Memo on 'Refugees in American Myth and History': A Critical Analysis

This memo analyzes a talk by Mae Ngai on 'Refugees in American Myth and History.' The memo discusses the concept of America as a land of hope and freedom for those seeking refuge from political, religious, and social oppression, symbolized by the Statue of Liberty. It highlights the historical welcoming of refugees but also addresses the paradox created by the legal immigration system, particularly the long waiting periods for visas faced by citizens from certain countries. The memo critiques the fairness of the visa allocation process, arguing that the system's disparate impact leads to illegal immigration and calls for changes to ensure equal treatment for all immigrants. It references works by Lüthi, Ngai, and Young to support its arguments.

Running head: MEMO ABOUT A TALK 1
Memo about a Talk
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MEMO ABOUT A TALK 2
Memo about a Talk
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Subject: ‘Refugees in American Myth and History’ Talk
It is my hope that this memo finds you in good health. Based on the subject the memo
covers about what has been learnt from the talk on ‘refugees in American myth and history’ by
Mae Ngai.
The main idea drawn from Mae’s talk is about America as a land of hope and freedom to
many people who suffer oppression in different parts of the world. As Mae describes it, the
statue of liberty is a true sign of this aspect as it shows a symbol of welcoming visitors of any
kind and from all the parts of the world. To those seeking asylum in the country from political,
religious and social oppression, American seems to be the place to obtain such as the country is
ready to welcome all sorts of people in the form of refugees (Ngai, 2010). This explains why
historically, the country has welcomed people going there as refugees seeking freedom from
political, social and religious oppression. However, people going to America have to go there
legally through what is considered to be a system of green card lottery and a visa. This aspect,
has raised a paradox of what Mae thinks is shaped by the way different people from specific
nations majorly four including Mexico, China, Philippines and India are kept waiting before they
can be allowed to move into the country (Lüthi, 2018). This aspect of waiting for more than
expected leads to what is known to illegal immigration. The reason is that despite the laws that
govern the way of entry into the country, people find all means to get there since they cannot
wait for as long as 23 years to be granted a visa in the form of a green card.

MEMO ABOUT A TALK 3
According to Mae, the system of granting people visas as a way of obtaining entry into
the country has been unfair since one wonders why some country citizens like those identified
have to be kept waiting for such a long time while others enjoy a lesser time of waiting. The
method used to allocate the visas to allow permanent residence in the US is based on the
principle of fairness and equality since various nations have same quota (Ngai, 2014). However,
people need to know that the demand of visas varies significantly based on the nations. The
formal equality principle has disparate impact as it is inclusionary to some people and
exclusionary to specific others. The citizens from the four nations have to wait for some ten to
twenty years or even more to obtain a legal visa unlike those in other countries. This has led to
the pressure of illegal and unlawful entry into the country (Young, 2015). In such a case, this
system continues to generate an ever-large caste population involving unauthorized immigrants.
The nation needs to change this system so that all people can enjoy the same treatment as far as
immigration in the country is concerned. This would avoid illegal entry into the US.
Sincerely,
Margaret Thatcher
References

MEMO ABOUT A TALK 4
Lüthi, B. (2018). Migration and Migration History (Version 2.0).
Ngai, M. M. (2010). The civil rights origins of illegal immigration. International Labor and
Working-Class History, 78(1), 93-99.
Ngai, M. M. (2014). Impossible Subjects: Illegal Aliens and the Making of Modern America-
Updated Edition (Vol. 105). Princeton University Press.
Young, J. G. (2015). Mexican exodus: Emigrants, exiles, and refugees of the cristero war.
Oxford University Press.