Vijay Deopersaud
Post 1 of 5
In the study “(Un)documented immigrant media makers and the search for connection online” by Sarah Bishop, Bishop interviewed twenty-five undocumented individuals who classified as narrators. This title is quite fitting: it portrays the immigrants as victims which allows them to become more relatable.
The method that she utilized proved to be effective due to the fact that it is presented in a interview format as opposed to describing a third person account of the story. This first-person perspective humanizes the individual, contrary to the somewhat prevalent notion that undocumented immigrants are not like you and I, but instead inhuman people who are just here to take advantage of welfare systems and the like. Such a notion could not be farther from the truth based on the findings of Bishop; the stories presented are touching and strike parallels to our own lives in some senses, such as setting and common experiences. However, there still exists a dark shadow of paranoia looming over the shoulder of undocumented individuals that you can never be too careful.
This paranoia is justified, even in the piece by Bishop. Although not present for all, many chose to use pseudonyms fearing the worst not just for them but also their families. This threat is something that they can never be too careful of especially considering the current political climate. With raids even in New York City enclaves once considered safe havens for illegal immigrants, it has illegal immigrants and even non-citizen permanent residents on edge (although maybe not justified, still experience the same fear).
Interestingly enough, the diversity among interviewees is quite interesting, as when the topic of illegal immigration comes up in the media, the usual response is “these Mexicans…”. While there were many from Latin America, the presence of many undocumented immigrants from many countries in Asia and others. This misconception along with other misconceptions of undocumented immigrants serves to not only exacerbate the issue of illegal immigration but also confuses the air with false pretenses associated with such individuals. Although it is a pressing issue in society, it is made out to be much worse that it is in reality with a combination of misinformation and stigmas associated with past anomalies.
Questions:
- Why did some chose to hide behind the anonymity while others display their name in public even though they were aware of the risks it posed to their family and themselves?
- In what way does the internet, as much as it is a medium to allow them to express themselves, work against undocumented immigrants?
- With the quality of life being poor and freedoms being restricted, why is it that some chose to remain in spite of these challenges even though the conditions at home may not be worse (for some people not all)?
