Massive immigration to the United States - Book Report/Review Example

Massive immigration to the United s The United s of America is comprised of different ethnic and racial group who have their origin in other countries in Latin America, North America Europe’s, Asia and Africa. All these arrived in the country in different times and for different reasons. The notable immigration is of the Mariel Boatlift in the 1980 after Castrol decided to give America a gift, but it turned out to be a foreign policy to get rid of the unproductive people in his country. Moreover, the country has now the biggest population of Latinos immigrant in history. Latinos comprise of 16% of American where a few decade ago they were only less than 2% of the American population. This essay discusses the controversy and effects behind massive immigration in to the United States. Prompt 1 The rise to power of Fidel Castrol brought a shift in the foreign policy of his government. Castrol started with large scale deportation of his political opponents. In a period of three years since, he took over power more than 200,000 Cuban had left their country for the United States. In 1965 president Fidel Castro allowed people seeking exile permit to leave the country through the Port of Camarioca. The Miami exiles also encouraged their relative and friend to leave Cuba and join them in the U.S. However, the use of the boat was too risky for the refugee and on November, 1965 the Cuban government and the United States agreed on an orderly air travel of around 4000 refugees to the United States in every month. The United State sponsorship flight brought 260,500 refugees from Cuba to the American territory by the end of the program in April 1973. In 1980, the Cuban government ordered jailed criminals, prostitute and people crying for their relative to leave the country. His policy involved of getting rid of the most of dependent people in the country. Therefore, the massive deportation of the Cuban in the 1980 is what is referred to as the Mariel boatlift signifying the departure of Cuban, who had their relative in the U.S through the port of Mariel (Berman, 2008). The Mariel Boatlift refugees settled on Miami while they reached on the United States territory. However, some dispersed to other areas in the country after having a stint in Miami. They inflated the Miami population and affected the labor sector creating high level of unemployment. Those who remained in Miami were employed in manufacturing, construction, and textile and in retail of goods and service sectors (Bodvarsson et al. 2007). The condition surrounding the refugees in Cuba was devastating. From the time, Castro gave permit to his political competitors the relative that were left behind found life so difficult and were urging the government to consider helping them. This angered Castrol and authorized for their deportation. However, the process of moving the relatives to the shore was inhuman as they were dragged and abused by the Castrol’s soldiers. Moreover, instead of planning and organizing for the departure of Cuban exiles, the authority coursed relative into different bouts without caring for their safety. It is one of the traumatizing journeys in the history of immigration. However, the deportee never minded the situation of journey because they have gotten enough in their stay, in Cuba and did not mind on their next destination. According to Gado (1980) the soldiers hurried men and women into dilapidated wooden boats and arranged them in rows. A young man in his late 20s joined the criminal to the shore. He had to cheat that he was a drug dealer because only criminal were allowed out of the country. As soon as the families from the Mariel boatlift arrived they were reunited with their other family members establishing a spurt of euphoria. However, their joy would be short lived as the policies of the President Carter were criticized by political competitor as a wrong approach of conducting immigration issues. It emerged that the majority of the exiles were criminal from Cuban jails while other were from mental facilities. This storm resulted to shun the refugees to camps and charging other for being in the country illegally. In the end, more than 1600 exiles were convicted and jailed, and another 587 detained waiting for sponsors (Jaroszeskl). In 1983, Johns Hopkins University interviewed more than 500 Mariel Cuban in Miami to establish whether they remain as a group or whether they integrated to the larger Miami community (Clark, 1987). The samples were re-interviewed again in 1985-1986 (Clark, 1987). The sample included both men and women who testified to have come in the U.S by Mariel Boat. The researchers concluded that the Mariel refugee had progressed in the economy of Miami. Moreover, they had mingled, and integrated with the people of South Florida and the rate of unemployment among them had decreases since the first interview. For those who did not get formal employment or employed by the people of South Florida they established their own businesses. However, the Mariel boat lift Cuban had income disparities with pre Mariel exiles population. Over time, the Mariel Cubans were absorbed by their Cuban counterparts in the U.S. The issue of race never affected the Mariel Cuban, but they complained that they were more discriminated by their own Cuban than any other groups in Florida. Therefore, Mariel is a sub-minority within a minority group and some hope to return to Cuba if the economic condition improves for the better. Though the issue of race is not well represented, a few Mariel Boat lift Cuban, who live outside Miami and in Miami Beach, are discriminated against because of their race. The white subdue them as non superior to other people such as the Hispanic and Latinos. Prompt 2 The history of the Latino/Hispanic immigration dates back in 1492 when Christopher Columbus made his maiden trip to America (Pineda). The Spanish violently conquered America in their pursuit of wealth. They terrorized the Native Americans leading to death and others fleeing to other places to avoid conflict. The Spanish brought with them Africa slaves to America to assist them in agriculture practice. Moreover, the Indian integrated with the Spanish and produced an ethnic of mixed blood that is today referred to as Hispanic or Latino/Latina (Pineda). The cause of immigration into America is defined by the situation the political, economic and social situation of the country of origin and the social attraction and political and economic attraction of the United States. Mexico belongs to the third world country and thus the income disparities between her, and the United States is enormous. This has ensured continuous inflow Latinos to the U.S. The immigration of the Hispanic is one that has baffled the American for decades. Hispanic community are now eligible to vote, but they are not included in governments. Though the community faces the marginalization from the Native American, the trend of integration has been increasing year in year out. The community has participated alongside other marginalized communities in the 1960 for respect of equal treatment of all people regardless of ethnic, race or gender. The history of Latino is similar to that of the Cuban American. However, unlike the Cuban, the first Latinos migrated to the U.S to work as miners during the California Gold Rush. Latinos who migrated during the California Gold Rush had difficulties moving from their original home to the United States (Gutierrez). They faced difficulties and had no other option other than to migrate to prosperous regions in America. Moreover, majority of Latino started living in the U.S after the defeat of Mexico in the U.S Mexican war of 1846-1848. The end of the war came with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that annexed the part of north of America from Mexico (Gutierrez). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the citizen of former Mexico territory extensive naturalization to remain within the new borders. However, during the Great Depression Latino were repatriated back to their home country, but the trend of immigration resumes when the United States entered the Second World War. During this time, the U. S population was constrained in war, and they lack work force to work in farms and other economics sectors in the country. This prompted the Federal government to sign bilateral labor accord with Mexico. Though Mexican government was reluctant due to the humiliation, it citizen got during repatriation the agreement ensured that their right to decent live and respect of human right was guaranteed. The two governments signed the Emergency Farm Labor Agreement securing the hiring of Mexican to work in the U.S firms (Gutierrez) The Emergency Farm Labor Agreement dubbed as Bracero Program opened the Southern Mexican border to allow laborer to pass through. This allowed more workers to seek not only farm shores, but also working in other sectors of the economy such as mining, manufacturing and service industries. By the end of the Bracero Program in 1964 more than 5 million job contracts had been signed. Nevertheless, the laborers in the U.S retained contact with their relative and communicated on the employment environment and opportunities that were available. This ensured continued immigration of illegal immigrant through the northern border of Mexico. The Hispanic community both the legal and illegal immigrant has threatened to separate the United States into two societies and with two cultures and languages. Unlike other immigrants from Europe, Africa and Latin America who integrated in the American culture, the Hispanic has resisted such ideas and vehemently maintained their culture. Moreover, they have formed their own linguistic and political groups and despising the Anglo- Protestant ideas that formed the American dream (Huntington, 2004). Prompt 3 The Latino has over the history faced many challenges from the conquest of the Spanish to the 21st Century. They have been faced identity challenges in the community of different races and ethnic compositions. The Mexican immigrants are referred to as Latinos while other refers to them as Hispanic. However, the government agencies recognize them as a single community known as the Hispanic. However, it is among these immigrants that have differences with some of them associating themselves to the Spanish while others to the Latin American communities. Therefore, the difference in identity is an issue of association, but not of language and culture. This has been so because the dominant group in society would want to subordinate other smaller group to take advantage in political, economic and social association with other communities. The Hispanic community mostly refers to Latinos with an inclination to the Spanish community, but has been generalized to include other immigrants such as Dominican, Cuban, Salvadoran and other Latin American groups in the United States. This identity is sometimes used racially discriminate the group from the White Natives in America society. For this reason, the Hispanic has integrated within them and established their identity as an autonomous community within the American cultures (Quinones-Rosado, 2010). The Language of the Hispanic community has remained largely influenced by the Spanish language. This is because the Spanish had been the first group to integrated and influence the way of life of the Native Indians in the early day of colonization. Therefore, the most of Latin America immigrant has a common language heritage though some has retained their native languages up this date. The Cuban, for example, associate them to native language, but also alien to the Spanish speaking Latinos. Moreover, the African slaves who were first brought to the Caribbean were impacted with Spanish culture though they retained their own culture which demonstrated by in their music, food choices, art form and dance (Quinones-Rosado, 2010). The Integration resulted to intermarriages between the Spanish soldiers with African women in the Spain’s colonies in the Caribbean. The shared colonialism among the Mexican and the Latin American give then a common colonial identity that has impacted their lives alike in the United States. This phenomenon has helped the immigrant to work closely in resistance, liberation and rebellion against colonialism in the wake up to the independent war in the United States. Therefore, it is a common geographical origin, race, nationality, culture and colonialism that label the Latin American practice (Quinones-Rosado, 2010). The identity even of the current immigrant from Latin America is referred to as Latino or Hispanic because of their color of their skin, slag and the shape of their nose. However, they try to identify themselves as Argentinean or; otherwise, other people recognize them as just Latino/Hispanic. This has established the process of social uniqueness among the people born of Latino/Hispanic parents. The children grow up in a subordinated consciousness in white controlled schools, media, religion and other institutions. The spirits of the American dream of equal opportunity for all make parent collude and conspire in a false social identity for their children. The Hispanics are fluent in Spanish and understand their history which has enabled them develop a social-cultural identity. They know that they belong to a different social group just like Native American and African American in the U.S. This identity has made them relevant in politics. Moreover, they incline to the political divide that looked at their interest in the social economical of the country. They are always struggling to fight white supremacy, and this is demonstrated in their involvement, in the civil right movement of the 1960. The civil right struggle among the Latinos has been ignored by the Anglos, who found it as morally and intellectually inferior (Hispanics, 2010). Of the people among the Latinos who have been involved in the struggle are students and educators. It started with the formation of the Latino civil rights movement in 1902. The former activists passed on the fight over social justice to the young generation who has carried on to date. They have been involved in the labor movements agitating for better working condition and higher wages like that equal to the whites. The struggle among the Latino is not ending anytime soon according to civil right person, Raul Yzaguirre (Hispanics, 2010). He argues that there is nothing that will happen to Latino without fighting and agitating for it. The current issue is on immigration laws which the community has fought for over the last two decades. The Latinos want all its members be recognized as U.S national and not as illegal immigrants. Those born in the U.S say that they belong to the country and know no other part of the world. Prompt 4 The Latino communities are, as a result of continued immigration of Mexican American from Mexico to the United States. They compare to the Mariel boat lift of the 1980. Both immigrant from Cuba and Mexico migrated because the conditions of their country were difficult to thrive in and considered looking for jobs and other opportunities in the United States of America. However, the immigration of African American differ to that of Latino in that African American were brought as slave and gain liberation after a long struggle to free slaves from servitude. Both the African American and Latino have expanded their economic status as a result of the struggle from the war of colonization to Civil War. Latinos identifies alongside other minority group such as Africa Americans, who were looked down upon by the white majority to fight for their rights. They identified with the African in the agitation to free slaves. Moreover, both communities did not have the right to vote, the right equal opportunities and were segregated from certain sectors of the economy preserved for white only. This gave them a common identify as immigrant and a society fighting for recognition and respect. The struggle has brought many benefits to African as well as Latinos. Since their deportation from the U.S during the Great Depression, the government had never engaged in such inhuman acts. In addition, the black liberation allowed them to enroll in school and colleges which have helped them participate in enlighten negotiation with the government rather than mass protest. Likewise the Latino has established organization that has been recognized by political players and thus is able to negotiate for legislation that enhances their survival in the U.S. The recent election had the Hispanic communities supporting the Democratic Party because it recognizes that there need a comprehensive immigration law that the Hispanic does dearly need. In conclusion, the impact of U.S immigrant on the U.S society is enormous and has contributed to the growth and development of the largest economy in the world. Their contribution of labor, market for goods and services cannot be discerned. Though it has been a painful journey, it has paid off with time. The immigrant cannot regret having moved from Cuba, Mexico and Africa because these regions have remained underdeveloped with low income and high rate of unemployment. References Berman, Milton. (2007). The Eighties in America. Retrieved from http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/academic/mariel.pdf. Bodvarsson, O.B., Lewer, J.J. and Van den Berg H. F. (2007). Measuring Immigration's Effects on Labor Demand: A Reexamination of the Mariel Boatlift. Retrieved from http://ftp.iza.org/dp2919.pdf. Clark, P.A. (1987). Mariel refugees: six years after. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12341948. Gado, Mark. (1980). A River of Tears: Happy Land. Retrieved from http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/mass/happyland/index_1.html. Gutierrez, David. American Latino Theme Study. An History Overview of Latino Immigration and the Demographic Transformation of the United States. Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/latino/latinothemestudy/immigration.htm. Hispanics. (2010). Invisible No More: The Latino Struggle for Civil Rights. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/Hispanicsfocus10.pdf. Huntington, S.P. (2004). The Hispanic Challenge. Retrieved from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1084558/posts. Jaroszeskl, Deanna. Mariel Boat Lift: Castrol’s Clever Gift to America. Retrieved from http://www.polk-fl.net/staff/teachers/tah/documents/MicrosoftWord-Jaroszeski-MarielBoatLiftDBQ.pdf. Pineda A.M. The History and experience of Latinos/Hispanics in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.mercyworld.org/_uploads/_ckpg/files/mirc/brief/PinedaA4.pdf. Quinones-Rosado, R. (2010). Hispanic or Latino: Identity in a Race-Based Society. The Diversity Factor, 6. Retrieved from http://www.raulquinones.com/?page_id=44. Read More