Moral Panic - Illegal Immigrants in Usa

Moral panic is something that has been happening throughout society for many years. The most recent one that I can think of is the issue surrounding immigrants. There has always been an issue with individuals entering the United States illegally and staying here for many years. It was not until after 9/11 when the United States government responded to the terrorism with new federal regulations and changes in immigration policies

What many do not know is that this immigration issue can be traced back to the 1800s when the Chinese were the target. Many Americans felt threatened by the large amount of Chinese that were migrating to America. The Native born white Americans felt threatened and believed that if they did not put a stop to the migration the Chinese would take over their jobs and would begin to reproduce with their white American women. For the Americans to stop this migration they needed to creat a moral panic. They did so by labeling the Chinese as “yellow Peril” to the public. This label portrayed the Chinese as undesirable and invaders to their lands who would disrupt their values and steal their jobs by working for lower wages.

In the article of the man being deported, I think the government showed its power by punishing him for his crimes within our justice system before deporting him back to his country. A country he knew nothing about. If he had been an American citizen and committed these crimes he would have most likely served a lighter sentence. To some degree this is a type of discrimination. This story reminds me of the way we treat many individuals who have been incarcerated or placed within a program by the government for many years. Once a person serves the sentence given for a crime, they are placed back in society with little to no support, place to go, money, or job skills. This is the reason why many reoffend, and the revolving door is created within our justice system.