THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
Name: ___________________________________________ Period: _________ Date: __________
1. What is a “Minuteman”? What do they do?
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2. How many illegal immigrants live in America today? Where to most come from?
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3. In 2006, the House of Representatives passed a bill on immigration. What did it do?
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4. From what country does Frank George come? When, why, and how did he immigrate
to the U.S.?
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5. What is Frank’s main concern about illegal immigration into the U.S.? What does he
think it will do, and why?
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6. Describe the apartment and living conditions of the Gonzalez family.
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THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
7. What 3 rules must Frank follow to “live as an illegal immigrant” for the next 30 days?
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8. Why does Frank choose to engage in the experience of living with a family of illegal
aliens?
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9. What concerns do the Gonzalez family have about their guest?
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10. What is the approximate yearly income of the
Gonzalez family?
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11. How does Rigoberto counter Frank’s claim that illegal
immigrants take jobs away from Americans?
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12. What is Armida’s dream? What obstacles stand in her
way?
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13. What argument does Armida’s teacher present to Frank?
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THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
14. What finally made Frank begin to see the Gonzalez family as people rather than
illegals?
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15. What immigration bill was the Senate debating? Why did Rigoberto support the bill?
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16. How does Frank feel about the protest? How does Armida feel about it?
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17. How is Frank affected by his experience in Mexico?
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18. How is the conversation between Rigoberto and Frank about the lizards symbolic?
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19. How has Frank changed by the end of his 30 days?
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THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
1. What is a “Minuteman”? What do they do?
Civilian volunteers who patrol the border between the U.S. and Mexico. They do not apprehend illegal immigrants
trying to cross the board, but they do report them to the official U.S. Border Patrol.
2. How many illegal immigrants live in America today? Where to most come from?
Today there are over 11 million illegal immigrants in America, most from Mexico and Central America.
3. In 2006, the House of Representatives passed a bill on immigration. What did it do?
In December 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal
Immigration Reform Act of 2005 (H.R. 4437), a harsh immigration reform bill designed to punish the 11 million
undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States illegally. The explicit goal of H.R. 4437 was the
mass arrest and deportation of between 11 million and 12 million undocumented immigrants, a goal that many-including President Bush--denounced as expensive (costing nearly as much as the Iraq War), unrealistic, and
inhumane. Passage of the bill sparked widespread protests from Latin American immigrants. The most
controversial part of H.R. 4437 is its so-called "Good Samaritan" clause, which states that it is a felony to
knowingly or unknowingly "assist" undocumented immigrants. This endangers the families of undocumented
immigrants as well as community volunteers, who are not in the habit of checking their clients' immigration status.
High-ranking Roman Catholic officials have vowed civil disobedience against this policy should it become law.
(Both House & Senate Bills= increased border security by establishing a massive triple-layer fence at strategic
points along the 1,952-mile U.S.-Mexican border. funding for increased border patrol staff. include stiff fines for
employers who knowingly employ undocumented workers.Both… did not pass.)
4. From what country does Frank George come? When, why, and how did he immigrate
to the U.S.?
Frank immigrated from Cuba in 1957, to escape the revolution. His father worked for an American sugar
company, so was allowed to move his family to the United States legally.
5. What is Frank’s main concern about illegal immigration into the U.S.? What does he
think it will do, and why?
He is afraid that he is losing his country, and that the continuation of unchecked illegal immigration into the United
States will bring about the dissolution of the nation, and tear it apart. He views the actions of illegal immigrants as
being anti-American, that in a way they constitute an occupying army, and he fears a take-over.
6. Describe the apartment and living conditions of the Gonzalez family.
The Gonzalez family consists of 7 people, living in a 1 bedroom apartment. The 2 youngest children were born in
the United States, so are citizens, but the older three immigrated with their parents from Mexico 12 years ago.
There is one bathroom, and a tiny kitchen. They family shares beds, and some sleep on the floor. There is very
little privacy, although they keep the apartment clean, and do the best they can to make it a home.
7. What 3 rules must Frank follow to “live as an illegal immigrant” for the next 30 days?
1. He must leave all personal Identification behind
2. He must live with a family of illegal immigrants
3. He must work as a day laborer
8. Why does Frank choose to engage in the experience of living with a family of illegal
aliens?
Frank originally chose to engage in the experience of living with a family of illegal immigrants because he believed
it would be a good opportunity to show the American people what a huge problem illegal immigration is, and
hopefully inspire them to do something about it before it’s too late. He believes it will be his chance to prove his
theory.
THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
9. What concerns do the Gonzalez family have about their guest?
They wonder what he will be like. Paty, the mother, says she hopes he looks like them, and is not some blondhaired, blue-eyed “gringo.” Armida says that she hopes he is white,
because if were Latino, and still a minuteman, she would not know how to
deal with him. He would be a hypocrite.
10. What is the approximate yearly income of the
Gonzalez family?
The Gonzalez family subsists on less than $15,000/year, taken from
Rigoberto’s odd jobs as a the neighborhood and apartment handyman,
Paty’s recycling, and any other funds they can raise doing whatever they
can.
The current U.S. poverty line for a 7 person household is $33, 270
(http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09poverty.shtml)
The most common measure of poverty in the United States is the "poverty
threshold" set by the U.S. government. This measure recognizes poverty
as a lack of those goods and services commonly taken for granted by
members of mainstream society. The official threshold is adjusted for
inflation using the consumer price index. Poverty in the United States is
cyclical in nature with roughly 13 to 17% living below the federal poverty
line at any given point in time, and roughly 40% falling below the poverty
line at some point within a 10 year time span. Most Americans (58.5%) will
spend at least one year below the poverty line at some point between ages
25 and 75. There remains some controversy over whether the official
poverty threshold over- or understates poverty.
11. How does Rigoberto counter Frank’s claim that illegal immigrants take jobs away
from Americans?
Rigoberto says illegal immigrants do want to take jobs away from Americans. But Americans expect to be paid a
lot more to do the work. Illegal immigrants merely take the low paying jobs that Americans don’t want.
12. What is Armida’s dream? What obstacles stand in her way?
Armida’s dream is to be the first person in her family to get a college education. However, money is an obstacle,
as well as her illegal status which prevents her from applying for many scholarships.
13. What argument does Armida’s teacher present to Frank?
Mr. Young calls the Minutemen idiots. He says Frank’s argument that illegal immigrants should just go home and
come back legally is too simplistic. How do you send 30 million people back to Mexico? What about their kids
who were born in the U.S. and are American citizens, what do you do with them?
14. What finally made Frank begin to see the Gonzalez family as people rather than
illegals?
After spending the day with Paty, Frank finally felt like the ice had been broken. He listens to her talk about the
money she is saving for Christmas, how proud she is that she has saved $50.00, and all the hopes she has for
her children. She does not want to disappoint them. He sees the way the family values each other, and he begins
to see them not as illegals, but as people who love each other and want the best for one another, and work hard
to achieve their goals.
THINKING SKILLS
30 DAYS: IMMIGRATION
15. What immigration bill was the Senate debating? Why did Rigoberto support the bill?
The Senate passed a much more moderate bill, S. 2611--called the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of
2006 (CIRA) It allows undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for five years or more to apply for
citizenship by paying fines and back taxes, and immigrants who have been in the country for 2 to 5 years to apply
for citizenship at border checkpoints. President George W. Bush has largely favored the more moderate Senate
bill. CIRA also proposes a new H-2C visa for temporary guest workers, allowing employers to recruit non-citizen
workers into the United States without violating immigration policy. establishes English as the "common and
unifying language" of the United States. (Did not pass)
Rigoberto favors it because if it passed, he could get his citizenship. Then he could own his own business, and
prosper, and he would also be able to help others in need.
16. How does Frank feel about the protest? How does Armida feel about it?
Frank is very defensive. He believes that it is a sign of revolution. He refuses to light a candle, because he belies
the protest is anti-American, and that it signals the end of America.
Armida sees the protest as collective pride in Latino heritage, and participation in the political process of America.
Illegal immigrants cannot vote, but they do have a voice. If they voice their support, maybe people will vote for the
Senate bill, because the fact is, no one wants to be illegal. They all want to be legal.
17. How is Frank affected by his experience in Mexico?
Frank goes to Mexico and sees the extreme poverty in which the Gonzalez family lived prior to coming to
America. He knew they were poor, but it was another thing entirely to actually see the way they lived. He
understands better why they would risk so much to come to America, and leave their family behind. He also
understands why they argue that it is not as simple as just sending illegal immigrants back to Mexico. He sees
what they would be going back to, and as he has come to respect and like them, he does not want them to go
back to living the way they did in Mexico.
18. How is the conversation between Rigoberto and Frank about the lizards symbolic?
When they see the ugly, weird lizards, Frank says its strange that when you are young and you see something
like that, you’re first instinct may be to destroy it. But when you are older, you can appreciate them, and be willing
to let them live. It is symbolic because before getting to know the Gonzalez family, Frank’s first instinct about
immigrants was to send them away, to get rid of them, they were too different, and going to destroy America. But
after getting to know them, he has seen their side of the situation, and understands that they are human, not
really so different, and although they should come to America legally, they do have the right to pursue a better life.
19. How has Frank changed by the end of his 30 days?
Although Frank still believes that immigrants should only come to the U.S. legally, he sees their perspective, and
also their value in American society. He has come to understand that the issue is more complicated than simply
sending people back. When Armida asks him if he will still be a Minuteman, he wavers, and says it would be
strange, and that he does not really feel like going to the border anymore. We learn later at the end that he does
remain with the organization, although he no longer goes out to the border, but instead focuses on lobbying
politicians for immigration reform (how much of this might be his wife’s influence???).
20. How is illegal immigration both a political and a human rights issue?
Immigration is a political about people. How does America deal with the problems created by illegal immigration,
but still maintain the human dignity of the immigrants themselves? It is all too often easier to see the immigrants
as invaders, as “not like us,” and thus treat them as less than. But they are people, and if America truly stand for
freedom, equality, opportunity, democracy, etc. it has to be for everyone. The problem is how.