Fear and Immigration? In the essay “Our Fear of Immigrants,” Jeremy Adam Smith writes about why it is we fear immigrants. Smith divides his essay with numerous examples and comparisons, through biological, sociological and psychological explanations. As unorthodox as it sounds, our hesitation towards outsiders can be explained in various ways we never believed imaginable; in Smith’s investigation, he unveils the bewildering reality about the contrasts between ourselves, as adults, and children when it comes to immigration. He begins with a distressful story of a classroom of 4th graders from Berkeley, California, who missed their classmate named Rodrigo when he didn’t return from Christmas break, due to his parents’ expired visa. Rodrigo’s classmates thought that it was so unfair, that they complained to their congressmen. Smith then contrasts this response of empathetic children to unsympathetic adults from Berkeley, California, who protested against immigrants who seek shelter in the U.S for the families. Smith pondered the questions: “Why do immigrants provoke such strong feelings of both empathy and revulsion, a polarization that pits fourth graders in Berkeley against the citizens of Murrieta?” and “What characteristics and qualities do Rodrigo’s classmates possess …show more content…
Psychologist from the University of California-Berkeley, Dacher Keltner, who stated: “Any newcomer represents a threat to a person who has power” (753). Keltner also says people embrace stereotypes because individuals from a higher class are not thinking as sensibly towards people who can
In “Our fear of Immigrants” by Jeremy Adam smith, the author recalls a story about a young elementary student that got deported during Christmas break. Immigration has always been a controversial topic in this country. Many have different views on why deportation is beneficial and why it is not. In this instance Rodrigo Guzman’s classmates were saddened and confused about why their classmate and dear friend had gotten sent to another country for no apparent reason. It was something these students didn’t understand since it was a subject they knew nothing about, however, the students knew it was not fair to their friend. Smith wanted to dig deeper on what emotions immigrants bring up in people and why was it
Immigration has always been a topic of conversation in politics, especially in the last election. People’s views towards whether immigration is a bad or good thing for the economy is up for debate. Many people find that immigrants destroy the economy, and have no right coming into the United States. Whereas some people view immigrants as a vital part of the United States’ social class, and they view immigrants as strong, willful people who made the difficult decision in coming over to the United States. In the two articles, “In Trek North, First Lure Is Mexico’s Other Line” written by Randal archibold, and “The Heartache of an Immigrant Family,” written by Sonia Nazario, it gives people an insight into the struggles and hardships families endure
The topic of immigrants has been debated for centuries, and has been an even larger topic for discussion since the attack on the two towers in 2001. Many people contemplate whether immigrants are a reason to be scared, not; and if so, then why? If one finds themselves asking this conflicting question, Jeremy Adam Smith’s article, Our Fear of Immigrants, provides an answer. Relying on research from psychologists and sociologists, Smith gives sufficient evidence for why immigrants bring such intense feelings of both hatred and compassion, and recommends a way to increase empathy toward them.
Jeremy Adam Smith’s “Our Fear of Immigrants” proposes a sympathetic outlook towards immigrants. Smith wants the disgust and loathe of citizens to stop, and instead for them to start retaining empathy for newcomers. While reading the article, there is a sense of fear that people hold for immigrants. Many of these fears are mainly blamed on many motives such as psychological reasoning, genetic cognitive, and social status. Although Smith provides plenty logic behind the behavior of citizens, there should also be the point of view behind the immigrants themselves.
Tanya Golash-Boza illustrates a personal life experience about the video of a baby who was having health issues because his mother was deported, and he kept rejecting the bottle. Surprisingly many comments on the video expressed hate towards the mother for being immigrant, and towards the baby for now being the orphan son of an immigrant. Many Americans have developed hate against immigrants because the government has created a stereotype of them as burdens and deviates. Politics and society focus on how immigrants can affect the economy or the country's security, creating a common feeling of contempt. Focus in the material issues has faded the human side of some members in society. The government forgets that immigrants are humans with rights, friends and family bonds. Any enacted law will affect
Our Fear of Immigrants by Jeremy Adam Smith uses emotional scenarios and scientific evidence to support his question of why people fear immigrants. Smith never clearly states his point in the paper, but he wants to address the issue of prejudice against immigrants. This is easy to figure out because of the content of the excerpt, and the headings that guides the reader to an additional support of the idea throughout the passage.
Denice Frohman also criticizes the superstructures that suppress the Latinx community, specifically the undocumented community. Denice Frohman recites, “Ana Maria is now 16. Her father works 18-hour days as a dishwasher. Her mother cleans houses she’ll never get to live in so that Ana Maria can sit in a college classroom and say, “I am here.” But her guidance counselor tells her she can’t get financial aid or the instate tuition rate because of her status. She says it like an apology. Ana wonders if her family ever crossed the border, or if they are just stuck inside another one, aggravating it like a soul. Her guidance counselor stands in front of her with a mouth full of fences” (). Denice Frohman narrates the structural hardships that undocumented families usually face. The arduous labor that is accepted from undocumented immigrants and their families but not their full acceptance into an exclusive society. The dehumanization of immigrants who are here to work towards a better life, but work so hard and never actualize their dreams. Moving across one border to be faced with another border. A border full of limits that forgets about the humanity of those it ousts.
Reducing the issue of xenophobia, the fear of foreigners or strangers, is not a simple task. Two ways today’s society is attempting to reduce xenophobia is through satirical representations, such as the animated show Futurama, and through non-satirical ways like serious articles in magazines like The New York Times. Both representations attempt to bring awareness to serious issues faced by Americans today, but both use completely different methods to get their point across. Dowell Myers’ article in the New York Times, “The Next Immigration Challenge,” observes the assimilation of Mexican immigrants into the U.S. and the problems faced by these immigrants in the way of skeptical Americans and uncooperative government policies. He examines the different ways that immigrants have and continue to contribute to society, and how current government policies hinder more successful strides in the future.
In the United States, the cliché of a nation of immigrants is often invoked. Indeed, very few Americans can trace their ancestry to what is now the United States, and the origins of its immigrants have changed many times in American history. Despite the identity of an immigrant nation, changes in the origins of immigrants have often been met with resistance. What began with white, western European settlers fleeing religious persecution morphed into a multicultural nation as immigrants from countries across the globe came to the U.S. in increasing numbers. Like the colonial immigrants before them, these new immigrants sailed to the Americas to gain freedom, flee poverty and
In “Uncle Sam Doesn’t Always Want You”, Mark Arex asserts “nativism is the most stubborn traits of American”. He introduces an anti-immigration debate, which is called Proposition 187, argues about whether immigration can get a valid status in the United States. Mark uses his experience to point out a phenomenon that the former immigrants against the new immigrants again and again. However, they seem to forget they are also immigrants to the United States. Also, the author points out that demand of workers leads to necessarily immigration. Nevertheless, worry makes the former immigrants to limit the new immigrants. Besides, he generalizes Schrag’s idea, the author of “Not Fit for Our Society”, the American remembers orthogenesis
The United States has maintained a tolerate-hate relationship with undocumented immigrants, and really immigrants in general. DeSoto (2016) provides a unique perspective in regards to the system surrounding undocumented immigration, “until the nature of global capital is arranged so that such [economical] asymmetries are less extreme, people will migrate towards money and opportunity and way from poverty and lack of opportunity” (p. 2). As Hilfinger-Messias, McEwen, and Boyle (2015) emphasize, more often then not when immigrants become increasingly visible in society nativism resurfaces exclusionary tendencies, and immigration policies become increasingly prohibitive and strict,
Immigration, a very popular topic, but most people only think about one side. The U.S citizen side is common knowledge, but what about the immigrant’s side? In the novel, The Book of Unknown Americans, by Cristina Henríquez, and in the article "Sick and Afraid, Some Immigrants Forgo Medical Care”, by Jan Hoffman, the major theme is immigrants and their fear. As shown in the novel and the article, immigrants have feelings and families, hopes and dreams. Immigration is a very controversial issue in the United States, but it should not be, since immigrants are people too, according to both of theses sources. Medical issues, the fear of harm, and unfair treatment, are the major things that both of these sources have in common and agree on. Immigrants are struggling in America, in more ways than one, and many are wondering if coming to America was the right choice.
Is Our Fear Of Immigrants Relevant? Immigration has been present in America for a very long time, but recently people have developed a fear for immigration that is uncalled for. This prejudice against immigrants can possibly be traced to every humans natural instincts. Human instinct allows us to be protective of resources that are available to us and causes us to worry when resources must be shared with more people than what someone is used to. Because of this people get stressed out when others “intrude” and cause resources to seem less available than they usually are.
There are many factors that need to be observed to determine what causes people to experience xenophobia. Xenophobia is defined as a condition where people suffer irrational fear of strangers or foreigners. The symptoms of people that suffered from this condition are very real and can range from feeling nauseated or excessive sweating to dry mouth, heart palpitations, a fear of dying, and anxiety attacks. Nevertheless, what exactly causes people to experience from Xenophobia?
I chose this article because it reflects intolerance attitude that unfortunately exists towards immigrants. This newspaper article describe the negative attitude that has one of the candidates for President- Donald Trump. He claims that immigrants from Central America and Syria are wicked and thus US has to build a US border and have stricter polices towards immigrants from these countries. I found this claim very disturbing. I would like to hear your opinion about it.