Table of Contents
Introducing
Societal Difficulties
Social theories
Possible Solutions
In conclusion,
According to the references used,
An opening statement
Sonia Nazario’s Enrique’s Journey is a book about the long journey a Honduran child must take in order to reunite his mother in America after many years of separation. This paper examines the book through a sociological lens. The book will present a variety of social problems. This paper will explain them and also apply sociological theories to the situation. In this paper, gender, culture, and race will be examined to see if certain social issues are more severe in some minority/oppressed segments of society. The paper will also discuss possible solutions to these problems. The solutions will be evaluated for their effectiveness, based on their strengths, weaknesses, ethics, and other aspects.
The book also discusses social problems. The book seems to focus most on poverty, education and racism. The book’s narrative focuses on Enrique and his mom. Enrique’s mom decides, when Enrique was young, to travel to the USA temporarily to be able send money home. Honduras is not a good place for her. Enrique loves the materialistic aspects of owning expensive items, but he really misses his mother. As a teenager, Enrique begins to long for his mother and eventually makes the decision to illegally ride the tops of trains across Mexico. After several unsuccessful attempts, he finally made it. However, he is surprised at how little he knew of his mother after so many decades apart. Enrique’s mother fled to poverty because of this. His mother stressed the importance of Enrique finishing his education throughout the book. You will encounter racism a few times in the book. Enrique was in the USA at the time and Enrique has to deal with gangs targeting undocumented migrants. While Enrique is still in Honduras, Enrique develops a dependence on glue and cannabis. This may be a way for him to deal with his longing to see his mother again. The entire book is about illegal immigration. It focuses on the horrible situations that migrants must go through in order to enter the USA legally. Around 180 million people were living in poverty in 2008 and 70.4 millions in extreme poverty. National governments have not been capable of addressing the growing level of absolute poverty and increasing income disparity. These numbers have risen significantly since the 1970’s. The 1980’s Latin American economic crisis that led to the creation of structural adjustment programs in 1990’s was a catalyst for more people being in poverty. Many governments tried to decentralize services, stopping funding them or reallocating them without the necessary resources. This led to further distrust in governments. While there have been some efforts to aid the poor, none of them have succeeded. The poverty rate for women in Latin America is generally higher than that of their male counterparts. It is easy to see why Enrique’s mother decided to move, as poverty was more severe than Enrique’s father. The education gap is widening between the wealthy and the less fortunate, which has a significant impact on secondary school completion rates. This can be seen in many places around the world. In Latin America, the average completion rate for secondary school is 83 % for the wealthiest 20 % of the people. The lowest completion rate is 25 % for the poorest 20%. This is why Enrique’s mother insists on Enrique finishing school to make a difference in his life and break the cycle of poverty generational. It’s difficult to identify the exact cause of racism against illegal immigrants. However, there are many possible and well-known causes. The racialization and treatment of Latin immigrants has been analyzed by a study of the media. It was found that news media outlets have focused since 2003 on two themes related to illegal Latin immigration. It was found that Latin immigrants are often portrayed as having criminal tendencies. The media coverage of gang activity tended to emphasize that illegal immigrants are simply criminals because they are undocumented. However, illegal entry into the USA is not a crime but an administrative offense. Due to the fact that the USA does not view illegal entry as a crime, it has created this illusion through social constructs and media.
Illegal immigration is an emerging trend. Passports weren’t common before 1920, but President Wilson called for them. People from poor backgrounds are often unable to obtain a valid visa or the funds to do so. This has led to them being forced to risk their lives illegally. Undocumented immigrants are often considered second-class citizens in society. Without reforms to address illegal immigration, the number of undocumented migrants will only increase, which will lead to a wider gap between the actual citizens and those who are undocumented.
Sociological theoriesThe book is about a range of social problems and issues. However, the main theory that sociologists are most familiar with is conflict theory. The conflict is generally between the rich & poor. The conflict is between the rich and the poor in Honduras. This could also be argued that Enrique’s mother’s struggle to make ends meet. It is important to note that education is affected by this conflict. People from poor families tend to go on to higher educational attainment than people with more stable financial circumstances. It is possible to use conflict theory to describe racism against illegal immigrants. The conflict is primarily between illegal immigration who come to America for a variety reasons, and legally residing whites, often brainwashed by propaganda. Finally, when it comes to illegal immigration, you can apply the conflict theory here. There is a conflict in government regulations and tendencies with disadvantageous Central American migrants. Possible SolutionsThere are many possible solutions, but some do more harm or more good than others. The author states that the only way to end illegal immigration is by improving the conditions of migrants’ origin countries. Hondurans noted that the USA could promote democracy in more countries, hoping to reduce corruption and increase the income gap between the riche and the poor. Another example is the successful adaption of a Mexican family plan system to reduce the number children per family, from 6.8 in 1970 up to 2.2 by 2012. It could be a positive step for the USA to increase trade with Latin American nations, such as Honduras’ textile industry. This is an example of how the USA could focus their efforts on this. The USA could increase their pledge of support for Latin American countries. Hondurans might support NGO’s that encourage small business creation and education. This strategy is only possible if there are enough jobs that people can afford to do well. I think the author’s strategy is the best. However it might be difficult to find people willing and able to fund this system. In essence they are investing outside of the USA. Reforming the entire immigration system is a great way to help Latin Americans get visas and work permits, and bringing their families with you. Some would work for a few decades to save up and then possibly return to their mothership to start building a home. Other would stay because they feel it is better or they can reunite with long-lost relatives. This would give Latin Americans more options, and also increase the USA’s labor force. This could help to foster economic growth. As people would legally cross the border at designated crossings instead of through the river, this would result in lower costs for border patrol. The strength in the author’s solution would be to eliminate illegal immigration. Honduras will be able employ all its citizens, and offer a decent standard of living. It is possible that there would be domestic opposition from racists, or other groups that are hostile to foreigners and wouldn’t mind paying taxes to a country. It would be effective overall, but not practical. It would be ethically sound, but I think it is right to do, given the US’s history in Latin America of police work and taking advantage of the resources of the people there for their own economic gain. This program could be executed in Honduras over a period of five or ten years to verify the author’s idea. To determine if the program is effective, economic indicators like unemployment and poverty for the country could be compared. My suggestion could be very successful. The good news is that illegal immigration will be gone and all immigrants will be legalized. New visa laws will make any Latin American citizen eligible. It’s weakness is that it could bring in large numbers of people. Ethically, I believe that this approach is correct. It recognizes our humanity and allows us to enjoy certain rights. This method is the best. It would allow us to compare illegal immigration statistics over a 5-year period to see if there was any change in the way people came to the country. Although it’s possible to find simple solutions to illegal immigration, it’s far more complex than that. This is why it is crucial that we use sociolegal imagination to address the problem. There is a long history in the USA of suppressing certain minorities, like Hispanics and African Americans. Because of that history, many white Americans are born into families where their parents might still hold the old colonial view about people of colour as secondary. That view is likely to continue in their lives. This hate is also largely a result of media’s focus on negative aspects that migrants may bring to the forefront, while in reality, there are no such things. Enrique needs to be able go back to his mother safely. Major reforms will allow for an affordable, simple legal route to get a visa. It is necessary to change society in general. It is possible to make Honduras a country that can employ its citizens and provide a living for them. To increase the historical context in which this country is located, that is to make it a place where people from different countries can mix, it’s a great idea for the USA for them to relax their immigration laws and help migrants. Cite Sources
Nazario, Sonia. (2014). “Enrique’s journey: The story of a boy’s dangerous and difficult quest to reunite with his mother.” Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Hardoy, Jorgelina. (2011). “Poverty in Latin America.” JSTOR, International Institute for Environment and Development, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep01278.5.pdf?ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3Aec5b6118f7feb3f44b7cf2ef5551d40b.
Aznar, Jose Maria. (2013). “Mapping a New Era for Latin America, the United States, and Europe.” JSTOR, Atlantic Council, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/resrep03577.9.pdf?ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3Aa09bb6f0f2dd136b36e02972ff81a633.
Brown, Hana E. (2018). “The Racialization of Latino Immigrants in New Destinations: Criminality, Ascription, and Countermobilization.” JSTOR, Russell Sage Foundation, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/10.7758/rsf.2018.4.5.06.pdf?ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3Ab5cefa6f859c9592243ebb9402e74283.
KATHARINE M. DONATO (2016). “Twenty-First-Century Globalization and Illegal Migration.” JSTOR, Sage Publications, Inc. in Association with the American Academy of Political and Social Science, www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/24756125.pdf?ab_segments=0%2Fbasic_search%2Fcontrol&refreqid=search%3A6138bab167bb4a9a7a7479c008b7f857.
