What are the underlying factors of immigration? In essence, immigration is the byproduct of a combination of push and pull factors. Many individuals are pushed away from their native countries as a result of strife, violence, and/or political instability. While others are allured to another country by its endless opportunities and/or independence. Since its founding, the United States has been a nation of immigrants, a nation sought after by many for its promise of freedom and democracy. However, freedom comes at a hefty cost. For many undocumented workers, life in a foreign country is seldom easy. In the texts by Soto, Mora, and Espada, the costs of being an undocumented worker such as: grueling work, fear, unfulfilled aspirations, and loneliness,
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Many immigrants leave all familiar surroundings behind, along with loved ones, and culture. Once immigrants arrive in the United States, they find themselves in a foreign country, with a foreign language, and foreign customs and traditions. Thus, isolation from familiar settings leads to unparalleled loneliness. In Mora’s poem “Elena,” the protagonist experiences unmatched loneliness when she cannot communicate effectively with her children, or be of use since she cannot speak English (Mora 658). Her pain is articulated into words when she states, “I stand by the stove and feel dumb, alone” (Mora 658). Likewise, psychological isolation is also predominant among immigrants. Many are shunned by American society and also by their native country folk. They resemble a paradox, straddling the line between two cultures. In the poem, “Legal Alien,” the protagonist recalls her experiences of being multicultural, “an American to Mexicans, a Mexican to Americans” (Mora 657). Equally, they are susceptible to the prejudgments of others (Mora 657). In essence, immigrants are outcasts, with no culture to claim as their and lacking
Many immigrants leave all familiar surroundings behind, along with loved ones, and culture. Once immigrants arrive in the United States, they find themselves in a foreign country, with a foreign language, and foreign customs and traditions. Thus, isolation from familiar settings leads to unparalleled loneliness. In Mora’s poem “Elena,” the protagonist experiences unmatched loneliness when she cannot communicate effectively with her children, or be of use since she cannot speak English (Mora 658). Her pain is articulated into words when she states, “I stand by the stove and feel dumb, alone” (Mora 658). Likewise, psychological isolation is also predominant among immigrants. Many are shunned by American society and also by their native country folk. They resemble a paradox, straddling the line between two cultures. In the poem, “Legal Alien,” the protagonist recalls her experiences of being multicultural, “an American to Mexicans, a Mexican to Americans” (Mora 657). Equally, they are susceptible to the prejudgments of others (Mora 657). In essence, immigrants are outcasts, with no culture to claim as their and lacking