The novel that I chose to read for this project is “The Illegal” by Lawrence Hill. Many of you may know him from an earlier book, called “The Book of Negroes”. In “The Illegal”, Hill takes on the complex, pressing issues of our moment in time, including race and discrimination, the movement of refugees across borders and the political fight to define who belongs and who is “an illegal.”
In this story, the main character is Keita Ali, who, like every boy in the fictitious island of Zantoroland, wants to be a runner. In one of the poorest nations in the world, running means respect. Running also means riches, until Keita is targeted by the dictatorship government for his father’s outspoken political views and discovers he must run for his family’s
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Many of the characters in this book suffer, both physically and mentally, from their lack of true freedom. In the text, Keita says “My existence is a violation of the law.” Because he is an “illegal”, he is being hunted down by two governments, the one he fled and the one he’s hiding in. Keita cannot live a normal life because he is constantly worried about being captured or killed. He and others like him are also not free from the negative stereotypes and prejudices that follow them everywhere. In the text, it says “Keita inhaled the scent of pine. Odd, to find such welcoming trees in this hostile land. Perhaps if he were free, he could appreciate all of this beauty.” This demonstrates how Keita is so affected by his lack of freedom that he cannot enjoy life. Another character in the book, an elderly woman named Ivernia, struggles with her ideas about freedom as the government decides whether to take away many of her privileges, the ability to drive for example. In the text, it says “Ivernia wondered how this judge enjoyed making decisions about the lives of old people-their freedom or loss of independence. Did this man ever think that he would one day be old?” Ivernia has such a hard time dealing with this that she contemplates suicide. These characters reflect the greater idea of how, without a sense of freedom, one cannot be genuinely …show more content…
In the text, it says “Men and women, all white, mostly over forty, gathered at the pier. There were hundreds of them, screaming at the shivering refugees, with placards like: ‘Enough is Enough,’ ‘Send Em Back’ and ‘Who Invited Them?’” The use of fictitious countries make it easy to apply the problems within the novel to any nation around the world with similar issues. Freedom State stands in for wealthy, democratic nations, which benefit economically from global inequity and whose citizens fear inundation at the borders, or from within. Yes, this includes Canada, too. In fact, this novel is at times specifically hinting at Canada, in particular with AfricTown. AfricTown is a direct reference to Africville, which was a African-Canadian community in Halifax that was demolished by the government, and is now seen as an act of racism. The novel discusses how Freedom State’s rise to prosperity, like many real nations, is due to its unacknowledged history, its economy built on the enslaved labour of those whose descendants are now excluded or marginalized – and blamed for their own exclusion. This novel does an amazing job of changing the point of view to show the many different perspectives of people intertwined with these issues. From an “illegal”, to a minister of immigration, to a police officer,
Everyone in life wants a better life for themselves and their next generations. Many people in different countries are migrating to The United States for one or two main goals. Those two goals are a better opportunity for employment and education. Which in turn, accomplishing either one of these goals will provide a higher quality of life and a sense of importance for themselves and their family. However, Americans view the immigrants differently from what they are. Some Americans view the immigrants with different stereotypes such as being lazy system abusers, dangerous criminals, and job thieves, just to name a few. However, these stereotypes are not true and does not represent the majority of immigrant. In actuality, immigrants are very disciplined, hard workers whom are also highly motivated opportunity chasers, where in these ways they should and need to be viewed by Americans.
Starting with the first book titled Latino Americans by Ray Suarez, which told the history of Latinos/as chronologically through various different points of views, while demonstrating that Latino history was and is US history. This particular book help me understand exactly, through the different stories of Latinos/as that many people of Latino origin didn’t struggle because of one thing, but in fact multiple things such as race/ethnicity class and gender. Also some of the Latinos that had to push through adversity where the ones who were not male or high class. The second book titled Latino Generation by Mario T. Garcia, is told from the point of view of different Latino/a college students. Through the stories was the direct intersection of race, class and gender due to the fact that the students all differ from each other because of these, therefore it becomes prevalent that Latinos/as, again relating to Ray Suarez, face greater adversity not only through their race/ethnicity, but a combination of it along with their social status and gender. Lastly the book The DREAMers by Walter J. Nichols is told through news stories, encounters with DREAMErs activists as well as interviews, in order to demonstrate the struggles undocumented youth faced and still face. Over all this book, I think, helped my understanding of the intersections the most because it emphasized that it didn’t matter what race/ethnicity, social status or gender and even sexual orientation the undocumented youth were, what mattered was that they were all and are deserving of equity,
Everyone in life wants a better life for themselves and their next generations. Many people in different countries are migrating to The United States for one or two main goals. Those two goals are a better opportunity for employment and education. Which in turn, accomplishing either one of these goals will provide a higher quality of life and a sense of importance for themselves and their family. However, Americans view the immigrants differently from what they are. Some Americans view the immigrants with different stereotypes and prejudices such as being lazy system abusers, dangerous criminals, and job thieves, just to name a few. However, these stereotypes are not true and does not represent the majority of immigrants. In actuality, immigrants are very disciplined hard workers whom are also highly motivated opportunity chasers, where in these ways they should and need to be viewed by Americans.
“We all use stereotypes, all the time, without knowing it. We have met the enemy of equality, and the enemy is us,” said Annie Murphy Paul who is a magazine journalist and book author that writes about the biological and social sciences. Stereotypes are a part of everyday life. Every person, young or old, has been labeled with a positive or negative stereotype. They are heard everyday and sometimes label certain groups of people. As Martina Navratilova said, “Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people.” A lot of time stereotypes don’t fit what they are labeling. They can have a bad effect on people’s emotions, the way people interact with each other and their social lives. A common stereotype of many U.S. citizens is that all Mexican immigrants are criminals and have come to the U.S. illegally; therefore, this stereotype has a bad affect on the way Mexicans and other people think and act.
Is it right to stereotype someone for who they are, what they do, and what they think? To stereotyping is someone that believes unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same. When i'm around people taking, sometimes i hear that all mexicans mexicans jumped the border but that does not apply to all mexicans, i'll be talking about a time where i was stereotyped.
The book “Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal” by Aviva Chomsky describes what the process of immigration is actually like and how complicated and rough it truly is for an immigrant. Especially those who have crossed the border illegally and/or those who possess illegal documents. However this book questions what does it really mean to be illegal. As well as throughout the book it illustrates that immigrants are being treated rather closely to how slaves were treated. The work they do connects these ideas as well as other facts such as families being disconnected, immigrants being trapped in a certain part of the world, unable to travel far, and the tiny amount of rights they have compared to an average white american citizen.
Immigration, since its beginning, has caused a spur in stances as to whether or not it has really benefited the United States. Those who were arrive first to the country are often the ones to judge incoming waves of new immigrants, and question everything about them. Knowledge of someone’s past, education, circumstances, or anything possibly influential to reason of the departure of the country origin is irrelevant. For some, if an individual arrived to the American shores illegally through any means necessary, for a better opportunity or other, does not deserve to be here. The term ‘illegal alien’ is synonymous with the word ‘immigrant’ because foreigners who live in this country do not belong, and are terrorizing the way of life here. The stereotypes that have risen about immigrants have escalated, yet many only see the stereotype and refuse to see it as actual issues faced by living breathing humans who struggle daily to survive. Not only do stereotypes underestimate immigrants, but also the stress and the fact that there are people who live in constant fear that everything done at this point was futile. Andreu, author of The Secret Side of Empty challenges immigration stereotypes by putting a face to each belief to display the harsh reality of the struggles faced by millions today.
Latinos in U. S. A. and Hollywood’s Discrimination Hispanic or Latino, is a segment of the population in the States of the American Union that has grown in quantity, economy and education, and everything indicates that it would continue in the same way, as a result of the Hispanic people has inhabited here, even before this country conformed as the United States. Latinos also have made important contributions to this country in all aspects and levels and areas to society, of the sort of the arts, sports and politics. Cinema is considered an art, the seventh art, as well it is a form of expression and reflection of society and its times. In consequence, filming is a very important business, and Hollywood is the mecca of the industry. Then, we could expect that the significance of their presence would be properly portrayed.
Have you ever thought about doing something but later getting judged, hated and misunderstood. Do you feel as if you don’t have the freedom you deserve. Like you can’t be you and can't do what you want to do. Like you don't have freedom. Freedom is a common thought, the three authors show the characters just want justice, freedom and peace.
Excellent book. The truth on illegal immigration is not only frustrating, but depressing. The middle class is suffering because of the handouts that America is giving to those who are here illegally. Yes, it's true that our ancestors came over to this country, however, they were not given anything for free, thus, you have generations of Americans who pay taxes and work hard. We will lose this country fast, if laws are not put in place on illegals soon. Donald Trump is our only glimmer of hope right now. Don't take a chance on anyone else. He may be the only one to save this country and get it back on track.
In today’s modern day we see how people can experience discrimination based on race. These statements or actions can sometimes ruin a person’s life or worse, it can lead to a cause of death. We see discrimination everywhere, it’s similar to that of a mosquito bite, something you may encounter everywhere and that can be very bothersome. When the term Hispanics or Central American crosses an individual’s mind, the first initial thought is “illegal immigrant” or “Mexican”. Hispanics are assumed to be uneducated and are highly associated with nefarious activities, therefore only being able to obtain jobs as maids, gardeners, caregivers and street vendors, because media and films have stereotyped them as such group.
Sherman Alexei is a Native American writer, poet and filmmaker. In his interview with Bill Moyers called" Living Outside Borders", he discusses how being exposed to two different cultures have led him to greater understanding and consciousness about culture and cultural practices. Although he left the Reservation physically, the cultural effects of the Reservation still remain with him. His story is not unlike all immigrants who live in the U.S. I personally became more conscious about some cultural behaviors that I committed and never thought about it as unethical, such as stereotyping. I never realized how offensive stereotypes can be until I was stereotyped. Although being a victim of stereotyping has emotionally harmed me, it made me knowledgeable
People also acquire attitudes by socializing with other groups, like teachers, television, parents and even religious groups. “Social learning approaches to stereotyping and prejudice suggest that attitudes and behavior toward members of minority groups are learned through the observation of parents and other individuals” (Myers, 1996). Investigators have found that differences in self-monitoring influence the link between attitudes and behavior. Individuals who are low in self-monitoring strive to make certain that their actions match their principals, values, and attitudes (Snyder, 1982).If a child that was raised in a white family that has negative attitudes towards blacks, will have principals, values and attitudes against black people.
Stereotypes help humans make sense of the world. They are used by the brain as a psychological mechanism, helping us create categories. We use these categories to organize the massive amounts data obtained from our everyday environment (Berg, 1990). If stereotypes help us lead more efficient lives, how can we possibly be spreading negativity while using them? The answer to that question is in the way they are used, and for what purpose. When using stereotypes to dominate a culture, or segregate a social class, tension and negativity is something that should be anticipated. Donald Trump is a billionaire presidential candidate. He has recently come under fire from people around the world
This book covers all the angles about illegal immigration and how it affects them and the