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Frans J. Schryer's They Never Come Back

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Frans J. Schryer’s thesis in They Never Come Back is to “give readers a good sense of what life is like for those who make it across the border…and to illuminate...the urgent change to the current system of immigration that is just not working” (viii). He seeks to highlight how undocumented workers’ migration affects themselves, America, but specifically the ‘sending communities’ or the communities that the illegal immigrants migrate from and leave behind. Trained as an anthropologist, his research is based upon interviews of over 3,791 Mexican and American workers (9). Schryer spent over four decades traveling rural and urban Mexican communities to achieve a raw, natural perspective of illegal immigration. The majority of his work was concentrated …show more content…

It acknowledges the increase of struggles these individuals face. The forefront problem is the increase of stricter border control that happened in America as a result of 9/11. After the terrorist attacks, the United States increased patrol but also citizen’s unexclusive nature towards immigrants. Because of this, illegal Mexican immigrants experienced a more dangerous and risky trip while migrating across the border. This also encouraged illegal immigrants to permanently stay in the United States after successfully arriving, because it was too dangerous to return back into Mexico. Consequences resulting from this include abandonment of their family still in Mexico, desertion of their native culture/traditions and being in a constant fear of deportation. Because they are unable to travel back home, many experience an identity crisis since they are unable to identify with legally being American and they are miles away from their Mexican community. This identity crisis is found not only in their personal life but also in their professional life. In their American jobs, since they are exploitable, illegal immigrants must be flexible, hardworking and compliant with inhumane treatment. Schyrer highlights the multitude of negative consequences to inform the reader of the struggles illegal immigrants must go through. The does this in order to show the urgent need to reform America’s immigration

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