Migrant Youth : The United States

As a number of Latin American countries continue to struggle with drug cartel violence, economic hardship, and food shortages, many Latinos depart their native country to escape those conditions. For a number of those Latinos, their goal is the United States (US) as their final destination. According to the 2010 US Census, the Latino population in Orleans Parish in New Orleans grew from 14,826 to 18,051 in a period of fewer than ten years. The number shows a significant increase, yet it does not account the number of Latino immigrants that avoided to be counted due to their undocumented status. The number of the Latino immigrants that were not counted during this period of time was estimated to be in the range of 10,000 to

Immigration has played a large role in the history of the United States since the very founding of the country. As even the founding fathers of the United States were immigrants coming to the U.S. to seek a better life. For varies reasons, immigrants have been traveling to America to seek a better life whether to achieve better economic opportunity, religious freedom, and/or political refuge (Jiménez). These reasons have caused immigrants to flood into the U.S. In the most recent years’, weather to allow immigration to keep going as it is has been a hot topic for America. This controversy over immigration has grown as Americans continue to wonder if immigration is still good for the country. Therefore, the immigration controversy has many Americans

In his study, Gonzales sets his attention on two groups of undocumented youths: the early exiters and the college-goers. Both groups are similar in many ways; however, one group receives positive reinforcement from liable people more than the other group. Gonzales’s purpose in writing this book is to inform the reader the struggles of being an undocumented minor and/or

Immigration of Latinos has long caused cultural conflict, especially when it comes to the illegal immigration of Latinos. Unfortunately, the issue has long been debated and there seems to be no clear cut answer on how to resolve the problem. Many Americans often overlook the struggles that Latinos endure and place stereotypes upon this group of people that are untrue. Furthermore, most Americans are misinformed or uninformed about the other side of this hot issue. The purpose of this essay is to give the reader a better understanding of Latino immigration from a cultural perspective and what these immigrants, both legal and illegal experience when relocating to a new country as well as a brief discussion on the issue of immigration reform.

Immigration has played an important role throughout American history. What fundamentally sets America apart from other nations is the foundation that it was created by immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and their children (Camarota & Zeigler, 2016). During times of economic growth, laborers have been imported, and deported during recessions (Flores, 2016). An average of 1.1 million immigrants relocate to the United States annually (Storesletten, 2000). US Customs and Border Control officials, have witnessed a significant increase in the number of “unaccompanied alien minors” from Latin America, anticipating 75,000 minors (if not more) from 2016 to 2017 (Rush, 2016). The average age for “unaccompanied alien minors” is 11 years

There are many vulnerable populations within the United States. One of the many vulnerable populations are undocumented immigrants. Undocumented immigrants also known as illegal immigrants according to Wikipedia (2016) is defined as “the migration of people across national boarders in a way that violates the immigration laws of the destination country” (para 1). The United States of America has one of the largest population of immigrants. In this paper, I will be discussing the multiple stressors related to undocumented immigrants as well as the programs that can be used to help alleviate those stressors.

Christine Bowman, writer of the essay “Undocumented Lives: Migrant Latinos in America”, presents a strong response to a book of a similar name. Bowman’s authority is already shown without having to read her review at all due to her choice of topic alone and how controversial it is. She brings up the stereotypes and misconceptions about immigrants and how they are exploited for their hard work, challenging the idea that migrants are only here to take away American jobs (Bowman 261). Along with this, she argues against the complaints relating to the miscommunications between our languages and reminds us that migrants are “scared because they do not speak English” (Bowman 262). As proof of her credibility, Bowman cites a quote that further expands on the language barrier. Her use of I throughout the essay adds a personal touch, allowing her to bring up the things she feels are most important, including how migrant workers should not all be treated as they’re part of the same story (Bowman 260).

Dan Coats believe that illegal children who immigrated unaccompanied should be deported due to the increasing numbers and how it promotes the dangerous journeys the children take to get to the United States. Coats believes the focus should be placed on the children’s start of their journey and deterring them from coming. The focus should not be “once they arrive at the border” (p. 186).

The United States and Mexican border number of migrating, unaccompanied Honduran minors has grown more than 10,500 from the start of January through the month of July of year 2017. Immigration of children continues to have a major effect and an affect both on the United States and Mexico. This is only now coming to the surface because people have different ways to access information and know about news that has not happened in your state or city. The six chapter book “Enrique’s Journey” written by author Sonia Nazario in the year 2001 was only a glimpse of child immigration and how each country was dealing with the influx of unaccompanied minors. Furthermore, the book “Enrique’s Journey” focuses on the experience of being a child with an immigrating

In regards to the DACA and DAPA programs, President Obama spoke about the U.S being a “nation of immigrants”, referencing the country’s long history of immigration. In her book, Small Strangers, historian Melissa R. Klapper maintains that U.S. history is a story of foreign-born youth and children of immigrants. She says: “As both real people and symbols, turn-of-the-century immigrant children played a vital role [in the] unprecedented productivity and economic growth of their country.” Immigrant youth have been uniquely affected by immigration policies in the U.S. An overview of our country highlights the neglected presence of young immigrants in some of the most significant eras of immigration.

Children from Central America and Mexico have been entering into the United States at a rapid rate that has been increasing over the most recent years Most of these unoccupied children come from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. These countries have account for more than 76,000 of the 102,000 children migrants between 2014 and 2015. More than 102,000 unaccompanied children were apprehended at the United States- Mexico border by the United States Customs and Border Protection from the start of the fiscal year 2014, through August 31, 2015. the United States Census Bureau in 2013 determined that most of the unaccompanied children settled in Texas, California, New York, and Florida. The lengthy process of returning children to their home countries creates a burden on communities financially, but also creates a bloated system that prevents children to return in a timely manner.

Sonia Nazario’s book Enrique’s Journey incredibly reveals and reflects the brutal reality on the topic of Central American Immigration. Through the perspective of Enrique, a young boy searching for his mother, the book unravels the “account of an epic journey,” and through the journey, “presents the positive and negative effects of immigration, illuminating the problem complexity.” Along his journey, Enrique encountered both of beasts and gifts, received both mercy and hatred. Similarly complex is impact of immigration. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, there were more than 700,000 illegal immigrants from Central America into United States each year, comparing to 1,000,000 spots the government legally grants. Such a terrifying number has caused panic and chaos, socially and economically, but also consists of some unnegligible substance. Only by deducting the rate of immigration will people be able to reach a comprehensive well-off society.

Between 1st October, 2013 and 31 July, 2014, the United States Customs and Border Protection reported that likely 63 thousand unaccompanied children, most of them coming from the Central America region, crossed into the United States through the southern border. The figure is a representation of double the total number of children who immigrated to the US in similar period on the previous years, 2012 (Greenhill). The increasing number of children immigrants into the US has revitalized a rancorous nationwide debate regarding the US policies on immigration. President Obama’s critics have been proposing for major immigration reforms to curb the increasing number of children immigrants into the US (Lightfoot). They argue that the situation has stretched the legal and social services receiving the migrants which in turn incurs costs on the tax payers’ money. The issue of influx of children into the US comes from Central America comes at a time when the authorities at the southern body record a historic lowest overall detentions of undocumented immigrants.

Immigration is the process of entry of individuals into a new country (23). Throughout past centuries, immigration has been a means of discovery and exploration of new lands. In today’s culture, immigration to the United States is an avenue for individuals who wish to start new lives and take advantage of the capitalistic, entrepreneurial system. People from many countries have migrated into the United States. Most recently, the migrants have come from Central and South American countries. These Latin American countries influence America’s society culturally and economically through their language, traditions, and workforce. From the 1990s to the present time, immigration from Latin American countries has more than

Mexican Cartels are luring youngsters as young as 11 to work in their smuggling operations, attracting them with what appears to be "easy money" for doing simple tasks. Cartels recruit children, who are less likely to be suspects than adults and are easily manipulated by small sums of money, and face less severe penalties than adults. Kids are asked to smuggle drugs, people and weapons through the border. Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety says, “They are U.S. citizens who speak Spanish and blends perfectly in the other side of the border.”