Immigration has always been a part of American culture, in fact, it is the basis of how our country was formed. Immigration, both legal and illegal, has become a key focal point in today’s society- especially with presidential elections looming in the near future. In a collection of essays titled “Reinventing the Melting Pot: The New Immigrant and What It Means to Be American,” Jamar Jacoby has a piece titled “The New Immigrants and the Issue of Assimilation” published in 2004. In her piece she creates an argument that although beneficial to our country, immigration has a pessimistic aura. She argues that immigrants from developing countries are entering the United States where many will be forced to spend their lives at the bottom of the economy, and where their assimilation feels forced.…
Nature versus nurture has been a scientific debate that has constantly been argued and discussed for decades. Both “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell and the article focusing on the academic success and economic status of children whose parents are immigrants argue on the nurture side of it all and the accountability of environmental factors that are out of one’s control and are not just purely genetic.…
Bierman, C., & McGaw, L. (1998). Journey to Ellis Island: How my father came to America. New York, N.Y.: Hyperion Books for Children.…
In the article “Cultural model, identity, and literacy” by John U. Ogbu, he goes over the idea of why certain minorities may seem as if they are under a bar that is less or unequal to whites. Ogbu branches this idea into different segments that ultimately focus on the cultural differences between the two. Ogbu starts his article out by stating some of his reasons on why it may seem like the minorities fall under this bar. Some of the reasons he points towards in his article are the home environments, along with the environmental and economical differences between the two. In a deeper understanding, Ogbu explains how these home environments that minorities (black children in this case) are not substantial in providing these children with the…
Though the crises that have encouraged many immigrants to leave may have caused circumstances that prevented them from becoming fully educated or maybe even fully trained for certain positions, most immigrants are motivated to work and contribute to the economy. According to a recent study conducted by the Urban Institute, immigrants are less likely than citizens to access public welfare and government services; for this reason, they represent less of a burden than has typically been believed and which is less than that of the very people who complain about immigration (Fix & Passell 14). In fact, immigrants’ use of welfare and other public benefits has become even less frequent since the introduction of welfare reform laws that made them ineligible for many services, a policy that reflected hostile attitudes towards immigrants and the perceived economic impact they have on the host country (Fix & Passell…
The United States is often referred to as a “melting pot,” where different types of people blend together as one, which can especially be seen in our educational system. In “Immigrant Children” by Selma Berrol, the author argues the many challenges immigrant children faced as the United States tried to Americanize them through schooling. In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, this blend of people faced more challenges than acceptance, particularly immigrant students. Immigrant children faced many dreadful experiences that no child should ever encounter in a learning environment. Many children were made fun of because of their foreign names, lunches, and traditions.…
In the late 1800s, at the turn of the century, the United States experienced an influx of immigrants due to the industrialization occurring in large cities and states all over the country. However since the mid 1900s there was another rise in immigration, this time from the south. One of the large disadvantages of being a new immigrant is the lack of integration, not only that but immigrants face challenges every day. Apart from language skills, Immigrants in the United States face the loss of their cultural identity when they integrate into the mainstream society, and if they don’t, they may be subject to discrimination. This loss of identity then fuels various misconceptions of immigrants.…
After Christopher Columbus “discovered” the new world in the late 1492s, people were on board to immigrate with mere knowledge of its long lasting natural resources. Furthermore, immigration has provided the new world with diverse individuals from all around the world, with different skills, beliefs, ideas, etc. As some might believe, the issue of immigration left the country’s legal residents with no jobs or work. However, under a democratic nation such as this, people tend to be more superior to others. Currently, research shows that the estimated population of immigrants in the United States is around 11 million within the year 2014 (Porter).…
Biases are based on preconceived ideas and notions towards a specific group of people. These bias are in fact prejudice in nature and exemplifies the idea of supremacy. Sometimes these bias become an integral part of our society. This is evident when a leader of a first world nation could make a travel ban, banning immigration from a specific nation because of religion or ethnic background. As a society we retain these bias because of historical circumstances or ignorance.…
When individuals have a limited point of view about another person or country, they tend to overlook the underlying and meaningful stories that lie within that group or place. In her Ted talk, “The Danger of a Single Story”, Chimamanda Adichie describes this concept as a single story. Assuming someone's life or way of being simply based off of a single story leads to stereotyping and misunderstanding. In the article "Critical Race Methodology: Counter-Storytelling as an Analytical Framework for Education" authors Daniel G. Solorzano and Tara J. Yosso explain that those living in the margins of society could potentially resist these single stories by telling others of their own unprecedented experiences. Reyna Grande's memoir, "The Distance…
World War II was descended from recent immigrants and in many ways during the postwar era, integration became the catchword for foreign-born Americans and their children. Despite recurring fears that immigration would stain the fabric of American society, these immigrant groups became uniquely American while preserving their own traditions. As a new generation of immigrants enters into American life, many of the controversies and tensions evidence in previous periods might again become…
David Cole’s article, “Five Myths about Immigration ” is an engaging piece that attempts to disprove five different myths about immigration and its effects on America as a whole. Immigration has been a key issue in society for many generations and for a short period was part of a political movement labeled the “Know-Nothings.” Cole begins his essay be reminding us of the beliefs about immigrants as well as who the real “Native Americans” are. Cole tries to disprove these myths about immigration by offering statistical facts and logical reasoning against the belief that immigration is bad for the nation. Cole begins his article by providing background of the “Know-Nothings” and the unifying belief of nativism, though he adds in on how he is…
Many Hispanic student begin formalized schooling without the economic and social resources that many other students receive, and schools are often ill equipped to compensate for these initial disparities. For Hispanics, initial disadvantages often stem from parent's immigrant and socioeconomic status and their lack of knowledge about the U.S. education system proceed through the schooling system, inadequate school resources and their weak relationships with their teachers continue to undermine their academic success. Initial disadvantages continue to accumulate, resulting in Hispanics having the lowest rates of high school and college degree attainment, which hinders their chances for stable employment. The situation educational attainment is cause for national concern. One of the most important factors in school success is the extent to which parents actively participate in their entry into formal preschool or kindergarten programs.…
Brief History Immigration has been a huge issue throughout American history. It continues to remain a topic of extreme pro et contra, being fueled by success stories of undocumented/unaccompanied youth who beat the odds, graduated college and have careers, as well as by sensationalizing incendiary commentary such as that of Donald Trump, who stated that Mexicans are nothing more than “drug dealers” and “rapists,” which further demonizes the Latino immigrant. The United States experienced a major increase in immigrants during the colonial period, the 19th century, the 20th century, and the 21st century. During this time, America saw a surge of English and British immigrants migrating for religious freedom, wealth, and land. And once they were…
In 2010, there were 40 million foreign-born persons living in the United States (Grieco et al. 2012)." (Hirschman, 2014). Part of the reason as to why there…