Legalizing the Undocumented Immigrants of The US Nation - Essay Example

Immigration Reform I. INTRODUCTION With globalization gaining maximum attention all over the world, its impact on the global world (both positive andnegative) has attracted many debates among researchers and industry experts. Contextually, it has been analyzed that with the advent of globalization, national and international boundaries have become feeble, which although promotes easier trade and resource movement across countries, but at the same time also gives rise to increasing number of immigrants. This particular scenario is quite evident in the current social environment within the US, where the number of undocumented immigrants has augmented rapidly over the recent years — often argued to be the result of its frail international boundaries. The selected event for this discussion concentrates on the reform approaches adopted by the US government recently, with the intention of legalizing the undocumented immigrants of the nation. The main player involved in this particular event is the undocumented immigrants of the US, i.e. the target population for the reform. The President of the nation, Mr. Barrack Obama will be another key player in the event, as he is involved as the initiator of the plans for the reform and the people of the nation, who are directly or indirectly affected from this particular reform. As the president of the nation briefly mentioned about the immigrant reform in the country during the State of the Union Submits in January 2014, the event is supposed to be directly associated with racial and ethnic divergences. Emphasizing racial and ethnic discriminations currently persisting within the nation, the reform intends to legalize millions of immigrants residing in the country without proper legal documentation as per the current record (Sohrabji, “Republicans’ Immigration Plan Includes Legalization for Undocumented”). The event is also intended to unite the citizens belonging from diverse backgrounds and build a society based on the principle of equality. II. PREJUDICE, DISCRIMINATION, AND INTERNALIZED OPPRESSION IN THE EVENT A broader perspective to any particular event may reveal various factors can be found intertwined, owing to which, the significance of the event enhances or decreases considerably. Some of the events, as found associated with any socio-political event in general, may include discrimination, white privilege, white supremacy and prejudice among others. Contextually, the selected event can also be identified to incorporate factors of prejudice, discrimination and internalized oppression among others. Discrimination is one of the most widely observed issues in the modern day owing to any sort of reform. As stated earlier, the number of undocumented immigrants has increased rapidly in the US over the recent decade. Therefore, in order to ensure that these people, who have been residing in the country for quite a longer duration now are able to enjoy each and every rights offered to its legal citizens and ensure the attainment of a better life for themselves (The Wall Street Journal ,“Fruits of Immigrant Labor”). However, people from various groups, who have been opposing this particular reform policy, depict that legalizing the immigrants of the nation will impose significant negative impacts on its various economic domains including the healthcare sector, the employment sector and the overall economy. From a critical point of view, a certain degree of discrimination can be viewed in this context, against the undocumented immigrants of the nation, deprived of the benefits and aids offered to the citizens of the country despite of spending years within the nation. A degree of prejudice is also observably incorporated in this particular event. Notably, the immigrant reform policy of the government will make the immigrants liable to enjoy equal rights in the US in every possible domain including employment, healthcare and education among others after gaining citizenship of the nation, thus eradicating discrimination from within the social environment to a substantial extent (Solis, “Rally for Immigration Legalization in Arlington Draws Hundreds”). This particular outcome of the event might further be regarded as an example of prejudice, where stronger significance is provided towards the benefits of the undocumented immigrants as compared to the economic consequences and the social consequences likely to be faced by the current legal citizens of the nation who will need to compete with the undocumented immigrants after the reform is implemented. The concept of internalized oppression can also be examined as relevant in this particular event. Notably, the reform policies of the US government to legalize undocumented immigrants are supported by a major group of legal citizens in the nation, while another proportion of the legal citizens in the US depict their opposing attitude towards the same. For example, according to a particular survey, 44% of the US citizens have been observed as supportive towards the governmental plans of reforming the immigrants through legalizing them, while the others believed that the government must take approaches to restrict the undocumented immigrants from entering the nation any further. It is apparent that a large number of citizens are directly supporting the immigrants to gain citizenship of the nation, which makes them differentiated from the remaining percentage of legal US citizens in opposition to the reform (Hill, “Immigration Reform News 2014: Poll Shows Americans Prioritize Legalization over Border Security”). This further depicts the occurrence of internalized oppression amid the legal US citizens in the event described. III. SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN YOUR EVENT The social institutions that are involved in this particular event of immigration reform include the government and the policy makers, who are in favor of initiating the reform of legalizing the immigrants in the nation. The media and the healthcare system of the nation can also be included among the social institutions extensively involved in this particular event. Notably, the President himself along with the Democratic policy makers in the US has together been quite supportive towards implementing the immigrant reform policy. The policies in lieu of this reform measure is further deemed to be emphasizing the wellbeing of millions of immigrants living in the US, eradicating the possible chances of further discriminations on the grounds of ethnic, racial or cultural divergences in the domain of education, employment and healthcare. The President also depicted this particular issue of racial, ethnic and cultural discrimination as one of the major social issues prevailing in the country for more than 15 years. Encouraging this particular view point and aim considered to bring the reform, surveys conducted after the year 2012 suggested that maximum number of citizens residing in the nation have supported the government to focus on legalizing the undocumented immigrants of the nation (Hill, “Immigration Reform News 2014: Poll Shows Americans Prioritize Legalization over Border Security”). This again depicts the approach taken, to be balanced one. The media is also inherently involved as one of the major social institutions in this event. It is vital to mention that the media performs the most prominent role in conveying the information of any update about the reform policy to the general people. The media also acts as a key component in enabling the common people in comprehending the implications associated with the immigration reform policies of the government. This particular social institution is not involved in any sort of internalized racism or white supremacy as it is directly intended towards conveying factual information to the audiences. The healthcare system of the nation is also attributable as another social institution that is closely associated with this particular immigration reform event. It is apparent that with greater number of people getting legalized owing to the reform approach of the government, there will be increased number of people liable to enjoy the healthcare benefits provided by various healthcare policies to the US citizens. This aspect will eventually increase the degree of competition amid the increasing number of citizens to obtain the healthcare benefits and might be considered as a negative implication of the reform policy. The social institutions mentioned above can be observed as partially motivated to abolish persisting racial stereotypes and privilege as the reform is taken for the undocumented immigrants of the nation to prevent further practices of discrimination (Arcega, “Experts Debate Economic Impact of US Immigration Reform”). IV. SOCIOLOGISTS’ VIEW AND FUNCTIONALISM THEORY AS APPLICABLE TO THE EVENT The event that has been described in this paper emphasizes the reform proposed by the current US government to legalize the immigrants and provide them with better opportunities and protection as legal citizens of the nation, will certainly allow them to enjoy all the rights enjoyed by any other citizens of the nation. However, the topic of the event is observed to have attracted many controversies and debates over the last two decades in the country. Contextually, contemporary sociologists have their contrasting views towards this particular event. The critical race theory might extensively be applicable in this particular regard. This theory emphasizes a critical approach in analyzing the society and its prevailing issues in context to race and law along with power distribution. This particular event is inherently linked with the aspect of power and laws, based on which, the government of the nation is intending to ensure a favorable reform for a race of illegal immigrants prevailing in the nation. For this particular event, the sociologists opposing the reform, might view this particular event of immigration reform as a discriminating approach of the US government of the country towards the citizens, who are expected to face certain negatives in the domains including the healthcare sector, the employment sector and the economic sector altogether. Some might also depict the approach as an inhibition to the privileges offered to the present citizens of the nation. Sociologists might also hold the view that the event is an outcome of the suggestions and reviews obtained from the present citizens as maximum percent of the people in the country is deemed to be in favor of the immigration reform policy (Arcega, “Experts Debate Economic Impact of US Immigration Reform”). Accordingly, the functionalism theory can also be linked with this particular event. Notably, the theory depicts that the society involves a cluster of people, wherein, to attain stability in the entire society, each of the societal domain needs to be aligned with one another. Contextually, in this particular event, it is apparent that the number of undocumented immigrants in the US has reached to almost 11 million over the years. In order to attain stability in the society, it is important that equality and anti-discrimination policies are accepted entirely in the society, enjoying equal rights and benefits altogether. The approach taken by the government in legalizing the immigrants depicted in this event is one attempt in stabilizing the American society as per the theory of functionalism. V. CONCLUSION This particular event highlights the current policies of the US government with regard to the reform policies adopted in relation to the undocumented immigrants in terms of legalizing them as the citizens of the nation. Notably, the issue of discrimination faced by undocumented immigrants has been highlighted as one of the major prevailing issues in the American society today. Nevertheless, as the study reveals, different people have different perceptions with regard to this particular event. There are several key players that are involved in this particular event, which further includes the government, the citizens and the undocumented immigrants as well as the wide and often conflicting interests of these sub-groups. The three most prominent factors identifiable as related with this event include prejudice, discrimination and internalized oppression. Facets currently observable related to the implications of the proposed reform to legalize immigrants reveal these factors to be inherently associated with this particular event. The event also included the analysis of either direct participation of social institutions along with indirect impact on certain social institutions. Subsequently, the event has also taken into consideration some of the relevant social theories in order to attain a comprehensive understanding of the matter in concern such as the critical race theory and the functionalism theory. Works Cited Arcega, Mil. “Experts Debate Economic Impact of US Immigration Reform.” 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Hill, Salena. “Immigration Reform News 2014: Poll Shows Americans Prioritize Legalization Over Border Security.” 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Solis, Dianne. “Rally for Immigration Legalization in Arlington Draws Hundreds.” Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Sohrabji, Sunita. “Republicans’ Immigration Plan Includes Legalization for Undocumented.” 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. “Fruits of Immigrant Labor.” The Wall Street Journal. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Read More