Undocumented Citizenship in the United States - Book Report/Review Example

Abstract Undocumented citizenship is growing rapidly in the United States and for effective elimination of this challenge; the country has developed intensive measures of ensuring challenges in issuance of documentation and the issuance of citizenship especially to illegal immigrants. This way, the country is in position to control the inflow and easily identify them for deportation. Jose Antonio Vargas was one such an immigrant that lived with difficulties in obtaining a visa which ultimately enabled him live his dream after attaining a driving license that gave him five years that he had wanted so much in his life. The license offered him a document to allow him freely engage as a citizen. Perspectives on One Reading The story relates to a journalist that lived his life and grew up from a perspective not so clear where he belonged. Raised to believe that he belonged to the American world. That he was an American and had a registration as one gave him confidence until he discovered that his green card was a fake. At this time, his quest was to find a drivers license that would help him fit in his friends who at that time already had their licenses. The parents having separated while he was still young after a number of issues between the parents, he was raised in a family that was apart. The father being a very proud man had informed him of the purchase he had made for the card among other cards that he had purchased for him. After that incident backed by the father’s word asking him not to tell anyone about his documents, he felt he could work harder and attain the citizenship on his own, he believed that only his efforts could make him achieve his status as a citizen of the United States. Despite the lack of the citizenship of America, as a journalist exposure to prominent people and the world at large was a bonus to him and that worked in assuring his confidence was built and that he grew to enjoy the American dream. A close reviewed of his life shows that he had lived a life that was rocked with many limitations. Limitations that were surfaced by his illegal migration, which was occasioned on him by his parents. Through these immigration challenges, he became more focused to ensure that he achieved his dream. The job carried him to many places and met many prominent people that he felt would prove vital in helping him achieve his American dream. Jose having had a problem with his English language and the relation between formal English and the slangs used by American youths that made him feel inferior in his pears. Through his time, he grew to become more interested in languages that made him successful in his journalism career later in his life. With the experience, he had at the age of sixteen he was bend on making it in life and achievement success through the journalism field. The career made him prominent and allowed him to enjoy the American dream in a resilient way. The ability to have an American dream was enabled by the mother who sent him away from their country of origin to go stay with her parents who lived there. Thesis statement Undocumented immigration creates a void in one’s life and makes their living difficult in the countries they immigrate to for a living. Living as an undocumented immigrant in the United States of America makes one live a life full of fears making it difficult to explore their potential and dreams. Eight perspectives body “This is my home. Yet even though I think of myself as an American and consider America as my country, my country doesn’t think of me as one of its own”. With legislations developing to block out unregistered citizens from attending public schools and limiting their involvement further, the country would severely cause damage to the populations that were undocumented. Having grown up in the United States and used to the environment, one found it easier and more comfortable to live there rather than going back to their home countries. For Jose, he simply called it home though the country he called home seemed to deny him and made him feel like he did not belong there (Jose, p.210). The legislation piece aimed at blocking the unregistered immigrants from accessing other services too and based on this was ruled out by the federal court. The court found the piece unconstitutional relieving the unregistered immigrants. Despite the fact that international immigrant’s population keeps growing high in America, the court found the piece unconstitutional (Nwosu, Batalova & Auclair). The ruling seemed to consider human rights more compared to the problem that the American population suffered. “My grandfather and I took the Social Security card to Kinko’s where he covered the INS Authorization with a silver of white tape”. The covering lining provided Jose with a real Social Security number that was acceptable in each place (Jose, p.221). The authorization proved possible with this document since the part that would raise questions was covered giving him the opportunity to explore the employment field like any normal citizen. A review of non immigrant reviews provides a clear picture on the fears of the American authorities in the threat of immigration. The fears explain the control and regulations of the documents issued in relation to citizenship (Homeland security). “Once I married in America he said I would get my real papers and everything would be fine”. (Jose, p.221). at this point, marrying an American woman would make it easier for him to become a citizen and gain his most desired status. This way he would do many other things that he pleased as a full resident rather than running living life in a more difficult manner that did seem to discourage him from doing many things that he felt were attached to his dreams in the land. Reading deep into the book the citizenship flowchart on e realizes that citizenship by marriage is no longer, like it was. One does not easily end up as a citizen by marrying a citizen (McWhirter, p.9). “Claiming full citizenship was actually easier than declaring permanent resident “green card status” which would have required me to provide an alien registration.” (Jose p.222). Claiming full citizen ship proved easier since it required less verifications compared to the aspect of trying to prove permanent residence using green card status. The use of green card status required that he use an alien name that would make him more uncomfortable. Provision of a petition for citizenship based on the relationship of someone within would have given Jose an opportunity to obtain the citizenship but the difficulties faced that made the mother fail attaining citizenship created more fears (U.S. Visas). “The license meant everything to me” (Jose, p.224). At this point, Jose felt that the license would grant him more access to lucrative job opportunities and that it would improve his opportunities in many companies. The driver’s license meant that he was treated like a real American and had a document that he had aimed for so long as he tried to legalize his stay in the States. Accessing the license proved difficult since the country protected its citizens from many fears including the outbreak of diseases like the Ebola virus outbreak that has raised alert for the country (USCIS). “I needed to prove myself” (Jose, p.225). After proving my abilities and skills in this field to the whole team, it would prove easier to discuss it with other people in seeking a way of ironing out the immigration barrier that could affect the productivity at work. This way Jose worked even harder aiming at proving his abilities and ensuring that the company sees him worth maintaining. This way he was in position to convince the management on his immigration issue hence giving him a chance to obtain direct help from the company. As per the theory of needs by Maslow, each person reaches a stage in life where they need to prove themselves (Koontz, p.289). “Many companies were already using E-verify, a program set up by the Department of Homeland Security that checks if prospective employers are eligible to work” (Jose, p.226). Getting an opportunity to handle such a field made him find it easier to understand the requirements and the way to deal with the immigration issues. The program exposed him to quick development in the field and made him find life more promising compared to his earlier life. The program has grown accepted in the homeland security field (Shilling, p.20). “I’m done running. I am exhausted. I don’t want that life any more”. The reprieve obtained when Jose obtained a license that gave him close to Five years to clear his immigration issues. He finally got a chance to live like a real American that he was that he found life more interesting at that time (Jose, p.227). Receiving that license was of huge impact to his American dream since it gave him ability and freedoms that many other Americans enjoyed that he had fought to achieve for a long time since his teen years. Conclusion: As an illegal immigrant, one finds it difficult to pursue their dreams in the country they illegally reside. In America, as an illegal unregistered immigrant, one finds it hard to even access documentation for accessing public facilities or even getti8ng into the employment field. The lack of these made it difficult for Jose to fully practice his journalism career and engage fully in taking competitive jobs in the country. Despite his growing in the country and considering it a home, he found life challenging in this aspect and found himself back at the same thought of accessing a license. After accessing the license, life surely changed for him and he felt relieved of the life on the run and started life the way he had anticipated it always. Clincher’s sentence Immigration provides an easy life if legally taken, undocumented immigration makes life more challenging and hence limiting an individual’s potential and expansion. Work Cited: "Homeland Security." Immigration Statistics. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. . "Homepage | USCIS." Homepage | USCIS. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. . "The Immigrant Visa Process." Submit a Petition. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. . Jose Antonio Vargas, My life as an undocumented immigrant. Koontz, Harold. Essentials of management. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010. Print. McWhirter, Robert James. The citizenship flowchart. Chicago: American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, 2007. Print. Nwosu, Chiamaka , Gregory Auclair, and Jeanne Batalova. "Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and Immigration in the United States." migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 28 Apr. 2014. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. . Shilling, Dana. Complete Guide to Human Resources and the Law 2014. Aspen Publishers Online, 2013. Print. Read More