Devils Highway Discussion Essay Example for Free

Devils Highway Discussion Essay Borders of income separate the walkers and the men who set them up for this journey. The walkers were made hungry for the money they saw that men like Don Moi had, but it really was an unattainable goal. Also, the income gaps between the native Mexicans and American people was different. The Mexican people were much more poor which may cause the American people to look down at them. Another border is skin color. The white Americans often have better lives than the darker skinned Mexicans, which often contributes to the income border. Like the above answer, income borders are very restrictive. Another restrictive border is skin color, perhaps lineage, and where and how we live. The only way to bridge these borders would be to not judge and love people for the way they are. These borders are not need and we would probably be happier without them. I think the villain of the story is not Mendez, but rather Don Moi, as he is the one who set it all up. He did not provide the walkers with the supplies and the trustworthy guides that they needed. I don’t think Mendez should be defended for his actions, though, because he still chose to abandon innocent men and leave them to die. Border Patrol doesn’t want to get too sucked up in it or go too far in the desert because they too have families. The smugglers have the same strugglers that the walkers do, besides the fact that they actually know where they’re going. I don’t think I would illegally cross into America for food, I would probably just steal in Mexico, but then again, I don’t quite know what it is like to be starving in your own country. I feel that as a reader, the spirits are nothing but symbolical references, but to the men, they may actually see these spirits. The heat probably does something to their heads, or maybe they are so lost up in their prayers that they begin to see these figures. Maybe, as a walker, you can’t actually see the spirits, but you can feel them. â€Å"Aliens before they ever crossed the line† probably refers to the fact that most Mexicans are judged by Americans and thought to be insects or parasites that steal American jobs. They are unwelcome and badly thought of before they even cross the physical border. It’s the same situation, but in reverse. In the 1700 and 1800’s, Irish people were very unwelcome in the United States, as they were thought to steal jobs. However, once the Civil War rolled around, the United States wanted multitudes of Irish people to come over so they could fight in the war for the Americans who didn’t want to and could pay to get out of it. I think the author approached the issuefavoring the immigrants. He doesn’t examine how to undocumented entrants affect Border Patrol, the economy, or American families. I would make it easier to gain entry, but I would want everyone to go through little booths so the entrants could at least be documented. I think the solution would work because the immigrants would not be quite as scared to deal with the government because no one could be denied entry (unless they were a criminal). This may not work because criminals could sneak past the booths. The main problem that is explored in this book is the morality of Mexican people sneaking illegally into America to feed their starving families. This is also the main principle. Is it okay for Mexicans to sneak into America if they are just earning money to feed their families? I think illegal immigration is not necessarily â€Å"bad†, but it is still illegal. The evidence provided from the book says that these men are just immigrating to feed their families and try to get a better life. I agree with the evidence, but there is also the fact that this is not the reason that everyone comes to America. There is a reason it is illegal. I don’t think that Urrea specifically points to a bad guy, but it is somewhat implied that the bad guy is Don Moi for setting the men up for this. Another bad guy could also be Mendez because abandons the men in the desert. I think that if they guides had not left the men, perhaps more of them would have survived. It would also help to have more patrol men patrolling and searching for entrants. If the Mexican government was not such a wreck I doubt there would be so many immigrants. There is not enough food or well paying jobs in Mexico for everyone there, especially the poor people. The role of unemployment, underemployment, low working wages are the true forces driving the conflict. Too many are not educated because they don’t have enough money for education, which then means they can’t get a good job to support their family. If a job is attained, it is usually for a very small wage. It is a big circle of poverty. Urrea goes into great detail to describe each member so you feel closer to them and you are able to better understand their decisions. All of the men that chose to go wanted a better life, whether it is for themselves or for a loved one. These men all acted selflessly. If I were in their situation I would try harder to look for a job in Mexico, but if I could not find one, I suppose that I would do what they did. It costs the United States and Mexican government a lot of money to deal with these illegal entrants. However, neither one of them really do anything to try to stop it. I think that this was an isolated incident, but there could be more to come in the future. If I were the leader of Mexico, I would vow to fix the state of the country and make it so that people don’t have to immigrate to other countries to find work. If I were the president, I would want to tighten down on Border Patrol so this doesn’t happen again. I like the tone the author uses. I think it fits the message that the author is trying to relay to the audience about the story. The style was alright, it was a little hard to read. There were too many details packed into single sentences. The style made the book hard to read. In my personal opinion, there were too many facts, but I can see why they were necessary. I think the simple fact that these men migrated to make theirs and their family’s lives better is what impacted me the most. It really changed my view on illegal immigration. I now don’t feel quite as harshly about it; I think the immigration laws should be revised.