Scribd
Upload
5 views2 pages

Annotated-Extra Credit 4

The podcast discusses the historical context of immigration in America, revealing that the first 'illegal immigrants' were Chinese, not Mexicans, and tracing the growth of immigration control from 80 agents in 1900 to over 21,000 today. It highlights how fear and racism have been used to manipulate immigration policies, targeting non-white groups while allowing others to move freely. The podcast also illustrates the lengths to which immigrants have gone to cross borders, emphasizing that immigration is driven by economic opportunity rather than race or nationality.

Uploaded by

lavayenariel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
5 views2 pages

Annotated-Extra Credit 4

The podcast discusses the historical context of immigration in America, revealing that the first 'illegal immigrants' were Chinese, not Mexicans, and tracing the growth of immigration control from 80 agents in 1900 to over 21,000 today. It highlights how fear and racism have been used to manipulate immigration policies, targeting non-white groups while allowing others to move freely. The podcast also illustrates the lengths to which immigrants have gone to cross borders, emphasizing that immigration is driven by economic opportunity rather than race or nationality.

Uploaded by

lavayenariel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Lavayen 1

Ariel Lavayen

Professor Lumbreras

Ethnic Studies, Section 3226

12 June 2025

Extra Credit: Border Patrols: Policing Immigration in America

This BackStory podcast reveals how America's first "illegal immigrants" were Chinese

people trying to sneak across the Mexican border in the early 1900s, not Mexican people as most

Americans assume today. The hosts trace how immigration control grew from just 80 border

agents in 1900 to over 21,000 today, showing how fear has been used as a weapon to control who

gets to stay in America and who gets kicked out. The podcast proves that current immigration

debates are not new - they follow the same patterns of racial scapegoating that have been used

for over 140 years.

This connects most powerfully to Mobility because the podcast shows how the

government has always tried to control the movement of certain groups while allowing others to

move freely. Chinese immigrants in the early 1900s had to create elaborate smuggling networks

with fake IDs and safe houses just to cross borders that white European immigrants could cross

legally. During the Great Depression, Mexican families (including American citizens) were

pressured to "self-deport" to Mexico through fear campaigns, while white families received

government help. The podcast reveals that mobility has never been equal - some people get

freedom to move while others face walls, patrols, and deportation.

The theme of Racism runs through every story because immigration restrictions have

always targeted non-white groups specifically. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was the first

law to ban people based on race, creating the concept of "illegal immigrants" in the first place.
Lavayen 2

The podcast shows that when Chinese workers were excluded, employers at once turned to

Mexican labor because they needed workers - but only certain kinds of workers from certain

places. Even today, as Nathan Connolly points out, Americans are much more willing to accept

immigrants from Britain or Europe than from places considered "non-white."

First, the "voluntary departure" system is crazy because it shows how the government

uses language to hide what is really happening. When officials call deportations "voluntary

returns," they make it sound like people choose to leave, when they are being coerced, tricked, or

threatened. This language manipulation allows the government to deport millions of people more

cheaply and quickly than formal deportations, while avoiding responsibility for the human

consequences. Second, the fear campaigns and "self-deportation" reveal how psychological

warfare can be more effective than physical walls. The government discovered it is much

cheaper to scare people into leaving than to catch and deport them. During the Depression, entire

Mexican American communities left because of fear, even though many were American citizens.

This shows how racism creates a climate of terror that affects entire communities, not just

individuals.

The most shocking thing was learning that Chinese immigrants disguised themselves as

Mexicans to cross the border, complete with Spanish lessons and Mexican clothing. This

completely flips the current stereotype about border crossings and shows how immigration has

always been about economic opportunity, not race or nationality. It proves that people will find

creative ways to survive and seek better lives, no matter what barriers are put in their way.

You might also like