“High risk, high reward.” This phrase can be applied not only to Wall Street investors, but South American migrants. “But what qualities make the migrant’s high risk? Authors, Jacqueline Maria Hagan and Seth M. Holmes attempt to answer this question in their works on migrant workers (Hagan 2008; Holmes 2013). In her work, Migration Miracle, Hagan illustrates the coping mechanisms assigned with the migrant’s journey. Likewise, Holmes discusses in his work, Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies, how the migrants are forced to complete such backbreaking labor. Both works provide different sides, but similarly describe the forced, restrictive experiences of migrants. However, this paper will argue that both Hagan and Holmes pinpoint the reactionary nature
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In Holmes’ study, employers placed workers in positions depending on the “certain categories of ethnicity (Holmes 2013).” In other words, of those that made it into the U.S., migrants could expect to be placed within a set job simply because of their capabilities. For example, smaller person would work better in picking certain fruits simply because they were the same height as the plant. In this way, employers react to whatever the pool of migrant workers present that given season. Likewise, employers also need to react to new policies and regulations regarding migrant workers. Apart from the business side of things, Hagan depicts how religious organizations response to migrant issues. As Hagan stated, contemporary national policies pushed migrants into more dangerous methods of traveling, i.e. through deserts and jungles (Hagan 2008). Then, religious organizations needed to adapt to such policies, for example placing water caches out in the deserts. Therefore, the changes in migration policies require different responses from not only migrants, but employers and aid …show more content…
Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination (Mills 1959).” Through his theory, Mills emphasized that allows an individual to take a step back and examine the external, societal factors that influence his or her life. In this sense, the field work that Holmes and Hagan conducted may have helped the migrants themselves witness their lives within the greater framework. Apart from the migrants, both works enable readers to place themselves in the shoes of migrants. The sociological imagination grants a greater understanding to coping mechanisms such as prayer and therapy in stressful times. Moreover, the sociological imagination grants a greater understanding of the discussed causes of migration. Economic “issues,” which Mills describes as societal dilemmas, seem to speak more to the migrating nature of many South Americas (Mills 1959). Holmes and Hagan attempted to show this in order to correct the misguided notions of the American public, who view such migrating dilemmas as individual “troubles.” Therefore, the comparison of both Holmes and Hagan fits very well into Mills’ sociological imagination and the societal influences contained
In Holmes’ study, employers placed workers in positions depending on the “certain categories of ethnicity (Holmes 2013).” In other words, of those that made it into the U.S., migrants could expect to be placed within a set job simply because of their capabilities. For example, smaller person would work better in picking certain fruits simply because they were the same height as the plant. In this way, employers react to whatever the pool of migrant workers present that given season. Likewise, employers also need to react to new policies and regulations regarding migrant workers. Apart from the business side of things, Hagan depicts how religious organizations response to migrant issues. As Hagan stated, contemporary national policies pushed migrants into more dangerous methods of traveling, i.e. through deserts and jungles (Hagan 2008). Then, religious organizations needed to adapt to such policies, for example placing water caches out in the deserts. Therefore, the changes in migration policies require different responses from not only migrants, but employers and aid …show more content…
Wright Mills’ “sociological imagination (Mills 1959).” Through his theory, Mills emphasized that allows an individual to take a step back and examine the external, societal factors that influence his or her life. In this sense, the field work that Holmes and Hagan conducted may have helped the migrants themselves witness their lives within the greater framework. Apart from the migrants, both works enable readers to place themselves in the shoes of migrants. The sociological imagination grants a greater understanding to coping mechanisms such as prayer and therapy in stressful times. Moreover, the sociological imagination grants a greater understanding of the discussed causes of migration. Economic “issues,” which Mills describes as societal dilemmas, seem to speak more to the migrating nature of many South Americas (Mills 1959). Holmes and Hagan attempted to show this in order to correct the misguided notions of the American public, who view such migrating dilemmas as individual “troubles.” Therefore, the comparison of both Holmes and Hagan fits very well into Mills’ sociological imagination and the societal influences contained