Illegal Immigrants A Modern Day Grapes of Wrath Essays

As depicted in John Steinbecks novel Grapes of Wrath the 1930s was a time when migrant workers like the storys Joad family had to leave their homes, cross a perilous desert, live through the social injustices of the time, and work at jobs with low insufficient pay just to have a better life (Steinbeck). Seventy years later, the situations and experiences stay the same but the people are no longer native-born Americans but illegal immigrants who sacrifice everything to come to the United States to live a better life, as a result of that the 500,000 immigrants that illegally enter the United States through the Mexican border annually and stay in the country are the Joads of today (Aizenman). In the Grapes of Wrath the Joad family had to†¦show more content†¦Crossing the border is a horrible experience. Unlike the 1930’s when migrant workers could carry some things, the immigrant has to carry light because at times they have to cross the Rio Grande and must be able to float (wnd). Other ways of crossing the border include riding on top of cargo trains. Crossing the border is not a safe feat neither, in certain parts up to 134 illegal immigrants die each year as they are trying to cross (National Geographic). The immigrants also have live through the animals, the heat, and the border patrol and immigration officers. As a result of increased border patrol, crossing the border has progressively become more difficult to do and has resulted in the decrease of number of immigrants. But how do the immigrants not get lost? The crossing of the border has become somewhat of a business and there are now crossing helpers known as â€Å"coyotes† that lead groups of immigrants; sometimes in these groups are young children that have their parents in the United States already (Garcà ­a). Coyotes charge up to $2000 and more for their services; at times they get lost and even lose people (Dougherty). The migrant workers of the 1930’s had a route to reach their destination; it was Route 66 (Steinbeck). The immigrants of the 21st century have no routes and follow landmarks such as mountains and even cactuses (National Geographic). Sometimes immigrants are not always certain of where they are in some cases and use roads to letShow MoreRelatedAmerican Civil Rights Movement Essay15820 Words   |  64 PagesMovement THE BLACKS 1865 and 1870 - Three Constitutional amendments: The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment gave blacks the rights of citizenship, and The Fifteenth Amendment gave them the right to vote. Until the modern civil rights movement (1950s) blacks were denied access to public places such as restaurants, hotels, theaters, and schools. There were separate facilities marked colored only, which was sanctioned by the courts. 1896 The Supreme Court: â€Å"RacialRead MoreModern History.Hsc.2012 Essay25799 Words   |  104 PagesMODERN HISTORY -2012 Topic one – USA 1919-1941 Topic two – conflict in the pacific Topic three – Douglas MacArthur Topic Four – World War I TOPIC ONE – USA 1919-1941 USA 1920’S * the radio age * felt like istory had turned a corner and never going back * stock market * black Thursday November 24 1929 * the jazz age * a speakeasyyyyyyy How significant were the Republican policies in causing the great depression? The significance of the republic policiesRead MoreThe Studio System Essay14396 Words   |  58 Pagesinvesting in. When vaudeville singing star Al Jolsen introduced a tune with, Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You aint heard nothing yet, audiences shrieked in delight. From that moment on, there didnt seem to be any going back to the days of silent film. During that same year, Fox worked to establish itself in the transition to sound films. Warner Bros. Vitaphone sound-on-disc system met direct competition by Foxs Movietone sound-on-film system. Fox specialized inRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagespassing in 1975 and after. Many believe that Selassie was a dictator and a cruel leader. That he is regarded as God incarnate seems patently absurd. 4. It is not clear whether Selassie believed himself to be a God. 5. For Rastas, marijuana, which is illegal in Jamaica, is a sacrament for worship. 6. Rastas regard western society as part of Babylon—a system and a place that is the enemy of the blacks of the world. FOREWORD ix 7. There is still no organized set of doctrines and teachings that