Abstract

Immigration is a highly controversial and debated topic within the United States’ political arena. Immigration is a very complex and multifaceted topic that incorporates various policies, laws, systems, and people. To thoroughly discuss all of the intricacies that lie within the context of ‘immigration’, would require an entire dissertation and a book or two. This paper emphasizes that current US policies and enforcement lead to unnecessary trauma for both citizens of the United States and noncitizens alike. The aim of this paper is to view immigration through the perspectives of Health and Wellness Promotion, Political Science, and Languages and Literatures (with a focus in Spanish). An emphasis will be on immigrants from the countries of Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala as well as second-generation immigrant youth (first-generation United States-born youth). Historical policies and events will lay the foundation to discuss current immigration policies and enforcement procedures. US agriculture will be examined in regard to the nation’s ‘need’ for cheap labor. Various health outcomes will be mentioned on individual, familial, communal, and societal levels. The paper ends with recommended programs and policy solutions. The argument made throughout this paper asserts that immigration policies and enforcement negatively impact the health and well-being of immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala as well as US citizens.

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