Amir is undocumented. Consider the story of Amir and compare it to what is happened in the United States with those who are undocumented there.
Amir's story was really interesting to include and outside of parallels to undocumented immigrants in the US, it also showed the very real future of environmental refugees that climate change has already begun to create. To see that undocumented immigrants are already treated and thought of poorly in the US, it worries me for if there is a time when immigrants are coming in much higher numbers due to the climate crisis, and that the US will not be willing to help. Donald Trump in particular facilitated the narrative that immigrants coming from Mexico and Latin America are criminals, drug dealers and rapists, when in reality they are much more significantly people fleeing countries full of crime and drugs to find safety. In fact "immigrants—regardless of where they are from, what immigration status they hold, and how much education they have completed—are less likely than native-born citizens to commit crimes or become incarcerated." (https://www.adl.org/resources/fact-sheets/myths-and-facts-about-immigrants-and-immigration-en-espanol)
There were 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2017, representing 3.2% of the US population, so they are there in pretty significant numbers. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/) In the novel, they were referred to as "illegals", here too many call them "illegal immigrants" yet many people call for the change to "undocumented" as the word that should be used. There is this belief that people are sneaking across the border, which is why there has been so much support for Donald Trump's wall, but this isn't even an accurate picture. "Somewhere between one third and one half of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have overstayed their visitor, student or work visas. That means that they entered the U.S. with lawful documentation and only later became undocumented."
Under Trump administration the number of interior arrests made by ICE "rose 30% in fiscal 2017 after Trump signed an executive order giving the agency broader authority to detain unauthorized immigrants, including those without criminal records." (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/02/how-border-apprehensions-ice-arrests-and-deportations-have-changed-under-trump/) ICE also detains undocumented migrants, or migrants seeking asylum at detention centres in the US which have very poor living conditions. Adults and children have been held for days, weeks, or even months in cramped cells, reports say that there were 900 people crammed into a space made for 125. Sometimes they had no access to soap, toothpaste, or places to wash their hands or shower. People are feeding babies with unwashed bottles, they are not given enough diapers and many children are sick. It is horrendous to read about. (https://time.com/5623148/migrant-detention-centers-conditions/) The way the US treats migrants is disgusting. And shame on Trump for making so many Americans believe they deserve this treatment because they are criminal (false), they take jobs away (false, immigrants actually help to create new jobs) and are otherwise not welcome.Not that this belief was not here before him, but he certainly perpetuated it.
In the case there is a surge of environmental refugees, like Amir, which the UN predicts that there could be between 25 million to 1 billion environmental migrants by 2050, will these people just be put in cages too? The thought that people are currently in cages right now being treated so poorly is very discouraging, and I hope it ends. It is very sad to read about.( https://www.climateforesight.eu/migrations-inequalities/environmental-migrants-up-to-1-billion-by-2050/#:~:text=However%2C%20forecasts%20by%20the%20UN,the%20most%20widely%20cited%20estimate.)
There were 10.5 million unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. in 2017, representing 3.2% of the US population, so they are there in pretty significant numbers. (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/5-facts-about-illegal-immigration-in-the-u-s/) In the novel, they were referred to as "illegals", here too many call them "illegal immigrants" yet many people call for the change to "undocumented" as the word that should be used. There is this belief that people are sneaking across the border, which is why there has been so much support for Donald Trump's wall, but this isn't even an accurate picture. "Somewhere between one third and one half of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. have overstayed their visitor, student or work visas. That means that they entered the U.S. with lawful documentation and only later became undocumented."
Under Trump administration the number of interior arrests made by ICE "rose 30% in fiscal 2017 after Trump signed an executive order giving the agency broader authority to detain unauthorized immigrants, including those without criminal records." (https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/03/02/how-border-apprehensions-ice-arrests-and-deportations-have-changed-under-trump/) ICE also detains undocumented migrants, or migrants seeking asylum at detention centres in the US which have very poor living conditions. Adults and children have been held for days, weeks, or even months in cramped cells, reports say that there were 900 people crammed into a space made for 125. Sometimes they had no access to soap, toothpaste, or places to wash their hands or shower. People are feeding babies with unwashed bottles, they are not given enough diapers and many children are sick. It is horrendous to read about. (https://time.com/5623148/migrant-detention-centers-conditions/) The way the US treats migrants is disgusting. And shame on Trump for making so many Americans believe they deserve this treatment because they are criminal (false), they take jobs away (false, immigrants actually help to create new jobs) and are otherwise not welcome.Not that this belief was not here before him, but he certainly perpetuated it.
In the case there is a surge of environmental refugees, like Amir, which the UN predicts that there could be between 25 million to 1 billion environmental migrants by 2050, will these people just be put in cages too? The thought that people are currently in cages right now being treated so poorly is very discouraging, and I hope it ends. It is very sad to read about.( https://www.climateforesight.eu/migrations-inequalities/environmental-migrants-up-to-1-billion-by-2050/#:~:text=However%2C%20forecasts%20by%20the%20UN,the%20most%20widely%20cited%20estimate.)
I still can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that the United States, a 'liberal democracy', the so-called leader of the free world, a country that has literally decimated entire cities based on their human rights violations and undemocratic leaders kept and continues to keep children, actual innocent children in cages. I still can't believe that there wasn't any sort of tangible punishment. Why didn't all those Western democracies who cry over human rights violations in the east impose sanctions on the US? Will the people who gave the order and the people who carried it out be punished? There has to be some sort of justice done on behalf of those children, right? We won't just let it slide, right? We are better than this, right or as our classmate, Annabelle Ruest pointed out during our Never Let Me Go discussion that change is happening and that people are definitely fighting for human rights.
I know it is insane how human rights violations like this can go on in the US while they point their finger at other countries for vioaltions. I completely agree with your frustration Minahil, I am also appalled at what can go on in a liberal democracy without any punishment. It is infuriating and heartbreaking.
I totally agree, this is an outrageous situation. Amir's situation in the novel would most likely not be that much different from the ones undocumented immigrants in the US. With the climate crisis taking more and more of our planet, eventually environmental refugees will have to make their way to another country and they might not be granted the status of refugee and that may result in situations like the ones in the US. I saw my aunt post something about bubbles of people being separated by 'cages' (they were more like metal barriers, the ones used in concerts) because of COVID regulations during something that looked like an outside concert. This was compared to overcrowded animal cages but these people had all the right in the world to leave and had access to the necessities compared to the people detained by ICE in the US. That picture angered me because this shows the privilege we have even amidst a pandemic compared to people who would just like to be free and live their life freely without being scared but on the other hand they are actually stuck in cages against their will. There is so many human rights violations out there that there is almost no way to fight them all, but people need to learn common decency and that keeping children and people in cages is unacceptable, it seems so obvious yet so many people support it. Even when we feel powerless on the bigger level, it's important to educate the people around us first. I'm in a constant fight with multiple of my family members (about immigration, refugees and activism, because yes many of them hate some activism movements, the same one that gave them the right to vote) but I wouldn't change it for anything because no one's life is worth more than another and we should all be able to profit off of the same rights and opportunities. The uneasiness I have at Christmas or other Holidays (not this year because the pandemic is real) is nothing compared to how oppressed groups feel every day.
Hi Annabelle, thank you for bringing up that "cage" concert story. It reminded me of people who are fighting and pushing against COVID rules in general, arguing the government has no right to contain you in your home, again using terms like "trapped" and "held hostage", absolutely blowing it out of proportion and not addressing the realness of the threat of COVID. It is crazy how there are actual families in ICE detention centres in what are much more like cages than those barriers at a concert, or than you being trapped within your own home, people who are actually trapped, and being treated inhumanely by the government. It is so sad that some people only care about things when it affects them. I applaud you for calling out your family members and engaging in conversation, I too try to talk about these things with my more conservative family members. I think it is definitely an important part of activism, even if it does not seem like much to us.
Hi Annabelle,
I too am very troubled by the situation with the cages in the United States. In general, the detention system is alarming and nauseating. When reading your post, I reflected back to a UN article I read recently which notes that proper shelter is without overcrowding. The article gives specific numbers on what an overcrowded space looks like, and these cages definitely violate that. As you said, there are so many violations that it is difficult to even name them all, but I thought that it was interesting how in the right to adequate housing, that is intended to include sufficient space for an individual within their residence.
I too am very troubled by the situation with the cages in the United States. In general, the detention system is alarming and nauseating. When reading your post, I reflected back to a UN article I read recently which notes that proper shelter is without overcrowding. The article gives specific numbers on what an overcrowded space looks like, and these cages definitely violate that. As you said, there are so many violations that it is difficult to even name them all, but I thought that it was interesting how in the right to adequate housing, that is intended to include sufficient space for an individual within their residence.
Absolutely, Annabelle!
I saw or maybe read somewhere that there was a debate on whether providing kids in cages with soap and toothbrushes was a basic need or something along those lines. I remember just staring at my screen thinking about the amount of unchecked audacity one has to have to argue that innocent detained children do not deserve or have the right to a toothbrush.
We haven't even started a discussion on what happens to these children when they are released. The sheer amount of trauma that they have faced at such a young age...I don't have words to express my anger, honestly!
I saw or maybe read somewhere that there was a debate on whether providing kids in cages with soap and toothbrushes was a basic need or something along those lines. I remember just staring at my screen thinking about the amount of unchecked audacity one has to have to argue that innocent detained children do not deserve or have the right to a toothbrush.
We haven't even started a discussion on what happens to these children when they are released. The sheer amount of trauma that they have faced at such a young age...I don't have words to express my anger, honestly!
These are wonderful resources, Sarah! Thank you!
In the novel, Amir’s story brings light to the experiences of many undocumented immigrants in the United States, and around the world. When Ellie learns about Amir’s story in the novel, she begins thinking about the “descriptions of the camps, the random harassment by police, the detention and forced expulsion of anyone the government deems undesirable” (167). Although the novel is fictional, this is a story that is all too common, particularly in the United States where it is estimated that between 380 000 and 442 000 undocumented immigrants are detained at the border each year (Huffington Post). In these detention centres, immigrants have been “denied freedom, shackled during visitation and court appearances, imprisoned in cells, surveilled, strip searched, and subject to solitary confinement, abuse, and inadequate medical treatment” (Huffington Post). The Trump administration has perpetuated such human rights abuses through the adoption of a repressive refugee policy which is only projected to accept 15 000 refugees in 2021 (Reuters). The climate crisis is forcing individuals to flee their homes due to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation on their natural land and resources yet, environmental refugees are not protected under international human rights law. As climate change continues to worsen, the number of environmental refugees will likely increase. In the age of climate crisis, work must be done to redefine what is means to be a refugee to include those fleeing their homes due to environmental causes.
As Sarah has already noted, the United Nations predicts that by 2050, there may be up to 1 billion environmental migrants with 200 million being the most widely cited estimate (Climate Foresight). These numbers are shocking however, they also serve as a reminder that this cannot continue to be ignored. Our world is changing, and legislation needs to keep up. Without international protections, environmental refugees are left in a position where they may not have the resources necessary to relocate or may be turned away at the border for not having refugee status. The United States prides itself in being a powerful country with a strong democracy however, their treatment towards undocumented immigrants serves to demonstrate that power does not correlate with the protection of human rights.
This summer, a Canadian court ruled the Safe Third Country Agreement to be invalid due to the mass incarceration of immigrants in the United States (Reuters). The Safe Third Country Agreement states that asylum seekers who arrive at a formal Canada- United States border must apply for asylum in the first country they arrived in (Reuters). The courts ruled this invalid, stating that under President Donald Trump, the United States does not qualify as a “safe” country (Reuters). Although this is a positive first step towards addressing the heinous treatment of undocumented immigrants in the United States, work still needs to be done. Until children are no longer being separated from their family and held in cages, and until undocumented immigrants are no longer detained at the border and deprived of the necessities of life and outwardly ridiculed by the government that is supposed to protect them, the United States cannot be considered a safe country with a respectable democracy.
It is heartbreaking to read Amir’s story in the novel, and to realize that this is the reality of hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants in the United States. In the novel, Ellie is compelled to read about undocumented immigrants and learn about their lives, which is something that we all should be doing (167). We cannot continue to ignore the many human rights violations being faced by immigrants in the United States. This issue has been ongoing for years and change has yet to be made. The government must be held accountable.
Sources:
Brutal Bedfellows: Mass Incarceration And Immigrant Detention | HuffPost
Factbox: Trump reshaped U.S. immigration system, Biden wants to reverse course | Reuters
Environmental Migrants: Up to 1 Billion by 2050 - Foresight (climateforesight.eu)
Canada court rules 'Safe Third Country' pact with U.S. invalid, cites detention risk | Reuters
Factbox: Trump reshaped U.S. immigration system, Biden wants to reverse course | Reuters
Environmental Migrants: Up to 1 Billion by 2050 - Foresight (climateforesight.eu)
Canada court rules 'Safe Third Country' pact with U.S. invalid, cites detention risk | Reuters
Undocumented peoples in the United States is a topic that hits home for me. Not only as a Latinx person but also as people close to me have been in this position before. It's scary, it's anxiety-inducing, it makes you age so much. I think Amir's experience in the book portraits very accurately the reality for many undocumented people across the world and in the United States. What is most heartbreaking for me is the advantage people take from refugees or undocumented people because of their lack of access to systems that are made to help. Take for example not being able to go to the hospital to receive proper care. I once again will bring an anecdote that is not centred in the USA but could very much be applied to this. After the earthquake that hit Haiti many had to flee because of the poor conditions in the country, many of those fled to Chile. Chile took many refugees but is not unheard that many people did not have the paper yet. This brought waves of xenophobia to the country, racism showed, etc. It was not uncommon to hear people taking advantage and not paying minimum wage, looking at Haitian citizens as less. There was a barrier of language. It was a day in autumn where I and my mom were walking from the supermarket when we hear a woman screaming, at first the language didn't register. We stopped startled and we see a man running away, a woman was running after him crying and screaming, we barely could register the words " my phone, he took my phone" in Spanish. She only spoke creole and french. Some people tried to help her but she left crying, heartbroken. The man runs, but he knew she would not call the cops. I don't specifically know if this is connected to her legal status, fear of the police, everything. This scene left a mark in my brain for years to follow because that phone was not just a phone for this woman, it was the only connection to her family and people in Haiti, it was her entertainment, it was something that takes days and days of about to pay. This is a reality for many undocumented people everywhere because they are often targeted and taken advantage of because people know they will not call the police as it puts them at risk.
Something I did want to bring up was Canada's role in this situation and how they could help. For asylum seekers, there is the rule that they need to ask for asylum in the first country they arrive in, so if you think geographically most of the people fleeing from Central America arrive first at the United States, they have no option but to. They could not ask for asylum in Canada. If they do, Canada has no obligation to receive them and they could send them back to the USA. Now, the USA has no obligation to give asylum if they don't want to. I leave you a passage found in the Government of Canada website; "The Agreement allows for the return to the U.S.A. of persons who arrive in Canada, from the U.S.A., and who seek refugee protection unless the person can satisfy an officer, on a balance of probabilities, that an exception to the Agreement applies and vice versa". There is multiple activist right now fighting for Canada to leave this agreement with the USA and focus not he actual refugees. Here is Amnesty International's page on it: https://www.amnesty.ca/blog/canada-dont-abandon-refugees.
Something I did want to bring up was Canada's role in this situation and how they could help. For asylum seekers, there is the rule that they need to ask for asylum in the first country they arrive in, so if you think geographically most of the people fleeing from Central America arrive first at the United States, they have no option but to. They could not ask for asylum in Canada. If they do, Canada has no obligation to receive them and they could send them back to the USA. Now, the USA has no obligation to give asylum if they don't want to. I leave you a passage found in the Government of Canada website; "The Agreement allows for the return to the U.S.A. of persons who arrive in Canada, from the U.S.A., and who seek refugee protection unless the person can satisfy an officer, on a balance of probabilities, that an exception to the Agreement applies and vice versa". There is multiple activist right now fighting for Canada to leave this agreement with the USA and focus not he actual refugees. Here is Amnesty International's page on it: https://www.amnesty.ca/blog/canada-dont-abandon-refugees.
A lot of you pointed out that the USA has kept children in cages and separated from their parents. They also kept poor records of the situation and are now unable to reunite several hundred kids and parents. Brutal situation. As of Nov 9, over 600. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/lawyers-can-t-find-parents-666-migrant-kids-higher-number-n1247144
And these are individuals coming to the USA for a multitude of reasons, most of whom would probably like to be considered for refugee status if given the opportunity. Those with claims to refugee status have international legal protections that the USA is ignoring. Climate refugees is not recognized as an actual thing under the refugee convention so there is no international protection for those living in circumstances where the climate would force them out of their home.
This is an alarming situation and something needs to be done. There are a lot of activists who are working to change this but countries need to be on board, otherwise there will be no treaties. One possible route is to fight for status in courts but you need a day in court to be able to make that claim and have a judge agree with you.
This is a harrowing situation and one that I felt compelled to bring to your attention through this book.
And these are individuals coming to the USA for a multitude of reasons, most of whom would probably like to be considered for refugee status if given the opportunity. Those with claims to refugee status have international legal protections that the USA is ignoring. Climate refugees is not recognized as an actual thing under the refugee convention so there is no international protection for those living in circumstances where the climate would force them out of their home.
This is an alarming situation and something needs to be done. There are a lot of activists who are working to change this but countries need to be on board, otherwise there will be no treaties. One possible route is to fight for status in courts but you need a day in court to be able to make that claim and have a judge agree with you.
This is a harrowing situation and one that I felt compelled to bring to your attention through this book.
I appreciate you sharing your personal story witnessing the woman in Chile getting her phone stolen. It is a very sad story, and shows a light on how meaningful a phone can be for someone who relies on it to communicate and connect with family they had to leave behind. It is true that many people get taken advantage of, especially if they don't speak the same language. Due to the language barrier, how would she have even called the police? How would she have reached out to police in that moment without her phone? I wonder why more people didn't try to help in that moment as well. This also shows how much stigma there is helping people in situations like that.
You place some very relevant questions, Anna. The truth is examples like this show the intricacies and intersectionality of circumstances when people immigrate. Thank you for replying.
Hi Sara,
Thank you for sharing this and for highlighting the many barriers faced by undocumented individuals. The woman that you mention was particularly vulnerable having fled Haiti due to the earthquake, and was now in a country where she should have been protected but instead, her vulnerability was taken advantage of by having her phone stolen. I think this is a topic that is not often talked about, but these situations are very real and place already vulnerable populations in a position where their rights are infringed upon and where their safety is put at risk.
Thank you for sharing this and for highlighting the many barriers faced by undocumented individuals. The woman that you mention was particularly vulnerable having fled Haiti due to the earthquake, and was now in a country where she should have been protected but instead, her vulnerability was taken advantage of by having her phone stolen. I think this is a topic that is not often talked about, but these situations are very real and place already vulnerable populations in a position where their rights are infringed upon and where their safety is put at risk.
Through Amir's story as an undocumented individual, readers are able to empathize with undocumented immigrants and migrants in the U.S. In this way, I find the story "Clade" very important for today's global situations. There are many social justice issues around the treatment and rights of undocumented immigrants. Particularly in the U.S., government administrations have targeted undocumented immigrants and pit middle- and lower-class citizens against them. Many people in the U.S., due to the governments attitude towards undocumented people, see them as a threat. For example, the Bush, Obama, and Trump administration have all painted immigrants as "rapists," "drug dealers," "terrorists," "criminals," or are coming to the U.S. to "steal" peoples' jobs. This rhetoric has turned many people against the idea of allowing immigrants, and even more so, undocumented immigrants, into the country through the U.S-Mexican border. I think many people in the U.S. don't want to learn more about the hardships and issues that many undocumented immigrants, migrants, and refugees face because they want to shield themselves from feeling bad for them. People will take a blind eye to issues because its easier to be okay with it, than get angry and want to make change.
In the story, we can see that Ellie wants to help Amir based on the situation he is in. But there is little she is able to do to help Amir's situation. Through an effort to give advice, Amir reminds her that there are many underlying issues behind each issue alone. For example, a lack of hospital access has an underlying issue of lack of doctors, medicine, or money for undocumented immigrants.
Overall, I think more people should read stories like "Clade" to understand important human rights abuses in the world, such as with undocumented immigrants and migrants. Additionally, there is a fine line between migration due to environmental hardships and concerns and refugees. Often refugees are fleeing violence and human rights abuses, whereas environmental migrants don't have as much political or governmental pressure. However, many environmental migrants leave because their livelihood depends on the environment around them, and due to climate changes, that environment is putting them in worse situations.
In the story, we can see that Ellie wants to help Amir based on the situation he is in. But there is little she is able to do to help Amir's situation. Through an effort to give advice, Amir reminds her that there are many underlying issues behind each issue alone. For example, a lack of hospital access has an underlying issue of lack of doctors, medicine, or money for undocumented immigrants.
Overall, I think more people should read stories like "Clade" to understand important human rights abuses in the world, such as with undocumented immigrants and migrants. Additionally, there is a fine line between migration due to environmental hardships and concerns and refugees. Often refugees are fleeing violence and human rights abuses, whereas environmental migrants don't have as much political or governmental pressure. However, many environmental migrants leave because their livelihood depends on the environment around them, and due to climate changes, that environment is putting them in worse situations.