This picture is of students who are illegal immigrates students in America. I feel that this picture says everything that the speeches said. These students broke their silence and after they felt unlawful immigration laws had been passed. They instead of remaining silent, they spoke out against the government even though they could be removed from the country.
I feel that this compares most with Martin Luther King, Jr.'s speech “Letter from Birmingham Jail”. I feel this way because Martin Luther King, Jr. and other blacks were considered as immigrants in a country that they were born, but still were not accepted as American citizens even though they had been born in America. They were always judged and stereotyped based on their skin color not by the character that each of them possessed.
Today anyone who is stopped for a legitimate reason can be asked to show proof that they legally can be in America. I feel that this is not something that is fair, but I also do not like the fact that people are here that are not supposed to be here, but also America makes it extremely difficult to become a citizen here and I understand why many people are here illegally.
I think that these students standing up to the government and breaking their silence is what is going to change the world. If Martin Luther King, Jr. had remained silent who knows what would have happened, maybe we would been segregated even longer than it was. If people do not speak up no one will know what is bothering some one. When you say nothing, nothing can be done. Yes, you can speak with your actions, but that can only go so far. These students are risking their life here in America because they have been taught what is just and what is unjust and are willing to fight in what they believe, which has been the American way since the beginning.
I think in a few years that the actions that these students have done will pay off. I feel that the world is going to accept Mexicans more and not always stereotype them as illegal immigrants. We all know we are guilty of stereotyping. When they cannot speak English we all assume they are illegal immigrants or were once illegal immigrants. I just think it is funny how people here have such a huge problem with immigrants when all of us in some point of our ancestry were immigrants legal or illegal. Many people have a problem with illegal immigrants because they say they take jobs away from people here that are supposed to be here, but lets be honest the illegal immigrants are willing to work harder and for less than most Americans will. I could never imagine in working in the conditions that many of the workers work in. I never thought the law would allow for people to just ask for their green card, but I think with the students speaking up and fighting against this law would allow for the times to change as they did once before for African Americans, but now it will change for Mexican Americans.
Stereotyping is a very hard habit to break, and unfortunately I take part in it just as everybody else does. I want that to change though, I don't want to look at a Hispanic person who can't speak English and assume they are an illegal immigrant, it's not right. I agree that these kids are standing up in a similar way that MLK Jr. did when it came to getting right for himself and his fellow African Americans. This kids are willing to risk their life in the United States to speak out against what they feel is mistreatment of their people. Like you I think that some of the immigration laws or procedures can be a bit extreme, but I don't really care for having illegal immigrants here too. I don't know why but for some reason I just think to myself, yes the immigration process is long and hard, but going through it properly makes you a better person I guess. Anyways I agree that these kids are doing a bold but right thing to do; speaking out is what needs to be done, if they don't who will?
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