One of the lines that struck me the most from the novel The Guardians was a quote by Regina , the protagonist, who is talking about the dreams undocumented persons have when coming to the United States : “We [Regina United States Regina was lucky to attain her papers through her marriage to a U.S.
The little piece of paper that gives permission for a person to legally work or reside in the United States is also a recurring issue in the book The Devil’s Highway, namely because all 26 of the men attempting to come into the country do no have this piece of paper. Because they believe that working in the United States will bring them wealth like their neighbors, (46) they are persuaded to follow the coyote in taking the supposedly easy trek through the mountains and desert, which they think will be “a walk in the park” (58). This walk, however, turns out to be much more dangerous than described, as shown by the results of their mission: death or near death.
What if these men had attempted to apply for a work visa to legally enter and work in the U.S. U.S. must first of all demonstrate that there is a lack of U.S. U.S. Veracruz , it is putting trust in a system (the coyote system) that is not picky in choosing only “skilled workers” to come to the United States
I also have never had to worry about having the right paper; which after reading these last two books, The Devil’s Highway and The Guardians, is something that I will be eternally grateful for. Regina and Rafa show us the different paths lives can go when one has the proper documentation while the other doesn’t. Regina is able to provide a home for her nephew and has enough money to live comfortably in her own home. Rafa is always traveling and crossing the border, trying to find work while dodging the police. He is viewed as less of a person because he doesn’t have the papers to work, even though he is doing what everyone else is: trying to make money to support his family.
ReplyDeleteSteph, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on the importance and difficulty of obtaining documentation. Most likely, none of the men in The Devil's Highway would have been chosen to receive a visa, not to mention the long process this would be anyway. It was interesting that some of them had spent summers and months in the U.S. previously.
ReplyDeleteYour comments made me aware of how easy it is for me to travel anywhere in the world. On SST, I heard stories from people who had applied for Visas and been rejected. I even met someone who wanted to come to the U.S. through Mennonite Central Committee to serve for a year, but she too was rejected. I often forget how privileged I am to be able to travel to and from my homeland so easily. What would it feel like to be told you could not enter another country? How hard would it be to refrain from filling out paperwork because you knew you would be rejected even before you were given a chance?
Steph, like Becca and Lynn, I too enjoyed your thoughts about the importance of documentation. How important it is for people who are not documented to get proper documentation. Even though I have not traveled outside the U.S. I know that if I decided to I could with no problem. However, it raises attention to me too that others are not so privileged. The idea of getting Visas and proper ID to get into the U.S. really bothers me. The question is how can we help? People refer to America as the land of opportunity, after reading these novels and taking these classes, I like to refer to it as, the land of opportunity for people American's only!
ReplyDeleteYour notes on how legal status can make someone a ‘real person’ in society are fascinating. It does seem like illegal immigrants are continually treated as nonpersons – even calling them simply “illegal” sounds rather ridiculous, as if peoples’ very existence can be illegal.
ReplyDeleteI was also curious about what you related about companies needing to demonstrate that there were positions not being taken by US citizens. It seems ironic that so many of the jobs Latino/a illegal immigrants take ARE jobs that aren’t being filled by US citizens because we don’t want them. I wonder how much immigration dynamics would change if agriculture or canning companies would make the lack of US workers known so more people could immigrate legally to fill those jobs. Perhaps that would mean a lack of profit – they might actually have to pay people minimum wage.
This is a very interesting thought.... that being legal makes someone a "real person." I have never had to worry about having papers, having a social security number, having a passport, or being a "real person." All of these being a doubt is foreign to me. Why is it so easy for me to assume that I have all these things, yet, so difficult for those that need them to get them? DB brings up a good point. We can go anywhere with an American passport. I have been to Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Morocco and have never had any problems with having the right documentation. I simply needed to have my American passport. I traveled from Spain to Morocco by ferry. They were checking everyone's passport on the boat. As they were checking, they would ask some people about their stay, why they were there, or what they were planning to do. Our guide told us that they would not say a word to us because we had American passports: it was true. I don't remember anyone in our group being asked anything about our trip. Why is that? I like the last thing DB said: "People refer to America as the land of opportunity, after reading these novels and taking these classes, I like to refer to it as, the land of opportunity for people American's only!" I think that is very powerful in showing the privilege we really do have as Americans. Why do we have that? What makes us "better" than everyone else? Because personally, I think we, as a nation, are the most selfish and unwelcoming. Why is that "better?"
ReplyDeleteSteph, like all of the above commenters, I enjoyed reading your thoughts on documentation and its importance. As I've been filling out work forms and even some school related papers lately, I've noticed how often they ask for my social security number. Would I feel like less of a person if I didn't have the right numbers or the right laminated card? It seems ridiculous and kind of sad to me that the validity of where we are so much relies on those little things.
ReplyDeleteI guess I really don't know enough about emigration v. immigration and legal immigration v. illegal immigration. If I could add something to this curriculum, I think it would be a great idea to go over the processes of becoming a legal immigrant, and to know specific facts rather than general ideas... I think that it would help me a lot to understand peoples' motivation for crossing the border illegally.
That is something interesting you have posted. Having documents to make somebody a real person is important. Those people do not have to worry about getting caught by the government. They can live a life where they are giving an opportunity to change their lives. You can do so much with documents. I can hardly imagine my life without documents. I would have to ask my relatives to tell me how it is.
ReplyDeleteThe way the novels are painting the pictures of illegals, life without documents is not so great. Is crossing the border really worth it? People are losing their lives and at the same time, people who have crossed have to worry about getting caught. There is something always wrong for immigrants. I can agree with DB's last statement. If this is the land of opportunity, then it is only the land of opportunity for Americans only.
Steph,
ReplyDeleteI understand and can sympathize that many in Mexico or other Latino countries may have a difficult time gaining entry into the United States, but I still wonder if they have exhausted all of their options, or if all their options of entering into the USA have been explored. I was told by head library Lisa Carreno that MCC (Mennonite Central Committee), has a legal sector of their organization that aids Hispanics in gaining entry into the USA legally. I would wonder if many of these individuals have ever heard of MCC, or if they have attempted to gain help from a church-related service.
Great questions, Steph, that clearly resonated with other members of the class. Until it touches our lives, the aspects of paperwork and documents that make us legal citizens and enable us to work have little meaning for us beyond the abstract. However, when we need those documents and do not have access, then it becomes a very concrete problem. You can apply for a child's social security number in the USA when they are born. Recently, some Indiana hospitals have not been giving birth certificate application opportunities to babies who are born from single Latino mothers who are undocumented, unless there is legal intervention. This drastic action could lead the the growth of a group of people who are citizens of nowhere--a growing problem in the world of migrations today. See this New York Times article on stateless peoples. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/world/asia/01iht-stateless.1.5103819.html
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