Imagine a neighborhood, one where the people are not poor but not rich, poor enough to get food stamps and Medicaid but rich enough to not get the full benefit. It’s a Sunday morning, people are outside, some dads are around the grill cooking for a carne asada, the children are playing outside, the moms are chismeando, some dads had to go to work, other families go to church. The smoke of the grill up in the sky, the smell of meat, the sound of music playing, the sizzling. There’s a happy atmosphere in the air.
Beneath all of that, there’s families struggling to make ends meet, parents missing their parents, people who thought that they wouldn’t make it to their age, dads who are overworked, parents who want what’s best for their children. This describes a stereotypical Mexican family in America. It’s been depicted time and time again, in documentaries, interviews, movies, social media, even in pieces of art. There’s a meme on the internet that says that Mexican men who work in construction are quick to finish the work, so why are we so against them entering the country?
Most Mexicans, as of 2025, have lived here longer than they lived in Mexico. They work tirelessly for a better life for their kids, they pay taxes, they have been creating businesses, they brought in their culture, they’ve helped out their communities, they work until they drop. I’ve seen 50, 60, even 70 year olds who still work even if they get told to take a break. A lot of them work in construction or in farm work. Why? Because those are the jobs most citizens don’t want.
25% of construction workers are Mexicans, and 60-65% of farm workers are Mexican. Meanwhile, 75% of construction workers are from the United States, and only 30% of them are farm workers. Now these may be big numbers, but then again there’s more white people in the U.S. than there are Mexicans, let that sink in. The produce you pick at the grocery store was most likely picked by a, what some call, “illegal alien.”
In recent times, president Donald J. Trump has been on a mission to deport and get rid of all of these hard workers. People who just wanted something better, for themselves, for their family, for their future. Now not only is the fear of being caught by ICE bigger but so is the fear of being separated from their families. Before ICE couldn’t go into hospitals, churches, or schools, but now with Trump in office they can. Imagine seeing a family getting separated right in front of you. Prayers are being said, as worry fills those neighborhoods. People are trying to help, but soon it might not be enough.
They call us illegals while they voted for a felon with 34 felony charges. The only illegal thing we did was entering the country with no visa.
A man with no morals and only wants money. Notice how he instilled fear in the people, how he passes bills to please the rich, how he takes away from the poor, how the economy is going down, how prices rise up, notice all the things he’s doing for the economy, for the people. People say that he’s here to help the economy, he’s announced bankruptcy six times. He made promises to this country and he broke them. “24 hours” he said, “lower prices” he said, “no war” he said, “mass deportation” he promised.
Florida, one of the red states known for being a racist state. Trump, a man known for his racism. Together they have made one of the most cold hearted detention centers, Alligator Alcatraz. It has been reported that the conditions inside the center are absolutely horrendous. People have reported that the food sometimes has worms in it, they don’t have privacy, toilets don’t flush, insects are everywhere. Citizens on social media have documented the conditions and have gone as far as saying that it’s more like a concentration camp than a detention center. To this “center” I say, what happened to the rights that are given to everyone? What happened to the reason the colonies first rebelled against England? What happened to the unalienable rights? Life, liberty, and a pursuit of happiness.
That doesn’t matter, does it. It only matters when you say it does, when it benefits you, when you see a threat to your own life, when it doesn’t hurt you. You only see it for what you get out of it, not what will happen to others. You claim that they’re “illegals,” “aliens,” “criminals,” but in reality this isn’t even your land. This isn’t my land. This land was stolen. Stolen from the Native Americans. It was taken in an unfair battle, one that they could’ve never won no matter how hard they tried. If you want to take the immigrants out of the country let’s start with the one who immigrated here to begin with, the colonizers.
Now imagine that same neighborhood, but add fear, worry, and people hating the community for just wanting better. Seems bad enough as it is, right? Now those kids, as young as 10, are afraid of what will happen to their parents, especially if they’re undocumented. Imagine the kind of pressure that puts on a child. It doesn’t sound so lovely, does it?
Author’s Note:
This piece was inspired by what is happening in the world as of currently with all of the immigration policies, the deportations, and the alligator Alcatraz. This is a big piece for me since I’m a first generation in America from my family, and honestly without them I wouldn’t have gotten as far as I have gotten. I thank them for everything they have done and I hope this shows it.
Jessica | 14 | San Antonio, TX | @enoraa._ on TikTok & @enora4923 on Instagram
