Abbie Gumpright

Professor James Phillips

English 170- 22

Survey Summary and Response

     After learning about refugees and the struggles they face on a daily basis, I conducted a survey focusing on the lives of refugees and immigrants and whether or not they are given fair opportunities in life. I asked twelve college freshmen, seven from SUNY New Paltz and five other university students, questions regarding their personal connections to refugees and immigrants, their knowledge on the topic, and their idea of equal rights and the American Dream. I constructed the ten question survey on September 1, 2020 and gave respondents until September 5, 2020 to answer the questions to their best ability. I introduced the survey by differentiating between refugees and immigrants. A refugee is defined as a person who is forced to leave their country in order to avoid danger while an immigrant is defined as a person who chooses to live permanently in another foreign country. It is important that the audience knows the difference between the two so that they can answer the questions to their fullest extent. I struggled the most with constructing open-ended questions because I wanted them to produce meaningful answers that could add to my findings. The questions I finally constructed were successful and the respondents gave valuable feedback. 

     Some of the results I received from the survey were alarming while others were expected. It is important to keep in mind that only 50% of the respondents claim that they are “somewhat” educated on our current immigration policy. This may hinder results because respondents are uneducated on the topic and may be unsure of their answers. However, with the information I gathered, 92% of the respondents agreed that refugees are treated poorly, which was anticipated considering our current political situation (Fig. 1). One outcome I found alarming was that over half of the respondents argued that refugees and immigrants have “somewhat” quality access to rights such as education and job opportunities. On the other hand, 100% of the respondents agreed that opportunities given to refugees and immigrants are not equal to those born in the United States. These results lead me to believe that the respondents feel as though refugees and immigrants are given “somewhat” quality access to opportunities, but not equal to those born in the United States. This makes me wonder if the respondents suppose it is justified that those born in the United States are given more opportunities than refugees and immigrants. 

     I was pleasantly surprised with the answers I received from the open-ended questions, specifically the question asking to define the American Dream and if it applies to today’s immigrants. Most of the respondents describe the American Dream as an opportunity for those who started with nothing to have access to jobs and an education that will help them reach their goals and be successful. I was intrigued by one of the anonymous answers that stated that the American Dream is not present in the views of most immigrants because many are still searching for a safer place to live and a job that pays fairly. This contradicts the idea of the American Dream because immigrants come to America in search of jobs, only to find that they are not given equal opportunities to work which makes it difficult for them to succeed. I was also able to conclude that majority of the respondents believe that immigrants and refugees may feel as though America is unwelcoming and intimidating due to the current political climate. The results I collected from this survey were very eye opening for me. They allowed me to gain new knowledge and opinions that I would have never considered on my own. Overall, my findings from this sample affirmed that refugees and immigrants are not given quality opportunities and that they are not able to live their lives to the fullest potential.

 

Appendix
1) Do you know someone personally who is a refugee? (Yes, No)
2) Do you feel as though you are educated on our current immigration policy? (Yes, No, Somewhat)
3) Do you think refugees are treated…. (Poorly, Fairly, Excellent)
4) Do you think immigrants and refugees have quality access to rights such as education and
job opportunities? (Yes, No, Somewhat)
5) Do you believe the process to become an American citizen is fair? (Yes, No, Somewhat)
6) Do you think different people from different countries are treated the same? (Yes, No,
Maybe)
7) Where do you think most immigrants in the United States come from? (Mexico, India,
China, Venezuela)
8) Do you think the opportunities given to immigrants and refugees are equal to those born
in the United States? (Yes, No, Other)
9) What is your idea of the “American Dream” and do you think it applies to today’s
immigrants?
10) What do you think American political climate is like from the perspective of
immigrants/refugees?

 

 

Interview/Survey PPT

Refugee and Immigrant Survey Presentation

 

 

 

 

Rhetorical Analysis Essay

     It is hard to believe that many people today are still unaware of what is happening with the global refugee crisis. Although many argue that they stay up to date on current news, it is hard to truly understand what is happening to others when you are not experiencing it yourself. It is also safe to say that a limited amount of people are actively supporting societies that help refugees because they are uneducated on the topic of the global refugee crisis. Jessica Therkelsen, writer of  “A Global Perspective on the Modern Perils of Seeking Asylum,” published in 2019, successfully uses anecdotal evidence, formal diction and pathos to persuade the reader to provide assistance in helping refugees and asylum seekers achieve their basic human rights. 

     First, she explains what is currently happening in the refugee crisis to give her audience a bit of background information. Therkelsen is the director of Legal Protection at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), which aids her credibility because she is knowledgeable on the topic of refugees and immigrants. She then goes on to describe the history of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and what they have done to help refugees. Then, the author tells the story of a young man from Syria to give the audience a real life example of what refugees go through and to build empathy. She follows up with some more recent examples and statistics pertaining to refugees in the world today. Next, she touches upon the abuse that refugees and asylum seekers face. Finally, she ends the article by reiterating her main point, that HAIS and other organizations need more help in finding safety for refugees and asylum seekers.

     Therkelsen begins her article with an up-to-date anecdote that states that while Turkey opened up its borders to millions of refugees into Europe, the United States federal court simultaneously, “blocked a cruel policy of forcing 60,000 asylum seekers to wait for American asylum processing in Mexico, causing confusion and crowds at the southern border” (Therkelsen). This number illustrates how major developed countries respond to the global refugee issue and are less eager to help asylum seekers find safety. It also allows for the reader to be given a specific number that they can envision in order for them to gain a better understanding. She uses anecdotes as a way to gain credibility and alert her audience that she has done the required research necessary to speak upon the topic. Therkelsen also utilizes anecdotal evidence to support HIAS and give the reader an idea of how they have served immigrants and refugees. The author states that, “last year, HIAS directly served nearly 750,000 people worldwide through a variety of rights-focused services” (Therkelsen). This anecdote strengthens her argument by demonstrating to the audience how HIAS has made an impact on the lives of refugees and asylum seekers, which makes them more likely to continue doing so in the future. This persuades the reader to support HIAS and provide them with the resources they need in order to do their job successfully.

     Throughout her article, Therkelsen also uses formal diction to make her appear credible and knowledgeable. In regards to the abuse that refugees and asylum seekers go through during their journey to safety, Therkelsen claims that, “for asylum seekers, the impact is horrifying and the avalanche of evidence of appalling conditions seems to do little to reverse government policies” (Therkelsen). This being said, the reader is informed of the abuses that asylum seekers face and how the government does very little to stop them. This information may evoke anger or other emotions that convince the reader to provide extra support to organizations such as HIAS. Therkelsen also chooses to use inclusive words such as “we and us” to inform the reader that they can make an impact on the crisis. One strong statement she uses at the end of the article is, “none of us can do this work alone” (Therkelsen). While the word choice in this statement is rather simple, it gets straight to the point and coaxes the reader to assist HIAS because the author claims that nothing will change if they are not given more support. There is a strong link between the writer’s word choice and the emotional effect it can have on the audience. Therkelsen most likely chooses to use formal diction to appeal to a more mature audience that can provide the help and assistance that she is looking for. It is also safe to say that she uses inclusive pronouns to make the audience feel like their help is needed in order to achieve the goal of basic human rights for asylum seekers. 

     In addition to Therkelson’s word choice, the audience is persuaded by her utilization of pathos and ability to appeal to the reader’s emotions. This appeal is greatly impacted by the author’s word choice because the diction she chooses to use evokes different emotions from the reader. The topics Therkelsen chooses to speak about also impact her claim and the emotions felt by the reader. For example, Therkelsen touches upon the amounts of torture that children go through when migrating. She expresses that children are separated from their parents at the border, which causes chaos. Therkelsen also states that, “conditions of child detention are reported by attorneys to be deplorable, with overcrowding, lack of access to sanitation, and children caring for other younger children” (Therkelsen). She emphasizes that children are in danger and suffering in order to cause concern within the audience. Her intentions are to make the audience feel bad for the children so that they are more likely to help assist organizations that work to help asylum seekers. Therkelsen’s choice to touch upon children may relate to her intended audience. She writes this article with the intention that adults who can help HIAS, and other organizations supporting refugees, will provide their support. With this in mind, members of the audience may have kids of their own whom they would be devastated if anything ever happened to. Therefore, bringing attention to kids in danger may motivate them to help HIAS and its partners through advocating, speaking out about the issue and donating their money or time. Therkelsen also appeals to pathos when she tells the story of Ahmed, a young man from Syria who was forced out of his country to seek safety from violence and persecution. She claims that, “every day, HIAS and our like-minded colleagues go to work to represent individuals like Ahmed who have had to leave their home countries and face impossible challenges” (Therkelsen). This makes the reader more inclined to support HIAS because they are given an example of someone who HIAS has helped during a devastating and challenging time. She also goes on to explain how difficult their job is. She does not do this to seek pity from the audience, but rather to encourage them to assist HIAS in supporting individuals like Ahmed who are facing extreme difficulties.

     Although Therkelsen makes very valid points, the fact that she works for HIAS may make her bias towards their organization. Some may argue that she only makes these claims to support HIAS so that her job can gain money and supporters. However, Therkelsen gives strong, reliable evidence that forces the reader to believe her ideas to be true. She uses her background at HIAS to elaborate on her ideas with knowledgeable answers rather than to boast about her position. Finally, she offers alternatives to the reader that HIAS would not benefit from such as helping other refugee support organizations, highlighting the global refugee crisis with others, and speaking up for refugees and immigrants.

     Overall, Therkelsen effectively persuades her audience to provide assistance in helping refugees and asylum seekers achieve their basic human rights through the use of anecdotal evidence, formal diction and pathos in her article, “A Global Perspective on the Modern Perils of Seeking Asylum.” The audience is overwhelmed with evidence and elaborations within Therkelsen’s article which allows them to gain knowledge about the refugee crisis, thus leading them to be more inclined to help. The more people learn about the torturous treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, the more likely people will be to offer support to organizations such as HIAS that work to help refugees and asylum seekers. 

 

Works Cited
Therkelsen, Jessica. “A Global Perspective on the Modern Perils of Seeking Asylum.” Human Rights, vol. 45, no. 2, Sept. 2019, p. 8.