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Essay The Situation for Refugees and Immigrants in the USA

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The United States of America has always been a refuge where poor and oppressed people from the far corners of the world can come to begin a new life. Much of the nation’s allure to prospective immigrants is in its promise of equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, or color. But the pressures of rising unemployment rates, congested cities, a crippled healthcare system, and national debt skyrocketing out of control have caused America to defend her borders against the influx of immigrants that threaten her already ailing economy. Still, despite all the heightened security measures incorporated in recent decades, a steady stream of immigrants continue to enter the country illegally. The Washington Times reports that there are …show more content…

This mistrust of American society promotes a sense of isolation and alienation from the community. Authority figures, such as police and other first responders, may unwittingly strike fear into the hearts of these children because they have been conditioned to believe that these figures have the power, as well as the mandate, to destroy families. This mindset tends to discourage assimilation into mainstream American communities and promote instead the tendency of these families to cluster into small, ethnically concentrated barrios, or neighborhoods. Within these barrios, the culture and lifestyle of Mexico is recreated, which often reinforces psychological and physical isolation from mainstream American culture. Alliances are formed with others in similar circumstances, where commiseration often leads to a rising sense of resentment. It is not uncommon for angry groups to rise up in opposition to the society that is viewed as the oppressor. Evidence of this can be seen almost daily as senseless gang violence permeates our news broadcasts, plagues our communities, and terrorizes our citizens. Because they do not have the legal right to work in this country, undocumented immigrants earn very little. Unscrupulous employers are quick to exploit these workers, paying them considerably less than state minimum wage laws mandate. Thus, immigrant families are forced to live in sub-standard conditions and eek out an

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