Hurricane Harvey Highlights the Immigrant Injustice

Katheryn Thayer-Pham ESPM 50AC

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Hurricane Harvey Highlights the Injustice of Undocumented Immigrants

For my creative project, I created a Tumblr Blog highlighting and promoting awareness for undocumented immigrants and the racial/socioeconomic injustices that were brought to light in the occurrence of Hurricane Harvey. I utilized the environmental disaster of Hurricane Harvey to investigate the research topic of how this natural disaster not only ostracized undocumented immigrants but also implemented cultural and racial injustices within the undocumented immigrant community. Hurricane Harvey shaped not only the physical destruction of minority groups within undocumented immigrants’ homes and the landscape of Texas, but also the physiological, social, racial, and political impracticalities brought forth to undocumented immigrants through the post-disaster effects. This blog captures through both primary and secondary sources what it is like to be an immigrant living in a place affected by an environmental disaster and how the issue of undocumented immigrants is worsening within specific minority groups such as the Latino and Mexican communities.

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The interview between Adrian Florido and Rosa Sosa, an undocumented immigrant living in fear after Hurricane Harvey which hit in 2017, portrays not only through the translation of Adrian Florido but also through her desperate tone that the aftermath of the Hurricane imposed both physical and cultural damage. Rosa Sosa represents the fear evoked in the Latino and Hispanic minority populations living in Texas. In the interview, as Adrian translates Sosa’s experiences as an undocumented immigrant living through the detrimental loss of a natural disaster, Adrian brings to light the fear of undocumented immigrants asking for help in a time of dire need. With the destroyed infrastructure to housing and many undocumented people’s homes, many immigrants are reluctant to go to the government for help in fear that they will be deported. Adrian translates Sosa’s response to Custody and Border Patrol offering help stating, "We said, what are they doing here," Ramos said, "and we all ran back home. We knew they were here to help, but there's that fear, you know, of not knowing if they're going to take you away” (Sosa 2017). Given that before Hurricane Harvey, there was a strict immigration bill passed in Texas that was supposed to be placed in effect but was halted due to the natural disaster, Sosa and the 600,0000 other immigrants without legal status were not only ineligible from gaining help from the government through FEMA but were too afraid to even approach and settled for near starvation and thus had to turn to a private organization in order to gain the help they needed.  This interview not only illuminates the destruction of a whole minority population but victimizes undocumented immigrants as true falsified climate refugees that are unable to receive help because of their legal status. The foundation of fear instilled within these people relates to how the environment, particularly natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey can deconstruct and reshape the cultural identities of people who not only work so hard to sustain basic human needs but are also those responsible for fixing the problem. It is the minority groups that help clean up the damage, but they are the least likely to receive help. Carlos Ramos ends the interview stating, “ He does know that undocumented immigrants will be a critical part of the labor force in Houston's rebuilding effort like they were after Hurricane Katrina. I'm hoping there will be a lot of work for us soon," he said, "so my family can start to rebuild." This powerful statement coincides with the idea that the minority population remains as the repeated substructure for rebuilding a community that was already disproportionately displaced to begin with.  

__________________________________________________ Works Cited:  Florido, Adrian. “Advocates Struggle To Help Undocumented Immigrants Find Relief After Harvey.” WBFO, 5 Sept. 2018, news.wbfo.org/post/advocates-struggle-help-undocumented-immigrants-find-relief-after-harvey.   Florido, Adrian. “Houston's Undocumented Residents Left Destitute And Fearful In Harvey's Wake.” NPR, NPR, 7 Sept. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/09/07/549132417/houston-s-undocumented-immigrants-left-destitute-and-fearful-in-harvey-s-wake.

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The DACA Hero (and Victim) of Hurricane Harvey

During Hurricane Harvey, one DREAMer and his friend braved flood waters to try and rescue survivors. The rescue attempt turned tragic when they drowned in an area just north of Houston.

This interview opens with a strong emphasis on the word “alien”. A term describing and implying undocumented immigrants who aren’t welcomed in the United States. The interview further describes how a fifteen-year-old boy named Alonso Guillén moved to Texas with his family and became a hero after riding a boat to save a Hurricane Harvey refugee. In doing so, the boat capsized and Alonso along with his friend died. Daca, an organization standing for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals helps support undocumented immigrants. This interview not only intertwines the ideals of a climate refugee, but also victimizes the racial minority groups of Latino communities in that they are both a victim to the destruction of natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey, but also social injustices in that they are seen as foreigners in a country they made their home. This interview shows how nature and social injustices interplay into highlighting the true racial discrepancy within minority groups. To be so “recklessly brave” during a time where one wasn’t safe, to begin with. That, with Hurricane Harvey marked a repeated event that outlined the issue of undocumented immigrants and that they too are not only climate refugees, but refugees seeking safe haven in a country they now call home. 

__________________________________________________Works Cited: 

“The DACA Hero (and Victim) of Hurricane Harvey.” NPR, NPR, 8 Sept. 2017, www.npr.org/2017/09/15/549584169/the-daca-hero-and-victim-of-hurricane-harvey. Samaha, Albert. “This DREAMer And His Friend Drowned Trying To Rescue Houston Flood Victims.” BuzzFeed News, BuzzFeed News, 5 Sept. 2017, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/albertsamaha/these-two-men-who-grew-up-undocumented-died-trying-to-save#.iu9ME0KX0Y.

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Harvey wreaks havoc on Houston's undocumented immigrants

Among the most vulnerable in a region on the mend are Houston's estimated 575,000 undocumented immigrants, the third-largest population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S.

Akin to the other primary sources, this short News segment not only shows the physical damage brought by the tragedy but also elicits an emotional appeal to pathos within those who are watching it and those who lived through Hurricane Harvey. The news segment opens with two activists; Robert Rodriguez and his son Zakary. As white males, they are offering up their time and effort by donating a mattress to a Hispanic family. Robert states that this mere act of kindness is the least one can do for a family who has lost absolutely everything. The effects brought upon minority groups due to Hurricane Harvey suffer at a much larger cost due to them already being at a disadvantage just living in the United States. This point is further evident within the news segment as the article describes,” Among the most vulnerable in a region on the mend are Houston's estimated 575,000 undocumented immigrants, the third-largest population of unauthorized immigrants in the U.S”(Madhani 2017). That is to say that the events postpone Hurricane Harvey have a huge cultural and social significance because of how a large amount of the population in Texas are undocumented immigrants. These cultural and social strains are most heavily put on those who lay vulnerable. This vulnerability hinders minority groups and undocumented immigrants from having a voice to even ask for the dire help they need and even if receiving care from government organizations such as FEMA; many fear that this will lead to government officials conducting a “round up” and eventually deporting illegal citizens. This need for a systematic change within our culture and how our government not only handles reconstruction after natural disasters but addressing a much more deeply rooted problem of illegal immigrants and racism towards minority groups of Latino and Mexican/Hispanic families is only touched upon in the light of Hurricane Harvey. In order for a change to occur, equalizing the level of socioeconomic status by aiding those who need the help the most, prioritizing one’s health over their legal status will not only create a sustainable way of recovery from natural disasters but pave a pathway where cultural and structural change can be implemented. With fear prohibiting immigrants from seeking help, they not only become a refugee to this nation but a refugee to the everchanging world around them. The severity and intensity of natural disasters will only increase as global climate change rises, but building resilience against one of the most dangerous effects of climate change by aiding vulnerable communities will not only lessen the socioeconomic gap but help to maintain a society internally.  

_________________________________________________Works Cited:

Madhani, Aamer. USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 4 Sept. 2017, www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/09/04/harvey-wreaks-havoc-houstons-undocumented-immigrants/629578001/.

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Study: More Than Half of Undocumented Immigrants Impacted by Hurricane Harvey Didn't Seek Help Out of Fear for Status - Latino USA

56 percent of those who are likely to be undocumented immigrants say they are very worried or somewhat worried that if they try to seek help.

The cultural significance represented within the affairs of the events that followed Hurricane Harvey helped to socially and economically construct the racial and minority deficits suffered by those who have suffered immigration and well as racial discrimination. This racial discrimination is not only apparent in the structural facets of racism employed towards the Latinx and Mexican minority communities, but also within the lack of resources and helps presented to those communities. A fluid theme within Hurricane Harvey is its ability to facilitate unconscious and conscious forms of structural racism in the sense that racialized institutions founded within our government lay blame towards immigrants for the United States socioeconomic status and thus according to the article it states, “According to the study, 56 percent of those who are likely to be undocumented immigrants say they are very worried or somewhat worried that if they try to seek help, they will draw attention to their own status or that of a family member” (Aponte 2018). In other words, these immigrants live in fear and the occurrence of a natural disaster worsens that inherent fear, feeding towards the stigmas and negatively portrayed perceptions “aliens” take on. 

This study addresses how several private research corporations conducted studies on the Latino minority community in particular to examine the “unique challenges” they faced in the face of a natural disaster. According to the study, “Approximately a quarter of those surveyed identified themselves as immigrants, and seven in ten of those immigrants identified as Hispanic. Meanwhile, about one in five immigrants who are legal residents worry about drawing attention to someone else’s status. About 40 percent of Texas’ overall population is Latino or Hispanic, according to the 2010 Census” (Aponte 2018). These demographics prove to the public how necessary it is for these communities to receive care amidst the legal and political turmoil. Natural disasters much like Hurricane Harvey question the public’s safety over legal rights, but in a country that was built on diversity, why turn a blind eye to those who help create a stable economy and labor force? Many “aliens” take up much of the middle and lower working classes, but when minority communities are faced with financial strain and home loss, they “experience those issues at a larger scale”(Aponte 2018). This disproportionate marginality between the resources offered to majority races and communities compared to minority races and communities are not offered. Minority communities and immigrants are offered FEMA, which only allows for short-term, no cash compensation. FEMA is subject to non-U.S. citizens and the study further implicates a mental health concern for many immigrant families who lack an “interpersonal support network”(Aponte 2018) which shouldn’t be an option, but a necessity for minority communities as they are already at a disadvantage. 

_________________________________________________Works Cited:

Aponte, Claudia Irizarry. “Study: More Than Half of Undocumented Immigrants Impacted by Hurricane Harvey Didn't Seek Help Out of Fear for Status.” Latino USA, 26 Mar. 2018, www.latinousa.org/2018/03/26/hurricaneharveystudy/. Wu, Bryan, et al. “Hurricane Harvey: The Experiencesof Immigrants Living in the TexasGulf Coast .” Latinousa.org, Kaiser Family Foundation, Mar. 2018, www.latinousa.org/2018/03/26/hurricaneharveystudy/.

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Hurricane Harvey Drove Houston's Undocumented Population Further Underground

Many immigrants have been hesitant to reach out for help, fearing potential consequences.

This article further demonstrates how natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey implemented the social and cultural issues present within our nation. In the article Mark Grandich states, “They are the perfect victims. It’s so easy to take advantage of them. You have to be able to fight for your rights, and people who aren’t documented often don’t have that ability.” Putting those who are already disadvantaged, especially those who face racial discrimination such as the Latino and Hispanic communities are impacted much more harshly than those who don’t have to fight for their human rights and have the privilege of belonging to a country that makes them feel wanted. As an undocumented immigrant suffering from losing everything due to a natural disaster such as Hurricane Harvey, one lacks the resources necessary to regain one’s life and lives in fear that if they risk giving their information out, immigration officers will deport them. The issue is giving these immigrants the reassurance that they need in order to feel safe to ask for help poses the issue of how conservatives, much like our President are blinded by the idea that these people don’t belong. 

__________________________________________________Work Cited: Kriel, Lomi, and Roque Planas. “Hurricane Harvey Drove Houston's Undocumented Population Further Underground.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 4 June 2018, www.huffpost.com/entry/hurricane-harvey-houston-undocumented_n_59f22b98e4b03cd20b804b2c?guccounter=1.