...Alec Heininger November 9, 2013 Sociology 001 * Helen Thorpe’s novel, Just Like Us, details the coming of age of four Mexican girls, of whom two are illegal immigrants, as they struggle to break free of the burden placed upon them by the prejudice of the American society. * C. Wright Mills defined the sociological imagination as "the vivid awareness of the relationship between experience and the wider society"(Mills, 1959). This important sociological principle is “the ability to see the impact of social forces on individuals; especially on their private lives” (Scheible, 2013). Thorpe establishes her aversion for illegal immigration not because of the effect it has on America but because of the hardships it forces the immigrants to suffer. The author witnessed the impact of social forces on Marisela as each of her friends was accepted into universities. Marisela had to feign her enthusiasm, knowing she would not qualify for the same opportunities because of her legal status (Thorpe, 2009, 45). Thorpe used the sociological imagination to understand the internal pressures of Marisela’s status. By imaging how the social burdens of Marisela’s status affected her, Thorpe saw how it impacted Marisela’s private life. In addition, when Yadira’s mother was arrested for using a fake Social Security card, Thorpe looked into how this affected Yadira, and realized that Yadira was not recognized as “[existing] in the eyes of officialdom” (Thorpe, 2009, 137). By applying C. Wright...
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...Illegal Immigration “Households headed by illegal aliens imposed more than 26.3 billion in costs on the federal government in 2002” (“Illegal Immigrants Create a Drain on the U.S Government” 1). Illegal immigration has been a heated debate topic for a long time. But what is it and why is this, such an important part of our lives. An Illegal immigrant is an alien who has crossed national borders and is in violation of that country’s immigration laws. Therefore everything he or she does wail in that country is illegal. Immigrants are entering our country illegally draining our society; if police do not strengthen, our country is in jeopardy of becoming third world. I believe that the bad outweigh the good when it comes to illegal immigration. They are a drain on our society. However the problem is not just the people directly crossing into our borders, it is also the children they have here in America. Any illegal child who is born in America is automatically given citizenship. For example, according to the article “Illegal Immigrants Create a drain on the U.S. Government”, “Many of the costs associated with the illegals are due to their American-born children, who are awarded U.S. citizenship at birth” (1). However in recent times the Democratic Party has been trying to legalize an illegal way of life as practiced by the immigrants. It’s more then just rights that the democrats are fighting for. They feel that illegal aliens should also be given the same privileges that American...
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...is true. America has become a big destination for immigrants from Mexico, Spain, Africa etc. and in my opinion it is great because for a nation as big as America, it is important to have immigrants from different society to build an even greater society. The society as we know as America. Of course many people think it would be better to have one common culture, nationality or religion because then they might have the same habits, norms and the same sense in terms of policy, but I think they are wrong. I think they are wrong because in a country as big as America you will need many immigrants from different places for the influence of the culture and the people. The influence of immigrants is very good, because it is forming a strong society with a lot of different cultures, which means they get affected by each other in a positive way. The melting pot, also known as “the salad bowl”, is a synonym for a country build with a lot of different immigrants from different places, to build a strong society. Well we can definitely say that America is the melting pot, because of all the immigrants that have built such a strong and big country as America. It is not a surprise that there are many Immigrants in America, because America is a country where people, think that their dreams can become true and they want to secure their kids future. Most of the immigrants see’s America as the hearth of the world, well I do, immigrants knows that America is the place where dreams can become...
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...llegal immigrants in the United States (US) have long been a topic of debate for policymakers and the public. The rationale about them is that they do not pay taxes; they add to the costs of taxpayers and use up funds in resources meant for assisting citizens and legal immigrants (the legal citizens). Therefore, they are perceived as a threat to the US economy. The true impacts of illegal immigrants on the US economy are discussed by debating over the economic benefits as well as economic costs of these immigrants. The negative impacts, discussed first, presented the decreases in low skilled jobs’ wage rates for legal immigrants and citizens instigated by illegal immigrants, the social services such as educations and healthcare that they utilize and add to taxpayers. Then contrary to the negative impacts, the positive impacts reveal benefits of low production costs, increases in the local market sales, undocumented tax generation, impact on growth and employment brought forth by illegal immigrants. These impacts, both negative and positive, are independently analyzed and weighed against each other. The discussion does show a slight net positive impact on the US economy in contrast to the normal belief about illegal immigrants. There was a time when people came freely and settled within the land, but as societies became more civilized and community laws established, immigration became a point of concern for the advanced societies. They did not just want any person to enter the...
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...Running Head: Immigration and Its Impacts on Aspects of U.S Society Immigration and Its Impacts on U.S Society’s Growth Tri N Mai SOC 100 Strayer University 2/8/2012 Immigration and Its Impacts on U.S Society’s Growth 1. Describe how society defines the social issue. Having a self image seen as a “melting pot”, the U.S country is a place where people from other countries come to live, adapt, and take part in U.S culture by distributing their own culture’s special characteristics. However, because of immigration, it is one of the main sources that cause social chaotic and triggers so many endlessly political arguments. So how does society define immigration? “The rational and ideological” are two central perceptions of which society are considered. What it means to be rational here is “the traditionalist position on immigration.” It comprehends a multi-leveled actuality that consists of several gradations of similarities and differences between a range of individuals and cultures. Generally, regarding to immigrants’ cultures and characters, some of them are more alike to U.S country and its people while some aren’t. Also, in a traditionally developed country as U.S, when it comes to politic matters and communal debates of social benefits, relating to immigration and being based on reasonable gradations of similarities and differences, they will cause discrimination amid soon-to-be settler groups. And what’s about “ideological”? According to Lawrence...
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...Content Content 0 1. Introduction 1 2. History 1 3. Reason for the Large Scale of Immigration 3 4. Policy and Regulation 4 5. Problems 7 5.1. Illegal Immigration 7 5.2. Religious and Cultural Conflicts among Immigrants and Natives 9 5.3. Social Unrest 11 5.4. Affecting the Education System 12 6. Solutions 14 7. Concession 17 7.1. Alleviate the Pressure of Aging Problem in EU 17 7.2. Boost the economy in Europe 18 8. Conclusion 19 9. Bibliography 19 1. Introduction The issue of immigration has been the hot debated topic in the European Union for a long time. And there is obvious evidence that the upsurge of immigration into the Europe will not be calmed down within a short time. The European Union has developed its competences in the fields of policies and regulations regarding the immigration issue. But the problems still exist and more things need to be done for creating a better balance. The report will first quickly go over the history of human migration and reasons for the recent large scale of immigration into Europe will be analyzed. After, the policies and regulations implemented by nations of Europe and the European Union will be introduced before going deep into the problems brought up by immigration. Then some solutions as to how to settle the current problems will be provided and concessions will be made to maintain a balanced and objective knowledge of the influences of immigration. 2. History While there...
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...Hispanic Immigrants and Politics Ulyses Rivera 02/13/2015 Hispanic Immigrants and Politics Why does our government treat Hispanic immigrants like if they were individuals who don’t deserve to be part of the American society? We are all make of the same flesh and genetic material and everybody deserve to be treated with respect. The unique differences of each human being are what separate us from each other. Every single person plays an important role in our society. The wellbeing of the Hispanic immigrants in the United States is in the hands of our two political party’s Republicans and Democrats who can’t agree on anything because they think these people don’t deserve to be treated as human beings. Jackie Calmes, wrote an article in the New York Times on November of 2014 about Hispanic Immigrants and our politics. The Republican Party was represented by Mitt Romney argued that Latinos who are here illegally needed to go back to their native countries. His argument was that they broke the laws and they don’t deserve to stay in the United States taking advantage of the American system and not contributing to the American economy. The President Barack Obama was proposing an amnesty to solve the illegal immigration problem in the U.S. The proposal did not go very far because the Republican Party voted against it. Mo Brooks, a Republican of Alabama failed proposal to extend citizenship to “so-called Dreamers – Latinos who were brought into the United Stated illegally...
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...young illegal Philippine immigrant faces when living in the United States of America. He tells a little of his cultural background and much of his personal history of living in fear of being caught by the U.S. government for his illegal status. He tells of his great accomplishments while living in America and how he loves the United States and wants to become a legal citizen. Although, many Americans believe that undocumented immigrants are a threat to the United States society, this young man shows that not all illegal immigrants are violent or cause threats to social order. Throughout the story, the question of, “What will happen if people find out?” plays a significant role in the way the author goes about living his life. The cultural and personal histories of the author of “Outlaw” show significance within aspects of obtaining legal American citizenship and being able to work in the United States, the authors accomplished works, and his feelings throughout the text. “The minority threat perspective argues that prejudice and intergroup hostility are largely defensive reactions to perceived threats by subordinate groups,” such as illegal immigrants within the United States (Wang 2). Americans believe that illegal immigrants cause crime rates to soar and that communities in which undocumented aliens live are violent and disorderly. It has been proven that there is no statistical connection between crime rates and illegal immigrants. Studies show that areas of high illegal immigrant...
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...country causing panic and disarray for many undocumented immigrants. It has led many to fear deportation and separation from families. The struggle to find freedom and a better life has caused many to come to the U.S. illegally. However, some of these undocumented immigrants were only children when they came here. They practically grew up in the U.S but were still given the title as “undocumented” or illegal. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was created to help support these young immigrants to work, drive, and most importantly stay in America without fear of deportation. The Trump administration, however, wants to phase out this organization. It is unjust and...
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...Immigration Citizens Children The Effects of Immigration on Children and Families Introduction Illegal immigration is a very controversial issue within our society. There are families within our society that are made up of parents that are here illegally but have children who are born here and are citizens. But it is these citizens that are what I am referring to as the incomplete citizens. Who are these incomplete citizens and why are they being impacted by our society? Are there different stipulations for these children that are born to these undocumented families? Do they really receive the same rights as those born to U.S. citizens? Our societies including our politicians have different opinions about illegal immigration. Immigration reform negatively affects those children that are born to undocumented parents. They find themselves facing adversities that had the situation been different would never have to face. Working in an elementary school I have seen first hand how those children are affected as a result of their parent’s legal status. My purpose in this research is to show the emotional, educational, and financial effects that are inflicted on the undocumented families. This is a problem that is not going to be resolved overnight but rather this is a problem that is going to need help from the various disciplines. With this research more information will be found to present how children are affected through the different disciplines and how these disciplines...
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...Essay on Immigration Law No Changes in the Immigration Law Essay: The problem of immigration is nowadays one of the most serious problems the contemporary American society is currently facing. Many specialists argue that the growing number of immigrants, especially illegal ones is dangerous for the future development of the national economy as well as for socio-political life of the whole country. In such a situation it is quite natural that American government is getting to be particularly concerned about the problem of immigration and initiated a legislative reform concerning immigration. The history of the US is a history of inflow of immigrants, embodied in Ellis Island, and the history of adverse reaction to the newcomers on the part of the current population. Many people in the United States think that the number of immigrants should be limited and the immigrations laws should be changed. In my opinion, immigration laws should not be changed since they work well for the country and people’s unsatisfaction with the laws comes from general hostility toward the immigrants. This view in particular, is embraced in the article by Richard Rodriguez “Trouble is, native-born just don’t measure up – anti-immigrant politic” that focuses on the role immigration has played in the development of the US and approaches that should be taken in treating this phenomenon at the moment. The current policy of the US basically target well-qualified specialists from other countries of the...
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...Every year, millions of immigrants enter the soils of America from difference parts of the world whether legally or illegal for various push-pull factors. The movement of immigrants to America creates an impact not only to the population of America but it also effects the socioeconomic development of this nation. Over the years, most native-born American view immigrants as a threat because they thinks these people take their job always from them or even refer to the immigrant as criminals or bad people. But are those assumptions always right? No, because not all immigrants are criminals and they do not take away jobs from the native-born American instead they accept any job with cheap pay which no native-born can do for survival Moreover, immigrant plays significant role in the economic development of this country by paying taxes and and contributing to improving employment rate by creating jobs....
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...An astonishing number of 30,000 to 40,000 immigrants are deported each year. Immigrants have become a large amount of the population that it is no longer an issue that can’t be addressed. Many speculate that we need to do something about the growing amount. Some have suggested deportation of these individuals while others are trying to see what they can do to better the country. It is often debated if illegal immigrants should get citizenship or not. Many have argued that it’s not right and that illegal aliens need to stay on their side of the line while others say they should be granted citizenship for what they do. Illegal immigrants should be able to become citizens, because it creates better opportunities and is a great reward for their...
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...Eng. 119w-17 Documented Essay Final Draft Illegal Immigrants and their Effects on the Bahamas For many years illegal immigrants have been travelling from their own country to other countries, in search of a better way of life, jobs, or maybe a new home. The Bahamas is known for harboring Haitians, Jamaicans, and Cubans. Immigration affects the society in various ways such as economy, population, educational system, and health. Illegal immigrants migrate from their country to the Bahamas for various reasons. Some say that they are trying to crossover to America and end up using the Bahamas as a base until they can further their journey. While others say that it is a way of escape from criminal activity in which they have committed or to get away from their home country where the state of living is very poor. The famous song in which majority of Bahamians know, “Dey comin by boat, dey comin by plane, dey comin in wheelchair some with walking cane,” clearly illustrates the problem of Illegal Immigrants in the Bahamas. These people come to the beautiful Bahama land not to see Theresa their Mona Lisa but to stay for a while taking up residency. As a result of this it makes it harder for our young ones growing up to find jobs when they graduate. Illegal immigrants work for a lower salary and they complete their tasks without arguing. Employees see this as an opportunity to make a profit with little payout. Hence, Bahamians are unemployed and are now force to look for a new...
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...of undocumented immigration population has been explosive in the United States today. The current U.S. inhabitants include 11.2 million unregistered immigrants who potentially impact American society. These unregistered immigrants live, eat, shop, and work in American society and, therefore, they directly influence the trade and industry, and cultural state of the United States. Ethical concerns The ethics factors that can affect undocumented immigration include those of rights, justice, and utilitarianism. In the U.S. the illegal immigrant does not have a lawful right to be employed. Majority of unregistered migrants came to U.S mainly for the employment purposes that have contributed to their mass movement into U.S. Since the legal rights of the real citizen surpass that of the immigrants, lawmakers across the country are taking necessary action to stop illegal immigration. Utilitarianism tends to sustain what is acceptable as being useful. Business owners in the United States see illegal immigrants as helpful in the corporate sector, they argue that Aliens take jobs that the citizens won’t do and their employment results in affordable prices for consumers. This has led in an increased entry of illegal immigrants. Existing citizen rights should be taken into consideration by the responsible departments. Increased illegal immigration has deprived the citizens their lawful rights, for example as the number of people increased more laws are implemented; therefore, citizen...
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