Since we last discussed, I've been all over the place trying to find the perfect artifact for our next discussion. I realized that in order to make this a cohesive series I needed to establish goals and objectives so I wouldn't get sidetracked or be prone to run on tangents. In the first installation of A Summer Analyzing Immigration, I discovered my long-term goal that I would like to achieve about the theme and overall objective of this blog. I also have a short-term goal that I will try to accomplish by the end of this post.
Main Objective of A Summer Analyzing Immigration: I will strive to examine the modern status quo on immigration, recent events, and even my own personal beliefs and prejudices.
Reflection Goal #1: Find commonalities and differences between the personal experiences of modern immigrants and those from a century ago.
Now with that recap finished and my goals reinforced, it's on to our discussion of the day:
Stereotypes of Immigrants and Their Consequences
When you think of the word "immigrant" what comes to mind? Is it your great-grandfather who came over here from Germany back in 1921? Or is it your Hispanic neighbor that you've known ever since you were a little kid? If you instantly thought of "illegal immigrants" don't feel guilty, it's a response most people directly go to when on the subject of immigration. In the United States, the main type of immigration discussed is that of undocumented migrants who come to America under the radar of border control agents and immigrant legislation. Yet if you did rapidly think of "illegal immigrants", the biggest question to ask yourself is do you really know their story or have you naively believed stereotypes?
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| Courtesy of ohio.edu |
The common stereotype of an "illegal immigrant" is a former Mexican citizen, typically male, with little or no education coming to the U.S. for work and often a dream of a better life. This stereotypical undocumented immigrant precedes to live off of services the federal government pays for and either becomes a "dreamer" who achieves white collar jobs and acculturates to United States living: gets a green card to live in the country, pays taxes, works and provides for himself and a family; or becomes a "freeloader" who works a minimum wage job, may join a gang, has a large family, and cannot support himself or family in fear of being deported. Neither of these truly represent the average life of an undocumented immigrant.
The University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration recently conducted a study on immigration and identity. The study addresses the issues assistant professor Roberto Gonzales discovered with modern stereotypes of immigrants and how it affects young adults living under these labels. Gonzales found that research and support for immigrants was based on race rather than ethnicity and cultural background. Essentially, developmental and clinical research was basing its support off of racial stereotypes for immigrant youth. In order to break free from the common labels immigrants face we must begin to see them as not a single story but millions of unique and new tales in order to customize care and development for these families.
Later in the study, Roberto Gonzales explained his pathway for immigrant youth which he called "learning to be illegal". His two-track pathway was pretty dismal; most immigrant youth ended up with a deflated sense of hope by being on lower educational tracks, getting into issues with law, unfortunate relationships ending in teenage pregnancy, and low availability of labor. The "dreamer" pathway results with the undocumented youth going to college and dreaming that legislation will change whilst concealing their identity of being undocumented. This deflation both pathways face lead to mental and emotional issues, as Gonzales states, "their daily lives are rife with stress and worry, and these stresses have important implications for their mental and emotional well-being. Nearly every person I interviewed talked about headaches, ulcers, toothaches, trouble sleeping, problems eating, thoughts of suicide, and even attempted suicide".
In Reyna Grande's memoir The Distance Between Us, her family faces a tragedy that nearly 80% of immigrants to the United States face: the separation and disruption of families. The anxiety and emotional pain she and her siblings faced was deplorable. I applauded her father for his efforts to find a new life as an immigrant, yet leaving his children and wife for nearly ten years causing them the worry over the potential loss of a father was almost abusive. Reyna's recounts of her childhood dreams of meeting the "Man Behind the Glass" was heart-wrenching especially after she discovered her father wasn't the superhero she believed him to be.
As a child of divorce, separation of families and anxiety over developmental support is something I know quite well. Although I have always had at least one of my parents fifty percent of my life, having a separated family is never an easy situation. Knowing the issues my family faces; arguments, rivalries, siding of children, and occasional custody battles, it's no wonder a child like Reyna grew up in fear of what her life would be like. Sometimes it is easier to act like Mago, Reyna's older sister, and no longer care about one parent because they've affected your life so horribly. Although my family has not gone through the intense process of immigrating to a new country, even the pressures that follow a common divorce can begin to tear a family apart.
Robert Gonzales' study also discusses a generation often forgotten when it comes to immigration. In the Murrieta, California Bus Protest I mentioned in my last post the issue was about the undocumented mothers and children coming from Mexico, but teenagers weren't addressed. On the contrary, The Distance Between Us covered majority of Grande's life, especially that of her life as a teenager. By the time she was in high school she most likely would have been considered as a "dreamer" by Gonzales' standards. She was a high achieving student with hopes of becoming a successful writer, a talented player in the marching band, but she was still held back by her father's abusive alcoholic rage and grudges. Her aspirations never dwindled and she eventually achieved her dreams of becoming a successful writer.
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| Courtesy of Publisher's Weekly |
My family on my father's side gave up their entire lives in Italy to move to the United States. Although it was nearly a century ago, the fear and worry about being sent back to Italy nearly drove my family apart. My grandfather told me about how his mother was willing to put everything on the table in order to make sure he and his siblings had a good life in America. My grandmother married a "proxy husband" who she had to marry before she would be allowed into the country. She had never met the man, but she fixed a fake marriage in order to enter the United States. Just like Reyna Grande's family, my relatives were willing to sacrifice the stability of their family for the opportunity to live in the United States. It took years to acculturate to living in the United States, but eventually my family like millions of other immigrants at the time became role models for the modern immigrants of today. It seems so simple, if immigrants of the past can do it why can't we?
After this second artifact, I've begun to recognize the stereotypes and misconceptions about immigration that leave politicians and news reporters babbling for days. For instance, if you say immigrant even I would say someone who's moving into a country from typically a second or third world country. I could even say my great-grandmother who moved my family here from Italy! The moment you add a controversial term like "illegal" before immigrant, you get a whole different definition. The term illegal immigrant comes with discrimination, bias, stereotypes, and even lifestyle pathways according to Roberto Gonzales. Children, teenagers, families, and even their future generations are all affected by immigration. Whether it be crossing the border, maintaining a lowbrow status, gaining citizenship, or being deported, or even discrimination within the country, every stage of the immigration process takes a major emotional toll on millions of people all throughout history.
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Links to the artifact discussed in this post:
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