DBQs Completed In Class
To build our writing skills and develop our ability to work with documents, the students produce a number of teacher created DBQs in class. These get both peer and teacher feedback in the writing process. A few samples of work below from our immigration unit. These DBQs formed the basis for their prepared speeches during our Model Congress.
Task - Write a DBQ arguing one side of the modern debate over immigration (This was preparation for our Model Congress)
Student 1 - Democratic Senator
America is a nation built of immigrants. Since its founding, people from all over the world have moved to America seeking for freedom and opportunities. At the beginning, America has welcomed all of those who wanted to come to the United States. But as time passed, more and more immigrants are coming to America, making our country overpopulated. Then America starts controlling the flow of immigrants moving to the United States every year. These days, Republicans and Democrats had different perspectives about immigration. Both sides hope to help America to live to its ideals, but with different point of views, its hard to do this. We should let more immigrants to come to the United States since America is the land of the free. As for illegal immigrants, we should help them get legal status and lead them on to the path of citizenship.
The United States should welcome immigrants for many reasons. In document 2, it states that according to economists, study after study has shown that immigrants has numerous of positive effects on our country, they grow the economy by expanding demand for goods and services that the foreign- born workers and their families consume and moreover, creating jobs. This proves that while immigrants many push down the wages for our country, its effect increase the average wages for American- born workers. In addition, in document 6, Governor Bill Richardson oppose the immigration bill because it placed too great a burden on immigrants- tearing apart families that wanted to settle in the United States. How can we be so crucial and separate families apart? Imagine that your family got separated. We should be more caring and let the immigrants to come to this great country. America has become a safe home for many of these people who are not given a chance to live happily in their countries.
Millions of people living in the United States are undocumented. Many of them snuck over the border while some others came but never return when they were supposed to. They all came for a reason and we should help these undocumented immigrants as much as we can. First, we should help them have a path towards legal status. As document 7 stated, “legalization is important for our national security”. Legalization is important for our economy prosperity and families. We can’t deport undocumented parents of millions of American children. It’s just too extreme. Additionally, immigrants came to America to escape problems in their own country and they try their best to make a better life for their children. As document 8 shows, many immigrants were lining up in front of stands that says “free education”, “jobs”, and “free health care”. They are all seeking for opportunities. We should help these people rather than try to deport them. We should also allow them to gain citizenship so they can get all of the rights and privileges of other citizens. America is the land of opportunity and it should help all people have opportunity.
Some people, like the Republicans, thinks that immigrants take away American jobs. They said that the foreigners had cause unemployment among the American workers. However, there’s not much evidence to this argument. As document 3 classified, “if there were fewer immigrants, there would be more jobs for Americans”. In fact, immigrants only take jobs Americans don’t want themselves. Many jobs were majority native-born. The immigrants only do the hard jobs while the Americans gets the better jobs. Even though new immigrants take jobs, they also create them. Their purchase increase the demand for labor, leading to new hires roughly equal in number to the immigrant workers. America must start to abandon their suspicions and recognize that our lives are enhanced by immigrants creating, not taking, U.S. jobs.
Immigrants is the the issue we should be dealing with aside from anything else. We should let more immigrants to come to this country since America is the land of the free. We should also be thinking about what to do with the illegal immigrants. We have to help them get amnesty and guide them on to the path of citizenship. We should welcome them if immigrants wants to come. Immigrants doesn’t harm the country, they help our country and grow our economy. In order for the United States to live up to its ideals, it must help all people whether or not they are citizens.
Student 2 - Democratic Senator
From the beginning of the industrial revolution to the times of new technology, America has become a nation that continues to improve the life of its citizens everyday. Built by the contributions of immigrants, they make the United States more diverse. Ever since the founding of America, waves and waves of immigrants came into our country from all around the world. They came looking for freedom and opportunity, hoping to find a better life. They wanted to escape life in their home country and to begin with a brand new start. Immigrants should be welcomed into the United States and should be given a chance to thrive in our country. That way, they can start living the life they came here for.
To begin with, many immigrants and their families came to the United States for a great number of reasons whether it was legally or illegally. Some came to escape dangerous and life-threatening situations in their country. Others came in hope of finding a place where their family could live happily and peacefully without having to worry about economic, cultural, or political issues. In Document 8 shows that many illegal immigrants came to America to find a better paying job that can support their family. In addition, others came to get a better and free education as well as for the free health care we provide in the U.S. Studies also show that immigrants have come to benefit our country and its economy. As shown in Document 2, most economists and other experts think that immigrants have been constantly growing our economy. They increase our demand for goods and services that foreign born workers and their families use. This creates more jobs and raises the average wages for American-born workers.
As huge numbers of legal immigrants came into America (we’re talking millions and billions of people), so did many illegal immigrants. One example would be people from countries like Mexico and Central/South America. Over 50 percent of the immigrants coming from Mexico and other unknown/not reported countries are illegal immigrants as shown in Document 1. With over millions of illegal immigrants, deportation is not the answer. Are we really going to deport 3.5 million American children just because they have undocumented parents? As shown in document 7, legalization is a great way to deal with the issue of illegal immigration. By providing a road to citizenship for these illegal immigrants, we can strengthen our national security. It also contributes to our economic prosperity.
Some may argue that if there were fewer immigrants in America, there would be more jobs available for citizens that were born here. According to Document 3, it shows that majority of the people for jobs are native-born. For example, 71 percent of porters, bellhops, and concierges as well as 65 percent of grounds maintenance workers are all native born. However, from the look of the experience from Potato farmer Keith Smith, it seems like even if Americans take the job, they don’t fulfill the task well at all. They are just not able to produce the amazing quality of work made by immigrants. Based on Document 4, when farmer Smith hired Americans because most of his Hispanic workers had to leave due to Alabama’s tough immigration law, things didn’t work out very well. To begin with, they usually show up late and work slower than seasoned farm hands. They would be ready to call it a day by lunch and some would even just quit after a single day. “I’ve had people calling me wanting to work,” Smith said. “I haven’t turned any of them down, but they’re not any good. It’s hard work, they just don’t work like the Hispanics with experience.” Without the immigrants we have in our country, the agriculture we have probably wouldn’t be as prosperous as it is now. Americans are just not willing to work such ‘backbreaking and low-paying jobs’.
In conclusion, we need to provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Instead of trying to accomplish the unrealistic idea of deporting millions and millions of people back to their country, we should focus on legalizing these undocumented immigrants. They have come to benefit our country in so many ways. It’s about time we give them a fair and equal chance to actually be part of our country.
Student 3 - Republican Senator (Bilingual Student)
“Everywhere I travel throughout Eastern Washington, I hear from people demanding we do a better job of controlling our borders and reducing illegal immigration.” Cathy McMorris said, a congresswoman who is working to keep the American Dream alive. There is over 12 million people currently live in the United States without permission. They are willing to break the law to come here and push down the wages for Americans. As a republican, I will like to limit the immigration and stop the immigrants come in to our country illegally.
The United States should limit immigration for many different reasons. According to document 8, people sneak into the United States illegally for free education and jobs. Even though they get jobs in the United States but lots of them do not pay the tax as the citizens but the United States provides free high-education for their children who born in the United States. No doubt, this costs a lot of states’ money. Second, if the immigrants enter this country illegally, that means they are breaking the law. But, if they are willing to break the law to come here, then they are willing to break other laws. (Document 9) Some of the illegal immigrants are drug traffickers. Drug use in America is a huge problem. If we allow the drug smugglers come into our country, the American society will also suffer because of drug use. According to the document 6, we should not deport the illegals back because the bill is not “compassionate”, but if we compassionate to them, will those drug traffickers be compassionate to American teens and stop selling drugs in our country?
We should strengthen the border military to stop the illegal immigration. First, there were about 60% of illegal immigrants in our country were came from Mexico. (Document 1) That means the border to Mexico is not strong enough to keep them out of our country. They will try to sneak in again if we deport them. There are about 9,000-12,000 immigrants sneak into the country illegally. Deport them is just a way to cost more money. Furthermore, lots of them get into the prison because they try to sneak in the country too many times. The government needs to bear the expensive engineering-fees to build the prison in order to contain the illegals. If we do not strengthen the border military, what is happening now is going to continue and getting worse.
Democrats think illegals should not be deported, they could not be more wrong. For example, they think the immigration bill is not compassionate because it will tear the immigrant families apart. (Document 6) The view is totally incorrect because the illegals break the law in the first place. The “victim” is the United States but not them. Also, those illegals should aware the result of them, they should notice that one day their families will be separate apart if they are having offspring in the United States. However, they are still having children in our country. That means they are not compassionate for themselves and their children! The second example is some democrats think that the effect of immigrants on the economy is to increase average wages for American-born workers. (Document 2) This view is incorrect because the only benefits for Americans are those American-born employers. Just like “more demand less supply”, if there are more people contend for the job, the wage will be lower. That is only benefit for the employers and the immigrants because the immigrants can get a job and the employers save a lot of money. The victims are American employees because the wages are too low for them. It is clear that the illegals are not benefit for our country and we must deport them.
The illegal immigrants are pushing down the wages for the Americans. We must stop them first in order to achieve our ideals. Also, white people are the “earliest illegals”(document 5), look what happen to them now? They own the beautiful lands. To all the white people: If we do not stop the illegals now, the illegals might replace you a hundred-years later!
The United States should limit immigration for many different reasons. According to document 8, people sneak into the United States illegally for free education and jobs. Even though they get jobs in the United States but lots of them do not pay the tax as the citizens but the United States provides free high-education for their children who born in the United States. No doubt, this costs a lot of states’ money. Second, if the immigrants enter this country illegally, that means they are breaking the law. But, if they are willing to break the law to come here, then they are willing to break other laws. (Document 9) Some of the illegal immigrants are drug traffickers. Drug use in America is a huge problem. If we allow the drug smugglers come into our country, the American society will also suffer because of drug use. According to the document 6, we should not deport the illegals back because the bill is not “compassionate”, but if we compassionate to them, will those drug traffickers be compassionate to American teens and stop selling drugs in our country?
We should strengthen the border military to stop the illegal immigration. First, there were about 60% of illegal immigrants in our country were came from Mexico. (Document 1) That means the border to Mexico is not strong enough to keep them out of our country. They will try to sneak in again if we deport them. There are about 9,000-12,000 immigrants sneak into the country illegally. Deport them is just a way to cost more money. Furthermore, lots of them get into the prison because they try to sneak in the country too many times. The government needs to bear the expensive engineering-fees to build the prison in order to contain the illegals. If we do not strengthen the border military, what is happening now is going to continue and getting worse.
Democrats think illegals should not be deported, they could not be more wrong. For example, they think the immigration bill is not compassionate because it will tear the immigrant families apart. (Document 6) The view is totally incorrect because the illegals break the law in the first place. The “victim” is the United States but not them. Also, those illegals should aware the result of them, they should notice that one day their families will be separate apart if they are having offspring in the United States. However, they are still having children in our country. That means they are not compassionate for themselves and their children! The second example is some democrats think that the effect of immigrants on the economy is to increase average wages for American-born workers. (Document 2) This view is incorrect because the only benefits for Americans are those American-born employers. Just like “more demand less supply”, if there are more people contend for the job, the wage will be lower. That is only benefit for the employers and the immigrants because the immigrants can get a job and the employers save a lot of money. The victims are American employees because the wages are too low for them. It is clear that the illegals are not benefit for our country and we must deport them.
The illegal immigrants are pushing down the wages for the Americans. We must stop them first in order to achieve our ideals. Also, white people are the “earliest illegals”(document 5), look what happen to them now? They own the beautiful lands. To all the white people: If we do not stop the illegals now, the illegals might replace you a hundred-years later!