The Naturalized [an essay I wrote for my Sociology: Race and Ethnicity class]

I never understood why anyone would want to move to America. To me, America was racist. Nothing made me sicker than to hear someone refer to America as a melting pot. Maybe I’m bitter as a minority in Rockford, Illinois. After watching the Naturalized, I saw a bigger picture. I saw America through the eyes of someone who wasn’t born here. To them America was the land of the free, a land of opportunity, the “next place to Heaven.”
            People move here for a couple of different reasons. Majority of their reasoning is for education and employment. Despite what we think as Americans of our own education system, it is valued more in other countries. As our children take our education for granted by not attending school or if they attend they fail out in result of partying too much. Children in other countries know the value of a good education and a lot of them work hard to get it. They want that education not only for themselves but also for their families. Their support system back home needs them to succeed. Like any good parent would do, a lot of them send their children to relatives in the States just so they can have that opportunity.
            The other major reason for immigrants’ relocation to the Untied States is because of employment. A lot of the people that come over here are not only supporting themselves but are also the main supports of their families back home. Mothers and fathers leave their children behind with relatives so they can help provide for their family. A lot of the time, the ones that are providing aren’t living any better off than their families.
            Relocating can have some benefits with more opportunities for education and employment, like I mentioned above. But with great opportunities, comes great sacrifices. Some individuals are leaving behind loved ones, friends, children, families. Sure they are given a great opportunity but at what cost? What’s even worse is when the individual is caught illegally after years. Even after you have established a name for yourself with a family and a good job, you still can be deported. That results in a ten-year ban from the United States. Parents’ end up leaving spouses and children behind that won’t know who their father or mother is, which is problematic.
            The benefits for United States from immigration with immigrants opening up businesses that is local, which is good for the economy. Also allows our country to grow culturally. As Americans I think we forget that we aren’t the only ones on this planet. If American’s aren’t in other countries trying to make their way of life “better,” we are mocking them. If we allow for others in our country we can have a better understanding about the world, instead of being closed minded or just wrapped up in our own little bubble.

            The Naturalized definitely changed the way I look not only at immigrants but also changed the way I look at our immigration process. They relocate here for a better opportunity but yet we make it so hard and expensive to do so. Our country is supposed to be a melting pot but yet we have all these laws that make it almost impossible to support that. I hope that other will watch this film and understand more about immigration. Also doing more research about the process in hopes that we can change things for the better.

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What Happened Today?

August 27, 2014: Helping my dog become the neighborhood watch dog.
August 22, 2014: Asked the pizza guy to call me Beyonce when he delivered my pizza. He did.
August 20, 2014: Using this blog for my Writing for Media Class because you know school is a thing.

Who Am I?

If you have stumbled upon this blog then I would like to say welcome. My name is Victoria. I'm a 20 year old college student looking into going to school for Journalism and Sociology. I am a Rockford, IL based writer that enjoys making people feel uncomfortable, making boys cry, drinking coffee, and eating an unnecessary amounts of pizza.
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