America: the Melting Pot? Essay

The Melting Pot? For as far back as history books go there have been stories about people moving from one place to another. Immigration is defined as the movement of people from one country to another for the sole purpose of a stable residence. The United States of America has always been known as the melting pot of the world. Now our country is being faced with people trying to come here illegally and it is creating an argument between legal citizens. Do we allow these people to come here and make their reams real like our ancestors did, or do we take every measure we can to keep them out? While doing research I found that there are many people who are very against illegal immigration. They believe that the people who wish to become citizens need to go through a very vigorous process to gain citizenship. After the attacks on our country, and the ongoing war, many citizens are on their guard. It is very hard to feel safe in such an imperfect world. Many people are scared of what will come and even more terrified that if it happened once that it will happen again. Since many people re so afraid, they want homeland security to be increased along the countries boarders, better background checks on workers, and harsher punishments for the employers who hire the illegal aliens when they know that the workers do not have the proper paper work and are not legal citizens. On the other side of the argument, some Americans feel that it is wrong to punish these people who are Just trying to improve their lives, and the lives of their families. They believe that America was based on a dream, the same dream that our ancestors had when they came here looking for a better future, Just as the people that are llegally trying to get into the country want to do. This does not mean that these people support how the immigrants are trying to get around the system, Just that they should be given a better chance at gaining their citizenship. They want the government to help the immigrants who cannot afford to go about gaining their citizenship legally. This then opens up another argument of who will end up paying for their citizenship, and why should natural born citizens have to pay for others to come into our country, take what few Job opportunities there are left and in the long run, over-populate the country. When choosing a new country to live in, people travel to many places to find the perfect fit. Many countries are not as open and accepting to immigrants as the US is, so that is where they decide to make a new home. While many immigrants look upon the U. S. to make their dreams come true, there are many people who try to come here illegally. These illegal immigrants are often called â€Å"aliens†; they also share the same hopes and dreams of coming to America for a new life, but cross the border without the proper permission. Many reasons they have difficulty crossing the or cannot afford it. They are determined to get here to create a better life for themselves, which then creates a problem for America. The Department of Homeland Security estimated in December 2003 and that 8 million to 12 million illegal aliens resided in the U. S. and 700,000 new illegal aliens enter and stay each year. Many Americans fear that since there is such a great amount of people coming into our country that they will take Jobs and cost our citizens more money. Apologist try to make it seem like illegal immigration is a victimless crime, however others find that that this is a serious problem that causes substantial harm to American citizens. Public funds are being greatly drained because of illegal immigration. The quality of education, health care and other services for Americans are undermined by the needs of endless numbers of poor, unskilled illegal entrants. Another great fear of many citizens is that the presence furnishes of an opportunity for terrorism. With these immigrants sneaking in, being unnoticed it makes it difficult for our government to know whom posses a threat to our society. Most illegal immigrants only come here to improve their lifestyle and to get work. However, it is feared that if terrorists see how easy it is to come in to America nnoticed, that they will do the same and that only means bad things for the safety of our countrys citizens. Some people think that the government should give all illegal immigrants legal status to bring them out of the shadows. Others then fear if we show openness and such accommodation to people who have illegally crossed our boarder that it will send the wrong message to the rest of the world that we condone illegal immigration. This then creates an even bigger problem that America will be forced to face forever. Some citizens feel that it is hard for them to create an opinion on this issue when it has not directly affected them. I am one of those. I have never had any difficulty getting housing, or a Job because of illegal immigrants. The area that I am from does not have any issues with employers hiring people with forged papers, or any of the sorts. However, after doing all of the research I find myself torn between both sides of the argument. I do not believe that people from other countries should be allowed to cross our border, without our government’s knowledge. It is for the safety of the American people that officials know who is in our country and who may pose a threat. Also, it seems as though handing out free passes to those who have already come ere illegally is a way to try and make the situation go away, and that is never a good solution. One cannot blame people for trying to escape a bad life. America prides itself on the freedom it gives its’ people. Our fore fathers created this country on a belief that if a person does not agree with the government of his or her country that they should be able to leave that country to live in a place where they can believe what they want to believe, and become anything they want to become. A lot of early immigrants came to this country with hardly any money to spare they came on a hope and a wish hat coming here would create a better life for them, their children, and their children’s children.