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Tyler Noe Mr. Newman English 101: Rhetoric 16 September 2013 Statement of Scope for the Annotated Bibliography

Immigration has always been one of the key issues in America. From the boom of Eastern European immigrants in the 20s to the increase in Latino immigrants today, there has always been debate as to whether immigrants have a positive or negative effect on the United States. Most recently, it has become an issue of illegal immigrants and migrant labor. Many argue that illegal Latin immigrants take jobs away from tax-paying, law-abiding citizens of America. However, the jobs these immigrants are doing are jobs that a majority of Americans wont do anyways. They are difficult, physically demanding, poorly paying, and come with no real benefits. They are important jobs to the American economy that someone needs to do, but Americans are not the ones to do them. Immigrant labor has a positive effect on the American economy because they provide important services that most Americans arent willing to do. This essay will explore the effect of migrant labor on the United States. While immigrant workers are sometimes viewed as cancerous in society, they are in fact quite the opposite. They are the individual vertebrate that hold together the spine of the working force of America. In addition, I will discuss how the changing landscape in Mexico and among the working class is affecting and will affect the United States. With working class native Mexicans becoming less impoverished and more educated, along with stricter immigrant laws, there is an issue of a lack of work at the migrant level. These workers, whom have been mistreated and abused by the system, are integral gears in the big machine, and with these new situations arising, there is becoming an increasingly evident issue with migrant labor in America. This selected bibliography includes sources that address the effect of migrant labor, worker mentality about unions, the downfall of the working class, and how the United States stepping in with new immigration laws is only hurting the United States in the long run. The Bacon article discusses unions for Mexican workers and how the thought of rebelling against their own company is a foreign thought to them. The Covarrubias and Nicholson articles address the type of effect migrant workers have on the United States, primarily economically. The Leary article works with how the American working class has weakened over time, primarily with the downfall of community unions. The Wood article discusses how the American Government is shooting itself in the foot with anti-immigrant labor laws that restrict who can do what work. They are limiting the abilities of immigrants to work, leaving jobs that only immigrants will do open.

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Annotated Bibliography Bacon, David. "Equality and Rights for Immigrants -the Key to Organizing Unions." Monthy Review 1 Oct. 2010: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. In this article, union organizer David Bacon discusses his experience organizing a union for Mexican migrant workers at a large sweatshop. He elaborates on the Mexican traditions and customs that interfere with their efforts to form a union, and cause them to wonder whether a strike is even legal in the United States. Towards the end, Bacon argues that the United States needs to legalize these Mexican migrant workers, for the workers' and the country's benefit. Covarrubias, Humberto Mrquez, and Ral Delgado-Wise. "The Reshaping of Mexican Labor Exports under NAFTA: Paradoxes and Challenges." The International Migration Review 1 Oct. 2007: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. This article explores the economic effects of migrant Mexican labor in both the United States and in Mexico. It also breaks down maquiladoras, disguised maquilas, and labor migration, the three primary vehicles through which the US and Mexican economies integrate. Covarrubias and Delgado-Wise explain how the importation of Mexican labor to the United States has changed drastically under NAFTA. Leary, Elly. "Crisis in the U.S. Labor Movement: The Roads Not Taken." Monthly Review 1 June 2005: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. Leary makes the argument that white supremacy and class have played a big role in hurting the working class. She also makes

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the point that community unions, such as the Knights of Labor and the CIO have fallen, leading to less representation for the working class. Finally, she says that capitalism is largely to blame for their weakness. Nicholson, Michael, and Pia M. Orrenius. "Immigrants in the U.S. Economy: A Host-Country Perspective." Journal of Business Strategies 1 Jan. 2009: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. Orrenius and Nicholson begin their argument on immigrant labor by pointing out the percentage of the population that is made up by immigrants. They then dive into the history of US immigration and how it has affected the country over time. The latter third of the article discusses the economic effect of immigrant labor today. Wood, Daniel B. "Immigration reform too late to fix one big problem, studies say." The Christian Science Monitor 10 May 2013: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. Wood makes the argument that an immigration reform bill going through Congress will not be enough to solve immigration problems or help immigrant workers. He references statistics that show that the people of Mexico are becoming more educated and more first-world. Therefore, very soon there will be much less foreign migrant work for the United States.