...The movie A Better Life shows the impact of the type of family system that was present in the movie. The family consisted of the father Carlos and the son Luis. Luis was born in the United States but Carlos is still an illegal immigrant. This type of family system really impacted how the father and son lived their lives. The father being a single parent had to try and find work because he was the only provider for his son. Also due to his father working all the time it gave Luis a lot of unsupervised time in which he got into trouble and was hanging out with gang members. Luis and Carlos also did not have much communication between them because Carlos was working long hours this then caused some tension between Luis and Carlos. Carlos was not there much for his son because he had to work to support him and Luis was angry because of that and because of the conditions they had to live in due to of the family system and also their immigrant status. Due to the fact that Luis was a United States citizen but Carlos was an illegal immigrant there was a lot of stress and tension in the household. They both had to watch what they did and where they went because they both knew that if the immigrant status of Carlos was found he would be deported. When Carlos’s truck was stolen he could not go to the police and report it stolen so they could find it because Carlos did not have the legal papers for the truck nor did he have a license. So he had to rely on himself and his son to find the...
Words: 934 - Pages: 4
...Illegal immigration has turned into one of the most disputed topics in the United States. Over the years, there has been a marked increase in bias and hate crimes regionally and nationwide against illegal immigrants. Our country’s population is made up of approximately 11.3 million unauthorized immigrants. Over the past and current years, evidence has overwhelmingly shown that immigrants play a vital role in our country’s economic, social, and cultural prosperity. Therefore, responsible social, political, and church groups should try to change Americans’ hearts and minds about immigration and about persistent bias against people who are already members of our society. Illegal immigration is not an issue that can be simply solved through mass...
Words: 672 - Pages: 3
...March 6, 2013 Illegal Immigration WHAT IS ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Illegal immigration is the act of living in a country without government permission (LegalAnthropology.com). It is something that is becoming increasingly common in the United States. Many natives are upset by the number of illegal aliens in their country. However, others don’t see a problem with it, making this topic a very controversial one. HOW DO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS COME INTO THE UNITED STATES Someone who wishes to move from their current country to the United States will need to get approved for immigration. The country has quotas, and decides who to grant access to through an application process and a series of qualifications. A green card is the only thing that gets someone citizenship. This is very hard to get because there are more people wanting to become citizens than the government can accommodate, which leads to the great number of undocumented people residing in our country. Many who have green cards have obtained them through family ties in America or less likely through employment, but they also must be able to pass the tests that the Unites States gives immigrants. Because green cards are so hard to get, immigrants will usually settle for temporary visas. In the long run, having held a job and been successful while in possession of a temporary work visa will help you get a green card (LegalAnthropology.com) When they hear the term “illegal immigration”, the...
Words: 1200 - Pages: 5
... Like Othello, there are features about hispanics that make them get stereotyped or looked down upon by others. Also similar to Othello, there are attributes about hispanics that get made into positive stereotypes. In today’s American society, there are both stereotypes that view hispanics positively, as loyal and hardworking,...
Words: 724 - Pages: 3
...Multicultural Experience Blake Runkle PSY/400 August 15, 2012 Rockel Etinne Multicultural Experience There are many uncomfortable situations that people deal with, situations such as eating foods that a person does not usually eat or attending a religious service other than his or her own. In this paper the topics that will be discussed will first be to describe an experience that I was in and felt uncomfortable at the time of this experience. The next topic discussed will be to discuss the preconceived notions about the experience. After this topic explaining how the notions were affected by a group influence will be discussed and the final topic being discussed will be to describe the reaction of the individuals who were in the presence during the situation and discuss the affect of these reactions on the writer’s behavior. The cultural situation the writer selected was attending a Mexican cookout. Working in a group home environment a person experiences different culture. The writer took one of his clients home for a home pass where the cookout was being held. The client and his family are of Mexican descent. On the way to the client’s house the writer felt nervous knowing that he or she was going somewhere that he or she had never been. The writer began to discuss with the client the kind of activities would be there to gain a little knowledge before attending the home...
Words: 1413 - Pages: 6
...A Dream Under Attack Since the birth of America, immigrants have come to the United States in pursuit of freedom and prosperity. These new residents believe that, through hard work and perseverance, they can achieve better for themselves and their families. Today, the same idea continues to influence the minds of millions of Latino immigrants. Latinos come to the U.S for the same reasons many other ethnic groups have come here. They are in search of jobs, stability, safety, education, and an opportunity for their children to succeed. However, the task of getting to the U.S is not easy. In order to gain entrance to the U.S, one must apply for a Visa, which may take years to receive. For many Latinos, waiting around could mean the difference between life and death due to the hardships they face in their home countries. This has created wide spread controversy and debate in the U.S. Many believe that letting Latinos into the country will the American culture and argue that Hispanics will take over North America, never really assimilating to its culture. However, they are blind in seeing the good that Latinos bring to the U.S. Nonetheless, in spite of these attacks Latinos face, they continue to immigrate to this country both legally and illegally. Like many other different ethnic groups before them, they just want to be given their chance at achieving the American dream. Like the word “American”, which would identify a person born in the U.S...
Words: 3167 - Pages: 13
...ages, and sexual orientations. This makes the United States one of the most diverse nations on earth. It is estimated between the years 2010 to 2050 minorities will increase from 36% to 54% of the population. (Schaefer, p. 4, 2012)(p.4). Immigration is the main reason for this estimate. It is estimated that in 2050, 67 million people will be immigrants and another 47 million people will be the children of immigrants. (The "Pew Research Center") (2012). While there are benefits of such a diverse nation, the United States still faces many challenges, because of prejudice and discrimination. With the rising population of immigrants, the population of people living in poverty will also rise. With the rise of people living in poverty, there will also be a rise in crime. The reason for this is, people who live in poverty have less access to high paying jobs are more likely to participate in illegal activities, such as dealing drugs to make money. Minorities and immigrants are statistically paid less than whites, for doing the same jobs. So this is what leads to poverty. The rising crime rate among minorities and immigrants also leads to the separation of families. Many children in poverty ridden neighborhoods are raised by single parents. The rising number of crimes in these neighborhoods leads to more parents, mostly men put in prison, therefor leaving the women to raise the children on their own. Another disadvantage is more prejudice and discrimination. Prejudice...
Words: 1386 - Pages: 6
...Intercultural Barriers in America • Which intercultural communication barrier is most prevalent in America today? The intercultural communication barrier that I believe is most prevalent in America today would be stereotyping and prejudice. When people stereotype others they assume that a person has certain characteristics and abilities that they believe all members of that group have. Many people use stereotypes to simplify their world and reduce the amount of processing and thinking they have to do when they meet a new person. Stereotyping makes people ignore the differences between others, as well. Then they end up thinking things about people that might not be true and make generalizations. Stereotypes also lead to social categorization, which is one of the reasons for prejudice attitudes. This is because most stereotypes tend to convey a negative impression (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 2008). Stereotyping and prejudice happens every day in the United States. One example of stereotyping comes from a story I read about in my Cultural Diversity class. Although African Americans accounted for only 17 percent of the motorists on the New Jersey turnpike during a certain time period, they were 80 percent of the motorists pulled over. These occurrences gave rise to the charge that a new traffic offense was added to the books: DWB, or “driving while Black” (Schaefer, 2012, p. 42). Another example of stereotyping is racial profiling. A federal study...
Words: 681 - Pages: 3
..."You who are so-called illegal aliens must know that no human being is illegal. That is a contradiction in terms. Human beings can be beautiful or more beautiful, they can be fat and skinny, and they can be right or wrong, but illegal? How can a human be illegal?" (Wiesel). So called immigrants leave everything behind in search for a better future. Working on low wage jobs with no social security needed to stay away from taxes and getting caught while being scared to get sick because of the jaw dropping bills. They are stuck on the division of leadership between its own people with no voice. Ever since the American Revolution came to an end, a verbal war broke out to see what political party would own America's power. Even though there may...
Words: 889 - Pages: 4
...variety of alternate viewpoints about diversity within the United States we have discussed. Feeling more knowledgeable about the subject with a grander appreciation, and realizing that going into personal experiences with an open mind will continue to help me to relate with others. Getting to know someone who is different from you can be challenging, and stepping out of the norm to be willing to listen or observe others and their beliefs will help lead society toward a less discriminatory, and prejudice country. My past had prevented me from taking that extra step to understand others, instead I chose to avoid them because they were not like me or did not share my same beliefs. As a teenager I possibly ignored those who were different than I, in fear of lowering my reputation status. Growing up as a child I was very unaware of the depth of discrimination and prejudice that was lingering in our country. Hawaii is a state where children are sheltered from the rest of the United States. It is almost as if we are in our own world. Although I miss living there near the rest of my family along with the island life, I am extremely grateful that my parents decided to move us to California while I was still young enough to absorb “street smarts” but, I am also thankful that living in Hawaii allowed me to see everyone as family or equals. I think the only other downfall for being raised in Hawaii would be the stereotype that I grew up with about Caucasians, or foreigners we referred...
Words: 1495 - Pages: 6
...media has a way of presenting information to suit its purpose, whatever that may be. The media has difficulty in its representation of diversity, as many times different ethnic backgrounds are grossly misrepresented or deliberately depicted. One such ethnic group that has suffered at the hands of the media is the Latino community. The media has become a numbers game, driven by ratings and demographics, seeking to provide information of a shock value-centered subject matter, which will draw more viewers. Latinos have generally been negatively stereotyped in the media as poor, uneducated, lazy, and violent. Another popular representation of Latinos is that they have poor language skills, and that they are gang members, teen mothers, illegal immigrants, drug dealers and traffickers, and common criminals. When it comes to stereotyping Latinos, the media tends to translate everything negatively. Comfortable sexuality is labeled as prostitution; having a lot of kids is associated with being impoverished and acting assertive is viewed as ‘macho’. I would say, however, that without a doubt, the most overwhelming Latino representation in the media deals with immigration. With states such as Arizona and Georgia establishing immigration laws and Latino Profiling Laws (specifically in Arizona), there has been a dramatic increase in anti-Latino activity and hate crimes as well as a growth in white supremacist hate groups. The internet is bombarded with images of White males holding picket...
Words: 1203 - Pages: 5
...(Dobkin, 2009). b. Thesis Statement: Research will show that immigration policies are ineffective because of stereotyping, social profiling, and area economics. c. Preview of Main points: i. Stereotypes and racial profiling has shaped immigration policies in America. ii. The perception of immigration can vary from area to area based on the economic status of the populace and because of this it can influence the content of immigration policies. II. Stereotypes and racial profiling has shaped immigration policies in America. Show visual aid (Martinez Jr., 2010) a. Arizona has placed the power of checking individuals for immigration status in the hands of police, which has allowed for racial profiling and oppression of not only U.S. citizens but also those that are new immigrants to America (Campbell, 2011). b. Some of the common misconceptions about immigrants are the threat that they pose to U.S. jobs, when it comes to U.S. citizens. i. Immigrant workers do pose a threat to U.S. jobs in the sense that they are much more mobile. 1. Hanson shows that low skilled immigrant workers are willing to go where the work is, whereas the U.S. native low skilled workers are less likely to pick up and move (Hanson, 2012). c. Molina points out, that a stereotype that exist about Mexicans, are that they are disease carriers and would be a burden on the health community if they moved into your neighborhood (Molina, 2011). III. The perception of immigration can vary from...
Words: 1088 - Pages: 5
...committed by minorities which mean that an increase in immigrants means an increase in crime. Do native born Americans have a viable concern with immigration and an increase in crime or is this just a way for the media, politicians, and anti-immigration groups to spread their opinions and fears on immigration? If there is a correlation between crime and immigration how will this play a role in today’s prison system? An overwhelming amount of native born Americans believe that the influx of immigrants, especially illegal immigrants, will have a negative effect on the crime rate in the United States. Of course, in an absolute sense, it probably does. Immigration brings more people into the country, and unless this process is counterbalanced by emigration, the absolute volume of crime will very likely increase. In addition, immigrants are often disproportionately male and at early ages of labor market entry and advancement. Because young males are disproportionately likely to be involved in crime in all parts of the world that we know about (Hirschi and Gottfredson, 1983), this may also contribute to increases in crime. In this sense we will probably want to know whether immigrants who enter the country contribute to crime beyond what we could otherwise expect of citizens of similar numbers, ages, gender, and so on. Recent research suggests that the claims that immigration cuases crime are false, and that in reality immigrants may have dramatically lower crime rates thatn Unites...
Words: 959 - Pages: 4
...Diversity in the United States Rick Dashnaw ETH/125 08/19/12 Beverly Sessoms Diversity in the United States This paper will discuss the different aspects of cultural and racial diversity in the United States. This assignment will include the effects of the media, and the effects of immigration on diversity. I will be discussing the possible ways to work towards a post-racism society nationwide. To get a better understanding of why people immigrate to the United States, we have to think about where they came from and why they decided to come here. This has helped me understand these questions, and have a different view towards immigration and diversity. I can understand that the circumstances and living conditions that these people have had to live with drove them out and to the United States for the freedoms and way of life. We cannot blame the immigrants for coming here because if the shoe was on the other foot it would have been us coming here to get away, and into the freedoms and liberty of the United States. As I am part of the white race in America, I have learned that my race is the most prevalent race in the United States, and always has been. Today, the children are much more diverse. If we look at it from an older to younger standpoint, “Older Americans are whiter. Younger Americans are more non-white.” (Claiborne, 2011). So we can look forward to a more diverse future with the next generations to grow up being very diverse. The white race may be outnumbered...
Words: 1637 - Pages: 7
...what a stereotype is. A stereotype is a false picture or idea in many people’s minds about how all members of a certain group look, think, and/or act. Stereotypes exist about members of almost every possible social group, including racial, ethnic, gender, religious, and political groups, among others. A person is said to be “stereotyped” if someone outside of that person’s particular social group, whatever it may be, thinks about him as being like the group’s stereotype, without knowing anything about him; conversely, we say a person is “stereotyping” another if he thinks in stereotypes about people in a certain social group, again, whatever it may be. Most stereotypes are negative and offensive, a few are positive, and some are neutral. A negative stereotype shows a group in a bad light (For example, African Americans are violent.); a positive stereotype shows a group in a good light (For example, “… Asians are good at math” (www.ask.com); and a neutral stereotype is one that is neither good nor bad (For example, Blacks loves watermelon). Perhaps, the most prevalent stereotypes in the US concern all the different races and ethnic groups who live there. An examination of some common stereotypes regarding African Americans, Hispanics/ Latinos, and Asians in the US will demonstrate that negative, positive, and/or neutral stereotypes exist about all three of these groups; There are many negative stereotypes, a few positive stereotypes, and a few neutral stereotypes about...
Words: 1139 - Pages: 5
