The Devil's Highway Analysis
4 September 2013
The Devil’s Highway: A True Story
In The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, the Mexican illegal immigrants are automatically portrayed as villains once they cross the border. When it comes to immigration, the United States government focuses on border control due to the abundance of illegal immigrants who enter and reside in the United States.Many think that Mexicans who cross the border illegally choose their suffering and pain. However, as demonstrated in the true story, many tragic factors such as the Mexican Government, the United States Government, and the Coyotes and gangsters contribute to the illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States.
In The Devil’s Highway Urrea makes it clear that the illegals …show more content…
are a common type of people looking for a better life, for example, one of the men crossing was “in good condition, a hard worker, his only curse poverty” (Urrea 53). Therefore, for most of the illegals, the reason for crossing illegally was the same, for a better life for them and their families back in Mexico. Furthermore, what makes the Mexicans cross illegally is the Mexican Government. The Mexican Government is the main contributor to illegal immigration. In Urrea’s true story the Mexican Government is cruel and not well obtained.For example, the “Prices kept rising, and all families…were able to afford less and less.” (Urrea 44).Indeed, the reason for this was that the Kolodynska 2
Mexican Government was creating more and more “Americanized prices” (Urrea 45) and people were making less and less money .In the same way, the government made it hard to obtain any kind of food such as beans because the “great Mexican bean growing industrial farms sold much of their crop to the United States” (Urrea 45).For this reason, one can see how the Mexican government could not provide much for the growing Mexican family.
Thence, in all this chaos of poverty …show more content…
stricken Mexico, people didn’t even think of moving out of the country legally, it was purely impossible in such poor circumstances. In consequence,families focused on work and what will they have to eat for the next day. For instance, the Mexican Government pleaded for families to have less children because “too many mouths caused hunger” (Urrea 45) , yet , “the fat men of the governments did not understand , more mouths meant more chances to survive” (Urrea 45).Thus, such hardships and poor government in Mexico resulted in Mexicans relying on themselves to survive with their procreating mentality because “ when Madre y Padre became old …it was only family that would protect them”(Urrea 45) since there was “No AARP or Medicare in the jungle”(Urrea 45). Since, the poor Mexicans thought procreation would help them make an easier life they also thought that if the Mexican Government didn’t provide them with a better life then they would have to go get it themselves, self reliance was key in such a corrupt government. Thus, the Mexican Government contributed to the Mexicans fleeing “the jungle” (Urrea 45). After all, they needed to leave some way or another in the chaos of a government filled with “black blood malaria…corruption, political violence, indigenous revolution” (Urrea 47), the “people in Veracruz were looking North” (Urrea 47) even if it meant crossing the border illegally with the ‘help’ of sly gangsters promising them a brighter future. In
Kolodynska 3 spite of this, that was the only way out in a government so outrageously venal. In this way, we can see that the Mexican Government is accountable for the illegal crossings of the Mexicans.
Indeed, what complicated the matters of immigration even more where the bunch of gangsters that where offering poor Mexicans support to cross illegally. The mastermind behind this plan of making a business out of people who were desperate was Don Moi. He was the head gangster for the illegals to cross in such dangerous circumstances, he was the “recruiter for the northern coyotes” (Urrea 47) who were the people smuggling the illegals. In fact, Don Moi was the epitome of what every Mexican wanted out of America, he was the “Robin Hood figure to the muchachos of Veracruz” (Urrea 48).However, Don Moi was a sly one, to lure all the illegals in he promised only the best.None the less, all he wanted and cared about was money, he even mentioned that “the idea was to go make money, not lose it” (Urrea 49). Thus, Don Moi lied to the poor Mexicans but he had the talent to convince all of them to cross for the better of their families back in Mexico. Also, he even promised to be there with them, the illegals looking up to him just imagined “Don Moi, the great father, leading his boys” (Urrea 49). Though, that idea was just too good to be true, after all, Don Moi was good in his trade. Therefore, Mexican gangsters like Don Moi took advantage and money from poor people and promised them false dreams and led them down the illegal path by being sly in their profession. Thus, the point is that the Gangsters are at fault when they provide the illegals with false promises.
What also contributed to the illegals to cross was the horrible attempt of immigration law on the US and Mexican Border. We see in the book that it mentions that “there is no real border here, just a tattered barbed wire fence, a dusty plain, and some rattling bushes” (Urrea 55). This Kolodynska 4 only suggests that both sides of the border, United States and Mexico are not serious about restricting illegals from crossing. However, if they were serious then maybe there would be a real sturdy border put in. Even a sign that is put in before the border by the Mexican Government is the only thing that’s “Trying to stop them (illegals) from crossing” (Urrea 55) yet it is illegible for any Mexican that comes across it. Since, the grammar on the sign is completely incorrect “Walkers see them, scratch their heads, and continue” (Urrea 57). Therefore, On the Mexican side of the border there is no effort what so ever to stop illegals from crossing, it’s purely a joke. Hence, “these confusions and guesses should suggest why it’s so difficult to enforce immigration law on the border” (Urrea 57).However, even if there are incorrect signs there should be the Mexican army who patrols the border there but they are not, since, “the coyotes (human smugglers) pay the soldiers off ” (Urrea 55). After all, “Coyote gangs have more money than the Mexico City sign painters” (Urrea 55), this all contributes to the corrupt system of the Mexican Government not even putting effort into controlling the Coyotes and the illegals that cross the border. Ultimately, there is no system , it’s a on going vicious circle.We can see that the ignorant Mexican Government is giving way for the coyotes to do whatever they please and that’s what leads to, for instance, “five thousand walkers in one afternoon” (Urrea 56). In this case, the Mexican Government is at fault for lack of supervision and an abundance of confusion.
Furthermore, a figure that contributes to the false impression of the illegals is the United States. For example, in the story it mentions that “ Seventy – seven hospitals throughout the American Southwest were losing about 190 million in unpaid bills and tens of millions of these could be attributed to medical attention for illegals including those dropped of by the Border Patrol” (Urrea 179).However, this is misinterpreted because if you count how many illegals stay Kolodynska 5 in the United States one may notice how much they fuel the economy and barely use the medical attention. In fact, they pay taxes without getting benefits. “There are 36 million taxable dollars being accrued every hour by illegals getting tapped for some percentage by Uncle Sam. Those workers will not receive a refund” (Urrea 216), thus, if these workers don’t even get a refund then why are the illegals being bashed for supposedly using all the medical attention. Still, even if they do use that money it still doesn’t add up to what money they contribute to the United States. Essentially, “a twenty-first century study found that ‘undocumented immigrants’ contributed ‘at least 300 billion dollars per year to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)” (Urrea 217). Hence , “‘although conservative groups claim that undocumented immigrants are a social burden’, illegals tend to shy away from seeking social services because they don’t want to be deported” (Urrea 217).The point is that even though the United States makes it seem that Mexican illegals are a burden they are really not even if you add up the social services that they use it will still not add up to the profit they leave , in the manner that ,“ ‘Mexican immigrants paid nearly 600 million dollars in federal taxes and sales taxes in 2002 … Mexican immigrants use about 250 million dollars in social services such as Medicaid and food stamps… Another 31 million dollars in uncompensated health care …’ that leaves a profit of 319 million dollars” (Urrea 218). Therefore , all that Mexicans ‘burden’ the United States with is profit , profit , and more profit yet the United States Government still finds a way to make it seem as if the Mexicans are using everything up without any contribution to the economy. In this case, the United States is at fault for not giving the illegals more credit for working, spending and paying taxes.
Kolodynska 6
All in all, one can see in Urrea’s story all the aspects that contribute to the debate of illegal immigration.
One of them is the Mexican Government who doesn’t do anything to help its poor citizens. Then, it’s the gangsters and coyotes that lure the illegals in and lead a corrupt system of human smuggling in Mexico. In addition, what also contributes to the hot topic of illegal immigration is the poor quality of enforcing immigration law on the border by both the United States and Mexico. Furthermore, another factor is the United States portraying the illegal Mexicans as a burden when they are really not .We can see that the fault is on each side of the border, both sides are fueling the conflict of illegal immigration and not putting it out. As Consul Flores Vizarra said “it isn’t the desert that kills immigrants. It isn’t Coyotes. It isn’t even the Border Patrol ‘What kills the people,’ he says, ‘is the politics of stupidity that rules both sides of the border’” (Urrea 215). Thus, not one side is to blame, not one side is at fault but rather two sides of the border contribute to the faults of illegal
immigration.
Kolodynska 7
Works Cited
Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil 's Highway: A True Story. New York: Little, Brown, 2004. Print.
The Devil’s Highway: A True Story
In The Devil’s Highway by Luis Alberto Urrea, the Mexican illegal immigrants are automatically portrayed as villains once they cross the border. When it comes to immigration, the United States government focuses on border control due to the abundance of illegal immigrants who enter and reside in the United States.Many think that Mexicans who cross the border illegally choose their suffering and pain. However, as demonstrated in the true story, many tragic factors such as the Mexican Government, the United States Government, and the Coyotes and gangsters contribute to the illegal immigration from Mexico to the United States.
In The Devil’s Highway Urrea makes it clear that the illegals …show more content…
are a common type of people looking for a better life, for example, one of the men crossing was “in good condition, a hard worker, his only curse poverty” (Urrea 53). Therefore, for most of the illegals, the reason for crossing illegally was the same, for a better life for them and their families back in Mexico. Furthermore, what makes the Mexicans cross illegally is the Mexican Government. The Mexican Government is the main contributor to illegal immigration. In Urrea’s true story the Mexican Government is cruel and not well obtained.For example, the “Prices kept rising, and all families…were able to afford less and less.” (Urrea 44).Indeed, the reason for this was that the Kolodynska 2
Mexican Government was creating more and more “Americanized prices” (Urrea 45) and people were making less and less money .In the same way, the government made it hard to obtain any kind of food such as beans because the “great Mexican bean growing industrial farms sold much of their crop to the United States” (Urrea 45).For this reason, one can see how the Mexican government could not provide much for the growing Mexican family.
Thence, in all this chaos of poverty …show more content…
stricken Mexico, people didn’t even think of moving out of the country legally, it was purely impossible in such poor circumstances. In consequence,families focused on work and what will they have to eat for the next day. For instance, the Mexican Government pleaded for families to have less children because “too many mouths caused hunger” (Urrea 45) , yet , “the fat men of the governments did not understand , more mouths meant more chances to survive” (Urrea 45).Thus, such hardships and poor government in Mexico resulted in Mexicans relying on themselves to survive with their procreating mentality because “ when Madre y Padre became old …it was only family that would protect them”(Urrea 45) since there was “No AARP or Medicare in the jungle”(Urrea 45). Since, the poor Mexicans thought procreation would help them make an easier life they also thought that if the Mexican Government didn’t provide them with a better life then they would have to go get it themselves, self reliance was key in such a corrupt government. Thus, the Mexican Government contributed to the Mexicans fleeing “the jungle” (Urrea 45). After all, they needed to leave some way or another in the chaos of a government filled with “black blood malaria…corruption, political violence, indigenous revolution” (Urrea 47), the “people in Veracruz were looking North” (Urrea 47) even if it meant crossing the border illegally with the ‘help’ of sly gangsters promising them a brighter future. In
Kolodynska 3 spite of this, that was the only way out in a government so outrageously venal. In this way, we can see that the Mexican Government is accountable for the illegal crossings of the Mexicans.
Indeed, what complicated the matters of immigration even more where the bunch of gangsters that where offering poor Mexicans support to cross illegally. The mastermind behind this plan of making a business out of people who were desperate was Don Moi. He was the head gangster for the illegals to cross in such dangerous circumstances, he was the “recruiter for the northern coyotes” (Urrea 47) who were the people smuggling the illegals. In fact, Don Moi was the epitome of what every Mexican wanted out of America, he was the “Robin Hood figure to the muchachos of Veracruz” (Urrea 48).However, Don Moi was a sly one, to lure all the illegals in he promised only the best.None the less, all he wanted and cared about was money, he even mentioned that “the idea was to go make money, not lose it” (Urrea 49). Thus, Don Moi lied to the poor Mexicans but he had the talent to convince all of them to cross for the better of their families back in Mexico. Also, he even promised to be there with them, the illegals looking up to him just imagined “Don Moi, the great father, leading his boys” (Urrea 49). Though, that idea was just too good to be true, after all, Don Moi was good in his trade. Therefore, Mexican gangsters like Don Moi took advantage and money from poor people and promised them false dreams and led them down the illegal path by being sly in their profession. Thus, the point is that the Gangsters are at fault when they provide the illegals with false promises.
What also contributed to the illegals to cross was the horrible attempt of immigration law on the US and Mexican Border. We see in the book that it mentions that “there is no real border here, just a tattered barbed wire fence, a dusty plain, and some rattling bushes” (Urrea 55). This Kolodynska 4 only suggests that both sides of the border, United States and Mexico are not serious about restricting illegals from crossing. However, if they were serious then maybe there would be a real sturdy border put in. Even a sign that is put in before the border by the Mexican Government is the only thing that’s “Trying to stop them (illegals) from crossing” (Urrea 55) yet it is illegible for any Mexican that comes across it. Since, the grammar on the sign is completely incorrect “Walkers see them, scratch their heads, and continue” (Urrea 57). Therefore, On the Mexican side of the border there is no effort what so ever to stop illegals from crossing, it’s purely a joke. Hence, “these confusions and guesses should suggest why it’s so difficult to enforce immigration law on the border” (Urrea 57).However, even if there are incorrect signs there should be the Mexican army who patrols the border there but they are not, since, “the coyotes (human smugglers) pay the soldiers off ” (Urrea 55). After all, “Coyote gangs have more money than the Mexico City sign painters” (Urrea 55), this all contributes to the corrupt system of the Mexican Government not even putting effort into controlling the Coyotes and the illegals that cross the border. Ultimately, there is no system , it’s a on going vicious circle.We can see that the ignorant Mexican Government is giving way for the coyotes to do whatever they please and that’s what leads to, for instance, “five thousand walkers in one afternoon” (Urrea 56). In this case, the Mexican Government is at fault for lack of supervision and an abundance of confusion.
Furthermore, a figure that contributes to the false impression of the illegals is the United States. For example, in the story it mentions that “ Seventy – seven hospitals throughout the American Southwest were losing about 190 million in unpaid bills and tens of millions of these could be attributed to medical attention for illegals including those dropped of by the Border Patrol” (Urrea 179).However, this is misinterpreted because if you count how many illegals stay Kolodynska 5 in the United States one may notice how much they fuel the economy and barely use the medical attention. In fact, they pay taxes without getting benefits. “There are 36 million taxable dollars being accrued every hour by illegals getting tapped for some percentage by Uncle Sam. Those workers will not receive a refund” (Urrea 216), thus, if these workers don’t even get a refund then why are the illegals being bashed for supposedly using all the medical attention. Still, even if they do use that money it still doesn’t add up to what money they contribute to the United States. Essentially, “a twenty-first century study found that ‘undocumented immigrants’ contributed ‘at least 300 billion dollars per year to the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP)” (Urrea 217). Hence , “‘although conservative groups claim that undocumented immigrants are a social burden’, illegals tend to shy away from seeking social services because they don’t want to be deported” (Urrea 217).The point is that even though the United States makes it seem that Mexican illegals are a burden they are really not even if you add up the social services that they use it will still not add up to the profit they leave , in the manner that ,“ ‘Mexican immigrants paid nearly 600 million dollars in federal taxes and sales taxes in 2002 … Mexican immigrants use about 250 million dollars in social services such as Medicaid and food stamps… Another 31 million dollars in uncompensated health care …’ that leaves a profit of 319 million dollars” (Urrea 218). Therefore , all that Mexicans ‘burden’ the United States with is profit , profit , and more profit yet the United States Government still finds a way to make it seem as if the Mexicans are using everything up without any contribution to the economy. In this case, the United States is at fault for not giving the illegals more credit for working, spending and paying taxes.
Kolodynska 6
All in all, one can see in Urrea’s story all the aspects that contribute to the debate of illegal immigration.
One of them is the Mexican Government who doesn’t do anything to help its poor citizens. Then, it’s the gangsters and coyotes that lure the illegals in and lead a corrupt system of human smuggling in Mexico. In addition, what also contributes to the hot topic of illegal immigration is the poor quality of enforcing immigration law on the border by both the United States and Mexico. Furthermore, another factor is the United States portraying the illegal Mexicans as a burden when they are really not .We can see that the fault is on each side of the border, both sides are fueling the conflict of illegal immigration and not putting it out. As Consul Flores Vizarra said “it isn’t the desert that kills immigrants. It isn’t Coyotes. It isn’t even the Border Patrol ‘What kills the people,’ he says, ‘is the politics of stupidity that rules both sides of the border’” (Urrea 215). Thus, not one side is to blame, not one side is at fault but rather two sides of the border contribute to the faults of illegal
immigration.
Kolodynska 7
Works Cited
Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil 's Highway: A True Story. New York: Little, Brown, 2004. Print.