An Analysis Of Ruth Gomberg Munoz 's ' Labor And Legality : An Ethnography Of A Mexican Immigrant Network

Ruth Gomberg-Muñoz’s, Labor and Legality is a book written on the Mexican immigrant network in the U.S. She centers it on the Lions, a group of Mexican men from Leon, Mexico that all share their lives and help explain the many networks and strategies that are used in order to excel and gain happiness. There have been many different sorts of misconceptions about immigrants, and in recent years about undocumented immigrants from Mexico. The U.S. has made a sort of war on illegal immigrants and has made it a seemingly high priority in the media and in politics. Therefore, many Americans have been mislead and ill-informed about the history of immigrants/undocumented immigrants. Gomberg-Muñoz’s Labor and Legality helps set us straight. She unveils undocumented immigrants for the people that they are instead of the criminals that the media leads many to believe. Although she doesn’t have a wide range of participants for her study, I believe that she addresses many of the misconceptions and just plain ignorance that American people have of people that are undocumented; why stereotypes are supported by the people themselves, why politicians include stronger illegal immigration laws, and everything in between. Many of her topics reveal a sort of colonialism that the U.S. practices on Mexico; the exploitation of undocumented peoples to the benefit of the U.S. through economics, hypocritical laws and campaigns, and the racist and prejudice consequences.

Cristina Henriquez’, The Book of Unknown Americans, folows the story of a family of immigants adjusting to their new life in the United States of America. The Rivera family finds themselves living within a comunity of other immigrants from all over South America also hoping to find a better life in a new country. This book explores the hardships and injustices each character faces while in their home country as well as withina foreign one, the United States. Themes of community, identity, globalization, and migration are prevalent throughout the book, but one that stood out most was belonging. In each chacters viewpoint, Henriquez explores their feelings of the yearning they have to belong in a community so different than the one that they are used to.

Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize winning author, shares his life-long journey as an undocumented immigrant in his text, “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant.” As the title suggests, Vargas attempts to convey to his audience, who likely never has and never will experience anything similar to what he has, what it is like to live as an immigrant in the United States of America. Skillfully, Vargas details the perfect number of personal stories to reach the emotional side of his audience, which is anyone who is not an immigrant. Through the use of his personal accounts Vargas is able to effectively communicate that immigrants are humans too while simultaneously proving his credibility, as he has experience and a vast amount of knowledge

In my ADV class we had the privilege to read a book named “A Home on the Field”. The book was written by Paul Cuadros, a reporter who was sent to the small town of Siler City to study the impact of the Latino community. Cuadros narrates his experience on helping immigrants overcome their social and family issues, and get through the culture clash that the Latino legal and illegal immigrants looking for a new beginning face nowadays.

     The author of Mexican Lives, Judith Adler Hellman, grapples with the United States’ economic relationship with their neighbors to the south, Mexico. It also considers, through many interviews, the affairs of one nation. It is a work held to high esteem by many critics, who view this work as an essential part in truly understanding and capturing Mexico’s history. In Mexican Lives, Hellman presents us with a cast from all walks of life. This enables a reader to get more than one perspective, which tends to be bias. It also gives a more inclusive view of the nation of Mexico as a whole. Dealing with rebel activity, free trade, assassinations and their transition into the modern age, it justly

This statement leads one to believe that the Lions have taken the expectations that Americans have set for them and made them a part of their social identity. While the Lions’ actions may make the hard-working Mexican stereotype seem innocent enough, it can lead to employers taking advantage of undocumented workers.

Each year, thousands of Central American immigrants embark on a dangerous journey from Mexico to the United States. Many of these migrants include young children searching for their mothers who abandoned them. In Enrique’s Journey, former Los Angeles Times reporter, Sonia Nazario, recounts the compelling story of Enrique, a young Honduran boy desperate to reunite with his mother. Thanks to her thorough reporting, Nazario gives readers a vivid and detailed account of the hardships faced by these migrant children.

The book Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States illustrates the fieldwork of the author Seth M. Holmes by explaining the myriad aspects of migrant workers’ lives in the U.S.—from the politics to the social environments to the physical body. By not only studying, but living, the lives of these migrant workers, Holmes brings the reader a view unseen by the vast majority and provides the opportunity for greater understanding through the intense details of his work. The voices of vastly different characters—real people—are captured and expounded on without judgment but with deep consideration for all factors that contribute to each person’s life, opinions, and knowledge. Ultimately, a picture of intersectionality is painted in the colors of migrants, mothers, fathers, children, doctors, soldiers, executives, the poor, the rich, and more.

As depicted in John Steinbeck's novel Grapes of Wrath the 1930's was a time when migrant workers like the story's Joad family had to leave their homes, cross a perilous desert, live through the social injustices of the time, and work at jobs with low insufficient pay just to have a better life (Steinbeck). Seventy years later, the situations and experiences stay the same but the people are no longer native-born Americans but illegal immigrants who sacrifice everything to come to the United States to live a better life, as a result of that the 500,000 immigrants that illegally enter the United States through the Mexican border annually and stay in the country are the Joads of today (Aizenman).

The book ‘Labor and Legality: An Ethnography of a Mexican Immigrant Network’ by Ruth Gomberg-Munoz explains the hardships that surround the Mexican immigrant network. Over the years the ‘undocumented’ workers coming to America from Mexico has increased which has gained the attention of the American government and the media, as it is ‘illegal behavior’. Gomberg-Munoz attempts to create an understanding of the lives of these workers by telling individual’s personal stories. The author reports the workers undocumented lives rather than reviewing their status as this is already covered in society. The author’s main topic revolves around the principle that undocumented workers strive to improve their quality of life by finding employment in the United States (Gomberg-Munoz 9). Gomberg Munoz also presents the daily struggles the works face daily, and how these struggles “deprives them of meaningful choice and agency” which effects their opportunity and futures (Gomberg-Munoz 9). This ethnography shows their social identities through work, the reasons why their position is illegal and how they live their everyday lives under the circumstances.

When one visualizes Latino culture, the prevalent images are often bright colors, dancing, and celebrations. This imagery paints a false portrait of the life of many Latino’s, especially those that are forced to leave their home countries. Latinos often face intense poverty and oppression, whether in a Latin country, or a foreign country, such is true in Pam Ryan’s novel Esperanza Rising. Ryan chronicles the issues that many Latino immigrants face. The first is the pressure from the home country. Many of the countries face turmoil, and many are forced to leave their homes and culture. Once in a foreign place, people often struggle with standing by their own culture or assimilating to the new culture. Latino authors frequently use young adult literature as a platform to discuss the issues they face, as young adults are coming of age they struggle with their identities, personifying the struggle of old culture against the new culture.

While not taking advantage of the free opportunities given, others risk their lives for just one. Migrant workers try to squeeze into our American society with their goal of making money, not causing harm. According to “Migrant Clinician” Migrant workers are those not native, working temporarily or seasonally in places other than their home land. Most of these workers take the jobs that no one wants to do. Most of the America’s guest workers who are temporarily in the US through the federal H2A program works on farms and are called migrant farm workers. Immigrants seek seeking for a better life some search in a land where everyone is free and treated equal,

The stories presented in the Underground Undergrads book by UCLA Centre for Labour Research and Education, inspire one to agree with the DREAM Act. They provide insight into the world of the Undocumented students and force

In IMA BE ME, Wanda Sykes said, “ Why are they called illegal immigrants? They 're undocumented workers. If someone broke into my house, and vacuumed? You know, I might be a little confused. But I ain’t calling the cops”. This is one of the funniest line from the show and at the same time, it captures audience’s heart. I believe, the United States is trying to change a lot now as a country where have been accepting various immigrants continuously since the foundation of the nation. In 2008, Barack Obama won the presidential election by gaining the popularity support from many minorities, and he became the first black President. He was returned for the second term in 2012, and he was supported not only by black people, but also many immigrants from South America and Asia. In the same year, Obama administration announced Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) to grant a temporary right for over 1 million young undocumented immigrants to stay in the U.S. without the fear of being deported. However, the dispute over acceptance of immigration of the Latinos has still been continued. And now, an immigration problem is regarded as the important problem of political power, and country is trying to tackle immigration law reform. In this paper, I would like to discuss about the trend of immigration issue first, and then look into how undocumented workers identify themselves and build their own self. In order to obtain deeper insight, I will use the real story about

America is the most diverse nation on the world. When people with different culture and different languages live in the same society, it always brings up disagreement, but America is more than disagreement. The movie “My Family” illustrated the life of the Latino immigrant family who live in the oppressive society in America. The Noel hypothesis called competition, ethnocentric and power played in the part of the Mexico immigrant family’s life.