Migration - Essay Example

Vivek Shivram Client, Academia-Research.com Essay 7th March, 2007 A comparison of two texts discussing the rapid relocation by Americans to differentgeographies - internal as well as external In a country that has always looked upon migration as the beginning of revolutions, the relocation of people to different lands has always been looked upon by insiders as well as outsiders as a debatable, enjoyable topic. In this essay, two reports discussing the Great American Escapade have been critically appreciated, in order to try and perceive the minds of the world’s most developed people. Americans have always had a tendency to travel. They have always had an urge to see exotic lands, visit faraway places and envision radically new dreams for themselves and their children. The mindset has been so contagious, and extremely explicit – enough to make migration a trademark attitude of Americans. The question that arises in our minds now is pretty much obvious: Is incessant migration – both within the United States and outside – really that good for America’s progeny? Are Americans really being too over-inquisitive? Must they stop a nomadic lifestyle to try and identify themselves with the land beneath their feet – at the risk of being unexposed to “exotic” places? In this essay, two contrasting write-ups have been carefully studied and analyzed. Narrative 1: No Place Like Home (By David Guterson) This is an excellent, insightful report by Journalist David Guterson about the American middle class migration to Green Valley, a community run entirely by a corporate setup, The American Nevada Corporation (ANC). Located towards the south of Las Vegas, Nevada, Green Valley is an exquisite representation of what Americans dream of. “A perfect synthesis of city and countryside”, as observed by Guterson, Green Valley boasts of catering to a huge percentage of American society – with homes customized for lower income groups as well as wealthy tycoons. Boasting of great organization (corporate organization), expansive residencies, and just about everything else sufficient for a broad-minded citizen to call it “Utopian”, Green Valley represents the dramatic mindset Americans are beginning to develop. In his article, Guterson explains the transition. Suburbs were unable to insulate their residents from undesirable, antisocial elements. People were becoming outraged, angry and expectant. Corporates seized a great opportunity to maximize revenue, and give people exactly what they were looking for – a blend of modernity, and a touch of countryside peace. Thus, places like Green Valley were born. Owing to its strategic location, Green Valley residents could commute to bigger towns such as Las Vegas for work – the commuting time only 20 minutes – and reside in what they perceived as an environment of peace. The attraction to places like Green Valley has not been isolated in any form, as Guterson reports that the population of Las Vegas nearly touched 800,000 by the end of 2001, when Green Valley was finally materialized. It is noteworthy here, that planners had based every deed on C, C & R – covenants, conditions and restrictions. While this may sound exotic, and give heavy purport to the migration theory of Americans, Green Valley has also had its share of problems. There have been enough reports of Rape, robbery, drug proliferation and snobbery – enough to scare the bravest American away. The write-up details specific incidents – such as the story of a man who was sexually abusing children in a tennis court, and a rapist who destroyed the Utopianism of Green Valley by committing 23 murders. All this discussion of this article can lead us to two debatable and interesting conclusions: Americans are moving towards a Utopian Lifestyle, and The Migration theory of Americans is not completely warranted, as utopian American society is still far away. While the great American migration to Green Valley may be symbolic of American desires, as mentioned earlier, it is still not devoid of its mammoth problems – for we have seen how even Green Valley has had its share of problems over the years. A safe conclusion therefore, would be to accept that Americans migrate and relocate to new places in their quest for a Utopian lifestyle (and corporate houses gladly accept the free market for capitalizing it with minimal effort) – and that quest is still underway. Narrative 2: Homeplace (Scott Russell Sanders) Again an intriguing write-up, but in stark contrast to the previous report by Guterson. In this write-up, we find an interesting opposition and meaningful criticism of the migration theory of Americans. Unlike the previous report, which sought to focus on Americans relocating to different, utopian societies, Sanders writes that it is far more important to understand that one can understand foreign lands only after establishing oneself at a particular place first. In other words, Sanders wants Americans to “Stay Put”. The article immediately begins with a real-life example of a farm family in Chicago. Albeit devastated thrice by tornadoes, the Millers stayed in Ohio, rebuilding again and again. As an initial response, triggered by the advocacy of migration propounded in the previous report, it came as a complete surprise. Correctly enough, Sanders writes that Americans have always, through the years, identified themselves through their migration theory. He feels that America has been founded by Immigrants, and developed by “restless seekers”, as he puts it. In the article, Sanders seeks to promote his cause: of staying put – at a particular place. He cites the Millers as a powerful example – of why Americans can and must learn more, by being grounded to their land first. He feels that it is immaterial to go to foreign lands and learn new things, unless one knows one’s origins well. A term frequently used by the writer is “learning to ground a place”. Sanders, quoting Frost and Snyder, tries to persuade the reader into believing that one of the “key problems” with Americans is their “lack of commitment to any place”. He writes that the promised land has always been “over the ridge, behind the mountain, etc.” but never “the land beneath our feet”. Towards the end of the article, Sanders argues with a moralistic attitude. We mustn’t bequeath to our children a wasteland. In the whole process of relocation, he feels that Americans have destroyed themselves, and threaten to condemn posterity to a hellish life. As a final reaction to an idealistic and moralistic article, it is pretty much obvious that Sanders wants to know himself before exploring the world. Conclusion An independent conclusion to these two texts would mean trying to keep conflicting views on one platter. The individual reactions to the two texts have already been detailed, but a separate conclusion is essential for trying to answer the all-important question: What is best for Americans? Given the formation of places like Green Valley, and its overwhelming population, it can only mean that Americans will relocate – in conformity with what I feel is an age-old tradition – to exotic, utopian lands, should inviting opportunities present themselves. But the incidents of rape, robbery and child abuse, detailed in the article can pinch the people into accepting a view that Utopia is imaginary, even for a superpower like the United States. If mild heartedness is to be preferred, the second article clearly dissuades the American from moving over to other places – and prompts him to understand “the land beneath his feet” first. It is noteworthy here, that Sanders has not even touched the topics of rape and robbery in settlements like Green Valley – and yet successfully, forcefully and meaningfully dissuaded his compatriots from relocating. Ultimately, we may sign off by disowning the migration theory in part – Americans should not migrate for the sake of migration. However, their quest for a utopian settlement is indeed praiseworthy, and must continue. A step has been taken in the process, with the utopian places like Green Valley being formed and subsequently managed by efficient (and shrewd) corporate houses. The perfect utopia, therefore, must lie in a Green Valley that forces Americans into staying there – A meaningful, powerful and ultimate utopia. Till that day comes, questions regarding the validity of Green Valley will and must continue, for the sake of finding and hitting upon the perfect permutation. REFERENCE McQuade, Christine; McQuade, Donald: “Seeing and Writing”, 3, 103-213. Read More