Places and People: The New American Mosaic

            The “immigration problem” has been part of America for many years, which represents the flawless situations we have seen through the news and media. In “Places and Peoples: The New American Mosaic” by Charles Hirchman and Douglas S. Massey, we see the American and immigrants perspective of what is considered from the American mosaic. Known as the “immigration problem” this is what America has come to categorize the many situations immigrants and their families have to struggle through once they arrive to this country. This is commonly seen through the news and media as a huge issue to the country. Since the 1970’s and 1990’s there has been a growth of 5 million immigrants coming to America from Latin America and Asia. Yet, these newcomers really began since 1965 once the act allowed skilled professionals like doctors and nurses to migrate to this country. Later on these individuals will allow entry to their families and this is how these migrates escalated to more reasons to come to the United States.

The opportunity for a job and having an act to allow them to obtain this dream made it possible for undocumented migration to work. There was an act such as the Bracero Program who allowed Mexicans to have temporary farm work. This situation didn’t stop there but nearly began because by the year 2000 over 30 million foreign-born and another 60 million immigrants with their kids had built their life in the United States. Obtaining a working place and even through immigrant labor is what drew these immigrants attention and the reason to expand their lifestyle for a better future. The huge numbers of people show that this labor didn’t stop them from coming to the United States but encouraged them to take the opportunity. Their life back home was no improvement and they were willing to take any chance they possibly can to build for themselves and their family. Yet, these immigrants never knew that they will be part of the influence in the composition of America’s future.

          The immigrants experience to arriving in the United States was the “push and pull” through the information given to them by immigrants who have already migrated to the United States. They were filled with information about opportunities and that’s where these brave and resourceful people decided to migrate to this location. The “push” action was simple because they were driven to be part of that opportunity because of an economic development they dreamed of for a better future. These immigrants didn’t realize the “pull” they would be experiencing through the risks by simply coming to the United States. The risks for migration are endless with criminal prosecution, imprisonment or even death when they attempt to cross the border. These risks are only the beginning to this “pull” because not being accepted by Americans is really the factor to this controversial situation of migration to the United States.

Most people and local news concentrate on how the border is “broken” but less people concentrate on the day-to-day lives of these immigrants not being accepted by Americans. Yet, what is commonly heard through the news, media and even government officials is how to keep immigrants away and how to make a more secure border. Most of them reject the idea of giving these immigrants an opportunity, social justice, and even an identity. This is not very welcoming through a discrimination response towards the majority of immigrants, mostly towards African American, American Indians, Mexican Americans, and other minorities. Yet, the most are Hispanics who don’t seem to fit into the American mosaic because they can’t be easily categorized or identified through their color. Being classified as “brown-skinned” makes it difficult to be identified as neither white nor black, which has been categorized through this manner for years. Being white or black was easily recognized because being a black person was still difficult to consider in the United States. Therefore, Hispanics suffer this race discrimination, inequality, and injustice because they don’t seem to be neither white nor black but just “brown-skinned”.       

David Griffith’s message and perspective towards this situation is to view these immigrants more positive because they did contribute to building the American industry, both economically and socially. He believes that their presence has managed to keep many jobs such as schools and churches who continue to show active effort in their area. Not only do we see active effort but their language is also a way to provide better services and are now required in some work fields. These immigrants show that their willing to fill up jobs that are at the bottom of the occupational ladder, who help build the United States to be who we are today. Yet, they are not being easily recognized or accepted by Americans because of their identity. After all, who is it that we see working in the near back of the restaurant we are dining in? How do we know where and who picked the fruit that we pick up daily from our grocery store? Therefore, why can’t this nation recognize and support these immigrants who helped build our country and who are willing to take these bottom occupational jobs? And finally, why can’t we stop looking at ways to improve the border security instead of improving the acceptance of these immigrants?