Temagen Mcgill
11/4/14
ENC COMP II
Ortega, Bob. "Immigration Surge Rooted in History of Central America." Immigration Surge Rooted in History of Central America. Azcentral, Web. 05 Nov. 2014.
Final Draft Rhetorical Analysis
The Central American child refugee crisis is a result of lax border and immigration enforcement policies combined with drug organizations that weaken the country’s infrastructure socio-economically. In his article “Immigration surge rooted in history of Central America.”, Arizona Republic news writer Bob Ortega frequently uses pathos to describe immigration within Central American lifestyle. Ortega’s report detailing gang and drug influence over citizens significantly heightens empathy towards the situation. The underlying theme of weak government infrastructure succumbing to paramilitary efforts, riddles the narrative with despair. The article seeks to shed awareness on the combining factors contributing to migrant Central Americans adding to the U.S. populace. Which include decentralized Central American Governments, poverty stricken regions overwhelmed by gang and drug organizations, and ineffective immigration policies. Ortega creates a dialogue that personalizes the predicament of those afflicted by the crisis and brings their pain to life through descriptive emotional imagery. Established early in the article, Ortega utilizes pathos in multiple forms that consume intellectual readers. Freely using rich and explicit language allow for a concerned passionate tone that evoke the authors’ true sentiments. The opening paragraphs introduce background information about the regional area, which is coupled with edgy diction to personify the juxtaposition of the environment. The information reveals statistics deeming El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala “among the top five countries with the highest homicide rates.” a fact alarming in itself. Not only is the pathos solidified with word descriptiveness, but with topic placement as well. Categorizing of the aforementioned Central American countries, their introduction into the article is only preceded by a short description of children playing “behind walls topped with razor wire.”, an image distasteful at best. The introduction additionally projects pathos through evident symbolism. The razor wires confining children to the playground hold more than just a plain literal translation. Ortega alludes to outside influences such as gangs and miscellaneous crime as the engine that inhibits social and economic growth. Naturally civilizations look to younger generations to foster prosperity and to establish longevity. But in many cases in Central America, children and young adults are virtually void of the privilege to hope and aspire for grandiose luxuries.
Upon grasping an understanding of the hopelessness of Central American countries it was prudent to observe the means by which immigrants attain asylum upon crossing the border. Being used as drug mules and moles for criminal enterprises, many migrant children hop trains, boat or wander across border lines until apprehended. With the hopes of being housed, fed, and given a court date, underage migrants readily accept risk of travel in hopes of warming rewards. The odds are against the majority as they are subjected to the prospect of being victims to numerous crimes while unprotected. In efforts to gain readers sentiment, Ortega implores rhetoric