The Migrant Caravan and American Cultural - Essay Sample

Introduction

American culture is that of the western people by origin but it has been influenced by the multicultural ethos and its originality diluted. Its identity has been impacted by a diverse cultural ethos which entails African, Indians, Native Americans, Latin America among others. Williams argues that culture is the most complex of all the English word and he defines it in three forms. Firstly he refers it to a process of development which includes spiritual, intellectual and principles. In this definition, he equates it to civilization. Secondly, he also defines it as a given way of life among a group of people and finally, he says that culture is practices and activities of intellectual actions. Williams, however, settled to more concrete meaning where he refers to culture as a result of the activities of people's daily interaction. On the other hand, Hall defines culture in very simple terms where he says that it is a set of shared values and meanings among people. He further argues that it is through the set of meanings that a community's identity is formed. Hall argues that place a critical role in cultural identities because globalization has led to the rapid flow of people and culture can no longer be viewed in the context of nation bounded states. Similarly, Gupta and Fergusson argue that culture has developed through spatial concept. The authors explain that geographical idea matters a lot in the creation of cultural theories. They, therefore, explain that culture is as a result of spatial mobility where space and culture are correlated.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Culture is a result of spatial mobility and interaction between a set of meaning s. in this regard American culture can, therefore, be defined through the migrant caravan as an interaction of people peoples believes and practices as a result of geographical movements. The identity of American culture is in the interaction of people from different geographical regions. The migrant caravans from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala give culture a critical significance as it is a way of mobility that becomes part of the formation of the American culture. The issue of the migrant caravan has however brought divisions and controversies as it is considered an entry of new norms, behaviors, and practices that are harmful to the continent and the people of America.

Culture has been politically used to create opposition opinions and convince different groups of voters on the need to accept or deny immigrants a chance to leave in America. In regard to the midterms, the current president of the United States of America has condemned this issue of migrant caravans and he is using it as a political tool to win more votes and to tarnish the name of the opposition which is the Democrats group. The president contends that every caravan entering the United States of America is made up of robbers, murderers and all kinds of bad people and they only come to disturb the peace of the continent. On the contrary, the immigrants argue that they are moving to America because of violence and economic hardships facing their nations. They are seeking asylum in America but they are branded as bad people because of politics.

The migrant caravans have brought new social formations in the global society as they enter the geographical region of America with a different set of meanings that in one way or another influence the residents. From the stories of the migrants traveling in caravans their last hope in America because they cannot find stability in their homes. However, they are alleged to be a security threat in America and seen as lazy people who are entering the region to fleece resources and cause social havoc. The social changes that are brought by migrant caravans include less housing facilities and increased crime rates among others. It has however been made a partisan issue because the Republicans are on one hand supporting trump who is against the illegal migration into America and on the other hand there are the Democrats supporting the migrant caravans.

The caravan consists of people who are fleeing from their home countries to seek an asylum in the United States of America. They are majorly composed of people from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. The migrants in the caravan have very rich ethnic groups with a predominant religion which is Christianity. Their culture is dominated by Latin music made of salsa, calypso, and reggae among other genres. They are active in Central American sports that are fully charged with the Olympic flame. Their countries are currently undergoing political, social and economic reforms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to note that culture is a complex term but it can be defined as an interaction between a set of meanings among different groups of people who are not limited by geographical confinement. It is, therefore, a result of spatial mobility. The migrant caravan can define the American culture as an integration of different cultures from diverse nations. The migrant caravan has however been used as a political tool, especially in the current midterm elections.

Works Cited

Gupta, Akhil, and James Ferguson, eds. Anthropological Locations: Boundaries and grounds of a field science. Univ of California Press, 1997.

Hall, Stuart, and A. King. "Old and new identities." Beyond borders: In thinking critically about global issues (2005): 167-173.

The New York times Migrant Caravan Continues North, Defying Mexico, and the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/20/world/americas/migrants-caravan-mexico.html 2018

Williams, Raymond. Keywords: A vocabulary of culture and society. Oxford University Press, 2014.