Joseph Cristobal

6 June 2017

Professor Trisha Herrera

English 1A

Immigrant Poverty harms the U.S

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly

governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.-(Confucius chinese teacher and philosopher)

Confucius quotation relates to how the United States is a well developed country which has

allowed its people to live in poverty, which is why it should be ashamed of how people are living

in such condition.. Especially, with how Immigrants are treated and are forced to live in poverty

through the fear of law enforcement, employers who threatens to deport them, and the many

disadvantages which their children face and therefore affects their education. Though, why

immigrant poverty, after all, it doesnt seem to affect anything in relate to the U.S.? Which is

where were wrong. Its Immigrant poverty that has harmed the U.S economy and has allowed

them to face discrimination. Which is why, in order to end immigrant poverty in the U.S. Issues

such as ending police cooperation with I.C.E agents(Immigration and Custom Enforcement)

must come to an end. For its this collision between the two agencies that allow for discrimination

in apprehending any individual who is believed to be an immigrant. Therefore it encourages

exploitation since Immigrants then fear that law enforcement are now hunting for them. No

doubt, their employers use this opportunity to threaten their workers by paying them low wages

or if else if they fight back, they then be deported. Thus, it all affects their children's education as
funding and fear has prevented their children from wanting to complete school. Instead, it

provokes them to dropout in order aid their families in gaining more income for more stability.

Therefore, these issues need solutions, otherwise, it could affect the nation as a whole

negatively. Especially, seeing how it will affect workers competition as it will lead to a decline

of American worker for cheap labor worker. With such a thing is coming to a high demand and

how low paid wages could hurt the economy through the little spending and unbalance in salery.

Immigrant protection laws are needed otherwise theyll be left vulnerable to the disasters of

poverty. As a matter of fact, bills such as the Dream Act set examples to aiding in fighting

poverty. Same can be said of the state of New York, with their actions on protecting Immigrants

from abuse. Moreover, it this status quo of ending immigrant poverty which has to change. If

not, our nation is expected to decline with its economy and allowing discrimination can lead to

dangers within the Immigrant community.

Furthermore, ending police cooperation with I.C.E. agents is a top priority in ending

Immigrant poverty. In fact, it is where the issue began, as police cooperation with ICE agents

allowed for discrimination and fear of relying on police officers. For instance, in a report by the

Human Right Immigrant Community Action Network, where in some state and localities, local

police and sheriffs can ask individuals for proof of their immigration status and then turn them

over to DHS officials-simply based on their perceived status as undocumented Immigrants.

These practices have fueled racial profiling and discrimination. Whereas Western North Carolina

100 stories project reports specific cases where local and county police deliberately used transit

stops to arrest Latino driver to turn over to ICE. Their actions had discriminate against minority

groups who are believed to be Immigrants. For such instance, it was the Latinos community who
was targeted and cause of it, it gave practice to whom they believe to be top priority as

Immigrants. As a result, in order to end such practices.The State of California has created a bill

which ends such discrimination and cooperation with I.C,E. It is known as bill 54. The LA times

reported that this bills action, in brief, Senate Bill 54, would prohibit state and Law

enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, detain report, or arrest person for the

purpose of Immigrant enforcement. In result, it prevents cooperation of both the police

department and I.C.E agents in the state of California. Each being from a different department,

police from state government and I.C.E being from federal government. In doing so, police are

instead to focus on the safety of their community rather than investigate whether an individual is

believed to be Immigrants or not. This sort of action ends fear and tension in the Immigrant

community as trust can once again be rebuilt. In effect, police targeting immigrants can end and

cause of it, itll result as a first step to stopping exploitation and poverty.

Furthermore, exploitation is accomplished through the use of fear and threats from their

employers. One being of fear and how law enforcement cant be relied on when Immigrants are

in dangerous situation because of fear of being deported. To threats by their employer at which

they can be deported at anytime they feel they dont comply to their orders. Fear and exploitation

can consume an individual as it has done do on immigrants. An article by the New York Times

described the fear which has allowed Immigrants to be vulnerability to exploitation. They

reported, Unauthorized workers are often afraid to complain about unpaid wages and

substandards working condition because their employers can retaliate by taking actions that lead

to deportation. Threats such as this, force Immigrants to work with low wages and therefore

make it difficult to earn a living which is why it causes poverty. For they fail to support their
families with the sustainable amount of income. Which drastically affects the health of their

family as survival has become essential. It even lead to consequence to affecting the U.S. for the

economy is hurt and competition with American workers is far more difficult when competing

with Immigrants. Or how Robert B. Reich would mentions it in his writing, Why the Rich get

Richer and the Poor, Poorer. He describes, In-person servers will be competing with growing

numbers of Immigrants, both legal and illegal. He then goes on to saying that, It was estimated

that between the mid-1980s and the end of the century, about a quarter of all workers entering

the American Labor force will be Immigrants. Granting that he was close, it can be speculated

to why he believed so. Immigrants are easiest to hire because of how they are easily exploited

and to have manipulated.. Which is why, protecting them is important or else, the issue will

never be solved. In which, the second phase to ending Immigrant poverty is through immigrant

protection laws such as the law Governor George Pataski signed into the state of New York. It

was this bill which would defend Immigrants in exposing their employers. Of those who wished

to take advantage of them. The New York Amsterdam took coverage of the bill as it stated, A

recent bill signed into law by George Paraski would protect immigrants from being exploited by

establishing tough new standard and protects to effectively regulate the activities of those who

might otherwise try and take advantage of them Enacting such a laws allowed immigrants to

feel safe within their workplace. It instead kept all immigrants safe. The community of would

face little threats through this protection bill as discrimination was too coming to a major halt. As

the law gave change to the attitude of hiring Immigrants. Especially with how they got the

opportunity to achieve equal pay. It helped set a balance in the economy with distribution of

money is now placed. It then provides actual competition between Immigrants and Natives
workers. In stopping exploitation, much was achieved to ending poverty and it has some major

impacts in providing opportunities which their children could be given.

Of course, there have been much that had prevented Immigrants and their children in

achieving their goals. Its the education which they want for their children though its their

financial situation makes it impossible to achieve. Money was an issue since their parents were

given little wages. Thus, money had to be cut from their children's education in order to provide

food or other necessities. At some point, their child comes to a realization of how difficult it is to

have their parents support them in going to school that they soon become drop outs. It vitally

cuts all chances of them succeeding with an education but instead, it leaves them in their parents

shoes. Example of this can be related to the researches from ETS, which conducted studies on

students dropouts and of what was to become of them after they drop out of school. Though this

is what to be expected for Immigrant children, that during their early childhood, poor children

complete two fewer years of school, earn less than half as much money, worked 451 fewer hours

per year, received $826 per year more in food stamps, and were nearly three times as likely to

have poor health. This is what was to become of these children once they abandon their chances

in going to school. In truth, it wasnt making the situation any better. Instead it deep them into

the hole of poverty. Which would then be even more difficult since they could not get benefits

such as food stamps, as stated in the research. Though it wasnt like their education was any

good to begin with. For instance, an article by Social Forces, indicated that Research has linked

each of these background factors to lower educational performances among the children of

Immigrants, as well as to increased likelihood of special education placement in the general

student population. To an extent, these children were given the disadvantage to begin with.
Unless they thrive to learn and achieve in wanting their education though theyll still face

challenges in funding for college. After all, these children are to soon be our futures next bright

minds and intellectuals and having to struggle with money damages there chances in becoming

one. Being under these circumstances, opportunities are needed to be given if they are to change

the world for the best and so it is why the Dream Act was created to aid them. This bill provided

the necessity for an immigrant student such as, protection from deportation, financial aid from

the government, and the option of a working permit which had no restriction whatsoever. Even if

it only supported 65,000 Immigrants students, it granted them the chance to either join the

military or go to school and cause of this, it would change the U.S. economy and it stand on

immigrants. The Immigrant policy Center reported, U.S. department of labor found that the

wages of Immigrants in the 1986 legalized increase 15 percent over five years, and that the

immigrants move on to significantly better jobs. This is an examples of how important

immigrants were to our economy. That they go on to applying to high waging jobs, to paying

taxes that are essential to keeping the government going, and in keeping this nation thriving. It

was Immigrants who built this nation and it would be them again who would help keep it going.

As long as,Immigrant poverty comes to an end. There will be more aid for the U.S in this long

run with those who wish thrive in being an intellectual.

Ultimately, Immigrants have been treated unfairly in their stay in the U.S and its cause of

this they are forced to live in poverty. Fearing Law Enforcement, being taken advantage of

because of your status as undocumented, and having their children quit school to maintain

income at home. No person should experience such acts when living in the U.S. Which is why

these changes are of great importance in how this country changes its view on them. Seeing that
they could rely on Law enforcement in order to stop crime, to obtaining equal pay because they

deserved like any other person should, and having their children receive major opportunities. Are

giant leaps to a better future. They like many others wish for the best for themselves by

providing to this economy and by ending this discrimination. With its end, greatness is soon to

come for maybe one day, an immigrant will be a national hero or maybe achieve something

grand for the U.S.

MLA Work Cited:

- Murdock, Steve H., et al. "The Effect of Immigration on Poverty in the Southwestern

United States, 1980-1990." Social Science Quarterly (University of Texas Press), vol. 80,

no. 2, June 1999, p. 310. EBSCOhost,

login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=aph&AN=2171755&site=ehost-live.

- Ulloa, Jazmine. First of Several Immigrant Protection Bills Clears State Senate Public

Safety Committee. Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2017,

latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-first-of-several-immigr

ant-protection-1485893215-htmlstory.html. Accessed 18 May 2017 (Links to an external

site.)Links to an external site..

- Browne, J. Zamgba. "Governor Cracks Down on Consultants Who Prey on Immigrants."

New York Amsterdam News, vol. 95, no. 41, 07 Oct. 2004, p. 4. EBSCOhost,

login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=aph&AN=14677327&site=ehost-live.

- The DREAM Act. American Immigration Council, American Immigration Council, 25

Aug. 2016, americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/dream-act. Accessed 18 May 2017.

- Hibel, Jacob and Andrea D. Jasper. "Delayed Special Education Placement for Learning

Disabilities among Children of Immigrants." Social Forces, vol. 91, no. 2, Dec. 2012, pp.

503-530. EBSCOhost,
 login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=aph&AN=95750458&site=ehost-live.

- Emily, Bazar. "Illegal Immigrants Moving out." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost,

login.ezp.pasadena.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=aph&AN=J0E144608580107&site=ehost-live.

- Costa, Daniel. The New York Times Company. The New York Times, The New York

Times, 3 Sept. 2015,

www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/09/03/is-immigration-really-a-problem-in-the-us/

employers-exploit-unauthorized-immigrants-to-keep-wages-low. Accessed 1 May 2017.

- Jacobus, Lee A. Resources for teaching A world of ideas: essential readings for college

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Getting Richer and the Poor, Poorer"

- Jacobus, Lee A. Resources for teaching A world of ideas: essential readings for college

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among Latino Farmworker Families." Social Work, vol. 59, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp.

157-165. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1093/sw/swu013.

- Godfrey, Erin B. and Sharon Wolf. "Developing Critical Consciousness or Justifying the

System? A Qualitative Analysis of Attributions for Poverty and Wealth among

Low-Income Racial/Ethnic Minority and Immigrant Women." Cultural Diversity &

Ethnic Minority Psychology, vol. 22, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 93-103. EBSCOhost,

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- Lichter, Daniel T., et al. "Hispanics at the Starting Line: Poverty among Newborn Infants

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<http://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/nnir.pdf>.