Spaces and Exchanges

I’m going to talk about the notion “Spaces and Exchanges” and illustrate my point with one aspect of this theme: immigration, on the example of Mexican immigration to the US and the students’ migration within Europe. How these example define the notion Spaces and Exchanges? First I’d like to mention the human side of migration, and I’d like to talk about the cultural side.and then I’d talk about the difficulties they encounter

Migration is not a new phenomenon. People have always migrated. But since the beginning of the 20th century, migration has been on the increase. People migrated to other places and there have lots of reasons. Mexico, for exemple, can only offer limited jobs opportunities, that’s why many Mexicans dream of crossing the border to find success and better prospects in the US. They earn more money, have better conditions of life, and thus can have a more smiling future in front of them. Besides in another domain, some European students want to discover new countries and cultures. It’s the case of the students who take part in the Erasmus program which is the European Union’s educational exchange program. Over two and a half million students have benefited from Erasmus since its introduction in 1987. It allows students to study in university abroad for several months.

Nevertheless migrants encounter difficulties.

Mexican immigrants face the hazard when trying to cross the American border, even more when the US authorities have built a wall and a surveillance system to deter migrants. So it complicates things for those who go in search of a new life. Or When they cross the border, they don’t find a job, or don’t earn a lot of money… and others things. Nowadays, one of the main consequences of immigration is racism. Most local people have a lot of racist acts in against of the immigrants, for example in terms of skin color, accent… For example , in one picture we studied in class, a police offecer of Arizona says to Lady Liberty : i can tell by the clor of your skin you're not from around here , are you? But this image also appear a topic llegal immigration was once seen as a means of development of this new land. But now the debate has changed: illegal immigration or undocumented immigrants are a big problem for societies with money problems, people found this way the most efficace. The mexican want to migrate to the usa illegally , they are candidates for immigration but are undocumented aliens truying to sneak across the border , so they need the help of guides . They depend entirely on them. Their fate is in their hands.

In parallel, the Erasmus program allows Students to thrive abroad, to improve their linguistics skills, to discover new people, to be more open minded. We studied a document about an English Student called Alain. He took part in the program and he gained to be more independent and mature because he had to cope by herself.

To conclude migration illustrates the notion Spaces and Exchanges because it creates flows of people. However immigration has a seamy side that should be considered by migrants if they have the choice. We can draw a parallel between the Mexican immigration and the power of money.

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