Dissapearing Dreams

Lourdes Alvarado

University of Texas at El Paso

Senaida Navar
 Abstract

A survey on immigration led to say immigrants are people who come to the United

States after leaving their native country. Immigration is seen and treated as a threat

for the country where these individuals stablish. This issue raises many questions

such as how to help someone who only wants better opportunities, but it is known

that the law must be followed and it is necessary to follow the process in order to

become a legal resident. The American Dream is about the purpose of why

immigrants come to the U.S seeking a better work or a better education. Theres not

really a way that guarantees that immigrants would stop coming illegaly to the U.S,

but there may be the option to help them to a process of becoming legal.
 Over time, immigration has existed since ancient times. It happens whenever

something as climate change or wars occur; however, nowadays immigration occurs

under other circumstances. Some of these circumstances are either political, economical,

or looking for a better place to live. The United States has always been characterized as a

melting pot where immigrants from all over the world seek better opportunities for their

families or themselves and thrive once they stablish in this country. Some other reasons

that make immigrants go to another country are job shortages, hospitals, or schools.

Immigration is a topic that not only includes immigrants, but also natives of the

countries because they seem to be affected about this as well. Immigrants have been

labeled as people who only come to a certain place or country, in this case, the United

States, to bring crime, terrorism, drugs, and even steal the jobs of the natives. However,

there are two sides of the coin, those that really come in search of opportunities and those

that really come to harm the country. Since there is a bad percepcion towards immigrants

because of that, an entire group or culture seems to be stigmatized and this generalization

ingrains into the minds of the people who in the end starts believing that immigration is

something that should be considered illegal if it is not processed correctly. With President

Trumps new laws, many migrants are being pursued because of something they have

nothing to do with and thus they have to endure the harships of the ideas and perceptions

that people have about them.

In order to fix this problem, a process can be done to really deport the

immigrants who are not really contributing to the United States, by examining their

record and see if they really have a crime history. Being in the United States without legal

papers, is already a crime but those people can also be helped to begin a process to
become residents or grant them a work visa because there are some instances in which

they are even paying taxes.

According to events happening in the last months, and to the articles read, a

survey was made in order to answer the following questions:

How is immigration perceived in our country?

Why and what is the reason immigrants come to the United States?

If immigrants stay in the United States, how will citizens be affected?

How can immigration be stopped? Is there a way to help immigrants, and

prevent that they come illegally to the United States?

How is immigration perceived in our country?

The questions were asked according to the problems that have been mostly

caused because of immigration. In a border community such as El Paso Texas and Ciudad

Juarez, immigration is not seen as a major problem since most of those who reside in El

Paso are Latinos who in fact are immigrants or are the descendants of other immigrants

who may had come illegally to the country. According to the survey that was applied to

citzens from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, interviewers came to a conclusion that an

immigrant is someone who leaves their native country, for their own wellness. With the

new laws that President Trump has in mind, commotion was caused and many residents

began their process of naturalization. Immigration is seen as if immigrants were coming

to invade their land and to take over their jobs, but they agree that most Americans wont

do the job that an immigrant is willing to do, for example working in yards just for extra

money. Not all immigrants have bad intensions by coming to the U.S, but there are some

that take bad decisions, for example, selling drugs or commiting other types of crime and
because of them, immigrants are seen as the principal cause of crime. Also, interviewers

said that it is not fair to deport immigrants that have been giving the best of them to the

country and instead of deporting them, President Trump can offer them a temporal

passport just to work in the U.S. and later apply to have their legal papers. As most of the

interviewrs were latinos, they support immigrants and do not see immigration as a bad

decision, instead, they see it as a way to succeed for their families and for them. They still

believe that President Trump is doing things that are blatantly wrong and that there are

other alternatives other than deporting them and take away whatever they succeeded in

obtaining since they came to the country.

Why and what is the reason immigrants come to the United States?

In El Paso Texas on the date of November 8,2017; more than 600 people from

more than 30 different countries attended their naturalization ceremony. Almost 95% of

the new U.S. citizens were from Mexico, and they said that the reason that they became

citizens is because they want to vote and help this country that has been giving them great

opportunities have better leaders as well as better opportunities for those who were not as

lucky as they so they can obtain their legal residence. The reason, as mentioned above, of

which immigrants come to the United States is that they come in search of new

opportunities. Since this country always offers a helping hand, we know that education

and medical attention is a right that every human can exercise no matter where they come

from. Enriques Journey is a real life story that we can take as an example of the many

reasons why immigrants come to the U.S. Enrique narrates the story of the separation of

his mother just to give her and his brothers a better life. Then, Enrique come to the U.S in
search of his mother and tells the hard and long way he made only to meet with his

mother once again. It is a really hard process that an immigrant goes through because

they are only seeking better opportunities. They are at risk of being caught and be

deported, or to die in the attempt of crossing the desert. Immigrants know that coming

illegally to the U.S is not the right way to do it, but most of the times their income does

not allow them to apply for a process to at least become a legal visitor in the U.S. The

need of better opportunities makes them do it at any cost and not only the case of

needing a better life but to reunite with those who left them behind.

If immigrants stay in the United States, how will citizens be affected?

Many of the people who support the ideas of President Trump are the citizens

who think that immigrants are taking away job opportunities or are taking advantage of

the government's money, and they say that they are being affected by this, in a way there

are immigrats who do pay their taxes despite their illegal status. In a CNN article it is

stated that undocumented immigrants pay taxes because thats a way to prove that they

are living in the United States, and in a future they would have a reference that they have

been working. According to the law, they have to fill taxes every year, and because it is

federal information it could not be shared to anyone. Immigrants information is secure

when it refers to taxes. On the other hand there are people including natives who avoid

paying taxes and taking advntage of food stamps and other services. It is believed that

immigration may decrease, but can it really end? There are methods that the President

assures are the best to avoid immigration. The main one is to build a wall between the

United States and Mexico, in this way the immigrants can no longer cross causing drug
and crime levels to decrease as well. It is known that there are many other ways to

illegally cross into the United States, either with false documents, or crossing with a local

visa and staying to live in the United States. According to a New York Times article, the

money that is being invested in building the wall, can be implemented to hire more

immigration police, or have better security equipment. Taking into account that this may

not be over, legal people could help immigrants who really qualify to become permanent

residents. Immigrants are going through a process where their heritage is at stake, over

time many emigrants have left their native country to start a new life in the United States.

The question is if this is really fair, it is known that there are many conflicts that have

declared that yes, they really must leave the United States because of the way they

arrived here. Others say it is not fair since they have given the best of themselves. A

solution to the problem of immigration is sought so that both immigrants and citizens are

not affected in any way and thus legislations are pursued as well.

In the articles read and the applied survey, immigrants arrive in the United

States for a better life, but it is not an easy process as it is read. The reasons for which

many immigrants leave behind a life with scarce food or education is because of the

economic stability of their origin countries. Most of the immigrants are people with low

resources and when they come to the United States they go through a hard road to

establish their new life. When an imigrant comes, he/she does not get a job quickly in any

company, they have to start from below and gradually go earning a better job. The field,

domestic cleaning, or work in a fast food restaurant are the most important jobs for an

imigrant since several of these companies do not require a visa. In other instances, some

immigrants come to the country at a very young age. However, with the new laws that are

being processed many of these immigrants also known as Dreamers or DACA

immigrants are at risk of being deported to a country they are no longer familiar with

with the additon to the children of immigrants who were born here.

How can immigration be stopped? Is there a way to help immigrants, and prevent

that they come illegally to the United States?

Economic issues are present across the literature in regards of the theme of

immigration because people believe immigrants are affecting the economy by evading

taxes or even taking advantage of food stamps and even nowadays the economy leads to

ways in which to contrarest the flow of immigration through the law. Economic problems

such as this are present on the construction of the wall because the money being invested

in that wall can be used for better purposes. According to a New York Times Article,

Border Wall Prototypes are Unveiled, but Trumps Vision Still Faces Obstacles.

Representatives are saying that is more expepensive to build the wall than it is to increase

security at the boder in order to prevent immigrant come illegaly less. The wall might

only be a physical division, but it doesnt protect really for immigrants coming illegaly to

the United States. It is stated that 95 percent is privately owned acres, if the wall gets

constructed it would be necessary to take part of that land.

Deportation is also another contributor that is present across the literature

because it seems to be always the solution to this problem. The New York Times article

Trumps Cruel Choice: Who Gets to Stay tells a story about Doralinda a Gutemalan

girl who tells how she came to the United States when she was little and now her parents

may be deported. Separating families has been one of the sadest solutions to immigration,

and more when theres young children who might be at risk to be separated from their
parents. Children who came to the U.S because of their parents and not because they

decided to, are not responsible for their decisions, but why to take away their dreams

away of becoming someone successful. The DACA program is one of the most popular

issues at the moment because president Trump wants to suspend the program and deport

dreamers. Dreamers are the ones who have been here in the U.S for a period of time to

either work or for education and their parents are immigrants.

Another important aspect is to consider of whether or not it is really ethical and

legal to try to deport those who are here legally or that where born from immigrant

parents but are now legal and natural citizens of the United States. An EBSCO article

Quality of Government and The Treatment of Immigrants (Agnafors, 2013) states, that it

is based on how a governmet works about how it will treat immigrants and how well they

are going to be treated. When laws allow, PB (Principle of Beneficence) constitutes an

important normative consideration, a general attitude of generosity that ought to be

prominent in any institutional response to immigration purporting to be compatible with

QoG (Quality of Governent)(41). The quality of Government can be seen in Figure 1

and it explains what aspects a governmet should have in order to be considered a good

government. With this, the questions about how to treat immigrants arise among those

who oppose deportation and for those who believe that immigration is a good thing for

the country.
 It is relevant to consider that accross the literature the concepts surrounding

immigration are listed above. Deportation being the leading issue is surrounded as well

for economic problems, legal issues such as terrorism or drug traffic, and wether or not

the descendants of immigrants who are natives of the country need to be deported as well.

These issues present the espectrum of how immigrartion is a growing problem for some

and a necessity for others.

Immigration comes from both sides, people can come to the U.S and citizens from

the U.S can go to another country. However, there should be the necessary regulations

that are fair and equal for everyone who wants to be part of that certain country. Diversity

is what makes a country great and if the quality of the government fails to improve such

legislations that protect the welfare of those who want to be part of it, it is necessary to

take a stand for them because they are being denied to have a voice. They do contribute

and work hard and make the economy of the country flow. Law implementations should

be made in order to filter the good from the bad but without recurring to tell that an entire

group forms part of the bad. Those who grew up in the country where their parents settled

need to be respected because that is now their culture and they could be true Americans
or whatever nationality they are part of. Immigration is not synonym of decadence but it

is a synonym of prosperity.
References:

Agnafors, Marcus. (March 1, 2013). Quality of Government and the Treatment of

Immigrants.

Alvarado, Lourdes. (2017). Immigration Survey.

Nazario, Sonia. (2013). Enriques Journey: The True Story of a Boy

Nazario, Sonia. ( October 27, 2017). Trumps Cruel Choice: Who Gets to Stay.

Nixon, Ron. ( October 26, 2017). Border Wall Prototypes Are Unveiled, but Trumps

Vision Still Faces Obstacles

Nixon, Ron. (September 26, 2017). Immigration Officials Taking New Steps to

Discourage Smuggling of Children.

Rajendra, T. (2015). The Ratinal Agent or the Rational Agent: Moving from Freedom

to Justice in Migration System Ethics.