Borders in Our Minds Essay

Since the presidency under crowd Polk in 1844, many Ameri evoke citizens nominate, in one form or a nonher, been in conflict with our neighbors to the south the populace of Mexico. In the 19th century, however, those conflicts go around mainly around ownership of land in what are at a time southwest regions of the United States (Scheffler, 2011). In modern society, Ameri preempt indifference toward Mexican immigrants exists in many other forms and plays a significant piece in efforts to control Mexican autochthonals entering the United States.It is my intention to bring to animated various circumstances by which credulity to Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans may pass evolved. Such attempt will be made with institution of some of the various forms of crook currently in existence action of the generalisation process as it applies to development of bosss consideration of societal and pagan perspectives and how they may possess precipitated non- borrowing of the M exican immigrant into American society and reflection on the roles in which Mexican immigrants have been placed that perpetuate stereotypes from an stinting perspective.Finally, I will conclude by offering insight into that which I have derived from compilation of this paper from the perspective of one studying general semantics as part of an undergraduate program at Alverno College. This conclusion will al lower-ranking in proposal for further consideration of the topic offered to the audience for which this paper is intended. The fundamental principle of Bias Since 2000, the Hispanic commonwealth in the United States has grown from 35. 3 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2000) to 50.3 million (U. S. Census Bureau, 2010). This component of the population has realized significant growth making then a astronomical component of all American residents. One would tend to believe that given over this growth, Mexicans would be viewed less as aliens and more as American citizens. In mos t instances, however, they are not considered the latter. They are considered different and in the aside five years sociologists and civil rights attorneys have revealed many of the elements that play a role in the perpetuation of the bias numerous Americans hold toward Mexican immigrants.They are viewed as disloyal . . . and refuse to assimilate (Villareal, 2006) is one view of a Connecticut attorney who has spent many years defending minorities through legal activism (pg. 1). Villareal (2006) furthers his command against American bias toward Mexican Americans by stating that Mexican Americans will share in that dream and in that society yet if they dream in English (pg. 1). These biases obviously exist, but how they perhaps substantial and why they conceivably sustain is the subject affaire to follow.From Neighbor to horror The Power of Abstraction Objectivity and multi-perspective opinion is typically the product of the eonian interplay of higher-level and lower-level abs tractions (Hayakawa, 1990). It is the tendency to labor only at higher-levels of abstraction where one is inclined to stereotype. This is primarily due to the deduction that high-level abstraction is comprised of vagueness and generalities and it is this indistinct thinking that leads to standardized conceptions of common members of a group.These theories of high-level abstraction could truly easily account for bias against immigrants based upon lingual differentials which reveal the tendency of individuals to stereotype or apply prejudice based upon language barriers. According to Nelson (2009), linguistic bias mediates the extent to which mass maintain stereotypic expectancies in the facial gesture of disconfirming information (p. 499). Nelson predicates this concept upon studies of linguistic differences and how they produce negative behaviors. He describes this linguistic bias effect (p. 499) as existing at higher-levels of abstraction. man his look into was done using Ita lian-Americans as test subjects, the linguistic bias theory assesses language barriers in a general sense experience and can account for negative predisposition toward Mexican immigrants based upon their unique artistic style and possible in force to master language in a sense that individuals can assimilate as indigenous to the United States. The Societal and heathenish Gap A feeling of superiority as a people is likely a major contributor to American bias toward Mexican immigrants extremely distinct cultural attributes play a key role in this arena.In his in-depth studies and published works on cultural differences, Geert Hofstede (1984) reveals that Americans mark their own gloss as very individualistic and this individualism is construe as a major contributor to the greatness of the United States (p. 150). individualist cultures have great tendency to protect that which they feel entitlement to and possess a low desire to share. The United States is also a country very lo w on Hofstedes scale measuring power length which indicates a desire for a stable cultural environment where low power distance is associated with highly individualistic cultures (p.164).Based upon Hofstedes research as it pertains to the cultural gap between Americans and Mexican immigrants, it can be inferred that intolerance toward Mexican immigrants has, in part, evolved from an inability of Americans to accept cultural differences ignorance to a culture that is based upon close, long-term commitment and shared responsibility alternatively than individualistic goals and a desire to maintain a cultural environment of which they are familiaran environment which they may view as threaten by change.In furthering the position of cultural disparity and its contribution to the intolerance of Mexican immigrants, various studies of ethnicity have yielded plausible explanation as to why many Americans have difficulty in the acceptance of Mexican immigrants into their native land. As i s noted by Portes (1985), Studies of ethnicity typically begin by noting the effort of distinct cultural traits among groups formed by immigration . . . this situation can only be explained from an assimilation perspective, by the insufficient diffusion of the culture of the core to peripheral groups (p.24).This perspective reiterates the strong role played by cultural disparity in fostering intolerance of immigrants. Economic Pigeon-Holing close to view Mexican immigrants as important only to a particular(prenominal) segment of the U. S. labor food market and therefore, fail to see their role anywhere beyond this realm. It has become difficult for Mexican immigrants to transcend these barriers as Portes (1985) describes that they have formed, each in their time, the mainstay of a segmented labor market . . . they constitute an indispensable component of the economic structure (p. 25).He strengthens this argument by stating that Granting such groups admittance into the core soc iety on the grounding of merit would jeopardize their utility to employers and to the entire dominant group (p. 25). From this advantage point, it would be difficult for any one person to gain acceptance into a larger group if the economic success of that group were open upon that person remaining in one, very specific role. Given this, it is not difficult to take in the reasons why many Americans view Mexican immigrants as migrant workers, laborers, or maidsbefitting of only a specific segment of the U.S. labor force. It is conceivable that this is not because they are unable to move beyond these stereotypes, but because they are unwilling to do so as it would pass on their perception of an ideal economic structure. Discussion Investigation of the subject matter herein along with subsequent authorship of this paper has for me served as a catalyst toward multi-perspective understanding of current issues that impact the world from historical, social, political, and economic persp ectives.I am now of the strong belief that effective communication is highly dependent upon successful integration of multicultural perspectives and diverse social perspectives. The ability to present an idea from multiple perspectives has also provided me an awareness of my ethical indebtedness as a communicator, that is, to inform without bias. It is difficult to argue that stereotypes precipitated by social, cultural, and economic perspectives exist as they pertain to Mexican immigrants in the United States. heedful reflection upon the evolution of bias and stereotype can bring approximately greater understanding.To deny that diversity exists within our borders is to deny change. To attempt to intimidate that diversity out is to deny oneself the ability to live spherically and scoop out from cultural experiences that could serve to broaden perspective and intellect. A by-product of this speaking is offered in the form of a challenge to those individuals who may be unaware of the levels of abstraction within which they operate. Heightened awareness of the levels of abstraction from which one functions both verbally and cerebrally can produce deeper understanding and subsequently the ability to understand and be understood.This may very well serve to lessen plague and perhaps ultimately lead to the deterioration of intolerance to build a more peaceful society. References Elissa, G. (2001, August 11). Man Charged in Beatings Is give tongue to to Have Used Racial Slurs. New York Times. p. 6. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Guitierrez, D. G. (1995). Mexican Americans, Mexican Immigrants, and the government of Ethnicity. Berkeley, CA California Press.Retrieved March 23, 2011, from http//books. google. com/ books? hl=en&lr=&id=Had4W9odLX0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=Mexican+immigrants& ots=Xb7xBvWz7o&sig=FRbC5aio9PLGrh14YK8pNrmEMnYv=twopage&q&f=false. Hayakawa, S. I. (1990). Language in Thought and Action. (5th ed. ). Boston, MA Thomson Wadsworth.Hofstede, G. (1984). C ultures Consequences. Newbury Park, CA SAGE Publications. Nelson, T. (2009). Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Psychology Press, New York, N. Y. Retrieved March 21, 2011, from http//books. google. com/books? id=J1qeQ T4bkX0C&pg=PA499&lpg=PA499&dq=abstraction+and+prejudice&sourc.