Susana Perez

English 121

Prof. R McLoone.

05/03/2018

[Title]

Many people from other countries come to the United States to look for a better life,

better job opportunity for themselves as a better future for their children, which they cannot

give in their native country. Most of these people enter the United States illegally crossing

the border, others enter with a tourist or work visa, but when the visa expires the person

does not leave the country, which also ends up being illegal in the United States. An illegal

person here in the United States does not have the same benefits as an American citizen, so

immigrants tend to face many problems to get ahead in life just because they are illegal.

One of the biggest problems immigrants face is learning to speak English. Then

imagine coming to this country unable to speak English trying to find a good job or just

trying to complete daily tasks such as buying food. Some immigrants take ESL classes to

learn English but finding time to take care of their children and work can be very difficult.

Another of the problems is finding a good job to be able to bring bread to your home and be

able to pay all the essential expenses of your family. Although many Americans say that

immigrants only come to the United States to take jobs from them, the reality is that

immigrants do and take jobs that Americans do not want to do since they are very heavy.

Most immigrants take the heavier jobs because they do not have many options given their

illegal status. Today as ever, most foreigners who make the sacrifice of leaving home and
starting over in a strange land do so not mug grandmothers or molest children, but to find

work that will give them a better life. Coming here illegally does not alter that basic

motivation. In other words, they want to become full-fledged Americans, and they're

succeeding. Is there something scary about that!

Today, immigrants face the problem that is even bigger than the others, the wall

between Mexico and Mexico. Having a wall between Mexico and USA has come the

priority of our new president Trump, since he was being elected he promised his people to

build a wall and take out illegal immigrants that were leaving in the United States. But have

you think about how much will this wall cost and how is this going to affect the economy

of the united states. According with CNBC, $5.1-$5.9 billion is what the wall will cost if it

gets build (32 Gitlin). With this he wants to decrease illegal immigration coming to the

country as well as the delinquency. But immigrants are not the only criminals in this

country and the president concludes them all as such. According to the Pew Research

Center, "there are around 10-12 million illegal immigrants living in America with about

half of them from Mexico. Trump means around 50% of Mexican, that's around 2 million

murderers, rapists, kidnappers and other horrible human beings are in American right

now"(33 Gitlin). Not wonder why he wants a wall.

Not been a citizen here in the USA is another problem that immigrants face in a

daily base time. Yang states that "Non-citizens who retire abroad are denied full Social

Security benefits. Some educational opportunities, loans, and fellowships (e.g., Rhodes

Scholarships, Fulbright Graduate Study Abroad Program and Fulbright Teacher Exchange

Program, White House Fellowship Program, all National Science Foundation Fellowships,
all Ford Foundation Fellowships) also require citizenship. Naturalization qualifies

immigrants for those jobs, programs, and fellowships for which citizenship is a

prerequisite. It offers immigrants important avenues of economic and social mobility".

Citizenship indicates the change of one's national identity, a change from a

"foreigner" to an "American." The feeling about this identity change varies considerably

from person to person. Some immigrants find it honorable to be an American while others

feel ambivalent or indifferent or even dishonorable, depending upon their sense of

belonging and commitment to their native countries. The attitudes of their relatives, friends,

and significant others toward the change of national identity may also be very different,

either positive or negative. This factor enters the immigrants' naturalization decision

making process.

As immigrants they face risks every day. Waking up every morning wondering whether

their loved ones will return home. While many of us pay taxes, we don’t have access to work,

education, or healthcare. They have few effective avenues to participate in the democratic process

and the creation of the laws that frame our lives. Despite some administrative relief for a small

group of undocumented youth, there is no question: immigrant communities are living through a

crisis. Yet, wherever there is injustice there is also resistance and survival. People around the

country are beginning to lose fear and talk about their experiences publicly. Every time one of

them does this, they bring to the light what is happening in the shadows. They’re happy to see the

journey already causing discussion. But for they, the question to ask is not whether undocumented

immigrants face risks when they come out, the question they asked their selves before getting on

the bus was whether they can afford to stay in the shadows. For those on the tour, the answer is

“No.” They are tired of mistreatment and can no longer wait for change. By putting their lives on
the line, they join a long history of courageous people in the United States who have fought for

human rights and dignity of our communities, often defying unjust laws to do so.