Our fear of immigrants

Hassin Atahifh

Mr. Sissom

EN140-02

12 November 2017

THE FEAR OF IMMIGRANT

In this work by Jeremy Adam Smith, the author’s thesis statement is that humans have some level of fear and stereotype immigrants based on our native development over time and genetic composition. This composition and development has been found to be linked with our mores and daily interaction with the physical and social environment. The indicators illustrated in this work comes from categorization, systematic observations, opinions of experts, and news articles from dailies, the differences in power between immigrants and native-born as well as xenophobia that were used as evidence in this work by Smith. He became a force with which to reckon when he cited the case of Rodrigo and made a lot of people realize that there are more children who are suffering the same fate like Rodrigo.

The writer was looking at the plight of immigrants, the unnecessary fear and injustice suffered in the hands of their host communities. This intention of the writer was done in a way that tries to conceptualize the belief that not all immigrants are nuisances to their host communities and some of them contribute to the wealth of the communities in which they found themselves. This point that Smith states is quite founded; for example, most of the menial jobs and hazardous work are performed by immigrants. Thus, the fundamental reason why America became a force to reckon with is because it opens its border to different cultures and races which gives it a blend of ideas (Land of the Free). Smith also tries to make us understand that many native-born Americans are seeing immigrants as people who come to the States to take the limited jobs meant for them which is why some of these native- born Americans look at them with fear and repulsion and this stereotype is one of the most important singular reason that motivate immigrants to be placed in certain dichotomies. For example, many people think all the Mexicans that live legally and illegally in the US are drug peddlers and gangsters while the Africans most especially Nigerians are fraudsters irrespective even though they do not fit into the criteria but they are labeled that way.

Jeremy Adam Smith was trying to all Americans and the world in general. Looking at the article systematically and examining it in the light of recent happening, one will know that the problem of immigration is not related to the Americans alone but to the world at large. Although the essay was intended to point our attention to the plight of immigrants in America, “tThe fear of immigrants” is ultimately ineffective because it highlighted only the plight of the Mexican immigrants in the State. The essence of me saying this is because Jeremy dwells so much on the plight of the Mexicans but are theythey are not the only immigrants in the state;, we all know that there are other nationals in the state mostly of Asian and African stock, so why are Mexicans only mentioned?. Although one error in reasoning which I find in his arguments or essay is that he gives sufficient amounts of sources (which I can termed liberal) and data for the side of the argument he seemed to support. H, he didn’t provide sufficient, and or if I might use the term he didn’t do justice to the information that support the contrary view. Another point posited by the author I do not agree with is the position where he subscribe that having a fear of immigrants is caused by evolution that are deep sited in our genetics he used the term “molecular.” Psychologists have found out that most of our behavior apart from the vegetative ones of sucking or feeding are learned which implies that I believe that the fear of certain group of people are learned but I strongly agree that if fear can be learned then it can be reversed. Another reason why I am of the view that these work was not too effective is because Smith analogies are quite ambiguous and will not be fully understood when probably reliable person who is educated examine it, and to be accurate about the problem of stereotyping is more common among the uneducated American. Smith’s article should be framed in such a way that an average American can read and understand without stress. Another thing to note in this work which is very important is that Jeremy didn’t demonstrate a good understanding of the immigrant issue by taking up strong intellectual opinion and disproving it, most of the time he developed a contrary claim and he just leave the claim unattended to. Comment by WritingCenter, GA: Is this the quote or did you accidentally misquote? I would just double check my source. OR is this an official term used in sources? Comment by WritingCenter, GA: ? Comment by WritingCenter, GA: In this sentence as well as the following sentences, you give your personal opinion, which I believe your prompt indicates is nonessential to the paper. Should you keep this information and not rephrase, rephrase the content, or omit it completely?

The author is writing this article in the wake of the terrorist attacks during the past few years in places like Paris, Baghdad, Africa, Beirut etc. the political responses of to this attack have revealed a fissure that has been embed in the American life which is one defined by fear. This brand of fear has led to fear- based reasoning, which has led to a distortion in the public perception of immigrants;, immigrants are now viewed as threat to the limited resources.

The author appeals (ethos) by trying to stimulate the audience to form a mental picture of immigrants by making the readers relate to immigrants as not just migrants but as people with families or simply human. For instance, he uses the case of Rodrigo He also says, “tThere are ways to conceptualize immigration, not on a deficit model, but as bringing in skills and resources that grow the economy, potentially growing the pool of what goes around.” The author also appeal (logos) to me by making me see reasons why we should not consider this immigrants as nuisance or deficit but as contributors to the Economic development of the state which he buttress by saying that “people with wealth and at the top of the hierarchies aren’t thinking as carefully about what other individuals can offer and contribute and this leads them to embrace stereotype.” The author is quite skillful in appealing to the emotional part of me or pathos by making me realized that these immigrants are humans like me and they also bleed and go through the pain of rejection like me. He did this by citing the story of Rodrigo. Comment by WritingCenter, GA: Should you cite this source?

The thesis has its flaws and it strong point which are quite convincing to a minimum extent but on a larger scale most intellectual will find it difficult to agree to what Jeremy Adam Smith is projecting because justice (more information or data) was not provided to the opposite side of the argument.

Work Cited

Smith, Jeremy. “Our Fear of Immigrants.” The Norton Field Guide to Writing with Readings. Edited by Richard Bullock and Maureen Daly Goggn, Norton, 2016, pp. 750-757.