Fuentes1

Fuentes, Andrew

English 101

Professor Batty

29 May 2018

The American Nightmare

My point here is that immigrants that cross the United States border like Rodrigo Abel

Zamora do not have equal rights like every other person within the country. Immigrant mainly

focusing on the youth just like Rodrigo from the story “Still Water Saints” should receive

hospitality to help them grow as an individual. This Should interest those who are family

members of immigrants, social workers, and the labor workforce. Beyond this limited audience,

however, immigrants are treated unequally. I feel immigrants are treated the way they are treated

due to them being unqualified, illegal job decisions, and unequal mistreatment. This should

interest anyone who who cares about the larger of immigrants being treated unequally.

When making his journey by foot to California for a chance at a better living to possibly

support his family. Fifteen year old Rodrigo Abel Zamora was in need of a job to try to help

himself earn enough money to afford a coyote. When finally finding a job and being instructed

what to do by his temporary boss Felix, he was not well aware he committed acts of

pedophileness. Rodrigo then finds out when Felix said, “Andale,” he whispered. “Just touch me.

That’s it.”(page 163). When then realizing his sinful acts Felix orders young Rodrigo to leave

away from his sight. The boy then realizes he has nothing left debating to either go home or not

visualizing his parents. A man by the name of Chino noticed Rodrigo was in desperate need

offering him a job. Promising him that he was going to be well taken care of. Not knowing he
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was going to be doing the same thing. When arriving he describes the atmosphere stating, “There

were boys there, all of them skinny, all of them in tight shirts and red shorts. There were older

men there, too, watching a boy on a platform dancing naked”(page 164). Before getting to speak

on if he wanted to stay or go, Chino then informs him about Ignacio the guy who know owns

Rodrigo stating, “You can't say no. If you do Ignacio will kick you out. He’ll go after you and

kill you… The police, they don’t bother us. Ignacio pays them.”(page 165). The message

conveyed on his personal struggles is that he is not treated equally like he should be just because

he is not aware of his rights. Making immigrants act quickly upon doing illegal things for money

because they have nothing left to live for.

Immigrants do not have rights in the United States therefore making them unqualified for

opportunities to help them grow as an individual. Such as Medicare to help there aid, job

choices, and education. There has been threats towards DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood

Arrivals) that has been worrying immigrants. Due to such feeling of threat it gives the

immigrants the idea to make a decision of acting upon illegal things such as sex trafficking, drug

selling, and other bad outcomes to make money. Immigrants that try to do their best to find legal

jobs end up getting denied because they are undocumented giving citizens to quickly denying

them instead of giving them an opportunity to help them out.

Immigrants that are unable to find legal jobs committee illegal acts such as sex trafficking

to maintain a living. A lot of immigrants like Rodrigo from the story “Still Water Saints” are

desperate to make money in any type of way possible. In the story “Still Water Saints” by Alex

Espinoza, he created a young character named Rodrigo Abel Zamora that was an immigrant in
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desperate need of work. I feel Alex Espinoza was trying to express that many immigrants with

no legal job will act quick to do anything for money. Rodrigo then informs his boss about the

robbery committed on him. His boss Felix tells him, “I'll give you money”, Felix said to Rodrigo

when the boy told him what had happened. “But you have to give me something back”. He

grabbed Rodrigo's hands and placed it in between his legs. From his pocket, Felix pulled out a

wad of crumbled bills.”(Page 162-163). This shows that immigrants will do anything illegal or

legal to make money. Not qualified immigrants get the urge to do desperate actions for money in

order for to try to make a living and provide for themselves.

A high majority of immigrants that travel illegally to the United States for a better living

get treated unequally the same way they would in their own country. Even though they come for

better job opportunities and a better living they get treated unfairly by individuals like bosses and

police officers. According to the web site “Pri.org” the article “Immigrants, legal groups, allege

harsh treatment at U.S. border” by Amy Bracken provides interviews she has done with

immigrant individuals that have been mistreated unequally by higher power individuals. But

proud citizens who have been victims of mistreatment within being in the country of the United

States have been feeling threatened to be here even though they have no acts upon crimes. Amy

Bracken informs that a twenty-one year old female stated, “I was just walking along when

Border Patrol caught me,” she said. “They treated me really badly. They put me in a

hielera.”(Amy Bracken). Even though most immigrants cross illegally they should not feel any

threat coming from higher power individuals who should be protecting the people within the

countries border lines.

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Immigrants that cross the border illegally to try to make a better living for themselves

should not do so because it is a crime. It also gives their people a bad name because of the action

of crime they are doing. If wanting to make a better living for themselves they should try to

adapt to their environment and try to do so. I feel that if immigrants were to remain in their

country there would be less racial problems towards the races of individuals. Automatically bring

peace towards nations because no hatred would be thrown.

I feel the lesson I learned from Rodrigo Abel Zamora is that a good majority of

immigrants trying to come to the United States for another chance at a better life get treated

unequally. Due to individuals with higher power taking their dignity away from them to just

satisfy themselves. A way someone can act upon this common but horrific situation is instead of

catching and returning the victims involved in in crimes such as sex trafficking. Is to offer them

labor jobs so they can not only help the labor force and the government, but themselves and to

avoid illegally acts of crime as sex trafficking and crossing the border. A high majority of the

immigrants crossing are dedicated people because they want a better living. Most have passion

just like Rodrigo Abel Zamora, when not sure whether to go back home because he had nothing

left. In the book “Still Water Saints” by Alex Espinoza he made the Character Rodrigo seem

dedicated because at the end he wanted to help his parents with money. He realized what he was

doing it for, while reminiscing, “He thought of his mother and father back home, waiting for

money.”(Page 163). Immigrants coming to the United States should be told they have right like

everyone else no matter their color or race because they can bring out positive things to a nation.
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In conclusion the lesson I learned was that a good amount of immigrants crossing the

United States border for a better living get treated unfairly by individuals within the country. I

feel the reason they get treated differently due to them not being giving the same opportunities as

others, get dragged into illegally things such as selling drugs and sex trafficking, and being

mistreated by individuals with higher power then them. Even though they cross the border in an

illegal way they should be giving a chance because they risk their lives crossing deserts with

children. If we have the resources and jobs why not help and rise positive statistics instead of

continue the negative problems.

Work Cited
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"How Does U.S. Immigration Law Treat Trafficking Victims?" Blog: Think Immigration. Web.

01 May 2018.

"Human Trafficking and Smuggling." ICE. Web. 01 May 2018.

"Sex Trafficking Has Lasting Negative Economic Consequences for Victims and US Society."

Institute for Women's Policy Research. 13 Oct. 2017. Web. 08 May 2018.

"What Are the Statistics on Human Trafficking of Children?" Ark of Hope for Children. Web. 08

May 2018.

Espinoza, Alex. Still Water Saints: A Novel. London: Picador, 2013. Print.

Johnson, Alex, and Cesar Rodriguez. "Sex Slavery: Living the American Nightmare."

NBCNews.com. NBCUniversal News Group, 22 Dec. 2008. Web. 01 May 2018.

"Immigrants, Legal Groups Allege Harsh Treatment at U.S. Border." Public Radio International.

PRI. Web. 27 May 2018.