Analysis

In light of current debate over immigration reform, we tend to overlook some of the other issues that immigrants face other than their illegal status in the United States. Josefina’s story is not uncommon among today’s migrants. She reveals in her story the challenges she faced during her time as an undocumented immigrant and the success of adjusting to a legal immigration status.

Many would presume that migration to United States is a direct result of migrants “seeking a better life”, however this assumption can be quite vague. As discussed in the publishing Why Migration?, the final decision to migrate is a result of a broader spectrum. Over population along with the nation’s rapid growth are factors that aid the migrant in choosing to emigrate. The article Five Myths about Immigration, it is stated that migration is not decided upon because the nation is of the poorest but because the nation they are migration from is developing and growing dynamically. Mexico’s current population and been at a steady growth increase of  1.16 % for that last 10 yrs which is higher than the United States growth rate at .9%. Currently the per capita income for Mexico is estimated at 10,000 while the United States is at 42,000. An over population would result in poor living conditions, lack of employment and government support thus causing an individual to seek a “better life” elsewhere. 

Once in the United States Josefina was face with more obstacles. She found herself trapped in a relationship and lived in fear of being removed from the United States for over 10 years until she became a Permanent resident of the United States through the Amnesty of 1986. She used her new immigration status to free herself from the abuse and mistreatment she experienced from her spouse. Her main reason for enduring this type of behavior was due to her fear of being removed as a result of her illegal status. Although this type of situation is not commonly discussed, many immigrant women are subject to abusive relationships and rather then speak up they endure mistreatment form their partners. Currently The United States has not renewed another Amnesty program similar to the one Josefina utilized back in 1986 however there are other options for individual that find themselves in similar abusive situations. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has created a program that allows many women like Josefina to apply for residency in the United States if they have been a victim of abuse. Under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) passed by Congress in 1994, the spouses and children of United States citizens or lawful permanent residents (LPR) may self-petition to obtain lawful permanent residency.  The immigration provisions of VAWA allow certain battered immigrants to file for immigration relief without the abuser's assistance or knowledge, in order to seek safety and independence from the abuser.

During Josefina time in the United States she maintained her identity be lived in a Hispanic community. Living is these types of communities help a migrant transition into new culture of the United States and is referred to as Transnationalism .  By incorporating family tradition or establishing relationship people that are of the same heritage a migrant may feel closer to their homeland.  This is further discussed in the article Transnationalism: A New Analytic Framework for Understanding Migration.

Josefina next goal is to become a Naturalized citizen. As mentioned in article “The New Migrant”, Naturalization is on the rise for migrants that have been granted legal permanent status. This is a result of the Patriotism they display once they have been accepted and recognized as a United States Citizen.