Fiche de synthèse espace et échange

More and more immigrants are arriving in the United States. And this is causing problems for their integration.

Spaces can be different geographical places such as the border between two countries, it can be a city, a region etc. It’s possible to travel all around the world, however some spaces remain inaccessible unattainable. Indeed, outer space it still out of reach.

Moreover, space can also represent mental places such as the spirit.

Geographical places can be linked together, which allows us to exchange knowledge or culture.

Exchanges can take many different forms such as technological exchanges (like phone communication), financial transfers (like stock exchange) and demographical exchanges (like tourism).

How has the life condition of immigrants changed over time in the United States?

-In a first place, I will talk about a documentary on Ellis Island which is an immigration checkpoint.

-Then I will focus on 2 pictures who represents the neighborhood Chinatown in New York City and a Mexican celebration.

-And finally, I will deal with a video who show us the difficult life of immigrants in the United States.

This documentary tells us about Ellis Island, a checkpoint off New York City. Between 1892 and 1954, this island was the point of entry for many European immigrants who came to the United States. It was there that the separation between the immigrants who would be able to enter the territory and the others. Some were rejected because they were sick, because they were criminals, because they were communists, etc. And the conditions of waiting and detention were quite difficult. But since 1954, this island has been nothing more than a museum that tells the story of Ellis Island. We can learn that 12 million immigrants have passed through it and that 40% of current Americans have a family relationship with one of the people who passed through this checkpoint.

Now, we are going to talk about 2 pictures who represents the neighborhood Chinatown in New York City and a Mexican celebration.

The first picture shows Chinatown with the traditional city of New York in the background. We can understand from this picture that Chinese culture is well established in New York but that it’s mixed with the culture of the United States. In addition, in the second photograph, we can see that the culture of other countries is also introduced. For example, the Mexican Day of the Dead is also celebrated in some cities in the United States where the Mexican community is strongly present. Since the first wave of immigration, minds have evolved. Indeed, these communities have been integrated into the country and that’s why they are better represented and some of their traditional celebrations are celebrated there.

After that, we will focus on a video who show us the difficulties that persist for an immigrant in the United States.

In this video, we can see that the life of an immigrants to the United States, even if they are better considered than in the 1940s, still have many difficulties compared to an American who was born on the territory. Indeed, getting American citizenship or even a visa is difficult for an immigrant. As a result, many of them live without papers and manage to find work, a place to sleep or to get medical care. Unfortunately, it is also they who do the jobs that do not require much skill. They are afraid of being expelled following a police or other check because they have no papers. In the United States, 12 million people are in this situation.

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