“I would rather live than attain liberty.” A Mexican immigrant in the documentary “Dying to Get In” said this about coming to America. This statement is in direct conflict with what is actually going on at our border with Mexico. Over three thousand people have attempted to cross our border with Mexico illegally in the last year. Of those three thousand that attempted, nearly one thousand died. This staggering statistic shows that the statement made above is a view that few possible border-crossers have. Why are there so many deaths? Its starts with the condition that these people are walking through. With temperatures ranging from 120°F to 32°F, food and water limited, and deadly coyote leaders, it is no surprise that so many have died. Children who cross with there parents are the reason for some of the deaths as well. Children do not have the strength or the stamina to make it through the harsh Southwest desert. If there is such a great chance of dying, then why do the people risk it?
Much of the illegal immigration is based on the economic situation in Mexico. In a poll presented in the film, four out of five migrants would have rather stayed in their own country, but because they could not feed their families they had to leave.. If there are no jobs in their towns and they are unable to get sufficient food because of the climate, then they would most likely die so it makes sense to attempt to cross. They make this trip to try to improve their children’s lives as well as their own. One migrant told of how he came here so that his son could become a doctor. In this situation I too feel that I would make the trek.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Dying to Get In by Brett Tolley
This documentary won an award for being the most socially relevant by the Hollywood student film festival. Tolley takes a very multifaceted view at the controversy over the border by interviewing people from all aspects of the border war. From the director of Borderlinks, a nonprofit organization focused on unbiased education dealing with the U.S. Mexico situation, to various members of law enforcement who deal with immigration on a daily basis to people who are trying to emigrate to the United States themselves, all walks of life are covered. It interested me greatly to hear the various accounts of the people who had tried and failed to cross the border into the United States more so than the opinions heard from the other sources. It was amazing how articulate some of the people were. They stressed very emphatically that their lives were what they valued most of all. They valued their liberty very highly, but would not work for liberty if their lives were at stake. Another thing that became very evident was the importance of faith and family in Latin American culture. Many said that one of the few things that got them as far as they did was their faith in God, and their motivation to give a better life to their loved ones, even if it was at the cost of their own discomfort. They likened their risks to risking everything for the possibility of a future, or staying put and watching their loved ones die a slow death. The most powerful statement by any of the Mexican immigrants was when one man declared that they were not dogs, nor second class human beings, but poor people at the mercy of a government more focused on relieving debt rather than healing the people that their economic situation affected so harshly. He proclaimed that if Mexico were fit to live in, they never would have wanted to leave in the first place. On the economic note, both the director of Borderlinks and an immigration lawyer in Arizona argue that the economic motivations for the large influx are partially our own fault. Isabel Garcia, the immigration lawyer, talks about the harm that NAFTA has caused by flooding Mexico with cheap American corn, leaving thousands of farmers without means to support their family. Those thousands of jobless find themselves trying to cross into America for job opportunities to support their families. One border patrol officer, Lou Godino, described 100 people being dropped off to be imprisoned, then deported each night, three or four busloads. Until there exists an alternative, these people simply will not stop crossing. Because of increased security, they are forced to try more obscure, dangerous routes to avoid being caught. Over 3000 people have died in the attempt since 1994. What is incredibly interesting to me is the point made that this border is incredibly unique in the world as it is the only border where a third world country directly borders a first world country. Granted, Mexico is taking steps towards creating a stable economy, but this will not completely stop the influx. The United States seems bent on making it more and more difficult on the people trying to emigrate to the United States when oftentimes these people are directly affected by the instability in the Mexican economy caused by the United States. The immigrant who stood out the most in my mind was a man who tried going to the United States to try to help pay for his son's medical school. He was college educated, and still unable to find gainful employment within Mexico. I hope that seeing a broader, in depth view of the people behind the numbers will make Americans more sympathetic towards the hardworking people who simply want a better life for themselves and their families. I enjoyed the documentary immensely and hope that people ignorant to the struggles and aspirations of the illegal immigrants will be enlightened by this moving film.
This documentary won an award for being the most socially relevant by the Hollywood student film festival. Tolley takes a very multifaceted view at the controversy over the border by interviewing people from all aspects of the border war. From the director of Borderlinks, a nonprofit organization focused on unbiased education dealing with the U.S. Mexico situation, to various members of law enforcement who deal with immigration on a daily basis to people who are trying to emigrate to the United States themselves, all walks of life are covered. It interested me greatly to hear the various accounts of the people who had tried and failed to cross the border into the United States more so than the opinions heard from the other sources. It was amazing how articulate some of the people were. They stressed very emphatically that their lives were what they valued most of all. They valued their liberty very highly, but would not work for liberty if their lives were at stake. Another thing that became very evident was the importance of faith and family in Latin American culture. Many said that one of the few things that got them as far as they did was their faith in God, and their motivation to give a better life to their loved ones, even if it was at the cost of their own discomfort. They likened their risks to risking everything for the possibility of a future, or staying put and watching their loved ones die a slow death. The most powerful statement by any of the Mexican immigrants was when one man declared that they were not dogs, nor second class human beings, but poor people at the mercy of a government more focused on relieving debt rather than healing the people that their economic situation affected so harshly. He proclaimed that if Mexico were fit to live in, they never would have wanted to leave in the first place. On the economic note, both the director of Borderlinks and an immigration lawyer in Arizona argue that the economic motivations for the large influx are partially our own fault. Isabel Garcia, the immigration lawyer, talks about the harm that NAFTA has caused by flooding Mexico with cheap American corn, leaving thousands of farmers without means to support their family. Those thousands of jobless find themselves trying to cross into America for job opportunities to support their families. One border patrol officer, Lou Godino, described 100 people being dropped off to be imprisoned, then deported each night, three or four busloads. Until there exists an alternative, these people simply will not stop crossing. Because of increased security, they are forced to try more obscure, dangerous routes to avoid being caught. Over 3000 people have died in the attempt since 1994. What is incredibly interesting to me is the point made that this border is incredibly unique in the world as it is the only border where a third world country directly borders a first world country. Granted, Mexico is taking steps towards creating a stable economy, but this will not completely stop the influx. The United States seems bent on making it more and more difficult on the people trying to emigrate to the United States when oftentimes these people are directly affected by the instability in the Mexican economy caused by the United States. The immigrant who stood out the most in my mind was a man who tried going to the United States to try to help pay for his son's medical school. He was college educated, and still unable to find gainful employment within Mexico. I hope that seeing a broader, in depth view of the people behind the numbers will make Americans more sympathetic towards the hardworking people who simply want a better life for themselves and their families. I enjoyed the documentary immensely and hope that people ignorant to the struggles and aspirations of the illegal immigrants will be enlightened by this moving film.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Response to Dying to Get In
Immigration and Exile
Professor Szczeszak-Brewer
Tommy Pecar
December 9, 2008
The documentary Dying to Get In provides a compelling outlook at the situation which many Mexican immigrants face in today’s modern world. For decades now, the Mexican-American border is the only border in the world which separates a third world nation and a first world nation. This documentary offers a realistic view on the constant struggles which these immigrants face and the reasons behind their desire to cross into the United States.
Unlike other documentaries, this documentary looks specifically into the dangers, struggles, and problems which Mexican immigrants encounter in their efforts to cross the Mexican-American border. I for one didn’t have a strong understanding of the economic crisis which many Mexicans face. I always saw Mexico as a country that was decently off, but obviously, throughout this film and throughout the duration of this course I’ve come to an understanding with the growing economic crisis involving Mexico. Because of the severity of the issue in Mexico, it allows me to further grasp at the idea of border hoping by Mexicans. Through series of interviews throughout the documentary, it’s clear that Mexico’s economic struggle is one of the major factors for many Mexicans to pursue life in the United States. One immigrant explains in the documentary of the unfortunate circumstances in Mexico. Ramon explains the problem which not only he faces, but what many others continue to encounter in his native Mexico. The ever growing problem of providing food and water at the dinner table, lack of money to pay the bills, saving for their children’s future education, and the growing exhaustion from long hours of labor are the major contributing factors for individuals to cross the border.
While there can be several other reasons why immigrants choose to cross the border into America, providing for the family financially as well as ensuring a better future for their children are the main reasons behind the motives of many immigrants trying to cross into the United States. There is a good indication from several Mexicans that Mexico was more concerned in paying their national debt, rather than helping its citizens live a better life. Many individuals say that the Pesos (Mexico’s currency) are little or no value when compared to the American dollar which is worth so much more. One individual (Ramon), really caught my attention during his whole interview. He has several insightful views on his personal experiences on the whole issue of the border crossing. He explains how he works extremely hard in the farm fields, sunrise to sunset making no more than ten dollars a week. He explains how hard it’s for many Mexicans to hear that many Americans make that in an hour or two. Ramon and the majority of Mexicans have a continuing struggle to provide their families with the basic necessities such as food, water, clothes, etc. It becomes very easy for me to understand why so many of them want to live in America because it becomes much easier for them to provide for their families with these basic necessities.
Ramon explains that not only living in Mexico is difficult financially; it is also extremely difficult to provide their children with a chance at living a good life, a higher education and a chance of having their own family. This is yet another solid and justified reason from my perspective on the reasons why Mexicans decide to cross into America illegally. I believe this is a legitimate reason why they chose to cross over. The famous saying “I’d do anything for my family” firmly justifies why so many brave Mexicans are willing to sacrifice their lives by taking a deadly chance going through polluted rivers, rocky mountains, and boiling deserts because they know there is a strong possibility that their family will have an opportunity at a better life style. Ramon says two very interesting things on this matter. He first says that “you need to do something for your children so they don’t have to suffer like their parents” and secondly he states, “we, as parents have two choices for our children. We can either cross the border into America and create a future for our kids, or we can stay in Mexico and watch them slowly die here. I think if any parent was in my situation, they would choose the first choice.” These quotes demonstrate the harsh realities faced by numerous Mexicans. Many of them understand the current situation regarding the economic woes in Mexico. On one side, they know that if they stay in Mexico, they don’t have to go through the deadly journey into America, while on the other hand, their children will face the harsh reality of a difficult life in Mexico where Ramon believes there is a large chance of seeing their kids die. On the flip side, if they decide to cross into America, there is a big possibility of dying along the way because of the various obstacles faced throughout the journey. If they make the journey into America, then they know that there is a strong chance that their family can live a better life and ensure a better future for their children.
After watching the documentary Dying to Get In, it certainly made me change my opinion of the ongoing issue of illegal crossing on the Mexican-American border. Before this film, I had a biased view on illegal immigrants crossing into America. I never thought they should cross into America because I thought the situation in Mexico wasn’t really that bad. But obviously after seeing this film and reading a few other articles in regards to Mexico’s economic issue, it made me realize the huge struggles that many Mexicans today face: the inability to make a decent earning, the inability to provide for their family, and most importantly, the inability to ensure their children’s future. Dying to Get In has truly changed my outlook on the border crossing issues. Unlike previous films, I have now had the opportunity to see the story from the immigrant’s perspective. I’m able to understand the reasons behind their choice to cross the border because in all honesty, I too would do anything for my family. I leave this response with one of the most unselfish response from Ramon which only further exemplifies the reasons why they cross over into America. “If we had a good country which cared about its citizens, if we had money, and a good standard of living, we wouldn’t be here[America].”
Professor Szczeszak-Brewer
Tommy Pecar
December 9, 2008
The documentary Dying to Get In provides a compelling outlook at the situation which many Mexican immigrants face in today’s modern world. For decades now, the Mexican-American border is the only border in the world which separates a third world nation and a first world nation. This documentary offers a realistic view on the constant struggles which these immigrants face and the reasons behind their desire to cross into the United States.
Unlike other documentaries, this documentary looks specifically into the dangers, struggles, and problems which Mexican immigrants encounter in their efforts to cross the Mexican-American border. I for one didn’t have a strong understanding of the economic crisis which many Mexicans face. I always saw Mexico as a country that was decently off, but obviously, throughout this film and throughout the duration of this course I’ve come to an understanding with the growing economic crisis involving Mexico. Because of the severity of the issue in Mexico, it allows me to further grasp at the idea of border hoping by Mexicans. Through series of interviews throughout the documentary, it’s clear that Mexico’s economic struggle is one of the major factors for many Mexicans to pursue life in the United States. One immigrant explains in the documentary of the unfortunate circumstances in Mexico. Ramon explains the problem which not only he faces, but what many others continue to encounter in his native Mexico. The ever growing problem of providing food and water at the dinner table, lack of money to pay the bills, saving for their children’s future education, and the growing exhaustion from long hours of labor are the major contributing factors for individuals to cross the border.
While there can be several other reasons why immigrants choose to cross the border into America, providing for the family financially as well as ensuring a better future for their children are the main reasons behind the motives of many immigrants trying to cross into the United States. There is a good indication from several Mexicans that Mexico was more concerned in paying their national debt, rather than helping its citizens live a better life. Many individuals say that the Pesos (Mexico’s currency) are little or no value when compared to the American dollar which is worth so much more. One individual (Ramon), really caught my attention during his whole interview. He has several insightful views on his personal experiences on the whole issue of the border crossing. He explains how he works extremely hard in the farm fields, sunrise to sunset making no more than ten dollars a week. He explains how hard it’s for many Mexicans to hear that many Americans make that in an hour or two. Ramon and the majority of Mexicans have a continuing struggle to provide their families with the basic necessities such as food, water, clothes, etc. It becomes very easy for me to understand why so many of them want to live in America because it becomes much easier for them to provide for their families with these basic necessities.
Ramon explains that not only living in Mexico is difficult financially; it is also extremely difficult to provide their children with a chance at living a good life, a higher education and a chance of having their own family. This is yet another solid and justified reason from my perspective on the reasons why Mexicans decide to cross into America illegally. I believe this is a legitimate reason why they chose to cross over. The famous saying “I’d do anything for my family” firmly justifies why so many brave Mexicans are willing to sacrifice their lives by taking a deadly chance going through polluted rivers, rocky mountains, and boiling deserts because they know there is a strong possibility that their family will have an opportunity at a better life style. Ramon says two very interesting things on this matter. He first says that “you need to do something for your children so they don’t have to suffer like their parents” and secondly he states, “we, as parents have two choices for our children. We can either cross the border into America and create a future for our kids, or we can stay in Mexico and watch them slowly die here. I think if any parent was in my situation, they would choose the first choice.” These quotes demonstrate the harsh realities faced by numerous Mexicans. Many of them understand the current situation regarding the economic woes in Mexico. On one side, they know that if they stay in Mexico, they don’t have to go through the deadly journey into America, while on the other hand, their children will face the harsh reality of a difficult life in Mexico where Ramon believes there is a large chance of seeing their kids die. On the flip side, if they decide to cross into America, there is a big possibility of dying along the way because of the various obstacles faced throughout the journey. If they make the journey into America, then they know that there is a strong chance that their family can live a better life and ensure a better future for their children.
After watching the documentary Dying to Get In, it certainly made me change my opinion of the ongoing issue of illegal crossing on the Mexican-American border. Before this film, I had a biased view on illegal immigrants crossing into America. I never thought they should cross into America because I thought the situation in Mexico wasn’t really that bad. But obviously after seeing this film and reading a few other articles in regards to Mexico’s economic issue, it made me realize the huge struggles that many Mexicans today face: the inability to make a decent earning, the inability to provide for their family, and most importantly, the inability to ensure their children’s future. Dying to Get In has truly changed my outlook on the border crossing issues. Unlike previous films, I have now had the opportunity to see the story from the immigrant’s perspective. I’m able to understand the reasons behind their choice to cross the border because in all honesty, I too would do anything for my family. I leave this response with one of the most unselfish response from Ramon which only further exemplifies the reasons why they cross over into America. “If we had a good country which cared about its citizens, if we had money, and a good standard of living, we wouldn’t be here[America].”
"Dying to Get In"
The documentary “Dying to Get In,” by Brett Tolley, is a real and eye-opening perspective on what it is like crossing the border. In the beginning of the movie, a few illegal immigrants are explaining their reasoning on why they crossed the border illegally. These men look as if they have lost all hope, because they have been captured by the border patrol. They are being detained and being questioned for their actions. The one man justifies his reasons for crossing illegally with a very heart-wrenching and convincing story. He says that he came across to acquire a job in order to pay for his son's education. His son is going to medical school and, in Mexico, he cannot obtain a substantial job that would pay for this education. So he comes to America to get a decent job to send money to pay for his son to go to school. The people crossing the border are only looking to better their families by taking advantage of the opportunities here in America. People in Mexico say America brought this illegal immigration upon themselves because of jobs being taken away from people in Mexico. For example, by selling Mexico cheap corn the farmers in Mexico couldn't compare and thus had to shut down and become jobless. It is an unfortunate true cause of the surge of illegal immigration.
The documentary then describes the business that is crossing the border. Many of the border crossing towns in Mexico feed off of the people coming to cross illegally. They take advantage of this economic migration by having things such as busses to take people to the borders, shops for supplies, hostels to house the immigrant, vendors for food, and coyotes to get them across. Coyotes are the main risk of border crossing because these “guides” take the people the wrong way then rob them. These guides also may not know the best way to get in the country. The coyotes know the people have a lot of money on them, so they rob them when they get close to the border. Coyotes are a dangerous risk, but many people are willing to take this risk considering no one knows the correct routes to cross other than these coyotes. The documentary shows many people praying they will be safe in their travels because it is such a risk. Since 1994, 3000 people have died trying to come across the border. It is a dangerous and risky task for those who want a better life.
It is an eye-opening documentary because it gives the side of the story not heard very often, it gives the side of the illegal immigrants. I have learned things that had never really come to mind about the actual travel of the immigrants and the risks they had to overcome. I now know that these people have very legitimate reasons for coming across the border to the U.S. and how hard it is to actually do so. I never realized how nerve racking an experience like this would be. I really don't know how these immigrants can handle all of the fears that come along with the trek. I could not handle the fact that I maybe wont make it. I have respect for these people in what they are doing because they are risking their lives to come into this country to better their lives. They truly are “dying to get in.”
Dying to Get In
The documentary “Dying to Get In” shows immigration from the perspective of the immigrants. The director Brent Tolley interviewed immigrants who have been detained and some who have successfully crossed the border and let them tell their story on why they wanted to come to America. He let them talk about their experiences with trying to sneak into the country, and why they migrated to the United States. One immigrant he interviewed showed a lot of emotion because the immigrants don’t understand why we guard the border so severely. Another immigrant said “one day America will need to change its way on how it looks at things (immigration).” I believe he said this because most of the immigrants, including him, trying to cross the border are in need of some help financially. The only place that can give them this help and support is the United States. This provided a more emotional side of why people want to come to this country to me. They believe that the United States is the greatest country in the world. The problem with this is; the United States has problems itself. Our economy is at an all time low, we are still scared about terrorist attacks, and we are involved in two wars. While the border patrol and the United States make it hard for immigrants another group of people says they help, but they just make things worse. This group is known as the ‘coyotes,’ people who get paid to sneak in immigrants from Mexico. These manipulative people take advantage of the people they are ‘helping,’ but really the coyotes are taking the immigrants money and leaving them out to dry. There are some coyotes that honestly do help the immigrants cross the border, but only a few really help. One man that was interviewed said “some coyote’s get you so lost there isn’t any way to return home.”
Immigration is a very hot topic discussed all over the country. Most Americans think that the immigrants coming over are hurting the country as a whole, but the immigrants who sneak into the country don’t want to be here anyway. Did you know that four out of five migrants would prefer to stay back at home? Due to their struggles at home they believe that coming to America and working here for a few years will help them get back on their feet. One immigrant that was detained by the border patrol said “We aren’t dogs, we aren’t second class people, and it’s not our fault that we live in a poor country. All we want is a better life.” This is a problem we need to fix as a country. Most of the people who migrate to the United States are in need of help. They need a job to pay for their families needs. Most of the immigrants who come over to the United States just need help financially. The government on the other hand will tell them to go through the asylum process, but the process to obtain citizenship could take years and years to. Our country makes it too hard for immigrants to obtain citizenship. There are too many fees and too many questions they ask. I know they ask these questions because of terrorism, but I don’t understand why they charge so many fees while the person is working and putting money in the economy. Many disagree because of the terrorism issue, but something needs to be done to broadcast the big picture of human beings trying to make a better life for their families. One expert that was interviewed on the film said, “the America-Mexico border is the only place where a third world country meets with a first world country.” Sadly, this statement is true and we, as Americans need to help people who are desperate for money.
Immigration is a very hot topic discussed all over the country. Most Americans think that the immigrants coming over are hurting the country as a whole, but the immigrants who sneak into the country don’t want to be here anyway. Did you know that four out of five migrants would prefer to stay back at home? Due to their struggles at home they believe that coming to America and working here for a few years will help them get back on their feet. One immigrant that was detained by the border patrol said “We aren’t dogs, we aren’t second class people, and it’s not our fault that we live in a poor country. All we want is a better life.” This is a problem we need to fix as a country. Most of the people who migrate to the United States are in need of help. They need a job to pay for their families needs. Most of the immigrants who come over to the United States just need help financially. The government on the other hand will tell them to go through the asylum process, but the process to obtain citizenship could take years and years to. Our country makes it too hard for immigrants to obtain citizenship. There are too many fees and too many questions they ask. I know they ask these questions because of terrorism, but I don’t understand why they charge so many fees while the person is working and putting money in the economy. Many disagree because of the terrorism issue, but something needs to be done to broadcast the big picture of human beings trying to make a better life for their families. One expert that was interviewed on the film said, “the America-Mexico border is the only place where a third world country meets with a first world country.” Sadly, this statement is true and we, as Americans need to help people who are desperate for money.
Dying To Get In
Brett Tolley, the director of Dying To Get In, filmed from the point-of-view of the illegal Hispanic immigrants trying to cross into the United States through the southern border. These illegal immigrants that he followed throughout the documentary show how they feel about the United States laws towards immigrants and why they have the same rights to be in the United States as any other person.
Surprisingly, four out of five illegal workers that are in the United States would have rather stayed in Mexico, but because of the lack of governmental funding for the Mexican citizens, they are forced to come to America to find work to be able to feed their families. In my opinion, the Mexican government needs to supply their citizens with better jobs and possibly more need based programs like the United States has formed, i.e. welfare, section eight low income housing and Medicare.
In the most heavily crossed points in the United States and Mexico border, there have been high fences put in place to keep out illegal immigrants. This has forced illegal’s to travel into the remote areas of the desert to cross, which takes up to four days. Because they are forced to travel in the desert, more than 3,000 illegal Mexican immigrants have died due to dehydration and weather conditions. There is another way illegal’s come into America. There are coyotes which are people who transport illegal Mexicans into the United States either by driving them over the border in a vehicle or traveling by foot with them through the desert. These illegals spend most of their savings in order to cross the border with a coyote. Unfortunately for them, the United States catches most of them and deports them back to Mexico.
In response to the documentary, it angered me. Many of these immigrants do not stop trying to cross the border even after they have been caught. They break the law every time they try crossing the border. In my opinion, if a person is caught trying to cross the border they should be detained for a duration of time and fined a large amount of money. I did like that there is a group that tries to keep the illegal’s safe when crossing the border. Groupo Beta is the group that tries to inform the Mexicans that try to cross the border of the dangers that they may encounter. This group also tells the people that are crossing that if they encounter trouble, they should seek an American patrol for help. It was very different looking at immigration from a Mexican perspective than from my American vision. This is why I was outraged at some of the sights I saw in the documentary.
Dying To Get In
Brett Tolley
Surprisingly, four out of five illegal workers that are in the United States would have rather stayed in Mexico, but because of the lack of governmental funding for the Mexican citizens, they are forced to come to America to find work to be able to feed their families. In my opinion, the Mexican government needs to supply their citizens with better jobs and possibly more need based programs like the United States has formed, i.e. welfare, section eight low income housing and Medicare.
In the most heavily crossed points in the United States and Mexico border, there have been high fences put in place to keep out illegal immigrants. This has forced illegal’s to travel into the remote areas of the desert to cross, which takes up to four days. Because they are forced to travel in the desert, more than 3,000 illegal Mexican immigrants have died due to dehydration and weather conditions. There is another way illegal’s come into America. There are coyotes which are people who transport illegal Mexicans into the United States either by driving them over the border in a vehicle or traveling by foot with them through the desert. These illegals spend most of their savings in order to cross the border with a coyote. Unfortunately for them, the United States catches most of them and deports them back to Mexico.
In response to the documentary, it angered me. Many of these immigrants do not stop trying to cross the border even after they have been caught. They break the law every time they try crossing the border. In my opinion, if a person is caught trying to cross the border they should be detained for a duration of time and fined a large amount of money. I did like that there is a group that tries to keep the illegal’s safe when crossing the border. Groupo Beta is the group that tries to inform the Mexicans that try to cross the border of the dangers that they may encounter. This group also tells the people that are crossing that if they encounter trouble, they should seek an American patrol for help. It was very different looking at immigration from a Mexican perspective than from my American vision. This is why I was outraged at some of the sights I saw in the documentary.
Dying To Get In
Brett Tolley
"Dying to Get In"
“Dying to Get In” was a very informing documentary on Latino immigrants from Mexico and their struggles trying to get into America. Many of these people are fleeing to America to find better work and wages. They are coming from a poor third world country into a first world country and doing so illegally is very dangerous due to the gauntlet (desert) that lies ahead of them. Many of these immigrants are good people who are seeking a better route to earning money for their families. One immigrant stated that in one full day of work, he earned only ten U.S. dollars. Another immigrant said that living in Mexico was very dangerous and that the living conditions are unsanitary. The film stated that four out of five migrants prefer to work in one place rather than traveling around to find work in different places. The film told us about the three operations set up to keep these illegal immigrants out. The three operations were known as Gate Keeper, Safe Guard, and Rio Grande.
Crossing the deadly desert is no easy task, and many die along the way due to extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the treacherous walk. One group stated that the journey could last about three to four days. These large groups are lead by “Coyote’s” who for a large fee will illegally smuggle immigrants through the desert into America. Some of these smugglers are not trustworthy and on some occasions will leave these people stranded along the way.
Before leaving Mexico some of these immigrants go to a city known as Altar. This destination is used frequently for immigrants coming from the South, because it offers them time to rest before they are shipped in vans to Sasabe which is right on the border. In altar there is a shelter that offers these people a place to stay and receive a warm meal. These immigrants know that they have a long journey and do not know what to expect long the way. Many Latino immigrants rely on faith to get them into America safely. Groupo Beta is an organization out of Mexico who stations themselves along roads that lead to towns along the border. They stated that in one day they saw 2,700 immigrants that were attempting to cross the border. When Groupo Beta stops these vehicles full of immigrants, they explain to them the risks of crossing into America before they experience them first hand. They also tell these immigrants that if help is needed, seek the nearest border patrol official and ask for help. Also, they provide these immigrants with a number to call if they run into serious trouble. The border patrol is becoming larger and more advanced in what they are doing making illegal immigration over the U.S. /Mexico border much harder and intimidating for illegal immigrants.
At the end one immigrant stated that if the living conditions in Mexico were acceptable than they would have no reason to come and live in America. The film stated that since 1999, 3,000 illegal immigrants have died. This is a continuing controversial problem that needs a lot of attention. Border patrol officials are doing their job by keeping these illegal immigrants who are breaking the law out of the country. On the other hand, the Mexican immigrants believe that they are improving their lives and escaping a country that is not suitable for them to live in. They do not see anything wrong with what they are doing.
Documentary By: Brett Tolley
Crossing the deadly desert is no easy task, and many die along the way due to extreme temperatures, lack of water, and the treacherous walk. One group stated that the journey could last about three to four days. These large groups are lead by “Coyote’s” who for a large fee will illegally smuggle immigrants through the desert into America. Some of these smugglers are not trustworthy and on some occasions will leave these people stranded along the way.
Before leaving Mexico some of these immigrants go to a city known as Altar. This destination is used frequently for immigrants coming from the South, because it offers them time to rest before they are shipped in vans to Sasabe which is right on the border. In altar there is a shelter that offers these people a place to stay and receive a warm meal. These immigrants know that they have a long journey and do not know what to expect long the way. Many Latino immigrants rely on faith to get them into America safely. Groupo Beta is an organization out of Mexico who stations themselves along roads that lead to towns along the border. They stated that in one day they saw 2,700 immigrants that were attempting to cross the border. When Groupo Beta stops these vehicles full of immigrants, they explain to them the risks of crossing into America before they experience them first hand. They also tell these immigrants that if help is needed, seek the nearest border patrol official and ask for help. Also, they provide these immigrants with a number to call if they run into serious trouble. The border patrol is becoming larger and more advanced in what they are doing making illegal immigration over the U.S. /Mexico border much harder and intimidating for illegal immigrants.
At the end one immigrant stated that if the living conditions in Mexico were acceptable than they would have no reason to come and live in America. The film stated that since 1999, 3,000 illegal immigrants have died. This is a continuing controversial problem that needs a lot of attention. Border patrol officials are doing their job by keeping these illegal immigrants who are breaking the law out of the country. On the other hand, the Mexican immigrants believe that they are improving their lives and escaping a country that is not suitable for them to live in. They do not see anything wrong with what they are doing.
Documentary By: Brett Tolley
Dying To Get In
Eric Schlosser said it best, "Left to its own devices, the free market always seeks a work force that is hungry, desperate, and cheap - a work force that is anything but free." The documentary "Dying to Get In," released in 2007, shows the audience that this quote is an accurate statement. I say this because the documentary shows how Mexico depends on illegal immigration to help its unemployment problem, while the United States depends on illegal immigration for cheap labor, which was a result of the free market system between the two nations. The documentary "Dying to Get In" is an Angelus International Student Film Festival–finalist feature-length documentary that tells astonishing stories of border crossing and the people who cross. These men, women, and children tell a story of the human dream and the pursuit of happiness deserved by all. By relying on faith, laughter, and family, today's migrants cope with the struggle to survive. It is through their deplorable stories of trying to find a better home for their family in the United States that we can gain a greater understanding of the festering national problem of immigration. Since 1994, the United States/Mexican border, christened a "gauntlet of death" by documentarian Brett Tolley, has been the scene of countless deaths. The number of deaths in the Southern Arizona desert has continued to increase until the summer of 2005 when it reached a record high. Many of these senseless deaths occurred from dehydration. The documentary also stated that the larger context behind our country’s undocumented population illustrates that trade policies and economic sanctions do not allow people (immigrates) to stay on their land (native nation). The mass exudes started two years following the signature of NAFTA in 1994 when over one million Mexican farmers were displaced because of United States was able to produce cheaper corn. This film shows us as American citizens, as we move into a global world it is vitally important that we take on global responsibility.My opinion of the movie “Dying to Get In” is that it is sad that this level of inhumanity is occurring in the 21st century. Undocumented immigration from Mexico to the United States is the result of economic polarity between a rich country and a poor country. My question to the world is how does such a large economic difference exist between two countries that have collaborated in a trade agreement to promote fair competition and open market? The answer to this question is that trade policies have in fact exacerbated the migration problem, and led to thousands of deaths along the United States/Mexican border. It seems to me that the United States businessmen are more than willing to accept cheap Mexican labor and the government promotes this by granting amnesty programs. The focus on illegal immigration as a law enforcement problem takes attention away from the fact that Mexico depends on illegal immigration to help its unemployment problem, while the United States depends on illegal immigration for cheap labor. Unless the United States government addresses the root causes of immigration, the problem will continue to grow. I believe that the best thing that could come as a result of this documentary is to humanize our country's new immigrants and to create a dialogue for people with no connection there.
Movie Title: Dying to Get In
Documentary By: Brett Tolley
Dying To Get In-Illegal Immigration Border Control
The film “Dying to Get In,” is a documentary by Brett Tolley that portrays a firsthand illustration of undocumented immigration along the U.S. and Mexican border. The documentaries span from a father attempting to cross the border with his five children to a mother trying to cross the border with her husband and five year old son. Their respective beliefs towards what they believe are the best ways to get across the border differ significantly; however, their goals are alike. They both strive to cross the border in order to not only make better lives for themselves, but also for their children and the rest of their families back home.
One of the documentaries illustrated a father’s quest to guide his five young children across the dangerous Sonoran Desert. The father explains how finding the right “Coyote” is the difference between life and death. A “Coyote” is a person who takes pay from desperate Mexican locals and helps try to smuggle them across the southern border. The very next documentary is about a mother that explains how her faith in the Lord will safely guide her family of a husband and child across the relentless desert. These two people illustrate just two circumstances of the many anecdotes about illegal immigrant’s journeys across the desert to cross the border Sonoran desert. They trek across the desert because of the advantages there are in crossing the border. The landscape of Arizona leaves areas where border patrols are not as abundant due to the conditions. Mexico, along with many other southern countries, doesn’t provide the necessary compensation for the amount of work citizens do day in and day out. Thus, their last resort is to cross the border illegally into the US in order to provide for their families.
This documentary provides the audience with the illegal immigrants point of view pertaining to crossing the border illegally. This film showed me just how desperate some of the families are to cross the border. It is shocking to me how so many parents were willing not only to risk their lives, but also their children’s lives in hope of a better life. I was amazed at how persistent they were in attempting to illegally cross the border. It was hard for me to believe how after many of these illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross the border, they had only the mind set of attempting to once again after being released from custody. I found it hard to come to terms with how there was even a group created to give advice to people trying to cross the desert. I believe that Grupo Beta has good intentions considering the amount of deaths recorded in the desert annually. However, I felt they were still letting all these people down by not stopping them from proceeding. I understand that many of these people trying to cross the border have almost no other option. However, I don’t understand why this group doesn’t at least intervene and try to reduce the amount of deaths in the desert even more significantly by not allowing people to illegally cross the border via the desert. I strongly believe that something should be done in Mexico in order to help these families economically. I think that the US should try and help aid Mexico who seems more interested in paying back an enormous debt than looking after its own people. I believe that having better jobs and opportunities will reduce the amount of casualties found in the desert attempting the cross the US/Mexico border. I believe the people won’t be as desperate and will be less likely to risk their lives for a better future. I suggest that the US government should deal with the problem of illegal immigration by providing these immigrants with temporary work visas. These immigrants should be allotted service hours they must complete in order to receive proper immigration forms. After they complete these service hours they should fill out the immigration forms. I believe that if immigrants with clean records and representation of true documents should be allowed to legally live in the US with a permanent resident green card. There are inclinations that allowing the millions of immigrants to reside in the US would lead to overpopulation. I believe this may become a concern, but that it should be dealt with if in fact the issue ever arises. In doing so I believe the issue of border control will be resolved, and more peace and opportunities will thus reduce the abundance of illegal immigrants trying to cross the US/ Mexico border.
One of the documentaries illustrated a father’s quest to guide his five young children across the dangerous Sonoran Desert. The father explains how finding the right “Coyote” is the difference between life and death. A “Coyote” is a person who takes pay from desperate Mexican locals and helps try to smuggle them across the southern border. The very next documentary is about a mother that explains how her faith in the Lord will safely guide her family of a husband and child across the relentless desert. These two people illustrate just two circumstances of the many anecdotes about illegal immigrant’s journeys across the desert to cross the border Sonoran desert. They trek across the desert because of the advantages there are in crossing the border. The landscape of Arizona leaves areas where border patrols are not as abundant due to the conditions. Mexico, along with many other southern countries, doesn’t provide the necessary compensation for the amount of work citizens do day in and day out. Thus, their last resort is to cross the border illegally into the US in order to provide for their families.
This documentary provides the audience with the illegal immigrants point of view pertaining to crossing the border illegally. This film showed me just how desperate some of the families are to cross the border. It is shocking to me how so many parents were willing not only to risk their lives, but also their children’s lives in hope of a better life. I was amazed at how persistent they were in attempting to illegally cross the border. It was hard for me to believe how after many of these illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross the border, they had only the mind set of attempting to once again after being released from custody. I found it hard to come to terms with how there was even a group created to give advice to people trying to cross the desert. I believe that Grupo Beta has good intentions considering the amount of deaths recorded in the desert annually. However, I felt they were still letting all these people down by not stopping them from proceeding. I understand that many of these people trying to cross the border have almost no other option. However, I don’t understand why this group doesn’t at least intervene and try to reduce the amount of deaths in the desert even more significantly by not allowing people to illegally cross the border via the desert. I strongly believe that something should be done in Mexico in order to help these families economically. I think that the US should try and help aid Mexico who seems more interested in paying back an enormous debt than looking after its own people. I believe that having better jobs and opportunities will reduce the amount of casualties found in the desert attempting the cross the US/Mexico border. I believe the people won’t be as desperate and will be less likely to risk their lives for a better future. I suggest that the US government should deal with the problem of illegal immigration by providing these immigrants with temporary work visas. These immigrants should be allotted service hours they must complete in order to receive proper immigration forms. After they complete these service hours they should fill out the immigration forms. I believe that if immigrants with clean records and representation of true documents should be allowed to legally live in the US with a permanent resident green card. There are inclinations that allowing the millions of immigrants to reside in the US would lead to overpopulation. I believe this may become a concern, but that it should be dealt with if in fact the issue ever arises. In doing so I believe the issue of border control will be resolved, and more peace and opportunities will thus reduce the abundance of illegal immigrants trying to cross the US/ Mexico border.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Border War
Immigration is one of the most debated issues we as Americans face today. To break immigration down to a simpler word it would be border. The border is a problem that not just the United States government faces, but whole country as a whole. This documentary was about how the border patrol goes about their everyday lives. It also shows the side of the immigrants attempting to cross the border. The story followed four different people and their lives. The first person it followed was a border patrolman and showed the things he goes through while trying to lead the patrol. The next person the documentary followed was a legal immigrant who was for the minutemen patrol. She was against her people because when she was growing up she was molested by a 30 year old man and got married at age 12 and had her first child. While she was talking about this she kind of laughed because it was one of the ways she could get over what happened to her. The next person’s story was about a married couple whose marriage ended because her husband got shot in cold blood by an illegal immigrant. This case was so bad because he was a police officer making a routine stop and the immigrant who killed him had been deported multiple times are ready. Finally, the last person it followed was a congressman who is fighting to end illegal immigration in the government.
The documentary showed all sides of the debate on immigration and the border. It showed the negative, positive, and the neutral sides of the debate. It opened my eyes to see what some people go through. The ones who work for the border patrol, the illegal immigrants who try to cross the border and even the steps it takes someone trying to fix the issue. I think we need do something about this issue because it will stop the killing of immigrants, American people, and hopefully to step the molestation of girls. I hope more congressmen are out there like the one in the movie so they can make change in our government.
The documentary showed all sides of the debate on immigration and the border. It showed the negative, positive, and the neutral sides of the debate. It opened my eyes to see what some people go through. The ones who work for the border patrol, the illegal immigrants who try to cross the border and even the steps it takes someone trying to fix the issue. I think we need do something about this issue because it will stop the killing of immigrants, American people, and hopefully to step the molestation of girls. I hope more congressmen are out there like the one in the movie so they can make change in our government.
Analysis of Border War Film
More illegal immigrants cross the United States border through Arizona than California, Mexico, and Texas combined. The movie Border War illustrates the controversy over illegal immigration through documenting the lives of five people affected most by the rise of illegal immigration. The documentary focuses on the lives of people mostly affected by the rise of illegal immigration due to vulnerable United States southern border with Mexico. The movie begins with the documentary of the Field Operations Advisor at the United States Border patrol in Nogales, Arizona, Agent Jose Maheda. The audience gets to witness firsthand what Agent Maheda has to do deal with every day. The audience witnesses him engaging in a pursuit and capturing a van full of illegal immigrants attempting to cross the border. This is something that he does on a daily basis in order to disrupt smuggling across the United States southern border. The next documentary shifts to United States Representative J.D. Hayworth. The Congressmen introduced the Enforcement First Immigration Act. He represents Arizona’s 5th Congressional District and utilizes this Act as a source that he refers when talking about anti-illegal immigration and developing new proposals. Lupe Moreno, a volunteer citizen that belongs to The Minutemen Project is the focus of the next documentary. She was the daughter to a former safe house smuggler for illegal immigrants. A Latino herself, Lupe Moreno’s documentary illustrates her fight for Immigration Reform. The documentary shows her attending rallies and siding against the protesters whom believe border control is wrong. The fourth documentary is about the death of Deputy Dave March, gunned down by an illegal immigrant that fled to Mexico. It illustrates how Widow Teri March attempts to answer the question about Armando Garcia’s legal surrender to the jurisdiction of Mexico.
The final documentary poses as the counterargument towards illegal immigration and border control. Enrique Morones is the president of Border Angles. He along with many others helps illegal immigrants crossing the border by giving them water, blankets, and food. Prior to his group’s aid, illegal immigrants crossing the border would go without food or water and end up dying in the extreme desert conditions. Enrique claims to be the first dual citizen of the US and Mexico. Enrique states in the movie that “we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.” Enrique, as well as many of his supporters, believes that the United States stole rather than purchased northern areas of his countries land centuries ago. He believes that the US intruded on Mexico rather than the other way around. He is anti-border control because he believes it only leads to death and heartache. He believes that the illegal immigrants crossing the border will continue to cross because they see it as the only solution to better their lives.
Border War illustrates, by virtue of documentaries, the firsthand accounts of how the struggle over illegal immigration affects people most affected by it. I believe that this movie has more cons than pros considering how it argued for border control. There were five documentaries of which four of them focused on why border control of illegal immigrants was a necessity. There was only one documentary that illustrated the counterargument of border control of illegal immigrants. The movie is convincing about how border control of illegal immigrants should be more strictly enforced. The four documentaries supporting this claim demonstrate clearly how illegal immigrants can be at times harmful in the US society. However, in the fifth documentary with Enrique Morones, it does a poor job of elaborating on what Enrique Morones believes should be initiated by the government in order to keep illegal immigrants from dying in the southern border deserts. Too much time is spent on supporting their claim against illegal immigration than validating a counterargument. I believe this movie was a bit too bias when it came to supporting its claims. I didn’t feel like there was objective arguments made on both sides of the conflict. I believe this film did a poor job of convincing an audience that supports the counterargument to border control on the US southern borders to side with them on the matter.
The final documentary poses as the counterargument towards illegal immigration and border control. Enrique Morones is the president of Border Angles. He along with many others helps illegal immigrants crossing the border by giving them water, blankets, and food. Prior to his group’s aid, illegal immigrants crossing the border would go without food or water and end up dying in the extreme desert conditions. Enrique claims to be the first dual citizen of the US and Mexico. Enrique states in the movie that “we didn’t cross the border, the border crossed us.” Enrique, as well as many of his supporters, believes that the United States stole rather than purchased northern areas of his countries land centuries ago. He believes that the US intruded on Mexico rather than the other way around. He is anti-border control because he believes it only leads to death and heartache. He believes that the illegal immigrants crossing the border will continue to cross because they see it as the only solution to better their lives.
Border War illustrates, by virtue of documentaries, the firsthand accounts of how the struggle over illegal immigration affects people most affected by it. I believe that this movie has more cons than pros considering how it argued for border control. There were five documentaries of which four of them focused on why border control of illegal immigrants was a necessity. There was only one documentary that illustrated the counterargument of border control of illegal immigrants. The movie is convincing about how border control of illegal immigrants should be more strictly enforced. The four documentaries supporting this claim demonstrate clearly how illegal immigrants can be at times harmful in the US society. However, in the fifth documentary with Enrique Morones, it does a poor job of elaborating on what Enrique Morones believes should be initiated by the government in order to keep illegal immigrants from dying in the southern border deserts. Too much time is spent on supporting their claim against illegal immigration than validating a counterargument. I believe this movie was a bit too bias when it came to supporting its claims. I didn’t feel like there was objective arguments made on both sides of the conflict. I believe this film did a poor job of convincing an audience that supports the counterargument to border control on the US southern borders to side with them on the matter.
Bombs Kill at Least 32 Iraqis in Baghdad and Mosul
This past Monday, more than 32 Iraqis were killed by suicide bombers in Baghdad and Mosul. Surprisingly the bombing in Baghdad took place outside a police training academy just as students were leaving. Witnesses stated that they saw a teenage boy get out of a car in front of the academy, walk into the crowd of people and students and detonated himself. The car that the teenage boy came in exploded shortly after the teenager blew himself up. Around 15 people died from the car explosion. That same Monday morning in Mosul, a suicide bomber killed at least 17, reports said. This attack was towards an American-Iraqi convoy. The violence for these attacks was brought on by the Iraqi Parliament’s approval about a security decision about American troops staying in Iraqi until 2011. This apparently angered Iraqi rebels. Even though there have been many bombings within the past year, the United States is working diligently with the Iraqi government and the United Nations to figure out a solution to stop the bombings.
The New York Times
International page A10
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Written by: Katherine Zoepf
The New York Times
International page A10
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Written by: Katherine Zoepf
Border Wars
After watching the documentary Border Wars, it was quite evident that the documentary was portraying a negative view towards illegal immigrants; focusing on the growing problems faced on the American-Mexican borders in the south. While many immigrant activists may feel that this documentary film provides a very biased view on illegal immigrants, I feel it is much merited. It was quite evident throughout the film that these illegal immigrants would do anything and everything to cross the borders into America to live a better life than the one they have in Mexico. I for one agree with the views by Congressman Hayworth. He is a strong advocate for stronger and tighter border control with Mexico. He stated in the film that while only 1500 people are caught crossing illegally, another 4000 are able to cross illegally into America and head up north into urban areas because there is a smaller chance that they would be caught by the police. Now I really don’t understand the commotion with Hayworth’s view. His intentions is to make the American border more secure and stable so that we can put a stop to these illegal immigrants. Many other Americans feel the same way. While this belief is widespread, many Latinos believe that this white people being racist towards the Latino community. First and foremost, how can this be accurate? Congressman Hayworth said that the United States allows 200,000 LEGAL Mexicans into this country a year. America shows no discrimination, xenophobia, racism (whatever you want to call it) towards the Latino community when it comes to the immigration debate. I believe the problem felt by Hayworth and many other Americans is the illegal immigration problem. Why should these people deserve the right to be in America illegally? A Latina said in the protests “we have the right to be here...This use to be Mexico’s.” I believe that it is these people that are making the problems in this debate and throughout the film. Sure, way back when, some of the land might have been Mexico’s, but obviously the United States paid for this land and it’s theirs now. I’m honestly feeling irritated by these people who want to live life in America illegally. The same old stuff keeps occurring. It is no way fair for them to live in America and deny the right for others to gain citizenship and asylum. The reality is that these are criminals and they are not welcomed here. If they were legal I allow them in with open arms, but in reality they are not. This is a growing problem for the United States, and if something is not done to secure the border and inflict stricter laws and punishments, this will only escalate into deeper and bigger problems for America and Americans in the near future.
"Border War"
“Border War” was a very interesting documentary on illegal immigrants and some of the ways they sneak across the border into America. To some this is a big problem that needs some sort of solution. This is why we have a border patrol. Mr. Maheda is a border patrol officer who had some information to share with us individuals who are less educated on the issue. He explained how smugglers gather large groups of immigrants and help them get into America. These smugglers also referred to as scouts, make a good deal of money for what they do. After sneaking these individuals across the border, they offer up safe houses for these illegal immigrants to stay in until they venture further in land away from the border. We heard the story of Lupe Moreno and how he ran a safe house. At first they were living out of a garage and hosting illegal immigrants there. His wife said that she would not put up with anymore illegal activity when they moved to their new home. Lupe Moreno did not abide by her standards and she was forced to flee the family. This safe house was the second one instated in California, which was later discovered when his daughter would talk about the issue. She did not like all the new company and even slept with one of the immigrants who was staying there. She was often molested and had two kids by the age fifteen. Congressman J.D. Hayworth, stated that out of all immigrants 4,500 make it across illegally. He believes that to correct the problem we need to enforce existing laws and close out all other options. Illegal Immigrants are usually coming to the United States to work, but some find themselves caught up in the drug smuggling process. In saying this, there are many individuals who believe that this issue is a big problem, where others like Enrique believe otherwise. In the 1980’s Enrique was a part of the “Border Angels” who would march up into the canyons and provide these illegal immigrants with supplies like food and water. He believes that they are just crossing to improve their lives and doesn’t see much harm in the influx of immigrants. We heard the tragic story of Officer Dave Marsh who was shot and killed by Ormondo Garcia. Garcia was a ruthless individual who had been deported three times, was here illegally, and didn’t like being told what to do by law enforcers. There are many illegal immigrants who have crossed into America and been unidentified. These immigrants when they pass away, whether it is because of the long journey or illness, are buried in Terrace Park Cemetery. This cemetery hosts 400 immigrants that have not been identified. Another interesting aspect was the discovery of the tunnel that stretched from Arizona to Mexico and was used to transport illegal drugs. This passage was tricky to find because when they were not transporting drugs they would disguise the tunnel by flooding it. The documentary was very informative and offered opinions from the pro and con aspect. There are many individuals who are very passionate about this topic, and stand behind their beliefs making the issue harder to control.
Information from: Border War Documentary and Speakers
Information from: Border War Documentary and Speakers
Border War
I chose to respond to a recent documentary we watched in class. Border War is a collection of stories related to the Border and illegal immigration. These stories ranged from Immigration officers daily lives to a woman who’s parents ran a safe house. The story that affected myself the most was the story of the woman who lived in a safe house. During her childhood when her father ran this, she was subjected to sexual advances from fifty year-old men and her family splitting up. Because of her childhood she became quite bitter towards illegal immigrants. Even though she was a Mexican American, she was anavid supporter of a stiff border, and she even joined the minutemen club. The main thing that disturbed me about this story is that during a rally, Illegals protested that they had a right to be here. I have no problem with immigrants that come here legally, but when someone comes illegally and expects to mooch off of our government I become quite angry. These people were saying that they had a right to be here, but there points of argument have no backing. One said that since this land used to belong to Mexico (it hasn’t owned it since 1848) they still had the right to live here. Another argument was that they could live there because Santa Ana sold it too cheaply and that it should still be there’s. The problem with this argument is that we also bought land from other countries and there people don’t think they can just move here without being documented. All in all this documentary made me quite upset and ruined my entire day.
Border War Documentary
Today in class we viewed a documentary titled "Border War." This documentary focused on the topic of illegal immigration and more specifically on the views of people that are affected by this topic everyday. The first person shown in the movie is a man that is a part of an immediate strike team. This team is an attack force that takes actions first and asks questions later. Their main goal is to detain illegal immigrants crossing the border alongside what they call a coyote, or the person assisting them cross. Later in the documentary the same man is in pursuit of an illegal immigrant with a fellow worker when the person they were chasing hit one of the officers. This just shows how far some people will go to come into and stay in this country. In another example of how a life was affected by an illegal immigrant a women describes how her husband had been shot and killed by an illegal immigrant. He was pulled over in a simple traffic stop and the immigrant shot him once then shot him in the head to kill him. This just shows how ruthless some people can be when they want something too much. The third person shown is a women who had grown up in a house that had housed many illegal immigrants right after they had crossed the border. She had been traumatized by these men that had come to her house and was even raped. She had her second child at the young age of 15. She had seen what these people are capable of what their intentions in the U.S. are and decided to speak out. She ended up joining the minuteman project. Then the last person shown in the documentary was a politician who believed in stopping all illegal immigration. He was a person who kind of summed up the feelings of all of the others shown. So far in the documentary I have learned many things I didn't know before. Such as the lengths that some of these people will go to get into the U.S. and to stay here as well. It has been quite a shock to me so far and I am looking forward to seeing and discussing the rest of the documentary "Border War."
“U.S. Deportee Brings Street Dance to Street Boys of Cambodia”
“I can’t go,” K.K. said over the thump of the boom box, as his boys jumped and bounced around him like tiny springs. “I can understand that they deported me here. I’d like to go visit, "only visit," because I live here now. I have a brand new life.” The Article “U.S. Deportee Brings Street Dance to Street Boys of Cambodia” that was published on Sunday, November 30, 2008 shows us, the reader, that this young man’s statement is an accurate one. The article discusses how in Cambodia a little slice of Long Beach, California, was brought there by a former gang member by way of a federal prison, an immigration jail and then expulsion four years ago from his homeland, the United States, to the homeland of his parents, Cambodia. The former gang member is Tuy Sobil, 30, who goes by the street name K.K. The boys in his dance studio are Cambodian street children he has taken under his wing as he teaches them the art he brought with him, break dancing, as well as his hard lessons in life. The only thing is K.K. is not here because he wants to be. He is one of 189 Cambodians who have been banished from the United States in the past six years under a law that mandates deportations for noncitizens who commit felonies. Hundreds more are on a waiting list for deportation. Like most of the others, K.K. is a noncitizen only by a technicality. He was not an illegal immigrant. He was a refugee from Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge “killing fields” who found a haven in the United States in 1980. He was an infant when he arrived. In fact, he was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and had never seen Cambodia before he was deported.But K.K.’s parents were simple farmers who failed to complete the citizenship process when they arrived. Like some children of poor immigrants, K.K. drifted to the streets, where he became a member of the Crips gang and a champion break dancer. It was only after he was convicted of armed robbery at 18 that he discovered that he was not a citizen. Like many deportees, he arrived in Cambodia without possessions and without family contacts. He was a drug counselor at first and then founded his break dancing club, Tiny Toones Cambodia, where he now earns a living teaching about 150 youngsters and reaching out to hundreds more. Some other 189 deportees have found work that uses their fluency in English, particularly in hotels. Some have reunited with families. But many have slipped into unemployment, depression and sometimes drug use.
My opinion of the Article “U.S. Deportee Brings Street Dance to Street Boys of Cambodia” is that it is amazing how a person can make a negative situation positive. Even through this terrible situation K.K. stands out as a success, both in finding a calling and in embracing his fate. He has a fair command of the language, unlike some deportees who arrived with no knowledge of Khmer. But the only hurdle left in K.K. way is his club has been invited to send dancers to perform in the United States but the Cambodian boys who speak no English and have never left their country and do to him being deported and excluded from the United States for the rest of his life, he must stay behind.
Article written by: Seth Mydans
Article written by: Seth Mydans
The New York Times
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Article on page A6 of the New York edition.
Border War
Illegal immigrants are creating huge problems in America. At least, that is the stance that the makers of Border War seem to be stressing. They follow the lives of several people whose lives have been directly affected by immigration policy. They include a senator, a Latina member of the Minutemen, a border patrol officer, and the wife of a deceased border patrol. It is interesting to see the different perspectives from the different backgrounds that the movie brings together. However, I feel that the overall message is very biased against illegal immigrants. Funnily enough, the only humane message I can recall from the documentary is from the border patrol officer. He says how he will work hard to bust the smuggler's themselves, but that he understands that the immigrants are looking for a better life and are people too. The rest of the testimonies are blatantly against the idea of an open border and illegal immigrants. The senator involved has been very influential in trying to create obstacles such as the wall on the border of Mexico to keep people out. He passionately defends his position advocating enforcement first. He simply wants to keep America for Americans. The Latina member of the Minutemen involves herself because of her own personal experience with immigration. Her father, a Mexican, operated a safe house for immigrants looking for shelter on their way to their final destination. It tore her family apart, her mother being unable to deal with the added stress that comes from being involved with the man operating the 2nd most frequently visited safe house in California. She is widely met with anger amongst the Latino community because she advocates groups like the Minutemen who work to prevent illegal immigrants from coming to America, when oftentimes they do so out of necessity or so they can provide more easily for their family. The final testimony comes from the widow of a border patrol officer. Her husband was killed in a routine traffic stop by an illegal immigrant who had been deported several times and was a known drug dealer, as well as being wanted on several counts of attempted murder. This testimony was the most unsettling, because there was no attempt at creating an unbiased view on immigrants. The entire lack of testimony to create a positive light on illegal immigrants implied that many immigrants are going to become contributors to social problems like drugs, and social unrest. There was very little material that attempted to create an unbiased view on the situation of Hispanic immigration, and I think that the documentary needs to create a broader view in order to be more effective.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Killing in a Town Where Latinos Sense Hate
Marcelo Lucero is a 37 year-old immigrant from a poor village in Ecuador who has lived in the United States for 16 years was fatally stabbed to death by Jeffrey Conroy, a 17 year-old white supremacist. This article displayed a true sense of racism and hatred towards immigrants and the minority. The article states that Conroy and his six friends were out drinking one night when they declared that they were going to attack an innocent ‘Mexican’. Tragically for Mr. Lucero, he was the first Mexican they stumbled upon. The boys circled around Mr. Lucero and started to throw punches and kicks at him. Obviously Mr. Lucero was helpless in his defence as he was largely outnumbered by these teens. The beating did not kill Marcelo rather it was a fatal stab wound to his chest by Jeff which tragically ended his life because of his Hispanic appearance. This was obviously a hate crime which makes matters even worse. It brings me to ask two questions. What possesses a 17 year-old to do such a brutal crime and where did he learn to hate immigrants so much? There are quite a few answers to this question, but here are the main answers. One, he learned these poor values from either his family or friends or two, he learned them from this society and past issues regarding race. This article shows that racial values are still not being properly learned by today’s youth. I found this article both depressing and absolutely disgusting by the acts of this horrifying crime. While this is not the first time that this kind of incident has happened, I believe that this attack on Mr. Lucero provides not only a reflection of widespread anti-Latino sentiments but also a widespread of racial intolerance and hatred towards the minority. This article not only shows the continuing problems of racism and anti-immigrant views, but it also shows how little progress has been made in this heated conflict.
Article by: Kirk Semple
New York Times
November 14, 2008
Section A24
Article by: Kirk Semple
New York Times
November 14, 2008
Section A24
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Mayor Mark D. Boughton of Danbury Connecticut at Wabash College
Mayer Mark D. Boughton of Danbury, Connecticut came to Wabash College on November 17th to talk about immigration. He mentioned that Danbury has 49 different languages that are spoken throughout the city. Surprisingly Danbury has the largest concentration of Shiite Muslims and Brazilians in the United States. This is because of the job opportunities Danbury offers.
He also said that 60% of immigrants over stay their visas because they do not want to go back to their home countries because America has so many opportunities. The majority of these immigrants are working low wage jobs so they are unable to own houses by themselves. One of the major problems in the city is over crowding of houses. Sometimes there will be six to eight people living in a 2 person house. Schools are pressured because so many of the students speak very broken English. Medical institutes are also under great pressure because most of the immigrants do not have insurance to pay their medical expenses. They do not go to a family doctor regularly so they use hospitals ER unit to treat their injuries or illnesses; which increases other patients bills because they have to pay for the immigrants who do not pay.
Danbury does not have the man power to round up all of the illegal immigrants that are living in the city. The only way they can find them is when they are pulled over by the police, everyone is scanned into a federal database and if they come up as illegal then they are detained. But for the most part they are released the next day because they post bail.
Another big problem Danbury has is volleyball games played by Ecuadorians. These Ecuadorians gather at people’s houses and there will be 200-300 people in a house that is designed for 4 people and there will be gambling, alcohol and drug use going on. When the party is broken up, the police sit the owners down and discuss the economic values of the living unit and tell them that parties like this deplete the value of the house.
Mayor Boughton said that Obama’s first year plan of immigration laws will not work because there is not enough money to go into the programs he has planned. Boughton has devised a plan to implement immigrants into the United States. He mentioned that immigrants should not be brought in just to work and then sent back to their home country because for the most part they will not want to go back. America should give them amnesty and a reason to stay. He proposed that immigrants who want to stay and become American citizens will have to do 1000 hours of community service over 6 years. This will give them a permanent green card for them to work on getting their citizenship.
I personally believe this plan will work because for the most part immigrants who come to America do not get good jobs and do not have the money to pay the thousands of dollars to pay for citizenship. The community service they will be doing will give them a chance to put their mark in American history.
He also said that 60% of immigrants over stay their visas because they do not want to go back to their home countries because America has so many opportunities. The majority of these immigrants are working low wage jobs so they are unable to own houses by themselves. One of the major problems in the city is over crowding of houses. Sometimes there will be six to eight people living in a 2 person house. Schools are pressured because so many of the students speak very broken English. Medical institutes are also under great pressure because most of the immigrants do not have insurance to pay their medical expenses. They do not go to a family doctor regularly so they use hospitals ER unit to treat their injuries or illnesses; which increases other patients bills because they have to pay for the immigrants who do not pay.
Danbury does not have the man power to round up all of the illegal immigrants that are living in the city. The only way they can find them is when they are pulled over by the police, everyone is scanned into a federal database and if they come up as illegal then they are detained. But for the most part they are released the next day because they post bail.
Another big problem Danbury has is volleyball games played by Ecuadorians. These Ecuadorians gather at people’s houses and there will be 200-300 people in a house that is designed for 4 people and there will be gambling, alcohol and drug use going on. When the party is broken up, the police sit the owners down and discuss the economic values of the living unit and tell them that parties like this deplete the value of the house.
Mayor Boughton said that Obama’s first year plan of immigration laws will not work because there is not enough money to go into the programs he has planned. Boughton has devised a plan to implement immigrants into the United States. He mentioned that immigrants should not be brought in just to work and then sent back to their home country because for the most part they will not want to go back. America should give them amnesty and a reason to stay. He proposed that immigrants who want to stay and become American citizens will have to do 1000 hours of community service over 6 years. This will give them a permanent green card for them to work on getting their citizenship.
I personally believe this plan will work because for the most part immigrants who come to America do not get good jobs and do not have the money to pay the thousands of dollars to pay for citizenship. The community service they will be doing will give them a chance to put their mark in American history.
System of Neglect
The United States detention centers are under a lot of controversy. Since post-Sept 11 the number of detainees in these centers has tripled due to the fear of terrorism. There has been 83 detainees have died in these centers in the past five years. Ironically, 30 of these deaths are due to the fact of medical staff not taking action to help the detainee immediately. That is just one cause to this every growing problem. The other reasons on why these people are dying, are neglectful guards, ill-trained technicians, sloppy record-keeping, missing medical files, overcrowding, and staff shortages. The people that are being put into these centers are not criminals;however, some of them are coming to the United States to seek asylum because they are feeling threaten at home. One big point that jumped out is, some of the medical staff in these centers that most of the victims are faking it when they say they are feeling sick. About one and four immigrants in these centers has a chronic health condition. Now, how can ICE say that these immigrants are faking their pain when these many are diagnosed with a chronic disease? It just puzzles me that the immigrants (people who come to the here for a better life) are being treat as bad as they were at home. Immigrants are still human beings and deserve the right to have the proper treatment as the law provides to them. But no, these centers are taking advantage of these people by killing them off. After reading, I was frustrated because now I know why some immigrants really don’t like this place when it comes to being deported or thrown in jail. They are basically been treated like animals. On the nurses was quoted saying “Dogs get better treatment in the dog pounds.” This is the determining factor that states how corrupted this system is. If you could treat an animal in the US better than a human being something has to be done.
Washington Post
By: Dana Priest and Amy Goldstein
May 11, 2008
Immigration in Danbury
This week I’m am discussing a presentation give Unidos Por Sangrios. It was about the problems that Mayor Boughton of Danbury, CT faces on a daily basis. To start off I will give a brief demographical look at the city of Danbury. There are a total of forty-nine languages spoken in this city of about eighty-five thousand. They also have the largest concentration of Shiite Muslims and Brazilians. This kind of cultural diversity causes some problems. The majority of immigration problems stem from over crowding and cultural differences. One thing that the city is able to do is to check for basic problems such as illegal apartments in garages and attics, cars parked in yards, and undocumented building projects. Also one problem that they had is people playing volleyball in the neighborhoods into the later hours of the night. This caused problems because there were a lot of illegal activities at these games. To help combat these, the Mayor would send police to disband the group when it got too late, and all of those participating in illegal activities were arrested and background checked to make sure that they are actually citizens. I agree with this plan of not seeking out illegals but rather allowing them to be the ones that make the mistake and then get them. This program is somewhere in between a sanctuary city and having officials go out racially profiling people to make sure that they are legal.
“Tibetan Exiles Meet to Ponder a New Strategy”
“Whatever he does, we do,” said Tashi, a driver who keeps a portrait of the Dalai Lama on his dashboard even though such images are banned in China. He also added that, “we don’t want to make trouble.” The Article, “Tibetan Exiles Meet to Ponder a New Strategy” that was published on Sunday, November 9, 2008 shows us, the reader, that this man’s statement is an accurate one. The article discusses how the calm here could soon crumble, depending on the outcome of a six-day meeting of Tibetan exiles that began Monday in India. The conclave is the first of its kind since 1991. The Dalai Lama has called for hundreds of Tibetans to gather in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala, the seat of the Tibetan government in exile, to help decide on a new strategy for Tibet. In a statement released Monday, the government in exile sought to play down speculation that a significant shift in its approach to the issue of Tibetan independence might be near. The speculation has been fueled in part by comments from the Dalai Lama, who said this month that his drive to secure autonomy for Tibet through negotiations with the Chinese government had failed. That admission strengthened the hand of younger Tibetans who have long agitated for a more radical approach and who have demanded independence.My opinion of the article, “Tibetan Exiles Meet to Ponder a New Strategy” is that it is empowering that despite over 40 years of Chinese occupation of Tibet, the Tibetan people refuse to be conquered and subjugated by China. The present Chinese policy, a combination of demographic manipulation and discrimination, aims to finally suppress the Tibetan issue by changing the very character and the identity of Tibet and its people. Though governments and human rights organizations have expressed concern about the transfer and settlement of Chinese people into Tibet, the issue is difficult to address effectively due to a shortage of reliable figures and the misleading use of statistics by Chinese authorities.
Article written by: Edward Wong
The New York Times
Monday, November 17, 2008
Article on page A13 of the New York edition
Immigration Talk with Mayor Mark D. Boughton
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have the chance to listen to a politician really speak about is actions in his community. His name is Mark D. Boughton and he is the proud mayor of Danbury, Connecticut. As I was eating a nice pizza lunch, compliments of Wabash, I was enriched in the theories on how illegal immigration is being handled in his city. In Danbury, as Mayor Boughton described, there is a problem with illegal immigrants and over-crowding in this quiet little city. Of the 85,000 people that live within city limits roughly 1/6 are illegal immigrants. There have been an influx of South American Immigrants moving into this city. There are also 49 different first languages spoken in the high school alone. The nickname of this city is "The Gateway to New England," but recently it has been the Gateway to the United States for many of these immigrants. With the massive amount of immigrants comes a massive amount of different traditions. For example, in Danbury there is a very large population of Ecuadorian people. The national sport of these Ecuadorians is volleyball. So they have volleyball matches in their yards. This may seem harmless, but the matches attract large crowds of a few hundred people and this brings trouble. At these matches, Mayor Boughton explained, one can find: illegal gambling, drugs, underage drinking etc.. Mainly things get out of hand. The over crowding of the city is a big problem and parties like this are examples why. So to stop the illegal immigration into the city the mayor has come up with a plan. He has joined his police force with the I.C.E. force to remove any illegal immigrants that come about. He doesn't want to search for them because he knows this is a type of racial profiling, and he doesn't want this at all. I agree with his plans to search everyone that lives in the community through traffic stops and such, and not go door to door. I just hope that it will solve and problems the city may have without disrespecting anyone. I think that this is a fair way to do this and it is a sticky situation any way you look at it. All I have to say is good luck Mayor Boughton, and thanks for lunch.
Immigration Lecture at Wabash College
Mayor of Danbury, Connecticut, Mark D. Boughton, stated at an immigration lecture given at Wabash College that Danbury County holds the largest concentration of both Shiite Muslims and Brazilians in northern America. He went on to illustrate how he believes Danbury has the most diverse county compared to any other in the nation. He stated that 49 different languages were spoken amongst the 85,000 residents living in Danbury County. He also claimed that there was a large majority of Ecuadorians beginning to immigrate into the county. Throughout the latter part of the lecture Mayor Boughton illustrated aspects of immigration in Danbury by providing an anecdote. He claimed that 95% of the Brazilian and Ecuadorian immigrants living in Danbury were illegal immigrants. He believed that a majority of them became illegal immigrants over a duration of time because their working visa’s had expired. When Mayor Boughton was asked how he felt about this particular situation pertaining to working visa’s he described his solution. His solution was to allow illegal immigrants already residing in the US to be able to “earn” their rights to become legalized citizens. It was his belief that they should have the decision to work 1,600 hours of community service over a period of five years to be able to earn a social security number and thus benefits. At the same time, they should be given a social security system and acknowledged in order to pay taxes and receive benefits.
Mayor Boughton also provided an anecdote of which illustrated how the various different cultures in Danbury erected some culture shocks. The mayor described how many Ecuadorians loved to play volleyball and would have large gatherings in order to play amongst one another. He described how they would have the volleyball net set up in the front yard where they would all play and even bet on the games being played. Alcohol and overcrowding of the streets was also evident from these gatherings. The mayor rationalized the situation by describing how in the Ecuadorian culture this would be perfectly fine, but that here in the US it was against the law. Danbury County sought the matter as a minor misunderstanding of the American culture and through these Ecuadorians eyes. The mayor took a stand by having police take proper action when such events occurred. He also stressed that the police shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to racially profile these people as illegal immigrants, and demanded that they treat them all as if they were American citizen’s and allow them to be treated equally.
In my opinion, I believe that both Mayor Broughton’s epiphany and action taken towards immigration in the US is the way more politicians should witness and take upon themselves. I believe that Mayor Broughton believes that whether the immigrants in Danbury are illegal or legal, that they should all have opportunities regardless. It is evident in his action towards illegal immigrants that he doesn’t view them as harmful, but as people trying to make their living through virtue of the good economy and jobs the US has to offer. His idea towards what the illegal immigrants should due in order to “earn” their rights to become legal resident’s strikes me as a very interesting idea. In some respects I believe that this is a good idea considering it both helps the society and helps the immigrant at the same time. On the other hand, I kind of see it as a small facet behind which slavery was founded. Immigrants doing community service is obviously not as harsh as slavery, but the idea seems to behold some of the descriptive qualities slavery with holds. I believe that the Mayor is doing a very effective job in handling illegal immigration in Danbury. He is obviously always going to have criticism from both parties when it comes to immigration, but I believe that he should stay true to his beliefs and not allow opinions to persuade him.
Mayor Boughton also provided an anecdote of which illustrated how the various different cultures in Danbury erected some culture shocks. The mayor described how many Ecuadorians loved to play volleyball and would have large gatherings in order to play amongst one another. He described how they would have the volleyball net set up in the front yard where they would all play and even bet on the games being played. Alcohol and overcrowding of the streets was also evident from these gatherings. The mayor rationalized the situation by describing how in the Ecuadorian culture this would be perfectly fine, but that here in the US it was against the law. Danbury County sought the matter as a minor misunderstanding of the American culture and through these Ecuadorians eyes. The mayor took a stand by having police take proper action when such events occurred. He also stressed that the police shouldn’t use this as an opportunity to racially profile these people as illegal immigrants, and demanded that they treat them all as if they were American citizen’s and allow them to be treated equally.
In my opinion, I believe that both Mayor Broughton’s epiphany and action taken towards immigration in the US is the way more politicians should witness and take upon themselves. I believe that Mayor Broughton believes that whether the immigrants in Danbury are illegal or legal, that they should all have opportunities regardless. It is evident in his action towards illegal immigrants that he doesn’t view them as harmful, but as people trying to make their living through virtue of the good economy and jobs the US has to offer. His idea towards what the illegal immigrants should due in order to “earn” their rights to become legal resident’s strikes me as a very interesting idea. In some respects I believe that this is a good idea considering it both helps the society and helps the immigrant at the same time. On the other hand, I kind of see it as a small facet behind which slavery was founded. Immigrants doing community service is obviously not as harsh as slavery, but the idea seems to behold some of the descriptive qualities slavery with holds. I believe that the Mayor is doing a very effective job in handling illegal immigration in Danbury. He is obviously always going to have criticism from both parties when it comes to immigration, but I believe that he should stay true to his beliefs and not allow opinions to persuade him.
A Somali Influx Unsettles Latino Meatpackers
I think this article is especially interesting because of the uniqueness of the racial tension involved with the group of people. The majority of racial tension in the United States tends to be between caucasians and another darker skinned race, who share different customs and religious beliefs which separates the two groups. In Grand Island, Nebraska, the workers at a meat packing plant including caucasian, Sudanese, and different Hispanic workers are becoming upset with the Somali population who have been lobbying for the plant to completely change it's work schedule to accommodate for their Muslim prayer schedule. This would shorten the work day and cause cuts for many of the workers whose non-muslim prayer schedules would be unaffected. ManyHispanics, and Sudanese, a primarily Christian African race, are upset at the Somali's assumptions that they can come in, compete for the few jobs available in the factory, and on top of it try to create change that would affect the pay of the other people workingthere. As well as receiving opposition in the workplace, many Somali women who wear traditional Muslim garb such as the hijabs have been received uneasily, especially by citizens wary of Muslims because of the Muslim association of the 9/11 terrorists. Mayor Hornady of Grand Island can be quoted as saying that the sight of the traditional garb was "startling" and "I’m sorry, but after 9/11, it gives some of us a turn." I understand the Somali's want to continue following the practice's of their religion, but despite their hardship in Africa, I think many of them need to realize that while the United States will tolerate their religion, and will do nothing to deter them from practicing it, American businesses do not have to make special accommodations for select groups. I think that the Hispanic and Sudanese workers whose work schedules and pay checks will be affected have every right to be upset. I don' t think that we should send a message that one group of immigrants is better than the other by making exceptions for them. By putting priority to the one group, it creates another type of racism towards minorities which makes it more difficult for them to survive in their current jobs and lifestyles. I think that the factories need to find a compromise that will not affect the latino, sudanese, and caucasian workers who would be affected by the cuts.
A Somali Influx Unsettles Latino Meatpackers
Kirk Semple
New York Times October 16, 2008 edition
Monday, November 17, 2008
"Mayor Mark D. Boughton of Dansbury Connecticut"
Today’s guest speaker, Mayor Mark D. Boughton, is from Dansbury Connecticut. He shared with us some of his views on immigration. He was experienced in this area because a lot of immigrants live in his town and he is constantly dealing with the subject. The reason there are so many immigrants living in Dansbury is because there are a lot of opportunities for work. He also was fortunate enough to have an article in the New York Times about an issue involving volleyball which I found to be very interesting. Mayor Boughton said that they had a problem in the past with Ecuadorians holding volleyball tournaments in a residential neighborhood. They said that it was a fire hazard because fire trucks could not fit down the street because it was so crowded. He stated that he was not against them having these tournaments but they would have to do so earlier in the day, because most of these games were played at night. He said that some immigrants would complain and say that they could do what they wanted with their land. He told them that there were safety issues that were not being abided by and that they were federal legal issues. At some of these events that they had to go to people would be doing illegal things that may be accepted in their native countries but not hear in America, and those people would be arrested like anyone else. He stated that he has yet to see any hate crimes against the large number of immigrants and hopes to keep it that way. There was one experienced in Connecticut but it was rather far from the city of Dansbury. Another interesting issue was when police officers pull people over for traffic violations they are told to record the violator’s ethnicity no matter what race they are. They do this so individuals can’t say that they are profiling a certain race of people. Another problem that is often come across in Dansbury is people turning attics and garages into living space. These people then invite multiple families to come and live there and they all contribute to the rent. This does not work because these living environments are hazardous to their safety. Some argue that it is there land and that they can do whatever they would like with it, but that is not true in America. He tells immigrants, legal and illegal, to not be afraid to come to the police if they have issues. He stated that they will not deport them or anything along those lines unless they have had a record of criminal actions. In that case he has no choice. Some people believe that he is too harsh on the topic of immigration, while others believe he is too lenient. He has had multiple encounters of people writing information about the issue on immigration and how he is being too strict. He believes that illegal immigrants should be sent back and wait in line to come to America legally like everybody else. Although, he offered a solution that immigrants should have to work a certain number of community service hours to become a citizen and prove that they really want to live here. Over this time they would receive everything necessary to be a citizen. It was great to have Mayor Boughton at Wabash and we appreciate his knowledge and first hand encounters of immigration in Connecticut.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Immigration Interview
Interviewer: Joshua Crayne
Interviewee: Phanendra Babu Devineni
1.
Q. What county are you from?
A. India, Andre Pradesh
2.
Q. What languages do you speak?
A. Telegue and English
3.
Q. What religion do you practice?
A. Hindu
4.
Q. How did you get to the states?
A. His brother came to the United States for his MBA, and his brother paid for him to come to the States to study.
5.
Q. How old were you when you came to the United States?
A. He was 18.
6.
Q. Are you a legal citizen?
A. Yes, he has dual citizenship in the U.S. and in India.
7.
Q. Do you feel exiled because you are an immigrant living in the United States?
A. When he arrived in the U.S. he did feel exiled until he met his friends in college. He has not felt exiled until lately with the hate crimes that are happening in New York.
8.
Q. Do you still have family in India?
A. Yes, his whole family is over there except for a brother in Detroit, Michigan and a sister in Tennessee.
9.
Q. Do you try to instill the culture from India in your children?
A. Yes very much so, he has one son and two daughters. He said that when his son was young he was trying to find a young Indian girl that he could marry. But his brother told him that he couldn’t choose the woman his son Krishna would marry because this is America and things are different then back home.
10.
Q. What is your profession?
A. He is a manager for a scrap metal company in Dallas, Texas.
As I was talking with Phanendra Babu Devineni (He goes by Bob, he says it's more American), he left me with a story about a time when he felt exiled and hated by Americans. He said that in 2002 he was coming home from the air port to surprise his family. And two police officers pulled him over, when he asked them what he had done the officers said “you know why we pulled you over, now get out of your car.” They proceeded to search the car.
Interviewee: Phanendra Babu Devineni
1.
Q. What county are you from?
A. India, Andre Pradesh
2.
Q. What languages do you speak?
A. Telegue and English
3.
Q. What religion do you practice?
A. Hindu
4.
Q. How did you get to the states?
A. His brother came to the United States for his MBA, and his brother paid for him to come to the States to study.
5.
Q. How old were you when you came to the United States?
A. He was 18.
6.
Q. Are you a legal citizen?
A. Yes, he has dual citizenship in the U.S. and in India.
7.
Q. Do you feel exiled because you are an immigrant living in the United States?
A. When he arrived in the U.S. he did feel exiled until he met his friends in college. He has not felt exiled until lately with the hate crimes that are happening in New York.
8.
Q. Do you still have family in India?
A. Yes, his whole family is over there except for a brother in Detroit, Michigan and a sister in Tennessee.
9.
Q. Do you try to instill the culture from India in your children?
A. Yes very much so, he has one son and two daughters. He said that when his son was young he was trying to find a young Indian girl that he could marry. But his brother told him that he couldn’t choose the woman his son Krishna would marry because this is America and things are different then back home.
10.
Q. What is your profession?
A. He is a manager for a scrap metal company in Dallas, Texas.
As I was talking with Phanendra Babu Devineni (He goes by Bob, he says it's more American), he left me with a story about a time when he felt exiled and hated by Americans. He said that in 2002 he was coming home from the air port to surprise his family. And two police officers pulled him over, when he asked them what he had done the officers said “you know why we pulled you over, now get out of your car.” They proceeded to search the car.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Car Bombs, Then Suicide Blast, Kill 28 on a Baghdad Street
Early Monday morning in Baghdad city, the deadliest attack since June took place. Two bombs were planted in parked cars on a very busy street in a Sunni and Shiite neighborhood. The two car bombs were set off five minutes apart, killing seven and wounding 68 others. While people in the streets gathered to see the destruction; a suicide bomber ran into the crowd and killed many more. One of the horrible stories in the article said that a young mother holding a baby was charred in a burning bus. Later Monday afternoon, a young suicide bomber blew herself up killing 4 and wounding more than 15. The day before these horrible attacks, 12 Iraqis were killed because they were part of the Awakening movement. The Awakening movement is a Sunni run organization to stop Islamic extremists. Monday evening negotiations between the American and Iraqi governments continued to form a better security agreement.
The American and Iraqi governments need to work more closely together to stop these Islamic extremists or more innocent people are going to be in danger or even worse, dead.
The New York Times
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
International: A6
Anwar J. Ali and Katherine Zoepf
The American and Iraqi governments need to work more closely together to stop these Islamic extremists or more innocent people are going to be in danger or even worse, dead.
The New York Times
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
International: A6
Anwar J. Ali and Katherine Zoepf
Myanmar Sentences 14 Democracy Supporters
The article that I chose this week is about a group of fourteen democratic advocates from Myanmar who were sentenced to sixty-five years in prison on charges that have no real bearing to the grand scheme of things. Those charges that were filed included: possession of foreign currency without a permit and possession of certain electronic equipment that is outlawed. These charges anger me because they are just a way for the military run government that is established there to put a group of revolutionary activists in jail so that they can’t change public opinion and cause an uprising. This might just be the liberty and freedom that I have learned in living in America for my entire life, but it seems as though limiting these revolutionary minds from voicing there opinions. Although they do not have the same laws as us, I find it difficult to grasp the concept that these offenses merit a sixty-five year sentence.
African leaders Act to Defuse Conflict in Congo
Local Mai-Mai militias ambushed rebel soldiers with an array of assault rifles while the rest of the men fought at close range. These Mia-Mia militias, aligned with the Congolese government, saw themselves as the focal protectors of their land. This ambush lasted around five hours in which 500 people had to flee Ngungu. Peacekeepers eventually sparked truce, however, not before one person was killed and many others wounded. The New York Times states the Southern African Development Community declared an “immediate cease-fire and the opening of safe corridors for aid to get through.” Tomaz Salomao, the Southern African Development Community’s executive secretary stated at a midnight news conference, “We are aware we are facing a tragedy and time is not on our side.” He also made it clear that not only were military advisers sent immediately, but also peacekeeping troops if needed. It was issued after the meeting that the Mai-Mai militia’s goal was to help the Congolese Army. Colonel Dietrich was quoted in the New York Times stating “the Congolese Army considered this minor fighting.” United Nations officials were alarmed by this statement because they believed it illustrated the complexity of the conflict from all sides. Due to the fighting taking place, some 250,000 people were driven from their homes and urgently needed some assistance. Presidents from seven African nations had a meeting on Friday urging for open corridors for aid workers and an end to the constant fighting. A majority of the people whom were forced to flee their homes had now become sick and hungry. The aid workers are having trouble containing cholera outbreaks in camps around Goma. United Nations officials are stating that Mai-Mai militia fighters are getting even more aggressive and frustrated in comparison to the Congolese troops who have now calmed down.
I think that although many of the presidents from seven other African nations are trying to step in and help thwart the violence, I still don’t believe they are doing enough. This violence by the Mai-Mai militias is single handedly causing a wider spread of disease and famine in a place where it is already an undeniable problem. I believe that the Mai-Mai militias are going to continue to cause more and more damage to people’s lives and the nation if someone doesn’t put a stop to them. It is evident that they are growing restless and frustrated from the actions taken by the Southern African Development Community. I believe that they will not put an end to the countless acts of violence until they are removed entirely from Congo. The Congo doesn’t need to have any more erratic acts of violence then they already have from all the civil wars. I believe that in order for the Congo to develop as an efficient nation they must collaborate and find new ways to accomplish better feats. Thousands of people are being exiled from their homes due to pointless fighting that the government is in correspondence with. The Southern African Development Community should institute a plan to eradicate the Mai-Mai militia if Congolese citizens will have a hope of living in peace.
I think that although many of the presidents from seven other African nations are trying to step in and help thwart the violence, I still don’t believe they are doing enough. This violence by the Mai-Mai militias is single handedly causing a wider spread of disease and famine in a place where it is already an undeniable problem. I believe that the Mai-Mai militias are going to continue to cause more and more damage to people’s lives and the nation if someone doesn’t put a stop to them. It is evident that they are growing restless and frustrated from the actions taken by the Southern African Development Community. I believe that they will not put an end to the countless acts of violence until they are removed entirely from Congo. The Congo doesn’t need to have any more erratic acts of violence then they already have from all the civil wars. I believe that in order for the Congo to develop as an efficient nation they must collaborate and find new ways to accomplish better feats. Thousands of people are being exiled from their homes due to pointless fighting that the government is in correspondence with. The Southern African Development Community should institute a plan to eradicate the Mai-Mai militia if Congolese citizens will have a hope of living in peace.
"African Leaders Agree to Send Military Advisers to Congo to Defuse Conflict"
The article touches on a severe conflict that has been going on in a village west of Goma, in Congo since August. Although, this conflict has been coming and going for the past ten years. There is a conflict in the Northern Burundi region in which rebel forces are attacking the Congolese Army and militias. The Rebel forces are led by General Laurant Nkunda and he is said to be threatening to the country. Recently officials in Southern Africa have stated that they would send military help to the people in this area and if the attacks persist, they would follow up by sending peacekeeping corps to balance the region if necessary. These serious confrontations have forcefully led 250,000 Congolese people to migrate from their homes and relocate in a refugee camp on the outskirts of the city Goma. The Mai-Mai militia who, and are linked to the Congolese government, have secretly attacked the rebels multiple times and about 500 people fled Ngungu. The militia is getting tired of the rebel attacks and is starting to become more aggressive. The President of South Africa believes that there is no solution to fixing the on-going problem. United Nations has intervened and implemented a truce between both opposing sides. African officials have been meeting to find a permanent solution to the problem and also make it possible for the people in this area to receive the proper aid that they desperately need. In the refugee camp there is a shortage of food and many people are becoming sick. A major problem is the outbreak of cholera, and aid workers are doing all that they possibly can to treat and nourish these struggling refugees. Altogether, these Congolese people have been exiled from their homes due to the ongoing violence and forced to migrate to refugee camps that are crowded and not suitable for proper living. Hopefully in the future these people will be sent back to their village where they can receive aid in peace and not be living in such a confined area.
Article By: Jeffrey Gettleman and Celia W. Dugger
Monday November 10, 2008
NY Times: A6
Article By: Jeffrey Gettleman and Celia W. Dugger
Monday November 10, 2008
NY Times: A6
An Artist in Exile Tests India’s Democratic Ideals
Mr. Maqbool Fida Husain is one of India’s most famous painters. He is currently living in the United Arab Emirates, but he is afraid to go back to his homeland in India because of political and religious reasons. Mr. Husain is a Muslim who is fond of painting Hindu goddesses, sometimes even portraying them as nude. His obsession of painting such powerful figures in the Hindu religion naked has undoubting lead Hindu nationalists to take actions in their own hands. These nationalists have attacked art galleries and museums which exhibit his works. They have also offered a $1 million dollar reward for his head. It is no wonder why Mr. Husain would have fear of returning home to India. The article also states that he has been living in self-imposed exile in Dubai because of his ongoing fears of encountering a Hindu nationalist on the streets. To a certain degree I can see why these Hindu nationalist would be offended by some of these naked portraits of their worshippers, but I really did not see any justification in the offering of $1 million dollars for his head, this is clearly going too far. I believe this story is quite similar to the protests of Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses. These individuals really take these matters far too seriously. Sure it may be a bit offensive to them, but a good point is made in this article. Is Mr. Husain not entitled to his freedom of speech and expression? Is he not entitled to paint whatever his heart desires? Mr. Husain to his defence said he did not wish to offend anyone. He loves to paint these Hindu goddesses, even if some are naked because to him, nudity in art depicts purity and is in fact an honour. While this may be an insightful to many, I decided to do a little research about his paintings. Oddly enough I found something very interesting. He did a painting which showed Hitler naked in his portrait. It was strongly suggested that he despised Hitler, yet he portrayed him naked. Did he not say that nudity in art depicts purity and honour? Something seems to be contradicting itself here. I don’t think he is suggesting that Hitler was an honourable person, but something about his statement does not seem right. It brings to my conclusion that while the actions of the Hindu nationalist has been uncalled for, it does allow them to question his motives and methods of painting. If I was a Hindu, I would certainly question these paintings without a doubt because he has many of these goddesses portrayed naked and yet he has also decided to paint Hitler naked as well. I can now firmly see why these Hindu’s feel insulted by his paintings. It makes one question; what was Mr. Husain’s real intention in his paintings?
Article by: SOMINI SENGUPTA
New York Times
Published: November 9, 2008
Section A1
Article by: SOMINI SENGUPTA
New York Times
Published: November 9, 2008
Section A1
"These Neighbors Are Good Ones Without a New Fence"
Friendship Park is a little place of hope and engagement. It is a place where people can reunite with family members, and this is about to be come a part of the past. This small park just south of San Diego in a place called Imperial Beach, California. On this beach only a small fence represents the border between Mexico and the United States. Many people come to this park because they can interact with others on the opposite side of the fence. Randal C. Archibold describes freedom park as a place where "Families and friends, some of them unable to cross the border because of legal or immigration trouble, exchange kisses, tamales and news through small gaps in the tattered chain-link fence. " Friendship park brings happiness and joy to many peoples lives, at least for a short time, and it will no longer do so. The Department of Homeland Security wishes to beef up the old fence by building a new wall in this area. This has brought up a lot of controversy, and the federal and state governments are now negotiating a way to grant some access to this monument. I believe that this park is a place that bring a little joy to the lives of people that have very little in their lives. If this park is taken away from them and they cannot see their families, then it will make life very miserable for these people. It would be hard to be in that situation anyways, and this seems to make it that much worse. I think that they should just hire a few more men to patrol this section of fence. Honestly, I know it would be less expensive. I just think that it would be a terrible decision that would be regretted and protested for years to come.
Article By: Randal C. Archibold
Wed. October 22, 2008
The New York Times
African Leaders Agree to Send Military Advisers to Congo to Defuse Conflict
Nearly 250,000 people have been driven from their homes in the Congo by fighting. The difficulty in the situation is that the fighting has included rebel forces, predatory government troops, local militias, and United Nations. It has been flaring up several times in the past few days, nearing causing full fledged war. On Friday, the presidents of seven African nations held a meeting to try and stop the parties involved. Africa has had such a violent history. From tribal wars in the Congo, to the Rwandan genocides. Africans have been killing Africans for centuries. What is there to be gained? What has been gained? I just don't understand how the world's focus is on oil, on politically inexperienced presidential/vice presidential candidates, and on the love relationships of celebrities. There is so much strife, so much chaos going on in so many peoples lives, 250,000 alone in the Congo. One country has a group of people the size of Fort Wayne, IN in exile, starving and sick, because rebel forces are fighting the Congolese army. Aid workers are having difficulty stopping a cholera outbreak because medicine and food aren't able to get through because of the fighting. It just seems counterproductive if the rebels are fighting for the good of the people, which tends to be the banner that rebel forces who fight the already established government fly. The fighting in Africa needs to be stopped.
African Leaders Agree to Send Military Advisers to Congo to Defuse Conflict
NY times
November 9, 2008 page A6
by Jeffrey Gettleman and Celia W. Dugger
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