Book Talk- The Book Thief- Markus Zusak

The Book Thief takes place during World War II, specifically in Germany. The main character, Liesel, became a foster child when her mother could not take care of her or her brother anymore. On the way to their new home, her brother has a cough attack and dies in the snow. Now Liesel is left alone as she arrives to her new home. Her foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubberman, were delighted to see her arrival. As the first couple of days pass in her new home, Liesel experiences nightmares every single night to the point where Hans has to sleep with her in order to comfort her. She also meets her best friend Rudy Steiner while playing soccer in the streets with all the other kids from town. Liesel becomes fascinated by books even though she can't read. Hans teaches Liesel how to read every night that she wakes up from her nightmares. One night, Max, a Jewish civilian, arrives at their home because he was told by his best friend who was hiding him before that Hans would be able to hide him as well because he could no longer do it. Max was sent to live in the basement so that no one from the outside would be able to see him in the house. Max and Liesel become very close friends throughout the months that he stays with them. Hans made a terrible mistake to feed a Jew in the streets and later thinks that the government would come to his house and search for a Jew in his home. He tells Max that he has to leave for a while but he would go back and get him once the government came to his home. They never showed up and when Hans went back to look for him, Max had left and with that, left a note thanking them for everything they had done for him.


My opinion in the beginning when I first saw the book, I thought it was too long and that I would get bored of it. Once I dove into the reading, I couldn't stop. The suspense that the book contains really keeps you interested. This is probably the longest book I have ever read and I don't regret it. The book really keeps you attached and if you like books about the Holocaust and of WWII, then I assure you you'd like this one. It's not the boring type that just gives you information but it has a story to it. The ending is emotional but it's really worth reading.

Works Cited

Works Cited

“Illegal Immigration is a Crime.” FAIR. N.p., Mar. 2005. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://www.fairus.org/‌site/‌News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16663&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007>.

“Immigration Direct.” Immigration Direct. N.p., 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2010. http://www.immigrationdirect.com/‌blog/‌2010/‌01/‌apply-now-or-wait-the-economics-of-filing-an-application-for-u-s-citizenship/.

Manry, Kaitlin. “Putting A Face On Illegal Immigrants .” Los Angeles Times. N.p., 23 July 2010. Web. 26 Oct. 2010. <http://articles.latimes.com/‌2010/‌jul/‌23/‌opinion/‌la-oe-manry-immigration-20100723>.

Immigration Paper

          Immigration has been part of my life since the day I was born. My family had emigrated here from Mexico about forty years ago. The purpose of my grandfather’s journey to the U.S., particularly Chicago, was because he wanted his family to have endless opportunities. He wanted to support my family and give them what they deserved. This is where the business began. He opened a Mexican restaurant with his brother in order to save up enough money to bring his family over. One by one, my aunts, uncles, mom, and grandmother arrived. They all worked and helped at the restaurant upon arriving. To this day, they are still working in the business or have opened their own restaurants. As years passed, each and every one of my family members became citizens and are all now legal citizens. This is a great example of immigrants that are here for a purpose; for a chance to start new. No one is a “real” citizen of the U.S. except for the Native Americans. If you look back far enough, to when Columbus landed on the New World, Native Americans had already settled here. Technically, everyone is an immigrant. So how does one immigrant tell another they are not allowed? My opinion against immigration is open border policy.

            Immigrants want to attain a job in the U.S. because they get paid more even though to others, it’s barely anything. Compared to what they receive in their home countries, it’s definitely worth traveling. They want their families to have a better and safer life. Immigrants work hard and do the dirty jobs that Americans don’t wish to take. They bust their backs and can’t afford to miss a day of work. The fact that they push away hard working human beings is demeaning. I do agree that there are a few bad apples in the tree but it doesn’t mean that every single apple is. Many Americans are angry that immigrants are taking their jobs away from them. ”Illegal immigrants desperate for any job unfairly depresses the wages and working conditions offered to American workers, hitting hardest at minority workers and those without high school degrees,”(Illegal Immigration). The articles states that illegal immigrants are working with a very small wage and it’s straining to the Americans. They obviously want a better wage then what they’re working for and companies won’t hire them. They know they could find any immigrant to work for a small amount. Truth is, many citizens don’t even want the jobs because some are dirty. Owners of companies know that immigrants wouldn’t miss a day of work because they can’t afford it.

            Going back to hundreds of years ago, not every one was or is a “real” citizen. If you really look back at your family tree, you could see it. Somehow, everyone arrived from different countries at one point. What about Columbus that came from Europe? Since then, many have migrated to the U.S. Everyone has a background of different ethnicities so no one can really say they’re citizens. So how does that make one immigrant tell another to get out of the country? If they had the opportunity to come here and start a life and later on become citizens legally, then so should immigrants who are trying to come into our land now. Opposing sides may say that they all did it legally and are now full citizens. They paid their dues and are now legal. Immigrants are now working hard in order to raise enough money to pay for all the legal papers they need in order to become citizens. It is a costly transition that they need to overcome. But if they come from countries that are poor and they can’t raise enough money, then how can they pull through? “In 1990 the US citizenship application fee was $90. Today the US citizenship application fee is $695. That’s six hundred and ninety-five dollars,” (Immigration Direct). They need the jobs and money in order to receive citizenship. Give them a chance to collect what they need.

            Pursuit of happiness is something that every single human being longs for. They want an opportunity to raise their families in a safe environment. They want their children to receive the greatest education they could possibly have. Unfortunately, second and third world countries don’t have the privileges that we have here regarding education and jobs. If immigrants have the opportunity to come and they really want to learn and assimilate to our culture, why throw them out? They are trying their hardest to blend in but again, they don’t want their culture to dissolve. “We drew maps of grocery store aisles and took a field trip to Safeway. We studied bus routes and U.S. currency. For Thanksgiving, we baked a pumpkin pie” (Manry). The article is about an English teacher who teaches immigrants how to speak English. She ends up getting attached to all of her students and teaches them how to interpret bills and their children’s report cards. One day, she arrives to class with more than half her students gone. It turned out that they all got deported because they raided their job. Immigrants like these that try their hardest to assimilate shouldn’t be punished. Others say that immigrants are costly to legal citizens because we pay for their health care and they don’t pay for taxes. Truth is, we also pay for criminals to be sent to jail. I believe that it’s better to pay for hard workers rather than criminals.

            As you can see, many immigrants try their hardest in order to assimilate to this country. They want an opportunity to attain a job and raise their family. If that’s not the case, then they want to raise enough money to send to their families back home. Whatever the case is, they work harder than many in order to raise what little money they get. Not all immigrants are drug dealers and smugglers. Some are here for the wrong reason and are putting a bad name on the ones who are here for a great reason. Don’t let the bad apples corrupt your opinions. Many just want a chance to start fresh and get the education their countries couldn’t give them. I believe that there should be an open border policy because every human being deserves a chance. Not one race should be excluded from the pursuit of happiness.

Journal

I believe that there should be an open border policy in our country because of all the people that want an opportunity to change their lives and make something of themselves. A lot of countries don't contain the same opportunities that we have the pleasure of having. If everyone here has the chance to make a difference in their own way for their own benefit, then so should other people around the world. This is not targeted against Mexicans but of course, the majority of immigrants coming to America are coming from Mexico.

Good or bad?

"Immigration Policy Issues." News Batch. N.p., May 2010. Web. 14 Oct. 2010.
     http://www.newsbatch.com/immigration.htm>.

http://www.newsbatch.com/immigration.htm

This article discusses the recent uproar of immigration due to the new laws they passed in Arizona. The laws suggest racial profiling because they make everyone carry around their documents and anyone that looks foreign, then they automatically ask for papers. The article also discusses the presedential campaign in 2008 because immigration was a main issue that occured during the time period. It also covers how legal immigrants come into the country and also the differences between legal immigrants and citizens. It gives a lot of informationof both advantages and disadvantages of having immigrants in our country.

Economics

"Immigration: The Demographic and Economic Facts." Cato. Cato Institute and the
     National Immigration Forum , n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
     http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/pr-imsum.html.

http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/pr-imsum.html



This article gives a lot of demographics about the quantity of immigrants on American land and how many immigrants overstay their visa dates. The foreign born population seems to be increasing constantly because of all the immigrants that come to America in order for their children to be citizens. However, the rate of immigration has been declining because of the increase in security around the border as well as the economic drop the U.S. is going through at the time. They also go into detail about the econmic status of immigrants. They have at least a year less of education as do other natives. Furthermore, they explain the effects the immigrants have on the labor market as well as the explanation of welfare. This article is very helpful in  the sense that it gives a lot of demographics as well as the effect that the immigrants have on an econmic stance.

Deportation

Garcia, Gabriela. "Border Patrol Deports U.S. Citizen Child of Fourth Generation
     American." Change.org. N.p., 28 Sept. 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.
     <http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/
     border_patrol_deports_us_citizen_child_of_fourth_generation_american>.

http://immigration.change.org/blog/view/border_patrol_deports_us_citizen_child_of_fourth_generation_american




In this article, it talks about a mother, Monica Castro, who is looking out for the safety of her child as well as her own. She went to Border Patrol and told them everything they needed to know about her husban in order for him to get deported and her to have her child taken away from abuse. It was later that the patrol officers went against their agreement and sent her U.S. citizen daughter away with her abusive husband. He tried re-entering America only to get caught. She was re-united with her daughter only to find out she didn't even recognize her own mother. Ms. Castro then sued the government because they had no right to deport her daughter along with her husband. This article is helpful because it shows that no one is really controlling border patrol because they are doing what they want with the immigrants. They don't even wait to see what the judge would say or even check to see if their legal. All they do is deport immediatley.

Faces on Immigrants

Manry, Kaitlin. "Putting A Human Face On Illegal Immigrants." Chicago Tribune.
     N.p., 23 July 2010. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://chicagotribune.com/news/
     nationworld/la-oe-manry-immigration-20100723,0,3330997.story>.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-oe-manry-immigration-20100723,0,3330997.story




This article is about the author who taught illegal immigrants to speak English. She didn't really know any immgrants besides people from college. As she started teaching her class, they grew on her and she felt less alone. She realized the immigrants really were trying to learn English and they would work hard in order to get what they needed. One day, more than half her class was gone and they explained to her that they caught many immigrants and they were now being deported. She felt that with more opportunities, they would be able to stay.

This article could help my arguement because this is a real person that has worked with people who try to get accustomed to our culture and who she knows work hard and are here for a reason. They want to make a change, and they bust themselves every day for it.

Illegal Immigration Out

"Illegal Immigration is a Crime." FAIR. N.p., Mar. 2005. Web. 12 Oct. 2010.
     <http://www.fairus.org/site/
     News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16663&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007>.

http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16663&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007




This article states the opinion of being against illegal immigration because of the harm it is doing to our country. They say that illegal immigrants drain public funds and they lower the quality of education and health care. Another reason why immigration can harm our country according to the article, is because of the population growth that has escalated because of all the immigration occuring across U.S. and Mexico borders. They also state that illegal immigration is costing America billions of dollars for the fence as well as security at the border as well as inside the states. They believe all of the punishments and control should be strengthened by Congress and Executive Branches.

This article is very helpful in my arguement because it states the opposite opinion of what I am arguing. I do agree in some cases this article states. I am also against illegal immigration but they should be able to let the real workers come and make a living.

Immigrants Getting Arrested

Helderman, Rosalind. The Washington Post. N.p., 8 Oct. 2010. Web. 8 Oct. 2010.
     <http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/
     15_illegal_immigrant_sex_offen.html>.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/virginiapolitics/2010/10/15_illegal_immigrant_sex_offen.html



This article is about 15 illegal immigrants getting arrested and deported for sex crimes they have commited in the state of Virginia. They talk about the anger they have against Obama because he is not doing his job in maintaining the immigrants out. They praise that other political departments have stepped up in order to contain the violent crimes immigrants are commiting. I do agree with this post and I say yes, they should be sent back for crimes they commit. We have no use for them here and we don't want their crimes here. They might as well do that back home. However, the people that are here for a good cause should be given a chance.

This article is helpful in the fact that it shows that not every immigrant is here for a good reason. I understand why many U.S. citizens want immigrants to go back home and not to come back. These types of hateful crimes that immigrants commit give a bad reputation to every other one. It shows both sides of the case.

Numbers of Immigrants

http://www.cis.org/IllegalImmigration-ShiftingTide

Camarota, Steven A, and Karen Jensenius. www.cis.org. N.p., July 2009. Web. 7
     Oct. 2010. <http://www.cis.org/IllegalImmigration-ShiftingTide>.

This article states the new enforcement efforts that are occuring in the United States. They first explain the downfall of when they first tried to legalize illegal immigrants. The congress didn't agree with that law so they are now enforcing different laws. The article also explains how the fenced border is doing security wise. They are raising the number of border patrol officers and because of that, the number of deportations are doubling. Also, employers are starting to do more screening on employees in order to make sure they are elligable to work in the U.S. A reason that immigration has decreased in the past year is because of our stance on the economic spectrum. Since we are in recession, it lowers our chances of having immgrants come to America.

This article is helpful because it shows the numbers of immigrants clearly with all the graphs that offer and the information on the immigration laws. It goes more in depth about the decline and increase in immgration and why its fluctuating so much.

The Cost of Citizenship

"Immigration Direct." Immigration Direct. N.p., 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
     <http://www.immigrationdirect.com/blog/2010/01/
     apply-now-or-wait-the-economics-of-filing-an-application-for-u-s-citizenship/>.

http://www.immigrationdirect.com/blog/




This article describes the reality about why illegal immigrants aren't able to recieve citizenship. The fact that they make you spend $695 in order to become a citizen of the United States is costly. Half of the immigrants work dirty jobs for countless hours for only a couple dollars an hour. The immigrants can't afford citizenship so there has been a fifty percent drop in applications. They need the money for other essentials in order to survive everyday. The truth is we need immigrants in order to make a difference in the U.S.


This article is helpful in my argument because it shows the costs of obtaining citizenship and the work it takes. It also expresses how we are in need of immigrants, just not the illegal way. They should be allowed onto our land because we need their views on political grounds as well as others.

The Beginning

The first issue that caught my attention out of many was the illegal immigration laws. The fact that they are forcing out hard-working people is demeaning. I do agree that there a few bad apples in the tree, that some are here for the drug companies. But not everyone is looking down that path. Others are here for an opportunity to start a new life with their families and to give them what they deserve. They shouldn't be stripped from their lives here if they are showing dedication to their work and lives in the U.S. Many citizens of the U.S. say that the illegal immigrants are taking all of their jobs away. But in reality, all immigrants are taking the dirty jobs that citizens don't want for a small amount of money. The government shouldn't punish these hard working humans if all they want is a chance. I'm against illegal immigration but people who prove their purpose as workers should be allowed.