Immigrant Labor and Identity
Politics
“That victim who is able to articulate the situation of the victim
has ceased to be a victim; he, or she, has
become a threat.”
-JAMES BALDWIN
Background
• “On election day in 1994, nearly 60 percent of the California
electorate · voted in favor of Proposition 187, a measure
designed to deny medical treatment and education and to
deliver excruciating pain and punishment to undocumented
workers and their families. (Lipsitz)”
• “The initiative required the expulsion from school of close to
500,000 students, mandated denial of prenatal care to
pregnant women, deprived deaf children of sign language
instruction, and demanded that doctors refuse to provide their
patients with immunization shots and refuse tests and
treatment for victims of AIDS, tuberculosis, alcoholism, and all
other diseases. (Lipsitz)”
• Definition of Immigrant: “a person who comes
to a country to take up permanent
residence”(Webster Dictionary)
• Estimation Number- An estimation of about
12 million illegal immigrants in the country.
• Job Issues- In 2010 there is believed to have
been 8.5 million jobs occupied by illegal
immigrants.
http://www.fairus.org/issues/illegal-immigration
• Topic: Illegal Immigrants and the political/economical
issues that effect the country.
• Focus: The role that politics play on how to contain the
immigration struggles.
• Method: Textual Analysis on the bills currently passed
by the government; and their effectiveness.
• Target: Citizens and illegal immigrants
• Goal: To further analyze the complex situation of
immigration while separating the positives and
negatives of allowing illegal immigration in the United
States.
Issues Immigrants Face
• Undocumented workers pay far more in taxes than
they receive in services.
• In addition, they benefit the U.S. economy as
productive low-wage laborers, in- eligible for direct
welfare assistance.
• Vulnerable as "illegal" immigrants to employers who
can mistreat them-and in some cases run out on paying
them any wages at all-secure in the knowledge that the
workers' undocumented status makes it all but
impossible for them to file complaints with the legally
constituted authorities.
Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eQZoXA
U7X0
Where Do “You” Draw The Line?
- What do you feel should be done about the
ongoing struggle with immigration?
- How do you distinguish what is enough time
an illegal immigrant has to be living in the
country for before they gain citizenship?
The Current Plan
• “Under Obama's plan, those who qualify would
be allowed to live and work in the United States
for two years and could be eligible for
extensions”
•
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/15/us-usa-immigration-idUSBRE85E0VA20120615
• President Barack Obama explained his
administration's decision to allow as many as
800,000 young illegal immigrants to apply for
temporary legal status and work permits.
•
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/watch-live-obama-explains-decision-legalize-young-illegal165949610.html
What Makes Them Eligible?
• “To qualify, illegal immigrants must be under 31 years old and
have come to the United States before they were 16. They
must show that they have lived here continuously since June
15, 2007, and be currently in school or have earned a high
school diploma or have been honorably discharged from the
military. They must pass a background check to show they do
not have any significant criminal record or pose a threat to
national security.”
•
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/immigration-andemigration/index.html
Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8lLU7Xjc
Wc&feature=related
Further Analyzing of Immigration
• Mexico is the country with the most illegal
immigrants in the U.S.A; followed by China and
India.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/06/daily-chart-18
• Larger Corporations and Upper Class Americans
were actually against Proposition 187 because it
would make illegal immigrants unbearable and
practically force them to leave. Which meant
cheap and efficient labor would leave as well.
Race Factor
• Mexican resemblance may cause automatic
stereotype of being an illegal immigrant.
• African American or Asian does not have the
same stereotype, why?
Video
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnRacBZ4
3Oc
Final Question
• Will the United States Economy down
the road be effected in a very
negative way if illegal immigrants
leave entirely…?