Instructor Rodríguez
INGL 3101-020
17 October 2011
Emigration: A positive or negative change?
What does it really mean to emigrate? According to Merry-Webster Dictionary emigrate
means “to leave one's place of residence or country to live elsewhere”. “In 2005, there were 191
million migrants, or 3 percent of the world’s population, living outside their country.” Certainly,
every day the number of people migrating to other countries or developed countries such as
United States increases significantly. The people who migrate are looking for a better future, a
better quality of life, better opportunities, and demand for labor. This is a very difficult process
because it requires many challenges and represents a culture change. People, especially youth,
require perseverance, determination and a fighting spirit to succeed and obtain their dreams.
Migration is not an immoral issue; it's an alternative for people who want to improve their life,
achieve their goals and give all heart and fight to reach their dreams.
Many people who leave their country to go to another are very poor and don’t even have
the means to emigrate and travel in yawls. In the process, they face many obstacles that can even
take their life. It is truly impressive to see how their hope remains and goes further to achieve
their dream. Many people leave their country because they receive very low wages and decide to
go in search of better opportunities in the exterior. When they get to the foreign country,
everything is very different and very hard. Most emigrants work in domestic service,
agriculture, construction or restaurants, earning a very minimal salary. A certain percentage of
this population is able to get a job in their area of work depending on the country to where
emigrate. On the other hand, they face a new language, cultural discrimination, rejection and
loneliness. This interferes with their goals, in addition to somehow reducing the percentage of
people who perhaps could better develop their own country serving as professionals.
Migration also has great positives qualities. People who have the ability to adapt with the
greatest satisfaction when they are employed, learn another language like English, acquire
knowledge, develop in all areas, and contribute not only to that country but also to their own
country. Migration is a very difficult process, and every day this is reflected as many young
immigrants overcome and achieve the maximum for their tenacity, perseverance and hope for a
better future. Despite the obstacles, most of these young people struggle to get a good college
education and give their best. Especially in Puerto Rico and the U.S., many young people have
the opportunity to meet at Boys & Girls Clubs better known as the positive place for youth. This
place offers hope for a better future, more opportunities, and the development of their potential.
The decade of the ’50s marked an important stage in the Puerto Rican migration to the
U.S. due to the lack of jobs in the sugar industry. Studies indicate that by 1940 there were less
than 70,000 Puerto Ricans in the United States. Ten years later, there were 300,000 additional
Puerto Ricans in the United States (Trasfondo Histórico de la Emigración Puertorriqueña al
Continente Americano a partir de los Años 40’s).
This time period is clearly reflected in two stories: "La noche en que volvimos a ser
gente" by José Luis González and La Carreta by René Marqués. " La noche que volvimos a ser
gente” reflects how some people turn to recognize Puerto Rican identity in the midst of a
completely different culture and dehumanizing jobs in the United States. It reflects the work of
the factory, exploitation, low wages and struggle with English language. In La Carreta the story
follows a family of “jíbaros" that in an effort to find better opportunities end up moving to the
United States.
Finally, one can consider that migration is a very viable alternative. It's a great challenge
but it also depends on the commitment to consistently comply and to overcome obstacles. It is
not immorality to leave the home country to pursue dreams and opportunities. Any person can
love his or her country and still migrate to another in search of his or her aspiration. There is
nothing dishonest; on the contrary, it means that the challenge is stronger, that the fight is
ongoing. The results will provide hope needed to excel and contribute to the world, including
the home country with the knowledge and perseverance that these emigrant have.
Work Cited:
“Emigrate” Merry-Webster Online Dictionary. Web.
González, José Luis. “La noche que volvimos a ser gente.” Mariíta Rivadulla & Associates. El
placer de leer y escribir. Plaza Mayor: San Juan, 2002: 24-36. Print.
“IOM Facts and Figures based on United Nations, Trends in Migrant Stock: “The 2005
Revision.” International Migration 2006. Print.
Marqués, René. La Carreta. Francisco M. Vázquez. Editorial Cultural: Rio Piedras, 1983: 1172. Print.
“Trasfondo Histórico de la Emigración Puertorriqueña al Continente Americano a partir de los
años 40’s.” La Enciclopedia Ilustrada del Proyecto Salón Hogar. Fundación
Educativa Héctor A. García, 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2011