We Are All Human

In this week’s reading, we touched upon “Migrating to Prison,” a book written by Cesar Cuauhtemoc Garcia Hernandez that speaks about the criminal justice system and how immigrants are severely impacted through it, even to the point of dehumanization.

What? Hernandez’s work provided prospectives of immigrants who had to go through additional and uncessary hardship to get to the United States — a place where the “American Dream” is played out dramatically. A place where everyone has freedom. However, when Hernandez shares the criminal and inhumane injustices that were implemented among the incoming immigrants, it leads you to ask, “How much freedom do you truly have?”

A couple of points stood out to me from this reading. One of them goes as, “Every year, thousands of mostly white retirees take the out-of-the-way two lane FM 510 to Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge to see the animals… At the same time, migrants unwillingly travel the same route. Forced into buses emblazoned with the Department of Homeland Security’s seal — an eagle clutching an olive branch in one talon and arrows in another — migrants peer out from behind dark windows and through metal bars” (3). There is a juxtaposition between the perspectives of the white retirees and the migrants, this particularly scene shows that there are two sides to every story. Things are not always what they seem. A heaven for one person could be hell for another. In this case, I found it striking how there are these two drastically different events occurring in the same area. It goes to show you how much happens in one area and how little information we truly know about society’s movements. We are often blind-sighted to serious events such as these, therefore it is important that we inform ourselves on these situations in order to maneuver change.

Another part that caught my eye was when Hernandez describes how cut-through and strict immigration services are. There are no characteristics such as the person’s personality or how kind they are that are taken into account — in the government’s eyes, they are just a name. “Cases like Jerry’s highlight how far reaching immigration imprisonment has come. His military service proved his love for the United States, but to immigration law, it’s the passport, not the heart, that matters” (5). This statement breaks my heart because it reminds me of all of the stories about the detention camps along the U.S. border — from children being separated from their families to the lack of providing basic supplies to those who were being detained there. And this is only one story. There are thousands of others who are going through the same situation — if not, an even worse mistreatment. Hearing that this is not an uncommon occurrence makes me feel extremely sad as well as disappointed in how we are treating others as a society. We are all people and we should take care of each other, regardless of status. However, I believe that by telling Jerry’s story, it brings to light how serious of a problem this is. Bringing awareness is one of the first steps towards creating a difference for the better.

The dehumanization of these communities are what upset me the most while I was reading this. For example, Hernandez speaks about the braceros and how they were treated as if they were pure commodities. “Getting ripped off by employers violating the spirit and maybe the letter of the law wasn’t all. United States government officials and employers also treated braceros horribly… Shirtless, they were herded like cattle into rickety screening sites, where their bodies were sprayed top to bottom, sometimes with DDT. In Texas, conditions were frequently so bad that, for a time, the Mexican government refused to let employers statewide hire braceros” (42) The fact that the goverment had to step in to stop the commodification of braceros due to how inhumanely they were treated truly puts the severity of the situation into perspective. However, I think it is important that these types of acts are discussed. Just like how I became frustrated over reading this, it would ignite a reaction in others to demand that something be done to fix these types of cases. Overall, the one question that I kept asking throughout this was, “Why?” Why are people being treated like this? Why is this necessary? Why is this still happening? That is the most upsetting question of all of them.

So What? The concept of American Exceptionalism is quite a controversial one. We pride ourselves in creating a country that is unlike the others, but I believe that every country has their own unique qualities — some better than others. Immigrants are forced into this wave of seemingly appropriate jobs and attitudes to have while they living in the United States. My family can definitely relate to this. My mom came from Vietnam around the 1990s to avoid the aftermath that came from the Vietnam War. She would tell me how she arrived to the U.S. in a small boat that was crammed to the edge with others seeking for the same thing she was — better opportunities. When she arrived to the states, she was able to settle down in an apartment that some relatives were able to provide for her. The first thing she wanted to do was go to school — so she did. She applied to a community college and started attending classes. However, things became tough for her family and financial hardship struck. Therefore, in the end, she had to quit going to school and had to find a job in order to be able to provide for her family. From most of the immigrant stories that I’ve heard, there seems to be a common theme. Most were unable to receive an adequate education due to some other unavoidable factor that put their lives at a strain. I think this is a form of “exceptionalism,” where these stories are more accepted as the norm. The U.S. is known for its “freedom for all” stance, but how free are we if we are tied down by a multitude of responsibilities that are all required for us to survive? This makes me wonder, what if there was a change? What if there was a way to change these stories for the better? We can provide immigrants with more assistance so that they are able to live out the futures they imagined — so that they do not have to say they had to give up one necessity for another. But currently, the system doesn’t work that way.

Now What? Fortunately, there are no signs of dehumanization at NGS and there are definitely more signs of encouragement and positive reinforcement for those who attend there. NGS works to counter imbalanced educational systems. For example, students in the Canal area have been shown to be reading at a level that is lower than their standard, and if students do not have profiency in reading at their level by the 3rd grade, this puts them more at risk for becoming incarcerated. We try to combat this at NGS. Although the students there are already beyond 3rd grade, we recognize the students’ capabilities and encourage them to go beyond that and challenge themselves when working together, which puts them at a greater spot for success. The interaction between us and the students empowers them rather than diminishes their abilities, and provides them with a better outlook on their futures.