The plight of the common migrant worker

Once known as the "Great Melting Pot" and regarded as the Utopian product of culturally and racially mixed origins by such transcendentalists as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, America owes a great deal of its success and diversity to immigrants. Let us not forget that these immigrants, including every single one of us and our families who aren't Native Americans, were necessary to the development of the United States of America. Whether these people where seen as necessities, inconveniences, or low cost labor, the immigrants who found themselves in the United States at any point in history all lent an important hand in creating today's society. In order to have a lasting impact on our society though, each new influx of immigrants had to endure a certain rite of passage. History has shown a repeated trend in relation to societal opinions of new immigrants and what must happen in order for these peoples to eventually assimilate into the natural population. The obstacles these immigrants must overcome are momentous; racism, prejudice, unfair representation, treatment, pay and rights, just to name a few. But these obstacles should come as no surprise to anyone due to the fact that history has clearly shown us that this cycle of immigration and assimilation is natural and reoccurring. So when asked if the plight of the migrant workers of today and their effects on our society are different than any of the other immigrant movements in United States history, the obvious answer is no. True, different factors and variables may cause a few discrepancies regarding the future of these immigrants, but the underlying theme is that immigrants of any kind, including today's migrant worker, can be thought of as "inconvenient necessities" at first, and from there they must overcome important generic obstacles in their search for equality and eventually assimilate into our natural population.

Immigrants have always been seen as a threat in the eyes of the average worker. Whether it was the Irish wave in 1845, the Italian push in 1901, or the Oriental increase during the construction of the west coast rail roads, every new influx of immigrants brings about new malice within the natural population due to the fact that immigrants are often willing to work for lower pay and for worse jobs. Migrant workers, or illegal immigrants are no exception to this rule. The natural human reaction is to reject and fight any change to its environment, and this rejection came in the form of prejudice and unfair treatment twoards these new workers. This is always a major obstacle which immigrants face. Ethnic slurs, slums in which some immigrants find solace amongst their own kind, and political manipulation are all byproducts of this natural rejection.
Apart from facing undeniable rejection, these people we consider an "inconvenience", or an actual threat to the working class, are also necessary. Although the introduction of newer and cheaper labor disrupts the economic system, the change these workers bring are necessary for the development. In order for an economy, or any dynamic system such as religion or government, to prosper the system must grow and spread its base, and from an economic stand point the cheap labor is the basis for which growth occurs. The immigrants soon become vitally necessary to the growth of the system, and gain power at the same time. This can be compared to the Union movements of the early 20th century. As the economy grows and becomes more dependent on this cheap labor source, the immigrants gain power. They were able to overcome inequality within the work place and fight for better pay all from this new found power. Whether this power comes in the form of increased numbers and a unified voice, or rather in the form of knowledge that the economy would fail if suddenly they were to disappear, does not matter. All that matters is that the immigrants who were once seen only as a threat become a necessary to the countries economy.

For example, the largest problem with relation to immigration today is illegal immigrants and migrant workers. Although this has been a hot topic, especially in recent elections, the issue is not as new or alien as it is made out to be. For many years illegal immigrants have moved across the boarder in search for jobs and opportunity. Already they have caused a negative reaction in society, having obtained the classic stereotypes and creating slums commonly associated with any new immigrant. Legislation has been passed on what should and could be done about the problem of illegal immigrants; everything from green cards to giant boarder fences. These factors, when put together, paint a perfect picture that represents the classic immigrant struggle. In no way does today's migrant worker or illegal immigrant vary from any of the immigrants of the past. The government actions they are causing are not new; the green card of today is the quota act of 1921. The slums and ghettos of the early 20th century have simply been reoccupied by a growing number of Latinos. There are many other parallels that can be drawn between the immigrants of the past and those of today, but the point is that illegal immigrants are on the same path as every other immigrant group the United States has seen to date.

Which brings me to the final step of the immigrant cycle; assimilation. In the case of migrant workers and illegal immigrants, the final process has already begun. The creation of Spanglish, increased acceptance into the mainstream media and educational system, and the growing percentage of Latinos in the total population, are all signs that our society has already begun to accept today's illegal immigrant into the melting pot that is America. As i said earlier, this process is long and hard for both the country and the immigrants, but eventually migrant Latino workers will overcome the final obstacles in their way, such as fair representation, pay and equality, and will become as much a part of us as the Italians, Irish and Orientals. So, when asked if an illegal immigrant is good or bad for the united states, the answer is neither; they are an "inconvenient necessity" that will eventually be accepted into the American society after during a specific and historically proven rite of passage.

For Liberty And Justice We Fall II: Revised and Streamlined

Since the end of World War II the United States has been seen, or at least seen itself, responsible for protecting the world as its leading policing force. After the Cold war, with the once great Russia no longer casting its threatening red shadow over the rest of the world, the United States, with its overwhelming military force and superior financial stability and prowess, was left without an enemy or common goal. The solution was to create freedom in third world countries; A goal made possible by our once seemingly endless economic success. Since discovering the basis of capitalistic freedom is a strong economy, the United States was not only able to create freedom and equality within its own borders, but also outside them. Now, as the U.S feels the draining effects of stabilizing freedom in other countries and experiences its own economic hardships, we face the same problem as the countries we once sought to help. The United States cannot finance the freedom of other countries if it cannot control its own financial freedom.

Our policing gaze soon turned towards the business of the Middle East. Implementing our aggressive foreign policy, the United States focused more and more energy on what was then seen as a new and dangerous common enemy to the ideals of Democracy. As we waved our flag and cried for freedom in such countries as Kuwait during the Gulf Wars, our country grew both economically and egotistically. But as we evolved, so did the rest of the world. No longer were wars fought with definitive sides and solid, visible enemies. They were now ghosts that would strike without warning, and just as quickly slip into the crevasses of the new battleground; cities. It was called terrorism, and after September 11th, 2001, the United States quickly vowed to take on this new threat, except that the U.S could never find the head of their new enemy. And this is where we find ourselves today.

We have yet to end this "War on Terror". Just by stepping back for a moment and analyzing the title of this war we can predict the outcome. The definition of the word "terror" itself means "intense, sharp, overmastering fear." There is no possible way to combat fear with guns and bombs and uniformed men. And yet the American people are told that the current U.S occupation of Iraq is creating stability and laying the foundation of freedom. Freedom, which we pay for through our nose. As George W. Bush himself said on January first, 2001, "If we don't stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, then we're going to have a serious problem." The problem is that we have dug ourselves a hole, a five hundred eighty billion dollar hole, which we cannot climb out of. Although the war itself was not the sole cause of the current economic crisis, the financial consequences of this war are symptoms of the ailing cold war policies including the stabilization fledgling democracies at our own financial and military expenses. This ailing policy cannot be supported when the stock market is experiencing such a major crisis, a crisis which shows signs of becoming the next Great Depression. It may be true that most Americans do not understand or are ignorant of our current military situation all over the world, however we are very informed of our economic status, and are now wondering if we can support our own financial freedom, let alone the freedom of another country.

For many weeks there had been whispers of an economic recession in the media and government, but until recently no government official was willing to come out and address the issue. They feared that if the truth was laid in front of the American people they would panic, and the news of a recession would have a domino effect. The solution for the government officials; bide their time. This was possibly the worst plan since it dealt with neither issue of public reaction or economic stability. Then, on September 15th, Merril Lynch was sold after being denied government bailout. This was not the first event to set off the dreaded chain reaction, but it certainly was the straw that broke the camels back. The fallout has yet to be decided all while many financial giants struggle to keep their heads above water, but the country's economic future looks dim. Combined with the fact that our government is in a trillion dollar deficit, and stuck in the money hole that is Iraq, we are looking at a good deal of financial hardships ahead.

Bound to our government through the chains we call taxes, the American peoples are either bound to two fates; become indentured servants to the government when unable to pay the in surmounting taxes, or watch our own state of democracy crumble at its base, the economy. Although these conclusions are slightly harsh and subject to bias, the truth as President Bush said himself is that we cannot continue our current nation-building mission. Simply put, we cannot support both another unstable country's fledgling economy with a failing economy of our own.