The Concept of Freedom (Immigration Essay Example)

How would you feel if someone questioned your take on “Freedom.” For some, this is a problematic topic to speak upon because of their country of origin or the language they speak. Many immigrants find themselves questioning if they are free in a country full of hatred and prejudice against a foreigner or person of color. The idea of the “American Dream” is not the same for everyone, some may think that you have to be “American” and be white, but that is not the case, minorities have different ideas of what the American Dream is all about. Many immigrants find themselves not realizing how many problems there are in the United States that can hinder their freedom. Cadogan’s “Walking While Black,’’ has many pivotal points to both racism and prejudice in the 1980s, from examples of his personal experiences and witnessing the world around him. The most trouble he experienced was because of his skin tone and the prejudice that came with it.

Freedom is not a topic thought of every day, but more or less, a topic that is heavily associated with immigrants coming from different countries or people of different ethnic backgrounds. No matter the complexion or country of origin, their culture and country do not define if he or she gets to have freedom solely based on those factors. Immigration has always been around forever, some against it and some for it. Most of the people that believe there should be immigration reform, never stop to ask themselves what the immigrant is here for. Some assume that they are here for drugs or rape, which is rarely the case but, most foreigners immigrate because of their living conditions and want to create a better life for not only themselves but their families. Mexico for example is heavily influenced by poverty that some may not even be able to afford a decent lifestyle due to lack of pay and resources available to them. Similarly, Cadogan’s “Walking while Black” creates such a story that directly correlates with immigration and the complexion of one’s self over his life story that he communicated throughout his story. 

Immigration has been around for decades, but more recently, it has become more of an issue in The U.S. As many immigrants, including Cadogan, has been difficult to accustom to the American lifestyle, such as learning a completely different language and social-economic classes.  “I wasn’t prepared for any of this. I had come from a majority-black country in which no one was wary of me because of my skin color. Now I wasn’t sure who was afraid of me” ( 8)   The greater number of immigrants who come to the U.S, don’t realize that Americans aren’t fond off skin colors and goes the same for the foreigners, where they come from everyone looking like them to not seeing anyone similar to them. For the author, skin color was the most problematic obstacle he faced was, many white Americans already had a pre-meditative judgment and assumed he was dangerous and to stay weary of him. Their body language was a driving force to how they saw the author on the street, some women would clutch their purses tighter, while some men greeted him nervously. Foreigners are often blind to the fact that there is prejudice and hatred towards them and have to learn the hard way for some of this judgment,  they are an easy target for a racist person to come and harass them for doing absolutely nothing. They are not aware of the looks or judgments around them from either lack of English or the assumptions that Americans are friendly.  The author often found himself dressing more “white” to fit in/be targeted less by white policemen, he called this form of dressing “ Ivy League style” in hopes of attracting more police in his vicinity. 

Furthermore, a person of color shouldn’t have to change their appearance to make others feel safe, they are not in control of how they are made or where they come from. These people that move to the United States, come to experience and create a better life than their previous country, and should be able to embrace and celebrate their culture without criticism of others. Growing up with a culture that is more than just being white, is a beautiful thing that has such an amazing community of people similar to me. Having these experiences in my life has opened up more possibilities that I can do anything and that ill always have someone supporting me every step of the way. Being critically aware of others’ perspectives creates a better understanding of how and why a person may act the way they do. Growing up with a culture that is so diverse and drastically different than one another opens up new worlds that you may have never know existed. “I headed to Brooklyn, in Crown Heights, for Jamaican food and music and humor mixed in with the flavor of New York City.” (10) Culture is all around us no matter the area, sometimes there is a whole area with the same distinctive characteristics as he’s used to. His culture is comforting and often hard to find in a foreign country but not everyone is fond of it. 

The response to freedom is often a lonesome topic varying person by person, some may think that freedom is being able to own a weapon, or to have the ability to say what they want. The juxtaposition and confinement of freedom are often thought to only be available to those who are white and privileged, alongside immigrants often being told they can’t achieve anything due to the fact that they are illegal. The very foundation of freedom was developed by this centralized set of criteria in the late 1800s to early/mid-1900s to alienize and segregate non-white people from having human rights and therefore freedom. The very system present in the United States, was made to accommodate the average white american but never took into consideration there are people more than just white, there is such a diverse population among americans that creates such a unique and prosperous experience for those willing to be critically aware of the many cultures and colors around them.

In conclusion, the fact that freedom is such a versatile word is astonishing. Immigration makes the United States or any country at that, a better place and provides for a better future. The United States needs to come together and collectively agree that everyone is created equally no matter where they come from or what skin color they might be. There is no need for all the racism that is present in modern times, but the truth of history and the glorification of that history need to be exposed. Most of that history was censored to cater to the americans and never mentions what the other side of the war or treaty dealt with. But Cadogan’s essay really brings out how racially injustice the U.S was during the 1980s and from any years prior, and how it coincides with modern times.