I found many of the readings particularly interesting. I interned in Washington, D.C., this Summer and witnessed issues regarding the Homeless population throughout the city, as well as issues regarding immigration policy (specifically protests regarding the Venezuelan election). I think many of these articles were relevant to what I was hearing and seeing during my internship experience in the city this Summer. 

 

The first article A Growing Number of Homeless Migrants Are Sleeping on N.Y.C. stressed the significance of issues intertwining and the importance of cultivating supportive cities for migrants. The article emphasizes that both the migrant issue and homelessness issue are prompting an even bigger problem that has pushed both of these issues toward the forefront of the thoughts of each city experiencing homelessness and migrant issues. One particular concern is how we can take care of these issues while ensuring that things are being taken care of in a humane and proper way that does not just disregard the issue nor eradicate people to solve the problem. 

 

In The article Immigration Wave Delivers Economic Windfall. But there’s a Catch Whereas the previous New York Times article stresses the impact of homelessness, a lack of resources, and an increase in migrants, the second New York Times article emphasizes some of the more positive aspects of immigrants coming in and how they can positively contribute to the economy. One specific quote that stood out to me during the article was, “Many economists say immigration is a net economic positive in the long run” and essentially establishes the idea that more immigrants = more labor = more money and more benefit to the economy. I found this article interesting because it stresses the more positive aspect of immigration and how it can actually positively benefit workers who are already established in their roles and the economy in the U.S. With immigration typically being a very black-and-white debated object, having a middle ground that establishes some sense of both good and evil makes it attractive to digest, interpret, and process for a better understanding of where to stand on the issue and how the problem should be mitigated. 

 

In the article, YouTube Livestreamers Made Money ‘Hunting’ for Migrants Along the U.S. Border and hearing about this issue and how people are going about making a profit off of watching others be harassed and threatened, I felt particularly concerned and uneasy about how this type of orchestrated money-making scheme is a human rights issue and a violation of the privacy of others. “Far-right extremists have spent the past week harassing and threatening migrants on the United States border with Mexico while making money by live streaming it on YouTube and Rumble.” Seeing others so clearly prioritize their funds and wealth over the immigration issue makes me particularly concerned with how our policy leaders and presidents will solve the problem. If so many people take it seriously, how can we expect it to be unresolved or successful in the long run? 

I also found the last two sources that were a part of our assigned reading, “Following the asylum-seeker odyssey: a timeline” and Bus by Bus, Texas Governor Changed Migration Across the U.S.” did an excellent job at conveying facts, statistics, and numbers that have not necessarily been broadcasted on significant levels. In the latter article, I found it interesting just how extreme this issue is and just how much it is exponentially accelerating. Emphasizing throughout its entirety, it explains just how much the list of cities keeps on expanding and just how many people at a time are traveling on these buses being offered. Even though they are constant and consistent, there are still continuous amounts of people and immigrants trying to get to the US safely and attempting to find some sort of safety. In the article it emphasizes the importance of these bus trips for migrants stating explicitly, “so many of these trips are life changing for those who have them offered.” With only select people having them offered, it stresses the significance of luck in these processes and just how promising it is for those who have the opportunity to travel to the US via one of these bus services.