Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Undocumented Workers
While there several issues surrounding immigration, the case of undocumented workers seems to draw a large amount of attention. Several of the cartoons found were focused on the concerns and regulations of undocumented workers. A majority of the cartoonist seemed to portray in these cartoons how hypocritical our country is when it comes to these workers. We seem to allow them in, have no problem letting them do the jobs we feel we are above, yet we deny them rights and benefits. While some cartoonists seem to take the opposite side insinuating immigration is weighing our country down, most shared the view that our immigration reform is wrong. Cartoonists seemed to be taking a stand letting their readers know that these issues need to be corrected.
Several cartoonists depicted in their cartoons a large, overpowering Uncle Sam, smothering or pushing around small, foreign immigrants. This type of innuendo isn’t for nothing. In the media today we are constantly seeing immigrants and foreigners being dehumanized. They are often framed as invaders and are associated more times then not with crime and disease. The media often times is framing us to believe that allowing immigration means allowing all these other negative things into our country. In an article, titled "Could the media be to blame for immigration reform's failure," we read how some believe the media to be the cause for the failed immigration reform. It is yet another example of our strong our media is at cultivating its followers to believe everything they say.
In the clip below we see the Daily Show covering the issue of immigration. Just like the cartoonist, he is using satire to point out the racism and discrimination in the media on this issue. Showing several clips of journalist referring to immigrants as diseased drunkards and molesters. It is clear that several journalists and cartoonists share the view that the way we as a country treat immigrants in dehumanizing and against everything our country stands for.
LOL U NED 2 LURN ENG.
"We have room for but one language in this country, and that is the English language, for we intend to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding house."
---Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
One of the debates within the issue of immigration is the "English Only" movement. The argument is that, by declaring English as the official language of the U.S., the government could get rid of any foreign language in official government operation, including documents, voting, bills, etc.
On one side, the policy would potentially unify America under one language and could potentially "empower" immigrants with a new tool. On the other hand, it would debilitate anyone who couldn't speak English and erase much of the individual cultures within the country.
Glenn Beck, a Fox News pundit, claims that diversity could make us "collapse" and while discussing the issue, he jumps back and forth from discussing the issue as a whole and an isolated incident involving a public school. Beck also "corrects [Dan Restrepo's] English" when Restrepo refers to undocumented workers, saying "not undocumented, illegal."
The debate has been around since the 80s, when an "anti-bilingual" ordinance was passed in a Florida county. Though it was later repealed, it helped to jump forward the political movement. Today, the debate continues, even reaching the 2008 presidential election campaign of Barack Obama. In a campaign speech to Powder Springs, GA, Obama stated his belief that instead of focusing on immigrants learning English, we should also be teaching American children to speak foreign languages.
Obama's statement that American's need to learn Spanish got him harsh reviews on Fox News. They focused on that one phrase, ignoring his general statement that American education, in regards to language, can't compete with that of the Europeans. Bay Buchanan, a Republican strategist brought on to criticize Obama's words, shows this point-blank, saying that if the phrase was part of a larger statement, it may slide, but refers to it as a "full, hardy statement."
This issue was also discussed in several editorial cartoons, including "Air Traffic" by Mike Lester.
In this cartoon, Lester makes it obvious where he stands with the issue. He shows an immigrant with a lawyer, who is telling an employer that he can't discriminate because the immigrant can't speak English. The employer interrupts, informing the reader that the immigrant is trying for a job as an air traffic controller, which obviously requires very solid English skills. While Lester makes a valid point that some jobs it is necessary for an employee to speak English fluently, he neglects to show all the jobs where it isn't necessary. Lester is agenda setting by guiding the reader to his point-of-view and frames the immigrant in a negative way. He is, in essence, isolating the immigrant in his cartoon and any non-native English speaker who views the cartoon, the same thing some would argue would happen with an "English only" policy.
--Kasey Van Dyke
---Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
One of the debates within the issue of immigration is the "English Only" movement. The argument is that, by declaring English as the official language of the U.S., the government could get rid of any foreign language in official government operation, including documents, voting, bills, etc.
On one side, the policy would potentially unify America under one language and could potentially "empower" immigrants with a new tool. On the other hand, it would debilitate anyone who couldn't speak English and erase much of the individual cultures within the country.
Glenn Beck, a Fox News pundit, claims that diversity could make us "collapse" and while discussing the issue, he jumps back and forth from discussing the issue as a whole and an isolated incident involving a public school. Beck also "corrects [Dan Restrepo's] English" when Restrepo refers to undocumented workers, saying "not undocumented, illegal."
The debate has been around since the 80s, when an "anti-bilingual" ordinance was passed in a Florida county. Though it was later repealed, it helped to jump forward the political movement. Today, the debate continues, even reaching the 2008 presidential election campaign of Barack Obama. In a campaign speech to Powder Springs, GA, Obama stated his belief that instead of focusing on immigrants learning English, we should also be teaching American children to speak foreign languages.
Obama's statement that American's need to learn Spanish got him harsh reviews on Fox News. They focused on that one phrase, ignoring his general statement that American education, in regards to language, can't compete with that of the Europeans. Bay Buchanan, a Republican strategist brought on to criticize Obama's words, shows this point-blank, saying that if the phrase was part of a larger statement, it may slide, but refers to it as a "full, hardy statement."
This issue was also discussed in several editorial cartoons, including "Air Traffic" by Mike Lester.
In this cartoon, Lester makes it obvious where he stands with the issue. He shows an immigrant with a lawyer, who is telling an employer that he can't discriminate because the immigrant can't speak English. The employer interrupts, informing the reader that the immigrant is trying for a job as an air traffic controller, which obviously requires very solid English skills. While Lester makes a valid point that some jobs it is necessary for an employee to speak English fluently, he neglects to show all the jobs where it isn't necessary. Lester is agenda setting by guiding the reader to his point-of-view and frames the immigrant in a negative way. He is, in essence, isolating the immigrant in his cartoon and any non-native English speaker who views the cartoon, the same thing some would argue would happen with an "English only" policy.
--Kasey Van Dyke
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