in to account the good it does for the immigrants themselves. It is not an issue of economy, but an issue of humanity that shows why immigration makes America better. In the article titled “Sophies Choice,” by Anita Maddali, she says that “The statements of anti-immigrant advocates minimize the consequences that certain policies have on immigrant children,” (Maddali 498). Children of immigrants are only one group that is harmed by strict immigration practices and those policies show a lack of empathy for those in need. Allowing immigrants to be pardoned and allowed to stay in the country will help many people escape harsh and harmful lives. Current immigration laws within the United States allow for some immigrants to apply for citizenship, and it allows for others to be granted it if they are born within the United States borders. Citizenship is often the goal for immigrants seeking asylum in America, but it can be very difficult for them. There are many long processes to go through to gain citizenship, and many are turned away. But Anita Maddali explains why this can be such a difficult process. Her article talks about women who have children within the United States. Some of them are escaping from terrible conditions in their home country and do not have plans for having children in America. However, after having been in the country for a while they have children who automatically become citizens. The mother, however, does not receive any benefit. When the mother is deported she has to choose to leave her child behind or bring them to the country she originally fled from (Maddali). Stories like this show why it can be difficult for a immigrant in the United States. Laws exist to help but they do not always work. For people like Sophie in Maddali’s article the law seems to limit their ability to obtain asylum and seek refuge in the United States. But it is not only adults who find it difficult to find a home away from their birth place. Children who are brought to the United States before they turn sixteen find themselves in a position to be helped by the government through the DREAM Act.
DREAM is a process for children who have grown up in America to find a path to citizenship. “The core principle behind this amnesty proposal is that it is aimed at those who have grown up here and are, psychologically and emotionally, Americans,” (Krikorian). These children often long to find a way to become citizens so that they can make a better life for themselves in the United States. In the Article “My Life in the Shadows,” author Reyna Wences talks about her life as an undocumented immigrant. She talks about trying to grow up, go to school, attend a university, and eventually get a job. But it is difficult to do these things without a legal social security number to apply for work. She was unable to get financial aid, and any employer she wanted to work with would be breaking the law if they hired her. She hopes that a program like DREAM will help her gain citizenship so that she can legally be allowed to work within the United States (Wences 504). Programs like DREAM would help many disenfranchised people find a place within the United States, and without it they would be forced to continue working in areas where their immigrant status would not be brought up. Once again, changes to current immigration law could help people who feel that their best hope in life is to become a part of the United States,
legally. When people argue against immigration reform and asylum for people who are in the country illegally, they focus on the money that is gained and lost by their presence. But this argument ignores the plight and hardships that people face when leaving their country, or the difficulty they face trying to be honest citizens. The real reason that people come here is not economical. It is to try to find a better life than the one they were leaving behind. It is always possible that some people may try to cheat the system, and reform could cause a surge as Mark Krikorian talks about in the article “DREAM On,” but it is not true that it will destroy America. People like Reyna and Sophie are not trying to destroy America. They are looking for an opportunity away from the hardships and abuse of their home country. They are trying to go to school and get a good job because they are Americans in their heart. It may not be financially responsible to let immigrants more easily become citizens of the United States, but it is emotionally responsible to help those people who need it the most.
Works Cited
Krikorian, Mark. “DREAM On.” Writing Arguments. Ramage, John D. and John C. Bean and June Johnson. Pearson, 2012. Print.
Maddali, Anita Ortiz. “Sophia’s Choice: Problems Faced by Female Asylum-Seekers and Their U.S. Citizen Children.” Writing Arguments. Ramage, John D. and John
C. Bean and June Johnson. Pearson, 2012. Print.
Wences, Reyna. “My Life in the Shadows.” Writing Arguments. Ramage, John D. and
John C. Bean and June Johnson. Pearson, 2012. Print.