might mean for American citizens. Such concerns are one
of the primary motivations behind proposals such as building a fence along the entire southern border or requiring
all non-citizens to produce on demand proof that they are
here legally.
The position of today’s unauthorized immigrants is rarely an enviable one. Many people have left all their family
members behind, whether that means preschool children,
spouses, or elderly parents. They generally have few available resources to make their travel easier. In fact, many arrive already deeply in debt from efforts to obtain a legal
work permit and/or from fees charged by “coyotes,” guides
who promise to help people cross into the United States
illegally. Those coming from Central America face particularly long journeys and the additional risk of being detained
and deported by Mexican authorities. They come chiefly
from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The U.S.-Mexico border is a dangerous one. Criminals,
including organized gangs associated with drug trafficking,
abuse would-be immigrants and extort money from them.
The natural environment, particularly the desert that is the
burial ground of dozens of people every year, is another
enemy. The “coyotes” sometimes prove unscrupulous and
abandon immigrants to find their own way through a barren landscape.
Once in the United States, unauthorized immigrants must
quickly find a place to stay and a job that doesn’t require “papers” to get hired. Most often, this work turns out to be in
agriculture, construction, or the low-wage service sector.
People who were born here rarely work as hired farm laborers, while immigrants, whether documented or undocumented, may already be skilled farmers and are, in any case,
usually not in a position to turn down work of any kind.
Many farm laborers work seasonally, lowering their annual
incomes to an average $11,000. Not surprisingly, they suffer food shortages and hunger far more frequently than the
overall U.S. population.
Other unauthorized immigrants find jobs as dishwashers
or kitchen assistants in restaurants, house or office cleaners,
babysitters, casual “day” laborers, or construction workers.
Because they usually have little flexibility to change jobs
and are seldom eligible for promotions, undocumented
country has been shaped by the waves of immigration that
gave us the population mix we have today. Throughout U.S.
history, immigrants have made long, sometimes dangerous
journeys here for a variety of reasons. Some were brought
here against their will (e.g., during the Atlantic slave trade in
the 1700s), while others sought to escape hunger (e.g., during the Irish potato famine in the 1840s), or violence (e.g., in
the 1930s and 1940s, before and during the Nazi genocide).
First-generation immigrants of any era have often faced
difficulties, struggling to earn a living while adapting to a
new language and culture. People who were already living
here sometimes viewed them with disdain or outright hostility. Their legal situations varied as well. Sometimes new arrivals entered legally in large numbers—through Ellis Island,
for example. Sometimes laws prohibited an entire group,
such as people from China, from entering the country at all.
Life as an “Illegal”
Jeffrey Austin
In recent years, of course, it has primarily b een immigrants from Mexico and Central America, particularly those
who are here without authorization, who are at the heart of
the immigration debate. In many cases, they have become
integral parts of their new communities—particularly children and teenagers, who soon sound just like everyone else
in school. But all too often, their reception is influenced by
anxiety about social and economic changes and what these
Deported immigrants are dropped off by U.S. officials along the
Arizona-Mexico border.
11.7 million:
More than half:
the number of Honduran children
ages 6 months to 2 years
who are anemic.
the number of people in Mexico living in extreme
poverty, unable to meet their basic food needs.
2