During my interview, I feel like I learned quite a few things about the immigrant experience. Firstly, I didn’t know the challenges that Mexican police posed on immigrants. Previous to my interview, I knew that immigrants faced challenges with police officers but I thought it was on the Border Control end. However, through my interview, I learned that Mexican police are just as bad. For example, they steal from immigrants and abuse their power for their own gain. I had never taken into account how they could also work against immigrants. Another thing I learned during my interview is why immigrants choose certain cities to settle down in. For example, an immigrant might find it easier to set roots in New York because of its urban setting, diversity, and job opportunities. However, Ohio might not be a good option because it’s harder to move around, find people who look like you, or find a job. Overall, the interview taught me that immigrants have to do a lot of thinking and planning before even setting foot on United States soil. I think a lot of people just think that immigrants come and hang around. But the reality is that they have plans and have to think about different factors in order to survive.
Hi Melissa, nice blog post! It was very interesting to read about the Mexican police and I'd like to learn more. I also liked how you pointed out the way immigrants tend to settle down in cultural enclaves that they feel a sense of welcoming and community in. I have heard of stories about these communities forming from word of mouth and for many reasons such as fleeing from bad circumstances. For example, the Sri Lankan population in Staten Island had started out with only a few families but has rapidly expanded since the 80s. This was due to people spreading the word that there existed a Sri Lankan presence there and people fleeing from the Sri Lankan Civil War.
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