In contemporary America the disparity between the rich and the poor continues to widen. As sociologists Katz, Stern, and Fader insist in Inequality, their study of minority disenfranchisement, “…racism pervades American society, operating in both old and new ways, removing some barriers but erecting others [racial profiling, disproportionate poverty, incarceration, and capital punishment]” (Inequality). People boast of the riches found in this land of opportunity, but studies show that only a privileged few have consistent access to the funds and institutions that constitute such opportunity.



While the American Dream inspired many immigrants to come to this faraway country, they, like many American citizens, are experiencing the widening disparity between the rich and the poor in our contemporary economy. Race has always played a significant role in determining class; it has also become grounds for contention in the debate on illegal immigration. Racial and cultural differences have distanced most Americans from the community of migrant Latino workers. Thanks to NAFTA, marginalized Mexicans and otherwise desperate Latinos have been bearing the brunt of poorly conceived trade plans. Migrant Latino laborers and their families have been suffering the consequences of economic imperialism and fraudulent international trade legislation for years.