Topic

Topic overview

“Coming to America, to clean” by Ana Maria Corona explores the topic of illegal immigration to the US from Mexico.

The topic is explored by following the personal story of a Mexican woman named Antonia who recounts how she became an illegal immigrant and gives details about her life in the US. In addition, the text includes references to the stories of other Mexican immigrants such as the people who cross the border with them, Antonia’s cousin Blanca, or the girls Antonia shares an apartment with in the US.

The text first reveals how Antonia decided to leave her village in Mexico: “My friends told me I was too pretty to stay there, that I should go where I would be appreciated by real men, have a fine life. Even my uncle told me I should go out into the world” (p. 32, ll. 5-8). This shows the girl was persuaded to leave her villages by friends and relatives. In other words, the text explores some of the reasons why Mexican’s might choose to immigrate to the US illegally.

Antonia’s personal story explores how her American employers knew they were hiring an illegal immigrant and they were even willing to pay the smuggling fee. This aspect reveals that some American employers have connections with smuggling networks and are encouraging illegal immigration.

Part of the text looks at how Antonia felt before crossing the border: “On the night we were to go, I was terrified. If Blanca hadn't been going with me, I wouldn't have left the house” (p. 34, ll. 4-6). However, the smuggling process went smoothly, suggesting smugglers were very experienced in moving Mexicans across the border illegally. This part explores how well smuggling networks are organised and how easy the whole process could be....