Solidarity and Recognition Yield Community Power
Abstract:
This cultural content essay focuses on several sources that relate to the hardships faced by undocumented workers and students–DREAMers, specifically, who were brought to the country at a young age–and their families. It uses documentaries, video clips, and music videos to convey the idea that the elite majority constantly oppresses the group of undocumented minorities and misuses their power to exert force and dominance over them. These people face several common themes within that greater concept, several of which relate to worker’s rights, rights to education, and more than anything, basic human rights. The main ideas of the paper revolve around how community organizing and bonding together with the solidarity of fellow group members and also outside allies can cause even the most oppressed groups–like undocumented people, in this case–to prosper and gain power for their own communities, even in the face of harsh oppression from elite leaders and groups.
Dominique,
I know I am not supposed to just say “this research project sounds awesome,” but this research project really does sound awesome. After taking a class on the struggles that undocumented immigrants face, I am very curious to see how you tie in their issues on a community level. I definitely think that it would be easy to find examples of local residents organizing, so I am sure that worked well for you. For your second research project, you could maybe tie in historical issues of immigration and how they relate to issues now.
-Alex Smith