I did not really know what to think when I started reading Labor and Legality by Ruth Gomberg-Munoz. I did not really know about the topic of Mexican immigration and their need to find work in the U.S. Honestly, most of my knowledge came from the media and what I had previously learned about how it was wrong that Mexicans were coming into the U.S and “stealing” our jobs away. However, this book changed my opinion drastically about not only the struggle that immigrant Mexican workers face coming to the U.S, but how we (the united states) as a country, only think about ourselves, instead of thinking of a broader world view of the situation. That, is what I am going to talk about in my paper, the U.S refusal to look at the immigrant network in
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The American people have tunnel vision when it comes to this topic. They do not even think about the reasons why Mexicans are coming over to obtain jobs in the U.S. That reason being, for their families. In an excerpt in the story, Luis explains… “The money situation in Mexico is hard. How can I explain it? You earn money and if you’re not married, you have to help out at home. You give money to your parents, or if you have little brothers and sisters, you have to help them. And your nieces and nephews. Everyone who works in the family has to help out, and the little money that you make doesn’t go very far” (3, 47). Here is a perfect example of one of the reasons why Mexican immigrants come to U.S for jobs. Even the busboy jobs they acquire in the U.S is far better pay than say the factory jobs they had in Mexico. Another point to make is that they are not coming to the United States for themselves, everything they do is for their family or someone back in Mexico. But, the way that Americans have been taught about Mexican immigrant workers is far different than the truth. Americans have it imprinted in their minds that these workers are doing it “steal” jobs from us or they do it to get money for themselves; which later I will argue that these are false stereotypes. Americans are stuck thinking very selfishly instead of opening their mind to more knowledge about the
The American people have tunnel vision when it comes to this topic. They do not even think about the reasons why Mexicans are coming over to obtain jobs in the U.S. That reason being, for their families. In an excerpt in the story, Luis explains… “The money situation in Mexico is hard. How can I explain it? You earn money and if you’re not married, you have to help out at home. You give money to your parents, or if you have little brothers and sisters, you have to help them. And your nieces and nephews. Everyone who works in the family has to help out, and the little money that you make doesn’t go very far” (3, 47). Here is a perfect example of one of the reasons why Mexican immigrants come to U.S for jobs. Even the busboy jobs they acquire in the U.S is far better pay than say the factory jobs they had in Mexico. Another point to make is that they are not coming to the United States for themselves, everything they do is for their family or someone back in Mexico. But, the way that Americans have been taught about Mexican immigrant workers is far different than the truth. Americans have it imprinted in their minds that these workers are doing it “steal” jobs from us or they do it to get money for themselves; which later I will argue that these are false stereotypes. Americans are stuck thinking very selfishly instead of opening their mind to more knowledge about the