Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth: An Analysis

Immigrants live a had life of uprooting one’s life by choice or necessity to relocate to another country in hopes of a better life, in France these immigrants have not been welcomed with open arms, depictions of these separations and brutality toward immigrants in France are shown in Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow by Faiza Guene about an immigrant teen from Morocco, and the movie La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz about minority teens rioting against racial injustice by the police. These two stories reveal the police brutality and terrible situations these immigrant and minority groups face in France and how it has shaped their outlooks on life to be this dead-end cycle of suffering and failure. I feel Kiffe Kiffe Tomorrow depicts a better more

The postwar period in France was a period were identity was being redefined. The struggle to find and understand identity was particularly difficult for recent immigrant workers from former colonies. As the period progressed into the late 1960s, anti-immigrant rhetoric ramped up and was becoming integrated with mainstream politics. The prejudices against immigrant workers and their families was especially difficult for the children, often born in France, who were stuck between two identities. The older generation suffered a loss of identity and reminders that they were not completely welcome in France. Azouz Begag’s Shantytown Kid offers a deeper understanding

Bret Stephens’ editorial concerning a modern controversial issue on deportation and immigrants in America was published in the face of the growing anti-immigration criticism. As a child of immigrants himself, he reprimands the educated public on the stereotypes they have placed on immigrants. Stephens establishes and supports his arguments through his use of evidence, sarcasm, and point of view/voice.

“Who would pretend that a history of a migration has immunized the United States against bigotry?” In Staying Put: Making a Home in a Restless World, Scott Russel Sanders uses this rhetorical question to convince his readers to think more logistically about migration. He pries open the eyes of Americans and shows them the damage that moving can cause, as opposed to Salaman Rushdie’s thoughts that it was only positive.

Since the dawn of American colonization in the early 1600s, the notion of immigrating to America has long been instilled upon various people as a stimulating opportunity to begin a fresh chapter in their lives. Even now, this possibility has brought many variations of people to America, culminating a society that brims with dreams and aspirations to form the diversified nation of today. When speaking of the current state of immigration, it is easy to conclude that immigration is heavily discussed from political standpoints. Though this current condition is composed of highly controversial perspectives, many of the early-century viewpoints found in literature genuinely embrace reality, for these writers were indeed immigrants themselves, thus adding an authoritative standpoint over immigration. The Americanization of Edward Bok (1921) by Edward Bok and The America I Believe In by Colin Powell, display the perspectives of two authors, who have lived as immigrants, through their own personal anecdotes. Both Edward Bok and Colin Powell convey a sincerely grateful tone and develop the idea of Americanization and the quest for opportunity through the use of connotative diction in contrast to the Immigration Chart and Political Cartoon which have a downright concrete and pessimistic tone and supports the idea that immigration exposes various challenges to incoming immigrants.

In 2010, when Ahmad wrote his article, immigration was on the rise in the UK. Many immigrants were being accepted into the country which created a record high. Although this situation may seem to be a good thing, it can be deceiving. Due to the increase in immigration, the government had pledged to cut migration by an exponential amount. “The British, who ruled my country for decades and taught me the English that I speak, have always had the power to keep me out of their country” (Ahmad 38). At this

    For thousands of years people have left their home country in search of a land of milk and honey. Immigrants today still equate the country they are immigrating to with the Promised Land or the land of milk and honey. While many times this Promised Land dream comes true, other times the reality is much different than the dream. Immigration is not always a perfect journey. There are many reasons why families immigrate and there are perception differences about immigration and the New World that create difficulties and often separate generations in the immigrating family. Anzia Yezierska creates an immigration story based on a Jewish family that is less than ideal. Yezierska’s text is a

America, a land that prides itself on being “the great melting pot”, and “the land of opportunity”, oftentimes exemplifies everything but that. Over the years, a vast majority of immigrants have migrated to America and assimilated themselves to American culture. In Moustafa Bayoumi’s novel, “Rasha”, he describes the turmoil some families face when trying to immigrate into America. In the novel, Rasha was arrested, thrown in jail and detained for three months just because she was a Muslim. While immigration is portrayed as a way to a “better life”, the truth is that families just like Rasha’s still encounter discrimination that challenges American ideals such as freedom of religion and equality.

When most immigrants move into America, they are greeted with much tension and conflict. There is still some discrimination between races, as much as American’s

Reducing the issue of xenophobia, the fear of foreigners or strangers, is not a simple task. Two ways today’s society is attempting to reduce xenophobia is through satirical representations, such as the animated show Futurama, and through non-satirical ways like serious articles in magazines like The New York Times. Both representations attempt to bring awareness to serious issues faced by Americans today, but both use completely different methods to get their point across. Dowell Myers’ article in the New York Times, “The Next Immigration Challenge,” observes the assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. and the problems faced by these immigrants in the way of skeptical Americans and uncooperative government policies. He examines the different ways that immigrants have and continue to contribute to society, and how current government policies hinder more successful strides in the future.

In the United States, the cliché of a nation of immigrants is often invoked. Indeed, very few Americans can trace their ancestry to what is now the United States, and the origins of its immigrants have changed many times in American history. Despite the identity of an immigrant nation, changes in the origins of immigrants have often been met with resistance. What began with white, western European settlers fleeing religious persecution morphed into a multicultural nation as immigrants from countries across the globe came to the U.S. in increasing numbers. Like the colonial immigrants before them, these new immigrants sailed to the Americas to gain freedom, flee poverty and

Constant outrage over immigration to the United States has been on the rise for years now. The Obama administration was constantly ridiculed for being ‘soft’ on immigration. Now, with a Republican controlled White House and a deportation-happy child emperor in the Oval Office, a new hope has risen for individuals who have remained so adamantly against immigration to ‘their’ country. While those on the right will often frame immigrants to be nothing more than job stealing criminals who lower wages and serve as a societal leech, this dialogue is very misplaced. We are a nation built on immigrants, hardworking immigrants who deserve equal opportunity and

Immigration, a very popular topic, but most people only think about one side. The U.S citizen side is common knowledge, but what about the immigrant’s side? In the novel, The Book of Unknown Americans, by Cristina Henríquez, and in the article "Sick and Afraid, Some Immigrants Forgo Medical Care”, by Jan Hoffman, the major theme is immigrants and their fear. As shown in the novel and the article, immigrants have feelings and families, hopes and dreams. Immigration is a very controversial issue in the United States, but it should not be, since immigrants are people too, according to both of theses sources. Medical issues, the fear of harm, and unfair treatment, are the major things that both of these sources have in common and agree on. Immigrants are struggling in America, in more ways than one, and many are wondering if coming to America was the right choice.

    Throughout modern times, art has been a way for individuals to educate, or in better terms, raise awareness on particular social issues. This concept is seen in Doris Salcedo’s installation, Shibboleth. This piece commentates on the issue of separation,

Along with its economic classes, American is known for its freedom, its liberty, and the melting pot of ethnicity. This ethnic diversity comes form the immigrant population in the country. However this perfect country is a major falsehood. These untrue ideals of harmony, freedom, success, and equality are deceptive and do not show the struggles that immigrants face when coming to this class dominated country. The immigrants of today do not come from just Europe, but overwhelmingly from Asia and Latin America. “They are driving a demographic shift so rapid that within the lifetimes of today 's teenagers, no one ethnic group – including whites of European descent – will comprise a majority of the nation 's population’ (Colombo, Cullen, Lisle). These immigrants challenge the social myth that everyone has an equal chance in life. They