WOMEN AND IMMIGRATION

December 10, 2011

Yuyuhita Guzman Media 384 Professor Caoilo

1 A Brief Explanation 2 Who Are Immigrants? 3 How Do Immigration Laws Affect Immigrant Women? 4 Women In Detention Centers 5 What Can The Media Do?

WHERE ARE HISPANIC WOMEN?

A Brief Explanation

I thought to myself as I browsed the syllabi of my Women and Gender Studies classes; I only saw two articles, one written by a Chicana and a Mexican nun who had lived in the 18th century. I am tired of reading about white, privileged women; I am not saying that their struggle is insignificant but what about other women? I could have written about the successes of Hispanic women, Hispanic women on TV and movies, and so on. However, I decided to focus this project on Hispanic women and immigration because of the anti-immigration laws in Alabama and Arizona.

WHO ARE IMMIGRANTS?

W
hen most people think of immigrants they usually think of undocumented criminals who crossed the Mexican-American border. Granted, some of these immigrants are criminals but that does not mean all of them are. Many argue that crossing the border without the right papers is a crime, yes it is a crime but it is not comparable to human and drug trafficking. Furthermore, the people who criticize immigrants do not know the circumstances of these peoples country or the conditions of these immigrants lives. They also forget why their own ancestors immigrated to the United States and by good luck or chance they do not have to make the decisions their ancestors and new immigrants have to make. When representing immigrants,

Rapist Murderers Drug Traffickers.

the images that are often used by the media show large groups of men climbing over a fence, crawling under the fence or hidden in a vehicle. However, who are missing in these images are women. Women, too, risk their lives to cross the border just like men. According to Kavitha Sreeharsha, 4.1 million immigrant women are undocumented. These women come to the United States to reunify with their families, seek economic opportunities, or escape other dangers (Sreeharsha, 5). In addition, [t]oday, women actually comprise half or more of the immigrants entering this country. Equally dramatic, women now make up more than half of the migrant population worldwide (Close and Rodriguez).

In 2010 Arizona and Alabama passed laws that aim to identify, prosecute and deport illegal immigrants. So how do these laws concern women? Are there not men who are affected by this law too? According to Amy Newman, Its about the vulnerability of the female experience as it relates to her body and health. Its about the fact that a woman is exposed to vastly different, dangerous scenarios because

of her sex However, immi. grant women are the ones who make decisions for their family. The anti-immigrants laws are taking away mothers who are sometimes the sole providers of a family. Furthermore, these laws are hurting the children of immigrants because if both parents are arrested and deported they have to go into the foster care system.

So How Are Women Treated Once ICE Detains Them?

In 2009, women represent about 10 percent of the growing detention population in the United States (Rhoad). However, many of the women who are arrested by ICE have no criminal backgrounds, they are victims of trafficking, survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, the elderly and the seriously ill (Rhoad). Once women and men are detained, they are treated cruelly and are subject to neglect.

Megan Rhoads interviewed women who were detained, and found that women were shackled during pregnancy, denied breast pumps, and were humiliated and demoralized because they could not obtain sanitary pads. Treatment like this should not be silenced. Silence brings no change therefore immigrant women AND men should speak up when pitiless actions are made against them.

WHAT CAN THE MEDIA DO?

To be honest, I am not quite sure what the Media can do. Ideally, I would like the Media to focus on issues like this, make the story of immigrant women the front page, and raise awareness about this issue; to put a face to immigrant men and women and to take away misconceptions of illegal immigrants. But I know that will not happen any time soon. What can happen is people who are passionate about immigration policies continue raising awareness, I hope I have inspired someone to look into this issue and spread the word.

WORKS CITED
Cervantes, Wendy, and Yali Lincroft. "The Impact of Immigration Enforcement on Child Welfare | First Focus." Home | First Focus. 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 Dec. 2011. Close, Sandy, and Richard Rodriguez. "NAM Poll: Women Immigrants Keeping Families Together - NAM." New America Media. 14 May 2009. Web. 10 Dec. Newman, Amie. "Why Is the Arizona Immigration Law A 'Women's Issue?' | RH Reality Check." RH Reality Check | Reproductive Health Information, News, Commentary and Community. 14 May 2010. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. Rhoad, Meghan. "Holding the Line | Human Rights Watch." Human Rights Watch | Defending Human Rights Worldwide. 10 July 2009. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. Sreeharsha, Kavitha. Reforming Americas Immigration Laws: A Womans Struggle. Immigration Policy Center. June 2010.