"Outlaw" by Antonia Vargas

Jose Antonio Vargas writes about his struggle to obtain legal citizenship in the United States after living on the West Coast since he was sent to live with his grandparent when he was twelve. Vargas was smuggled into the states, oblivious to his alien status. He only realized the seriousness of his predicament after a DMV worker deemed his green card invalid and turned him away from getting his permit. Vargas was sixteen. He has worked extremely hard and graduated from high school and college. He discovered his passion for journalism and obtained an internship at the local newspaper during high school, Vargas later went on to write for the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Washington Post. However, he has had to pass up several amazing positions at world-renowned newspapers because they require valid paperwork, which Vargas does not have. The context of this essay shows how hard it is to be an alien in the United States. Even though it was not Vargas' choice to (illegally) immigrate to the United States when he is a child, he has to deal with the missed opportunities and disadvantages of being an illegal immigrant. The author's purpose is to inform his audience that illegal immigrants are contributing members of society that need a pathway to proper citizenship. The audience is written for illegal immigrants, or those who wish to help illegal immigrants. Vargas uses Ethos to show his morality is the reason why he has chosen to tell his story in order to achieve his purpose. "So I've decided to come forward, own up to what I've done and tell my story to the best of my recollection... I am working with legal counsel to review my options. I don't know what the consequences will be of telling my story" (Vargas 272). He shows his selflessness though admitting his uncertainty in his future. Therefore, Vargas is achieving his purpose by putting all of his contributions to society in jeopardy in order to create a pathway for legal citizenship.

Contributing Members: The cartoon shows that illegal immigrants contribute to society daily and are knowingly and unknowingly being employed by the government.
Picture Source: http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2010/05/political-cartoons-of-the-week-arizona-cracks-down-on-illegal-immigration/