Introduction
The issues related to illegal immigrants and foreigners arriving from other countries, cities, and regions are one of the urgent and acute problems of the modern USA. For example, more than a hundred thousand people from Latin America arrive in the country every month, and the flow of illegal immigrants still remains uncontrolled. This situation can lead to adverse consequences and a difficult outcome for foreigners themselves and native Americans. Millions of people will pour into the country, and undoubtedly, it can ruin it. Consequently, there are many specific reasons that have led to such a stir and boom within the country, which is now under the leadership of Joe Biden. The “attraction factors” of migrants, the reasons for their appearance in the United States, as well as the consequences of these actions are the key concepts that will be explored in this essay.
Influence on “Push Factors”
Several significant factors have contributed to the development of migration to the United States. However, the key aspects affecting the current situation are past and current US military, political, and economic interventions in Latin America. The most noticeable shocks that prompted the indigenous people of a certain part of the country to move North were military operations and coups by the United States. Therefore, continuous wars over certain territories and areas, covert operations, and the establishment of special regimes have greatly intensified the existing problems people seek to immigrate to nearby regions. For instance, At the end of the First World War, the degree of migration reached extreme peaks, and already during the Great Depression, this mark decreased significantly (West 3). Moreover, another example concerns the 1954 Guatemalan coup d’état, carried out by the US Central Intelligence Agency during a secret military operation, which contributed to mass repression, famine, and devastation (López and Getzels 11:40-24:22). Hence, a civil war broke out in the country, which claimed many lives, spreading to neighboring territories. This area still cannot recover from such shocks, and citizens are so poor that they have to look for food in garbage cans.
It is also worth noting that the countries and regions of Latin America have been subjected to repeated political innovations and changes in existing internal moments. For example, the US colonization of Puerto Rico perfectly reflects how interventions can internally undermine certain territories’ habitual way of life (López and Getzels 4:10-11:39). Puerto Rico came to capitalism and imperialism, and the transformation of this territory into a state “under the wing” of the United States led to the loss of culture, tourism, and an increase in poverty and crime. In addition, debts in this place have grown significantly since colonization and remain unpaid today.
Lack of economic opportunities, poverty, and inequality has prompted many people to leave their homes. For example, Mexican–American War led to financial ruin and poverty, human losses, and huge material damage inside Mexico (López and Getzels 24:23-38:29). Indeed, the United States managed to take away huge lands, but for the “warring side,” the losses were the most significant, which remain unfilled even this day. Moreover, some critics claim that the US intervention in Latin America during the Cold War negatively affected the regions’ financial and economic aspects (Cheatham). The problem has been rooted for a long time and continues to “build up strength” today. In addition, civil wars and internal instability have shaped the development of a criminal and violent system.
The Impact of US Immigration Policies on the Immigrants who Enter Illegally
As a rule, immigration laws and regulations adopted in America have changed and continue to change for several centuries, which significantly affects the number of foreigners in the country. For example, the special laws taken in 19 century restricted access to citizenship for certain categories of immigrants (Bender 47). Accordingly, 24 thousand Chinese workers carried out their activities in the middle of the century; then, later, this mark fell rapidly due to harassment and discrimination (Bender 47-48). In the future, the act of 1924 limited the number of Italian immigrants to 5,800 people, while the British should not have been more than 66 thousand people (Bender 49). As for the current data, the following trends can be identified. Thus, Trump’s zero-tolerance policy has reduced several thousand refugees (Cheatham). During the Joe Biden administration, several immigration laws were repealed, and the number of refugees currently does not reach the 62,500 mark (Cheatham). Consequently, it can be noted that due to a certain US policy, the number of foreigners varied according to a chaotic and unstable principle.
The Attitudes of Native-Born US Citizens Towards Immigrants from Latin America
The overwhelming majority of native Americans do not want to see foreign citizens in “their” country. The research shows that people are afraid of immigrants and have negative feelings towards them (Bernat 1). According to their ideas, immigrants pose a rather serious threat to the American people’s lives, bringing danger, murder, and violence (Bernat 1). This concern is not unfounded since Americans have been concerned that foreign citizens contribute to the development of high crime, robberies, assaults, and rape since colonial times. In addition, West (1) notes that the roots of these prejudices lie in ethnocentrism – the actions and deeds of foreigners seem alien to native Americans, frightening and unnatural. In itself, the concept of “immigration” in a certain country is extremely ambiguous and contradictory.
As a rule, Latin Americans have to put up with restrictions on their rights and opportunities. For example, if people from Latin America become victims of a crime, and, in that case, there is a high probability that they will be denied assistance from law enforcement agencies (Bernat 25). Even though a rather indirect connection has been revealed between representatives of this nationality and a high crime rate, Americans continue to oppress these foreigners.
Rationale of the Concern about Immigration
Fortunately, immigrants do not pose an extreme danger to native Americans. According to recent research, foreigners are reluctant to participate in criminal because they seek to earn an “honest name,” build a good reputation and live in good conditions rather than attract special attention (Bernat 1-2). The number of convictions and charges against illegal immigrants is quite low, and statistics are unlikely to give a lie (Bernat 2). In general, many refugees want to start a new life in the United States because they have already experienced negative moments and do not want to repeat them, committing crimes (Bernat 27). Such people are often even willing to risk their lives in order not to stay in their homeland. It hardly makes sense to put yourself in danger again if you engage in illegal activities. Consequently, the situation with concerns about immigration is extremely unjustified and biased.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the rapid flow of immigrants from various countries and states, including Central America and Mexico, is one of the current, topical issues. It should be noted that various wars and secret operations, political reforms, acts, laws, and innovations in the “occupied territories,” and the economic crisis, debts, and devastation became factors of “pushing.” In contrast, the factors of “attraction” in the USA are a high level of quality of life, stability and reliability, a wide range of new opportunities and improvements. Unfortunately, native Americans are currently quite cold and apathetic towards immigrants. However, only a small proportion of all visitors commit crimes and commit improper acts.
Works Cited
Bender, Steven W. “Chapter 2: Exposing Immigration Laws: The Legal Contours of Belonging and Exclusion.” Immigration and the Low: Race, Citizenship, and Social Control Over Time, edited by Sofia Espinoza Alvarez and Martin Guevara Urbina, Springfield, 2017, pp. 46-60.
Bernat, Frances. “Immigration and Crime.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology, 2019. Oxford University Press, pp. 1-37. Web.
Cheatham, A. “Central America’s Turbulent Northern Triangle.” Council on Foreign Relations, 2021, Web.
López, Eduardo, and Peter Getzels, directors. Harvest of Empire. Onyx Films, 2012.
West, Darrell M. “Chapter One: The Costs and Benefits of Immigration.” Brain Gain: Rethinking U.S. Immigration Policy, edited by Darrell M. West, Brookings Institution Press, 2010, pp. 1-20.