We can wonder, “What could drive people to leave their home countries to join USA? Do they reach their expectation?”

SPACES & EXCHANGES

The notion “Spaces & Exchanges” deals with the geographical and symbolic areas that all societies occupy and the interactions between men and different societies. Our world is built on the exploration and conquest of new spaces. The various cultures, economies, sociologies and languages interactions have shaped and characterised our world of today. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse.

Among the whole of the propositions offered by this notion, I chose to talk about latinoamericans illegal migration in USA.

We can wonder, “What could drive people to leave their home countries to join USA? Do they reach their expectation?”

Firstly, we will explain what is/are the lot/conditions of life in their home countries. Next, we will talk about their view of USA. Then, we will see what does they expect of this travel and we’ll have a look on the journey (conditions of the journey). To finish, we shall see if they reach their goals.

• The conditions of life (the lot) :

They live below the poverty line. In their native countries, migrants live in slums, in shanty towns. They wear rags or old and dirty clothes. People are unemployed/jobless and there is no education for children. People are hungry all the time/starve and in their shanty towns there is no water, no electricity and no hygiene. Moreover, an important problem of drugs, murders/crimes and gangs is increasing every day. Their life was so miserable that they decided to run away/to escape from their home country.

• The view of the USA :

For them, the USA symbolize the American Dream. The American dream is the notion according to which you can succeed/have a better life/improve your lot/start all over again if you work hard and if you’re honest. We saw a document about the American dream: It’s a cartoon called/named “Dreamland” drawn by Petar Pimestrovic. We can see many symbols of USA as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe who represents the arts. We can also see John Wayne holding a gun to the sky as a symbol of power and victory. All these symbols make of this cartoon a propaganda of USA. Pimestrovic give us an attractive and prestigious view of the country. The cartoon shows America as a leader/superpower, as a land of freedom, celebrities and patriotism. It’s an utopic view of USA. In general, it’s the vision of latinoamericanos who wants to leave their home countries to go to USA, but we will see that’s not real all the time.

• Their expectations :

They dream of starting over and earning a decent living. They want to avoid misery. They want to be able to cross the border. They look for a job, a better life, maybe have a self-made man life. They hope to escape poverty, become wealthy/rich, escape inequality and improve their condition of living to can eat. To live the American way of life.

• The journey :

To pass the border, they have to cross their home countries who are often dangerous as when they meet drug, body or money traffickers. They also have to pay a smuggler (They have often to give all they own to the smuggler to cross the border whereas their not sure to reach USA). They also take the risk of being arrested anytime. Moreover, they risk all they own to join a country in which they’re not sure to have a better life because they’re undocumented. Sometimes, they have to cross the desert which is so dangerous walking for miles to reach a place where they can sleep, eat and drunk. Among the documents we studied, I chose to talk about “the other side of the coin”: