Notion spaces and exchanges

Notion : Spaces and exchanges.

Definition : This notion deals with the geographical and symbolic areas that all societies occupy and the interactions between men and different societies. Our world is built on the exploration and conquest of new spaces. The different cultural, economic, sociological and language interactions have shaped and characterized our modern-day world.

Driving question : So to deal with this notion, here is my driving question is “How have the United States of America benn shaped as a nation by the arrival of waves of immigrants” ?

At the beginning america did not know the success of today. It was a large, sparsely populated territory. But this land made dream many European nations in particular. This is why, for centuries and still now, waves of migrants have come to try their luck in the United States. And these are the successive waves that will shape America that we know today.

To answer this driving question, I have chosen 3 documents, which are entitled : “The Gate to New York Ellis Island”, “Maryland’s crab industry in the hands of guest workers” and “Illegal immigrants flee Arizona”.

First, for decades, a small island called Ellis Island welcomed several million migrants between 1892 and 1954. These people came from northern Europe, the old continent, to find a better life, better jobs or to just get rich with the American dream. There were many reasons forcing them to leave their country, some fleeing religious or military persecution, while others sought to get out of poverty or find a better education for their children. The migrants arrived by boat and in a short time Ellis Island became a station for immigrants. But when they arrived on the island we checked their identity and their health. Today Ellis Island has become a public museum on immigration but this long wave of immigration has had a great impact, because today there are 325,000,000 Americans who have descendants who have passed through Ellis Island .

Secondly, today certain industries employ foreign workers called "guest workers". These foreigners have the right to come to American territory for a fixed period of time to work in American companies. For example, the canned crab industry uses this to cut costs and increase production at their plant. The interest for the bosses is the fact that they can pay these employees cheaper than American workers. And for the "guest workers" the interest is that even paid at low cost, their salary will necessarily be higher here compared to their country of origin. Many immigrants try their luck a few weeks a year to improve their living conditions. Today the United States welcomes 66,000 guest workers.

Finally, today the United States is undergoing a new wave of immigration, that concerning Mexico. Indeed many Mexicans try to cross the border at the risk of their lives. The reasons which push them to flee their country of origin are similar to the reasons of the immigrants of Ellis Island but this time crossing it does not take place at sea but on land. They have to overcome hunger, thirst, wild animals and border patrols. They work day and night and with any weather. But many do not manage to reach the border, they are either stopped by the patrols or died because of the dangers of the trip. And even once they arrive in North America, they still have to hide because they have no documents, they are undocumented.

...