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Undocumented Community: Unocumented Community Analysis

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Cesar Chavez once stated that “students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves - and be free.” Standing up has become a common stand, in which ordinary people and students speak on their concerns, even if their voices shake. Injustice often occurs when the people believe that the regulations are set in stone, but there have been leaders that have taken it upon themselves to lead the community into a fair and just environment. Activists and political figures have constantly changed, influenced, and reshaped the way people live their lives. This idea of social change has particularly affected the lifestyle of the undocumented community.
Activism is practiced by spreading awareness, …show more content…

In 1962, Rachel Carson published Silent Springs, where she noted that pesticides have a connection to human health issues, and found that farm laborers had higher rates of health risk. Due to her strong activism, she had the power to put some restrictions on the amount of DDT being used. Carson cautioned all of society to reconsider the conditions of farm laborers, most of which are undocumented today. In fact, over 75% of California farmworkers are undocumented; 83% in Santa Cruz county (Speaker Dr. Ann Lopez.) After being exposed to pesticide poisoning, they face headaches, nausea, and seizures. Much of these cases head on to cancer, infertility problems, neurological disorders, and respiratory conditions. (Student Action with Farmworkers) Undocumented laborers are constantly running risk during the job, and although there are laws that have helped them, there are others that may still …show more content…

For example, In John Steinbeck's novel Grapes of Wrath, the Joad family, along with other families, migrated from Oklahoma to the promised land of California. Similar to undocumented immigrants, they all search for a stable job, a home, and an overall better lifestyle. In Grapes of Wrath, the settling families were accepting the low wages for what they were, rather than uniting for a fair pay. The fact that the families would take the low pay furthered the owners temptation to abuse their power, and find more ways that they can manipulate the laborers. While some attempted to riot, there was not enough support, because it’s usually a process that involves

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