Immigration Essay

Immigration is the term used to describe people moving from their native countries to new ones in search of residence. The majority of immigrants to America fled their home countries because of political unrest, although some arrived as slaves (Adams et al. 58). The fact that these immigrants contribute significantly to the nation’s development by supplying the essential labor is frequently overlooked by researchers and opponents of immigration. This essay clarifies that statement in light of the Harvest of Empire movie, which attempts to show the realities of immigration. It also focuses on defining Americanness and its inherent contradictions, illustrating how racialization and immigration, based on two groups of immigrants, aid in resolving these inconsistencies. Americanness refers to the characteristics or qualities that an individual possess to make them be Americans. Some scholars argue that, as long as one lives in America, Pays tax on the American territory and works in the US, qualifies to be an American. The inherent contradictions of being American citizens and foreigners made the experience of many immigrants in America more schizophrenic (López 146). The immigrants who are citizens in the US are often treated with discrimination, and others get deported back to their countries. However, racialization has challenged Americans to change their ways of thinking about Americanness, identity, and race in the bid to create social consciousness allowing every individual to be comfortable.

The Cuban Americans

According to the Cubans in America by Engfer (2005), the Cuban immigrants arrived in the United States in four distinct waves during the 1950s. The first group fled Cuba following the rise of Fidel Castro, while the other groups came after the agreement between the US and Cuban governments. These families fled their countries together with their children because of the political unrest in their country. In the film the Harvest of Empire, the Cubans are portrayed as being unique and exceptional from the other Latinos and American immigrants (López 146). Besides, the Cubans had more socio-economic success unlike the rest of the immigrants. It is also due to their strong belief of anti-communism that most of them became Republicans. It is evident that the policies in America favored the entry of the Cubans into the country because they were offered provisional eligibility for work authorization and protection against deportation, unlike other immigrants. Therefore, the number of Cuban American immigrants has continuously risen according to the report from the recent census. This increase is attributed to the persistent economic and political volatility, natural disasters, and need for family unification.

Since the Cuban Americans population in the United States was made up of young people as compared to the native US-born population, they provided the necessary labor. Therefore, almost all the Cuban Americans were absorbed in the civilian labor. They were employed in service occupation jobs which included construction, transportation, material-moving, and maintenance. The majority of the Cubans were unemployed in the tobacco plantations; thus, they sought employment in the new cigar factories which the Cubans were setting up in New York City (Engref 11). In this regard, the Cuban Americans contributed to the growth of the United States economy. They also brought extensive technical skills and a higher level of education in the US. This is a reality exposed in the film which most of the immigration critics often ignore (López 147)

The Puerto Ricans

This group of immigrants arrived in the United States in the 1940s following the Second World War. Very many Puerto Ricans fled to America due to poverty and limited employment in their country (Adams et al. 60). The industrial jobs available in the US and the affordable air travel triggered the movement of the Puerto Ricans to the United States. Although the poor immigrants came to the US as citizens, they also faced discrimination from the native-born Americans. According to Harvest of Empire by Gonzalez (2000), the Puerto Ricans struggled with life in the United States. For instance, Maria and Gonzalez lost some of their children out of poverty and diseases. Maria was also forced to give out her kids to work for the Native-born Americans in return for food and residence.

Despite all the discrimination faced by the Puerto Rican Americans, they continued to provide services to the US government. They were employed in low-paying jobs which could not be sufficient to cater for their families (Adams et al. 69). According to the film, González worked in the building of roads sector for the government. On the other hand, Maria was hired in the coffee plantation as a coffee picker.

The film Harvest of Empire aims at educating the US citizens on the policies their country employed to dominate other nations during the colonial era. These policies formed the fundamental reason why the Latinos moved from their countries of origin to the United States. The primary reason behind this history is to make the native people America be empathetic and informed regarding their opinions about the immigrants. From the interviews conducted in the film, it is clear that the Latin American people suffered not only as US immigrants but as the victims of the harsh US policies in their country. Immigration to the United States proved to be a horrific experience that the Latin Americans and the Cubans faced. Nevertheless, the Native Americans are portrayed as being superior with political and economic dominance, and corporate power.

Conclusion

The Latin Americans faced different discriminating situations from the native United States citizens. Besides, it is the US government’s harsh policies and brutal ruling that made them migrate to the United States. The audience of the film Harvest of Empire is the US citizens, who do not understand how people end up being immigrants and the challenges they face. It is evident that the immigrants played an essential role towards the development of a stable US economy. Therefore, the US government should be responsible of the immigrants in the nation and accord them equal rights as those of the Native Americans.

Works Cited

Adams, Wallis E., Irina LG Todorova, and Luis M. Falcón. “Puerto Rican Victimization and Crime on the Mainland: The Role of Acculturation.” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 37.1 (2015): 59-74.

Engfer, Lee. Cubans in America. Lerner Publications, 2005.

Gonzalez, Juan. Harvest of Empire: A history of Latinos in America. Penguin Group, 2000.

López, Ronald W. ”Harvest of Empire: The untold story of Latinos in America by Peter Getzels and Eduardo López (dirs.).” Latino Studies 12.1 (2014): 145-147.