they provide to the country, while the
other side is just as equally and passionately against immigration in
the U.S, and see’s absolutely no benefits from immigration whatsoever,
and want it to be stopped and controlled by any means possible.
One thing that the anti-immigration groups seem to
neglect, when evaluating immigration in the U.S, is the incredibly
dependent economic relationship that America has with immigrants. It
is both a complicated and sad situation. The U.S. government has spent
more than $51 million over the past four summers flying nearly 64,000
illegal immigrants home to Mexico City (Arizona Daily Star, Brady
McCombs). While, deporting these people America is performing a self
deprecating act seeing as how “immigrants play a huge part in the
success of America’s free enterprise economy, filling important niches
in the labor market” (David T. Griswold). While looking at the need
for immigrants in the American workforce, America continues to leave a
window open for these people to continue to work in both physically
and mentally unhealthy environments. Immigrant workers have no other
choice but to work low paying jobs, with no benefits or any type of
aid, in order to survive, live, and function as part of society.
Many times, they are paid less than minimum wage, they
work long hours, with no breaks, and cannot do or say anything about
it, because of the constant fear in which they live in, of revealing
themselves as illegal immigrants, and risking deportation, which is
something in which they are not incorrect. The American government
allows the unfair cycle of unsafe, illegal immigrant work to continue,
by not creating a safe outlet in which these work situations can be
reported. Instead of conducting themselves as an unhappy Antony whom
yells and treats his soldiers badly when he is bothered or angry,
something, which America mimics’s in its actions towards immigrants.
When the American government see’s no “need” for them, the deport
them, but in America’s history, when there is a need for immigrants,
for whatever reasons, Americans thresholds stand as wide open
receptor, much like Antony when he is happy. He lavishes his soldiers
with parties, and drink, and fun. America instead should model its
leadership after Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, who is a strong,
stable, and honest, and responsible leader.
Now, taking into account the negative environment in which
immigrants workers dwell, the mental damage done cannot go unaccounted
for. It is inevitable for a person who lives in constant fear of,
basically, being who they are, in order to successfully thrive (at
least economically) will inevitably feel some sort of self
deprecation, which will also inevitably be passed down to their
children, if they too are growing up in the same type of hostile
environment. For a younger individual, growing up in a place where
they do not feel accepted, much less appreciated, some type of
rebellion will occur. A couple forms of rebellion that have spurred
from this environment, are things such as graffiti, gangs, gang
violence, and drugs. The fact that these type of workplaces induce
such feelings in workers, which are parents of (whether some people
would like to accept it or not) the future of America is a problem
that America itself can attempt to fix at it’s core, but it does not,
and it inescapably becomes a problem in society on many different
levels.
Anti-immigration groups such as NOFEAR and CCC, all
believe that immigrants are at the core of every one of America’s
problems. While groups that are pro–immigration, have a very different
and definitely more logical view towards immigration and it’s affects
on the Unites States. Anti- immigration organizations look at America,
and see it as country that has become a sort of push over, concerning
the condition of immigration in the country, and the control it
borders [Octavia’s (Antony and Cleopatra) compliance to a wedding with
Antony, which everyone knew was basically a sham, could be compared to
the way that anti-immigration groups view America’s behavior]. These
groups range form extreme neo-Nazi coalitions, to extreme
conservatives, that are all basically concerned with the depletion of
the Anglo American race in America, and the overall quality of
livelihood, that they believe immigrants worsen. They want the
American government to put and end to immigration, or that they
themselves will have to take action. For example, a group that calls
themselves The Minutemen Civil Defense Corps. The Minuteman Civil
Defense Corps has planned on erecting a 10-mile fence in Arizona to
deter illegal immigrants, livestock, drug traffickers, and other
criminals from crossing the U.S. - Mexico border.
(usimmigrationscorp.org). Something, which they have, began to
accomplish. 2.5 miles have already been built, that has been funded
through donations.
On the other hand the pro-immigration groups see
immigration as the foundation of America as a country. They believe
that like any other human being, immigrant’s rights should be
respected and protected. They work hard towards putting out a more
realistic understanding of the immigration situation, both for
Americans, and for the immigrants themselves. Groups such as Border
Angels, set up water stations along the border of Arizona in order to
prevent dehydration in illegal immigrants crossing the border.
(usimmigrationsupport.org). This group does not do this to encourage
illegal immigration, but recognizes that it is being done in an
incredibly unsafe manner.
The United States government is obligated to function
in a manner that listens to all of American citizens concerns, while
trying to come to a conclusion as to what is best for America as a
nation. Bills such as the DREAM act show a sincere attempt to help
immigrants in the country as well as other programs. They have created
the Interior Repatriation Program that attempts to better control the
safety of illegal immigrants. The program provides a free plane ride
to Mexico, and even bus transportation to hometowns from the airport,
to illegal immigrants who voluntarily decide to leave the country. The
U.S views this as a positive alternative to the bus method of
deportation, because of the higher rates of recidivism that occurred
because of them. The buses leave the deportees close to the border,
and many attempt, and many succeed in the re-entrance into the
country, risking their lives traveling though the Arizona dessert in a
terrain that can reach temperatures of 120 degrees.
The United States does a good job at attempting to fix the
problem, but fails to attempt to correct the problem at the core.
Judith Gans, immigration-policy program manager at the University of
Arizona's Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, puts it best "All
of these enforcement efforts are going to make a difference at the
margin, but anytime the laws are so fundamentally out of alignment
with the economic incentives and forces, the economic incentives are
going to overwhelm the system," America should spend the money that is
being used on deportation programs that result many of the times, only
in those being deported attempting to once again crossing the border
back to the States. Another approach must be founded and implemented.
Possibly ones that mean working with the countries from which these
immigrants are arriving, and attempting to find some sort of method,
or way in which they can crate some of the appeal that America holds
in peoples eyes, in their own countries. So, that these people won’t
have to go to the extent, much less feel as though they have to go to
the extent of risking their lives for a positive, fruitful, and
successful life.