Laura Moorhead
Analysis
The influx of immigration to the United States since the 1960’s is not a coincidence. In Saskia Sassen’s article, “Why Migration,” she argues that immigration is not random but a product of larger social, economic, and political issues. Migrants follow a pathway that connects their country of origin to their new homes. In the case of Margarita and her family, they fled a communist country to the United States, who was the leader in global movement to breakdown communism. According to Sassan the general public has a misperception that people leave their countries as a result of unemployment, poor economic situations, or overpopulation. Margarita did not leave Bulgaria for any of the reasons listed above, but instead as a refugee.
In her book, “New Pioneers in the Heartland: Hmong Life in Wisconsin,” author Jo Ann Koltyk tells the story of Hmong refugees living in America. She explains that refugees do not voluntarily leave their homeland but leave because they are being persecuted and are living in fear within their own country. After suffering in their homeland refugees go on to start their new lives in America. In her book, she said immigrants were often criticized as being unable to assimilate into their new country, but she argues that is a misperception. In Margarita’s case she expressed love and gratitude for her new home. She made an effort to create relationships that would force her to learn English. Today she is a proud, successful American citizen.
In a book by Grace Chang named, “Disposable Domestics: Immigrant Women Workers in the Global Economy,” she talks about another common misperception that immigrants abuse the welfare system. She argues that the percentage of welfare that goes to immigrants is very small. Rather, immigrants are the hardest working citizens in America. As immigrants, Margarita and her family worked hard and often had very little. She talked about her husband working seventy hours a week and having little to show for it. In her given situation she still refused to “take advantage of the system” and expressed disappointment to those that do. Immigrants are often financially burdened and live in poor housing. We can see this in Warren Lehrer and Judith Sloan’s book, “Crossing the BLVD: Strangers, Neighbors, Aliens in a New Ameirca.” This books looks first hand at the lives of immigrants living in Queens, NY, the most culturally diverse city in the world. The stories of the immigrants interviewed in these books often have a common theme. People don’t necessarily want to leave their country and begin a new and different life. Margarita expressed this in her own interview. She did not want to leave her homeland but felt she had no choice living in a communist country. The stories written in “Crossing the BLVD” and the story of Margarita can give us a new perspective of the country we live in. This has taught me that amazing people with amazing stories are our next-door neighbors. As Margarita puts it at the end of her story “Love your Neighbor.”