The Pros And Cons Of Immigrants Migrating To America

Multiculturism

The grass is not always greener on the other side, which is the case for many immigrants migrating to America. Coming to America by Gibbs and Bankhead, A Hyphenated Identity by Harry Kitano, and as well as the essay Wandering Between Two Worlds, One Dead, the Other Powerless to be Born by Ramon S. Torrecilha are all detailed works of writing about the hardships immigrants had to overcome becoming a citizen or already being a citizen of the United States. I believe that many people have an overwhelming expectation about America and take the notion of it being a free state to literally. Countless of immigrants minds assume that once they move to America they will have the opportunity, the success, the romance, and when it is all said and done several immigrants just think of America as an utter disappointment. The United States in known for stereotyping individuals based on status and the way they look. During the Depression many African Americans lost their jobs just because of their skin color and because they made less money than the white man. Even in times of economic distress it did not matter if you were born and raised in America you were
still considered the enemy such as in Kitano’s situation. Like many others Torrecilha was chasing the dream but only to get hit with reality once arriving to America realizing it was not what he thought it would be.
Coming to California by Jewelle Taylor Gibbs and Teiahsha Bankhead, to them immigrants were know as “strangers and outsiders”, which were people of color, came from non-European countries, and people who even spoke English but with an accent.
Whenever the economy is in a down fall and wages are being depressed, land prices start rising, and consumer products become inflated politicians all too quickly blame the ethnic minorities for the community’s problems (87). According to Gibbs and Bankhead in order to be considered an American and superior to others, they had to have bleach blonde hair, resemble models, tanned lifeguards, and look like they had just stepped out of a magazine or off a billboard. If they were not considered to be a “real” American they were going to be discriminated
against. A small number of African Americans migrated west to California after the civil war in search for a new life and paid jobs. Some moved to the rural cities of Los Angeles and the Central Valley where they competed with the Latin Americans for the agricultural jobs. Many African Americans preferred living in the suburbs and having blue-collared jobs with better wages and fortunately many of those jobs were available at that time for them. However, after the Great Depression many Southern white folks decided to migrate west with a sense of superiority over the African Americans and demanded better housing, employment, education, and consumer products then what the African Americans were receiving (Gibbs and Bankhead 88). African Americans were no longer viewed as valued workers (90). This issue of immigrants not being able to adjust to the American culture because they feel belittled and less than the White man is a reoccurring problem that the United States as a society once again fails to resolve. In A Hyphenated Identity by Harry Kitano it addresses the many difficulties he struggled with trying to adjust to American Culture as well as keep his Japanese culture alive. Kitano’s family migrated from Japan to San Francisco in hopes of starting a better life for themselves and conquering the American dream that so many people strive for. It is believed that California offers the “promises” of opportunity and success which implies to people that do not know any better that whoever comes to California is going to have an equal chance to strike it rich and live the good life. California also portrays diversity but with that diversity still comes racism with the communities. Kitano and a close bachelor friend of his decide to drive across the city to go to a swimming spa but upon arriving they were told “Japs weren’t allowed” (Kitano 112). It was especially hard for Kitano and his family to adapt to the American Culture when they constantly felt so unwelcomed. During World War 2 the government decided that not only the Japanese in Japan but also the American Japanese were a threat to the United States as well. Kitano’s family and all others of Japanese decent were ordered to close their homes, sell or find somewhere to store their furniture and valuables, pack what they could carry and assemble at designated sites (Kitano 113). Although my past experiences had shaken my faith in my American identity, the forced evacuation lead to even more doubts about who I was. I still believed that I was an American, I belonged to the ROTC band at Galiteo and played “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” marched begind the flag, and had little identification with Japan. However, it was clear that my ancestry was viewed with suspicion, and that my government saw me, my family, and members of my community as enemies, or in simple terms we were all “Japs” (Kitano 113).
Even though Kitano was born and raised in the United States he was not considered a citizen in his own country during times of economic distress. Many Immigrants come to California chasing some dream thinking that it can become a reality. The United States is viewed as a place to come where you have complete freedom and if ever in need of help financially or just needing help being accommodated into a new society as a new citizen, the United States will lend out a helping hand to fix all your problems. That was not the case for Ramon S. Torrecilha in Wandering Between Two Worlds, One Dead, the Other Powerless to be Born. Torrecilha had a mixed cultural background. His mother was Brazilian and his father was Puerto Rican. Torrecilha had a hard time figuring out who he was as a person. He not only had to deal with genetically being Brazilian and Puerto Rican, he had to deal with the fact that his father left him and his family at a young age and the attempted rape of his mother by his own uncle. Feeling consumed by in inexplicable need to leave, Torrecilha decided to migrate North, not searching for the promise of riches but a safe place where he could be himself (267). I do not believe that United States was what Torrecilha expected it to be. Even though is was Puerto Rican and Brazilian in the America he was categorized as a Mexican. The only jobs he could get employed for was working on farms and when wanting to learn how to speak English to help better himself and embrace the American culture no one lifted a finger so to speak to help Torrecilha out. Coming to America by Gibbs and Bankhead, A Hyphenated Identity by Harry Kitano, and as well as the essay Wandering Between Two Worlds, One Dead, the Other Powerless to be Born by Ramon S. Torrecilha are all detailed works of writing about the hardships immigrants had to overcome becoming a citizen or already being a citizen of the United States. When the African Americans migrated West they lost their jobs during the depression to the cowboys there was no one there to protect their rights and allow them an opportunity to succeed like promised. Even though Kitano was born a citizen of the United States he was denied his rights to live freely after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and felt more at home in a concentration camp then his own house in San Francisco. All Torrechila wanted was a safe place to be himself but all he got was discrimination and not any help to adapt to America and learn a new culture and way of life. “America the Great” does not exist it is just a figment of imagination that many immigrants choose to believe in until they reach their final destination in the U.S and realize their hopes and dreams of a better life is no longer in reach or that easily attained.

Works Cited

Kitano, Harry. “Hyphenated Identity.” Names We Call Home. Eds Thompson, Becky and Sangeeta Tyagi. NY: Routledge, 1995. 111-118
Ramon, Torrecilha S. “Wandering Between Two Worlds, One Dead, the Other Powerless to be Born.” Names We Call Home. Eds Thompson, Becky and Sangeeta Tyagi. NY: Routledge, 1995. 265-273