Immigrants in the Homeless Community

Immigrants in the Homeless Community

The “Tattooed Soldier” written by Hector Tobar uses Antonio the main character to show hardships immigrants face when migrating to the United States of America. Just like most immigrants, Antonio and Jose Juan migrate to the United States of America, to be able to provide a better life for those loved ones they left behind in their native lands and because in Antonio’s case he is running away from violence. Others flee their countries, because the economy is horrible, the corrupted governments take advantage of them and even the wars are affecting their lives. In the novel, Antonio leaves Guatemala and migrates to Los Angeles due to the war going on in Guatemala. Guatemalan soldiers killed his wife Elena, a revolutionist and son Carlos. Guillermo Longoria is a retired sergeant from Guatemala, who killed Elena. Longoria was dragged into the army one day from a movie theatre, his mom had sent him on an errand to buy soap and to come right back. But, he decided to watch a movie he had wanted to watch instead, where the Guatemalan army broke in to take children, teenagers, and men to participate in the war. Antonio faces many situations when he migrates to the United States, while fleeing the war; discrimination, from losing his family to becoming homeless in a community he is not accustomed too. Antonio and Jose Juan are evicted from the apartment they rented together the men become homeless and end up living in a parking lot in the middle of downtown Los Angeles, searching for necessities. They learn to accommodate to the homeless life. This scenery is not a complicated image to picture because of the increasing level of people becoming homeless and squatters now a day. Homelessness is becoming a problem each and everyday in which is known to be the country of opportunities, the United States. Homeless people roam the streets and parks each and everyday some stereotypes are that they are drug addicts others lunatics. What is some hardships immigrants face when migrating and becoming homeless?

Antonio migrates to the United States where he meets Jose Juan a Mexican man in search of giving his family back home a more luxurious lifestyle. Soon enough, Jose Juan and Antonio become good friends and roommates. When they have no more money to pay the rent to their Korean landlord, Antonio and Jose Juan are evicted and left homeless. This is no coincidence to immigrants on the search of the “American Dream”. The “American Dream” is a vision created over the years especially to non-US citizens. Many come with this in mind for example, “Griselda Ramos, 33, came to the United States from Mexico with the dream of sending money home to Mexico to care for her son. Instead she has been homeless for five years.” (Rivera 1). Immigrants believe all Americans have a decent sized home, that they own, with a white picket fence, a family of their own, and a well paying job. When in reality, not even US citizens are making the dream reality. The Institute for the Study of Homelessness and Poverty at the Weingart Center state “an estimated 254,000 men, women and children experience homelessness in Los Angeles County during some part of the year and approximately 82,000 people are homeless on any given night. Unaccompanied youth, especially in the Hollywood area, are estimated to make up from 4,800 to 10,000 of these.”

Jose Juan and Antonio meet all types of people undergoing the same situation as them, basically just trying to survive one day at a time, without a stable shelter. Women, men, children, teenagers, elders, drug addicts, all races, and immigrants all are a part of the homeless community.

All races make up the homeless community, “African Americans are hugely disproportionate in an over-all census of the homeless population. 50% of the LA county homeless population is classified as African American compared with only 9% of county residents falling under the same ethnic category. Latinos come in second representing 33% of the homeless and 47% of actual residents. Coming in at a distant third are those falling under the White classification, with 14% homeless and 30% resident. The least dominating ethnic group in the Homeless population is Asians and Pacific Islander, making up only 2% of the homeless and 12% of the overall residential population.” (Reagan 2). Immigrants do make up a large percentage of the homeless in certain locations, “More than a third of Toronto's homeless are immigrants, many falling through the cracks due to a lack of jobs and housing.” (Keung 1). Antonio and Jose Juan reside in Los Angeles when they do not have a permanent home, where more than half of the adult population are not citizens, the Los Angeles Almanac states, “About 14 to 18 percent of homeless adults in Los Angeles County are not U.S. citizens compared with 29% of adults overall.”

“Instant Shelter”, Antonio beats up a man who tries to steal their belongings; Antonio believed that by beating this homeless man up he gained manhood. Frank is a black man who lives on the lot; Jose Juan and Antonio choose to reside in while being homeless. Frank tells Antonio where the water they use is and how he used to live in skid row. Skid row is in Los Angeles; it is approximately fifty blocks and is known for homeless people residing there, “Informal population estimates range from 7,000 to 8,000.” (Fuder 1). Immigrants who are homeless face many stereotypes, such, as they cannot have a permanent job because they are alcoholics, drug addicts, and/or prostitutes. Griselda Ramos, a homeless immigrant states “There are times when I go up to three days without eating. Most people are afraid of you, because they think we are all drug addicts or we are going to try and rob them. I’ve seen the worst, but I don’t take drugs; I’m not a prostitute; and I’ve never robbed anyone. I just want a chance.” (Rivera 1).

At times, it is embarrassing for immigrants who come to the United States of America to prosper but do not accomplish that. For example, Jose Antonio lies to a family friend claiming he earns fifteen dollars an hour and owns a Chevy and his very own condominium, “I’ve been working in a machine shop, I’m making so much money, ‘mano, it’s embarrassing. I shouldn’t tell you, but I know you’ll get it out of me eventually. Fifteen dollars an hour! Can you believe it? I still can’t. I’m in the union, though, so they take out a little chunk for that. Plus, the payments on the Chevy and the rent for my condominio aren’t cheap either. You know how it is. You come to this country and you make lots of money, but somehow you end up spending it all.” (Tobar 69). Jose Juan did not want to tell his friend he had no job, no car, no money, no home, because then the purpose of coming to America would be defeated. “For many of Hispanic homeless, their pride and the dreams of those they left behind, won’t let them return home empty handed.” (Rivera 2). It almost seems mandatory that the person who migrates to the states return with money, luxurious items, or some sort of positive outcome for the family in the native land. From personal experience, my father ALWAYS feels he is responsible to send money to his family in El Salvador, just because the economy is a little better in the USA than in El Salvador. His family also knows that they have a backup if they are ever in need of anything because when they are in need of money, they know they can call my dad to lend them or give them money for their necessities.

Immigration definitely has its ups and downs, migrating is a huge step in someone’s life, and takes a lot of courage and though. Immigrants must think of the worst possible situations that may happen when coming to the United States. Such as, will I make it? Will I find a job or home? Will my situation be worse than the one I am currently living in? Homelessness is definitely something that can happen when people migrate to the United States of America. The USA may seem like a fantasy world for some, but it really is not. It takes courage and will to survive in a country like this.

Works Cited

Tobar, Hector. The Tattooed Soldier. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998. Print.

The Tattooed Soldier by Hector Tobar gave me a lot of perspective on how homeless people survive, especially in downtown Los Angeles.

Vitullo-Martin, Julia. "Homeless in America." Manhatten Institute for Policy Research (2007). Web. 26 Oct. 2009.

This journal informed me about statistics that homeless men fit under, such as how 10 percent are mentally ill, alcoholics, and drug addicts.

Keung, Nicholas "One-Third of Homeless in City are Immigrants." Thestar.com. Web. 24 Oct. 2009

This article is about a study the St. Michael’s Hospital performed they surveyed about 1,189 homeless people in shelters and on meal programs across Toronto and found that thirty-two percent were immigrants. This study helped me on my to figure out the demographics of homelessness and which race is has the highest rate of being homeless.

Rivera, Selene "Homeless Immigrants Suffer Vanishing Dreams." newamericamedia.org Web. 30 Oct. 2009.

Rivera’s essay let me find out more about the homeless in Los Angeles, which helped me analyze Jose Juan and Antonio’s situation, because they resided in los Angeles when they got evicted.