In the essay “How Immigrants Become ‘Other,’” Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston Marcelo M. Suárez-Orozco and UCLA human development and psychology professor Carola Suárez-Orozco explain the hardships unauthorized immigrants face in America. Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco share many different stories of unauthorized immigrants and help their readers understand the poor circumstances the U.S. has given to those who are not citizens.  

The authors told various stories focused on the separation of families. For example, a widow, Sonia Martinez, illegally came to the U.S. from Mexico seeking work to provide money for her four children. Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco observed, "Although not raising her children came at a high emotional cost, the ability to support them was its own reward” (66). As a result, the unauthorized immigrants were willing to do anything to help their families. Similarly, Gustavo Jimenez went to New Orleans looking for work after Hurricane Katrina, saying, “And I don’t see any of the Americans wanting to do this work” (Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco 67). The authors included the immigrant’s feelings to explain further their concerns with the poor treatment of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.  

Taking a different approach, the authors also included stories and data from children's points of view. For example, Mathew Parea (eleven years old) spoke about his story.

“‘I am here to tell you about my fears growing up in Arizona. Children want to be with their parents because we know that our parents love us. The laws in Arizona are just unjust and make me fear for my family. I am always worried when my family leaves the house that something might happen to them. I think about it when my dad goes to work that he might not come back or when I go to school that there might not be someone to pick me up when I get out.”’ (Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco 70)

The authors further explained how the fear of being separated from their families is stripping “the right to have rights”(71) from unauthorized immigrants. 

While personal stories connect to the audience through pathos, the authors also provide data to support their opinions. For example, after reading about the heartache of a few families Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco include, “There are nearly 3.5 million immediate family members of U.S. citizens and permanent lawful immigrants waiting overseas for their visas” (72). The authors' data and stories helped wrap up their essay with how unauthorized immigrants being mistreated is a significant problem in America. 

Being Different in a World of Conformity

The essay “How Immigrants Become ‘Other'” closely correlates with my beliefs about the unfair treatment in the U.S. for unauthorized immigrants. Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco's essay first opened my eyes when telling stories from parents trying to provide a good life for their children. As a young adult that still relies on my parents' help for many different things, this made me more aware of everything they do for me. I am also more aware of the parents trying to help their children but are disadvantaged by being unauthorized immigrants. At some point, everyone has had to ask for help from someone older and wiser. Therefore, depriving those who are unauthorized and trying to help is unjust. 

On a more relatable note for me, Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco continued to tell stories but from children's points of view. I have never gone to school and worried about whether or not my parents would be able to pick me up afterward, so children like Mathew Parea, with undocumented parents, should not have to worry either. It made me so emotional to read this. While I have not personally experienced a situation like that, it made me think of a friend I had in high school whom I will call Dave to protect his identity. Dave gave up his scholarships and opportunities to play sports in college to work full-time and help provide for his grandmother, who is currently trying to gain U.S. citizenship. Children should not have to grow up faster because society has made it harder for their elders to create a stable life in the U.S.

Lastly, not only do Suárez-Orozco and Suárez-Orozco include heart-wrenching stories, but they also provide data about the exact number of people affected by unequal treatment. I can’t even begin to imagine the pain families face every day being split apart, and knowing that 3.5 million family members deal with this is heartbreaking.

Works Cited

Suárez-Orozco, Marcelo, and Carola Suárez-Orozco. “How Immigrants Become ‘Other,’” 2012. Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing, edited by Gary Colombo et al., 12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2022, pp. 65-74.