origin essay
Student’s name
Professor Green
English 1A
30 January 2015
Should Law Enforcement Officers Wear Body Cameras?
Does your heart race when you see red and blue lights flashing in your rearview mirror? Do you feel paranoid when you see a police officer on patrol, gun and taser resting on their hip? Have you been scared to call the police in a dangerous situation, worried that you might get arrested or hurt by those who are supposed to defend you?
There is an atmosphere of fear, violence, and distrust circulating around the police nowadays. Some officers are not representing the public defenders they are supposed to be, instead discriminating against people of different races, ethnicities, and lifestyles. They are committing acts of prejudice and violence, and many people no longer trust in the police force. What can be done to eliminate this tension? We must allow for honesty and transparency on both the side of the officers and the people. Police officers should be mandated to wear body cameras when on the job, so both parties can be held accountable for their actions.
In admission of my lack of experience with police discrimination and brutality, let me disclose that I am a white teenage girl whose only encounter with the lights and sirens was for jaywalking back in high school. It was a motorcycle cop with a handlebar mustache and graying hair. I got out of a citation by tearing up and saying I was late for school (not entirely true). Most of the time, I’m on the other side of the yellow tape.
My father is a deputy sheriff and has been a cop in one form or another for almost 35 years. When I ride along with him in the squad car, bulletproof vest on, it is hard not to notice that the response he gets when just doing his job is not exactly positive. Until recently, I held the belief that officers of the law are all honest men like my father, his captain, or the sheriff. I questioned anyone who said they didn’t trust the police. Recent events in the news have made my perspective change. I understand the wary look in the eyes of the Hispanic business owner when we come to ask him about a break-in. I understand why an African-American father of three told his children to go inside when we pulled over to ask for directions. I understand now.
Body cameras would provide indisputable hard evidence that holds both police and suspects accountable for their actions. This objective video reference has unlimited possibilities; it could serve as evidence in a courtroom, news footage to identify and locate potential suspects, or even training material for use in police academies. Most of all, having footage of an incident from the officer’s perspective gives transparency. Eyewitness accounts and police reports are notoriously unreliable. Seeing the indisputable video evidence would dispel speculation and differing accounts of what occurred, leaving the truth to speak for itself.
This objective reference does not always guarantee that justice will be served, however. Sometimes even video of an incident is not enough to assign blame. Take, for instance, the case of Eric Garner, the New York City man whose chokehold death at the hands of an NYPD officer was captured on video and uploaded to YouTube by a bystander. The facts are clear – Garner was put in a chokehold and subsequently died. The maneuver is not an authorized NYPD takedown tactic, and it was illegal for the officer to put Garner in that position. But even though one might think the officer was clearly at fault, the judge said otherwise. Garner’s autopsy revealed that the cause of death was inconclusive and therefore could not be directly correlated to the chokehold. The evening news reported the officer was not indicted, even for manslaughter. If a case as seemingly clear-cut as this ended with an officer walking free after choking a man to his death, will these cameras change anything? I am confident they will, but the government agencies that have to pay for them might be less convinced.
Police and sheriff’s departments already receive minimal funding. As is the case with my father’s department, officers are being laid off, forced to take unpaid leave, or having their hours cut drastically, all in the name of conserving what little resources the government provides. Just as public schools and fire departments suffer budget cuts, so too do law enforcement agencies nationwide. In what universe, then, would the government be willing to set aside millions of dollars for programs they are already so frugal with?
Being conservative, I would estimate that each citywide police department or countywide sheriff’s office would need at least fifty cameras apiece, maybe hundreds depending on the size. That equates to many thousands of dollars in funding for each individual department in the United States. Law enforcement officers do not exactly have the gentlest profession; many of these cameras would need repairing or replacing simply due to the wear-and-tear of such a job. In the event of an office flooding (to this day my father still does not understand why the firemen get the second floor), hundreds of these cameras could be completely ruined. The benefits of these devices greatly outweigh the con of expense, but will the government think so when they have to shell out millions of dollars every year? Maybe not.
It is discouraging to think that these body cameras are likely on the government’s back burner indefinitely. This lack of funding only contributes to the decaying relationship between citizens and those who protect them. The government has shown their loyalties lie elsewhere than in the interest of public safety. When sheriff’s offices and local fire departments have to close several days of the week, it is a major issue. Investing in these cameras would be an investment in a flourishing and open dialogue between police and civilians, and would foster trust and respect in an area that so desperately needs it. It would deter crime, aid in court cases, and potentially prevent more overcrowding in jails and prisons by reducing wrongful convictions. Most importantly of all, it provides the uncensored and unbiased truth in a culture full of media speculation and differing accounts of events.
Neither an officer nor a suspect can argue with what video footage captures in those frantic confrontations, where perception can be altered and emotions run high. Certainly both parties of any given incident are not impartial, and witnesses can have their own biases as well. The only way to achieve objective reference is to record the events as they unfold, and body cameras are the smartest way to go about it. Cost notwithstanding, they are a universally beneficial concept, and would serve the police and the public well. I propose enacting this legislation as mandatory for police – wear body cameras when on patrol or you will not be authorized to go, period. There will be no avoiding the constant accountability for one’s own actions. Hopefully this full, honest disclosure will make both sides more conscientious and less quick to pull the metaphorical (or literal) trigger.
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Student’s Name
Professor Green
English 1A
10 September 2012
LGBT Rights: Gay Marriage
Love is the mysterious and powerful force that envelops this world that we live in. It can be the love that we feel for our mom and dad when we fully appreciate all that they have done for us. Love can also be felt for a best friend with whom you share all of your secrets with and have the most amazing times with. It can also be the same feeling when the one you love gets down on one knee and proposes to you or vice versa. Many humans live their lives searching for the one that they can one day hope to love with all of their heart. My whole life I’ve grown up with classic Disney movies about how love knows no boundaries and that it triumphs over evil all of the time. I come from a Punjabi family and the Bollywood movies that I watched as a kid also showed me that the love that you have for your family, your loved ones, and that special someone can be the most powerful force of all. However, this belief was tested when I grew up to learn about a love that people looked down upon. Same-sex relationships and gay marriages were on the rise and became much more controversial and spoken of as I was growing up. I never knew what to think about the subject until I realized something about myself that would ultimately change me forever.
I remember driving downtown to go to a restaurant with my older brothers and as we came to a stop at a red light I saw something that I’d never seen in person, two males holding hands in public. My brothers looked at them in disgust, and I didn’t understand why. They were just two people who loved each other and decided to hold hands in public. My brother’s made some hateful remarks, and out of confusion I didn’t say anything. I knew that if I tried to defend the couple that I’d be attacked, and for the longest time I never said anything about the topic. My brothers always talked about how the couples shouldn’t be showing any public displays of affection or how they shouldn’t be allowed to get married. My brothers weren’t the only ones in my family that felt the same way about this subject. I had close relatives that would occasionally talk about what they believed, and let’s just say that they weren’t too fond of the topic either. For a long time, I started to agree with them and the rest of this homophobic thought process because I was too afraid to think anything else. I knew why I was afraid. It was because I was taking those hateful remarks to heart. Little did my brothers know that their own little brother, that I, was bisexual. Little did I know that this was going to change my life forever.
I started realizing that I was different in about eighth grade. I started becoming attracted to both genders, and I became really confused. This was too much for me to understand, so I pushed it aside. I just told myself to deal with the fact that I was bisexual and move on. I always reassured myself that nobody would find out and that I would take this secret to the grave. As high school progressed, I still kept this dark secret to myself until my senior year of high school when I fell in love for the first time. It was with a boy, and I didn’t know that I would eventually have my heart broken. This occurrence would change my view on the world and myself. I decided that I couldn’t keep hiding like this forever, and slowly I started telling people my secret. At first it was the hardest things that I had to do, but eventually it got much easier. I told the boy that I liked how I really felt about him and how much he meant to me. Telling someone how much that person means to you and not being able to hear it back is, in my opinion, one of the most heart wrenching feelings ever.
As time progressed, I got over him, but a question lingered in my head. “What if this happens again but actually leads somewhere?” I always asked myself this question because I knew that nobody in my family would approve of this and that it would be defying the cultural norm. Coming from a highly cultural and religious family, I knew that having a same-sex marriage would be out of the question. That others would look down upon me because I was defying what was normal to them and society. In the Punjabi culture it is a custom that marriages are arranged and the parents would pick out the spouse that they want their children to marry. However, I was always opposed to the idea of arranged marriages because I wanted to be able to choose who I would marry and be able have fallen in love with that special person first. But I knew that my situation was different because I could fall in love with someone regardless of gender, and this posed a huge problem. I slowly reached an answer to the question I kept asking myself. That answer was that it was my life, and I will marry whoever I want.
Same-sex marriage is controversial and is now becoming a topic that presidential candidates are using in their platforms. In the United States gay marriage is a state decision, and that’s why only a few states allow it. However, the problem is that legalization of gay marriage should be a federal law because of how many people it is affecting. As a symbol of freedom, the United States is an oasis to some because it allows one to make choices for oneself. People can choose what religion they want to follow or what business they want to open. Yet, we won’t allow same-sex couples to get married because it’s supposedly testing the foundation of marriage. Those who say that marriage should only be between a man and a woman are clearly blinded that love is love. People can’t control who they are attracted to. If they have feelings for someone, those feelings can’t be written off as morally wrong and ignored. People should be able to take the next step in their relationship with the one they love regardless of gender. Marriage is a commitment, and those who are ready to be in a monogamous relationship should be able to decide that on their own. It is their right to decide if they want to get married without the law playing a factor.
As American citizens, we are given the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Pursuit of happiness encompasses so much, and that includes marriage. Being able to be happy with the person that one loves is a major factor in the happiness of life. As an American, I would be angry if the government tried to take this right away from me just because I was in love with someone that was the same sex as me. In America’s past, the government has had a history of trying to stop people from marrying who they love. When segregation was around colored people and white people were not allowed to marry each other because it was defying the norm that society had built. But once segregation was destroyed and the color of one’s skin couldn’t dictate who could marry, interracial couples started becoming much more common. The same applies to gay marriage. I think that the government should step out of the way so love can flourish even if many people are opposed to it. The government has no control over love, because it’s a feeling that is too powerful to control. When one falls in love with someone, it doesn’t matter what the world has to say because all that matters is being with that person. Who someone chooses to marry is completely his or her choice and has nothing to do with the rest of society and what they think. Marriage is a personal matter and if people are opposed to gay marriage, their opinion should not matter because the choice of someone else’s marriage shouldn’t affect them.
I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know who I’m going to marry or who I’m going to fall in love with. However, what I do know is that whoever I choose to spend the rest of my life with is going to be the one that I love, regardless of what society has to say about it. If I choose to marry someone of the same sex, it shouldn’t matter to anybody else but me because I’m in love, and I’m deciding to commit my life to one person. As human beings, we are given the power of choice, and marriage is the biggest choice of all. Nobody should take this choice away. People should have the freedom to choose who they want to marry, no matter what gender they are. If I am happy with the one I love, I should be able to pursue it, regardless of what everyone else has to say about it.
Student’s name
Professor Green
ENG 1A
13 September 2014
Believe Me When I Say, “Rape Culture”
The prophet Cassandra is a princess of Troy in Greek mythology who was gifted the power of foresight by the god, Apollo. Apollo wished to have sex with Cassandra, and promised her the gift of foresight as a bargaining piece. When Cassandra refused his advances, Apollo spit in her mouth, cursing her so no one would believe anything she said. Now in the realm of psychology, there is a condition described as the “Cassandra Complex”, in which a person (most often a woman), is invalidated to the extreme, most often by an abusive partner; this can cause intense cases of denial and even hysteria in the invalidated party.
What does Cassandra represent for us now? What significance does she bare in a discussion of rape in our society? How about the fact that many of us don’t believe that we live in a Rape Culture? We deny the proof, we distrust those who speak out in protest, we fear feminists to the point that “feminism” has become a bad word, we believe false statistics like only 47% of women have survived rape. Cassandra is the oppressed- raving to our society about the Trojan Horse in the room, warning us to look inside and reexamine the facts, before we are reduced to rubble.
Now, in no way does defining a culture as a Rape Culture ensure its destruction. From a historical perspective, Patriarchy has thrived and been the dominate societal construct for centuries.
However, let’s go backwards and define Rape Culture before moving on. Rape Culture is a culture that supports, perpetuates, and utilizes rape as a system of oppression. It seems pretty simple and horrible, yes? None of us want to believe we live in a society that supports perpetuates, and yes, even utilizes rape as a system of oppression. Given that our society is classified as Patriarchal, putting men in the position of power, women, as the oppressed, experience the brunt of Rape Culture. So, let’s start with the basics. What is rape? We all have images of a gritty rape scene in a dark alley, or scary park at night. Although all forms of rape are traumatizing, deeply examining what we classify as rape, in our society and as individuals, is at the crux of us understanding Rape Culture. While reading the next scenario, try to put yourself in both party’s role. It is likely many of us have already been in roles like these.
A woman is reading in bed. Her husband comes in from the kitchen, full of love for his beautiful wife. He crawls onto the bed, and begins kissing her, and laying her down. She stops for a moment, and asks herself if she wants to make love; she decides to take a break from her reading, to give him the attention he is seeking. They begin making love, but she realizes she in fact did not want to make love, and tells her husband to stop. At this point he is so enwrapped in loving her, that he does not validate what she is communicating. She begins moving away from him, but at this point he is close to climax, and not willing to stop. He finishes, she cleans up, and they both continue their days.
What do think is going through the husbands mind? Maybe how good he felt? Perhaps he felt strange that his wife wanted to stop in the middle of making love. Should he have stopped? Did he rape her? Now try to embody the experience of the wife; what thoughts, or emotions might she be experiencing? Just because he did not use brute force, are the wife’s feelings of being raped still valid? Can rape occur in a marriage? How we answer these questions gives us insight into our beliefs about rape that manifest in our daily lives.
It is easier to find honest answers to these questions if we draw from our own experiences. How do we feel during or around sex or sexual acts? At any point are we afraid, angry, or absent? One idea to take away from this scenario is, if at any point we do not want to continue in sex or the like, we have the right to stop, no matter what the circumstance. Safe sex starts with consent, even in a marriage.
Now, here is a word we have all heard: consent. Most of us have been lead to believe that consent is simple, that it is in essence permission. While the ladder is true, the former is unfortunately misleading. To view consent as more of a verb than an adjective, can be contrary to that way it has been described to us through education at school or at home. Nevertheless, consent is active; we give consent, and we receive consent.
When we give consent, it is essential to be aware of what we are consenting to. In a single, mutual instance of flirting, each party may be internally consenting to take things to a different level of intimacy, i.e. one party may be consenting to sex via flirting, while the other may be consenting only to flirting.
How can we tell what we or the other person/people are consenting to? The most efficient way is to verbally communicate, and it behooves us to work towards being efficient communicators in regards to intimacy. Nonetheless, this rarely happens in moments of passion or anticipation of pleasure. The representation of worthwhile sex in our culture as being spontaneous (or essentially thoughtless) and passionate to the point of recklessness, has inhibited the development of our ability to communicate in intimate settings without fear of “killing the mood”. What we have here is an obligation to living “young, wild, and free” that gets in the way of our being sincerely present in intimate settings.
Have no fear, friends because consent is sexy. As a matter of fact it is the sexiest thing we can do for ourselves and our partners. However, given the reality that most of us do not verbally communicate about consent, unless motivated by fear to do so, a first step to experiencing verbal-sexy-consent, is to pay extremely close attention to other modes of communication we are receiving. How is the other party reacting to my flirting? Are they giving me direct eye contact? Are they turned toward me or away from me? Are they keeping their distance? Are they relaxed? All of these are key questions to be asking ourselves while engaging intimately with others.
However, the truth of the matter is, we cannot, and honestly should not rely solely on our perception of other’s giving consent. We must be aware of who we are receiving consent from, and whether we actually trust that they are capable of giving consent honestly.
I had an experience where I was posing as a nude model for an older man, and we began discussing bondage. I expressed interest in the subject, and he asked if I wanted to try posing in bondage for him. I agreed, and he tied me up in thin, white rope so I could barely move my hands and legs. I became progressively nervous as he was tying me, but was too self-conscious to communicate that I did not feel comfortable. Here I was, a naïve young woman, alone, at night in the home of a man I had only met twice before, allowing myself to become entirely vulnerable with him. He finished tying me, and took pictures mainly of my butt and vagina. At this point, I had shut down and began feeling ashamed of my naivety. Ultimately, I did end up communicating with the man about my experience, and we ended up having a very open and honest conversation about the incident itself, as well as the art of nude modeling and photography. What I learned from this experience, was that I needed to build my self-esteem to a point where I could communicate my boundaries with others- I needed to validate myself to give consent, and I needed to do it now. Through direct communication, I came to know that the photographer had been unaware of my experience, because I had feigned consent. I had said yes externally, to what I internally did not want to do. This ascertains that self-awareness is an indispensable practice to master when engaging intimately with others, in any setting.
In this particular instance, if I had said, “No,” I have total confidence that the man I was posing for would have been completely respectful of my boundaries (even if it doesn’t sound like it from my story.) However, this experience woke me up to the fact that, at that time, I was incapable of saying no, even when I was afraid. The truth of the matter is, that most of us have been in situations that have made us feel as I did when posing in bondage- unsafe, and taken advantage of. I was very fortunate to have been in this kind of vulnerable situation with a trustworthy man, otherwise I would have a very different story to tell.
This brings me to another dynamic of consent, and perhaps one of the most important- while in a consensual situation, it is our role to hear and accept when the other party says, “No.” This can be difficult, especially given our conditioning to cut off our awareness, and to “keep our eyes on the prize (orgasm)” during sex. While in the “heat of the moment” truthfully, most of us do not want to hear, “no,” and ultimately, this does not make us bad people. Sex can be a very positive experience, and it is human nature to want to prolong positive experiences; however, forcing our experience on others is not positive even if it physically feels good in the moment. As actively consensual people, we must always be willing to deny ourselves pleasure, if our pleasure equates harm to another person; if we are unable to do so, we have no business engaging intimately with anyone.
It is time to take the focus from behind closed doors, and out onto the streets. How we define rape and consent, does not just effect our bedroom activities, but it effects what we deem acceptable behavior in reference to sex, and furthermore how we reinforce harmful stereotypes in society.
Take gender-normative behaviors for example. A man catcalling, or commenting on a woman’s looks in a public space is considered completely normal male behavior. We even go so far as to believe he cannot help himself, because in our culture we have created an identity for a man that says he needs sex to function. A Minnesota native named, Lindsey, took it upon herself to challenge this belief that catcalling behavior is harmless and natural. When she experienced being catcalled, or commented on in reference to her looks, she confronted the men who did it. “What makes you think I want to hear that?” she would ask. Most of the men she confronted asserted that not only was she asking for it because of how she was dressed (which was for work), but that they were actually complimenting her by catcalling. “What if I told you, that when you comment on how I look in public, I feel unsafe? What if I told you, it is not a compliment,” was Lindsey’s retort.
Let’s look at catcalling in terms of consent: how often do we see women consent to being catcalled? How many of us, whether we have experienced being catcalled or not, can empathize with Lindsey’s assertion that when she is commented on by strange men in a public space, she feels unsafe in that space?
Overall, we do not have to be telling a woman we like her tight-ass to be perpetuating Rape Culture. In reference to Rape Culture, the stereotypes of women that we buy into, are most important to be aware of because they determine, again, what we deem is acceptable behavior towards women. When we look at a “hot-piece” in a bar, with a mini-skirt on, and think that she must “want-it,” we are in danger of disregarding that she still holds the power of consent.
So there is a lot to think about. In essence, it is our personal responsibility to examine our role in Rape Culture; to commit to investigating the power dynamic of our culture that has led us to buy into false representations of rape and consent, to be skeptical of rape survivors, and to reinforce harmful stereotypes. I invite every one of us to partake in deep self-reflection in regards to our role in Rape Culture- to our privilege as men, or our oppression as women. It is my hope, that through self-reflection and investigation of our culture, that we can overcome being a Rape Culture, and charge ahead as practitioners of self-awareness so our world can experience the pleasure of consent and abolition of rape.
Name
Professor Green
English 1A
28 August 2013
Illegal Mexican Immigration: Why instead of a work permit we should get full citizenship
I never really understood as a young child how I was going to be affected in the future being an illegal immigrant here in the United States. I was never aware of some of the things that I was going to be restricted from doing just because of the fact that I was brought here illegally by my parents when I was only two years old. I didn’t have any say in the decision to illegally come to this country. It was a decision that was made for me and I had no control over it. Yet somehow I feel as though I have been punished for the actions of my parents to bring me here to give me the opportunity to succeed.
There are many consequences to not being in this country legally that many are unaware of. Challenges and obstacles that I and so many others have had to face and overcome. Let me make it clear here that they are obstacles that we indeed have overcame because it is not in the nature of Mexicans to give up. Quitting is not in our nature. If we give up we will never get anywhere in life. If we give up we will most likely end up like our parents, working multiple dead end jobs just barely making enough to keep themselves and their children fed and to pay the monthly rent. Some of who didn’t even make it to middle school back in Mexico, let alone graduate from high school and go to college. Our parents had to leave school early in order to work and help their parents monetarily. They have struggled throughout most of their lives and continue to struggle so that their children won’t have to struggle. So they can get a little extra money to get their child those school supplies, or that computer. Or even to just be able to put clothes on their backs to send them to school in.
That being said, I believe that illegal immigrant Mexican parents are some of the most inspirational people that you will ever have in this world. They saved up all their money to try and cross the US-Mexican border with their kids so that they could give their children opportunities that were never available to them as children. Opportunities that they can only find in the United States. So they bring their children here and work day and night to be able to give their children any resources that they need in order for them to get a good education and make something of themselves. Our parents have never given up for us, which is why we do everything in our power to make them proud. We go to school and get educated because that is what they want for us. To not have to work for minimum wage all our lives.
What’s your why? Something I’ve heard famous motivational speaker Eric Thomas ask so many. Why is it that you work hard and try to make something of yourself? Do you do it for yourself? If so what are you going to do when you finally get what you have been working so hard for? Does it just stop? That motivation to keep working hard, does it just go away? Most of us illegal immigrants do it not only for ourselves but for our parents who sacrifice so much for us. They are our why. That’s why you will never find Hispanic seniors in senior homes. We take care of our parents the same way that they took care of us. In our homes. We work hard so that we can be financially stable in the future so that we can give back to our parents what they gave to us. So that they will be able to retire and know that their children will be there for them when they need us most.
I wouldn’t expect many American people to understand the many obstacles that illegal immigrants go through, simply because it’s not something they are familiar with. Many American people don’t understand that we cannot get a license in this country. We need to find other ways to get wherever it is we need to get to, or simply, drive without a license risking getting pulled over and having that car that we worked so hard for be taken away from us. Americans don’t understand that we cannot go out and get a part time job as students in order to be able to pay off our school expenses. Not legally at least. Many might think that we could just rely on financial aid to get us through school since most illegal immigrants come from low-income families who should qualify for much government help. Well, do they understand that we don’t have a social security number to put on that FAFSA application? Many illegal immigrants get paid under the table and don’t have proof of their income to show for financial aid. Its not as simple as just getting help. If it was, don’t you think we would have gone out and asked for help? Well we have asked for help. We have asked your government to allow us a pathway to citizenship so that we may be able to get our licenses, jobs, and pay for school. They have yet to implement something of that nature.
Most importantly, Americans, and even some illegal immigrants themselves have no clue that they might have aspirations that are simply 100% out of reach. Aspirations of becoming doctors, lawyers, detectives, whatever the job. If it requires a background check, an illegal immigrant cannot be hired in that field. Oh but wait, there is the Dream Act that allows young illegal immigrants to obtain a work permit and legally get a job in the United States. Yes, this is true, however that work permit will not satisfy the background checks necessary for going into certain fields of work. So all those illegal immigrants that have dreamed of becoming that doctor or lawyer will not be able to follow their dreams. It’s a reality that many immigrants face that they simply will not be able to do certain things in this world.
One question that I have been asked many times from those who cannot understand the struggle behind gaining citizenship is, “Well can’t you just apply for citizenship and take the test”? It’s not that easy. Especially for illegal immigrants. The path to citizenship first must begin with obtaining a visa. Which cannot be obtained while in the US. One must first go back to Mexico and then apply. After receiving a visa one must go through a waiting period of 10 years before being able to apply for full citizenship. That takes another two years on its own. The process and waiting period is incredibly absurd that there is no time for those who are already 18 or 20 and are on the verge of being done with school and looking towards a career. There needs to be a more effective process to gaining citizenship that does not take the absurd amount of time.
It honestly confounds me that there is not an easier process for obtaining citizenship for those who have worked so hard in school. Most people don’t work hard enough to become a doctor or lawyer, yet here are these illegal immigrants willing to work their butts off to become just that but the government is saying, “No. You cannot work as a doctor or lawyer because you weren’t born here, or because you didn’t enter this country legally and became a citizen. You might have taken all the classes and even received straight A’s, however the answer is no”. They are obviously hardworking people that would contribute much good to society. They are definitely working harder than many Americans in this country. Eric Thomas a famous motivational speaker who struggled much throughout his life had this to say, and I feel as though it applies to many illegal immigrants. They are hard workers because they have a why. They have a reason to work hard other than for personal gains. “You might be smarter, your family might come from privilege, your daddy might own a company, but you will not outwork me. You will not have more drive then I have, more passion then I have, and I will be better than you every single day because I have passion. You will not wake up in the morning because you’re spoiled. You will not get up before 8, you will not get up before 6. I will outwork you”. Young illegal immigrants work so hard because they are already at the bottom and they know that is not where they want to be in the future. They look towards the top and nothing is going to stop them from getting there.
My personal experience with being an illegal immigrant is exactly what I have been speaking about. I was brought here at the age of 2. It was not my decision, however I am here. I grew up here, speak fluent English, and go to school. I am as American as it gets. However I am not an American citizen. I don’t have my license so I have to bike, walk, or use public transportation to get around. Growing up all I ever wanted to do was go into law enforcement. I wanted to become a detective. That was my ultimate goal and I had my eyes set on it. It wasn’t until after I finished high school and was about to begin college that I realized that I would not be able to obtain that dream. I had to find a new goal and forget about my dream. In order to be able to pay for school I got a job at a local car wash, were they did not use E-verify, with a fake social security number and visa. Most of the people who worked there were illegal immigrants and the owners knew that. The working conditions were terrible. There was no way to stay hydrated other than to drink water out of a sink. I would work 10 hour days at the age of 18 and not get paid overtime for those extra hours. The job was incredibly difficult and I was only making 8 dollars an hour. However, I stayed there because no one else was going to pay for my school. My parents could no longer afford to live in Petaluma and had to move to South California. I stayed here on my own to finish high school and go to the SRJC. I work hard so that I won’t have to struggle the way that my parents struggle and so that I will be able to repay them in the future. I work hard so that my children who will be citizens won’t have to work in the sun 10 hours a day 6 days a week over their summers to be able to pay for school. That’s my why.
I hope that I have been able to make you understand that illegal immigrants are here for the right reasons. Our goals are not to steal your jobs. Our goals are to make something of ourselves and achieve that American Dream. Illegal immigrants are some of the hardest working people that you will ever meet in this world and are never here for themselves. We all have our own personal whys as to why we’re are here working or studying our butts off. Think back to when you were growing up. What would you say when asked why you wanted to go to college? Was it something like, “I want to go to college so that I can get a good job, make a lot of money, and be happy”? Immigrants don’t do it for themselves. One of the many reasons why most illegal immigrants will outwork those who have had everything given to them and are automatically destined from birth to go to college. We work hard. Why shouldn’t we be allowed to become citizens?