Topic
“Toil and Temptation” by Michael Kamber is a magazine article which focuses on the topic of illegal immigration from Mexico to the US by following the case story of Antonio Gonzales, a young immigrant from a Mexican village.
This general topic is explored by including data and statistics about illegal immigration to the US from Mexico in general (p. 2) and from Antonio’s village in particular (ll. 73…
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The struggles of immigrants in the US
First, the article focuses on Antonio’s fears of deportation and his struggle to fit in at his new job at a carwash: “But Antonio saw the police cars passing by on the streets, and fearing deportation, he stayed inside.” (ll. 11-12); “ Antonio repeatedly drops the towel as he tries to double it. Behind him, the cars are piling up (...) he is thinking that his journey to New York is a mistake.” (ll. 64-68)
The article gives details about how illegal immigrants are exploited in the workplace, using Antonio’s story and other data as examples:…
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Success and temptation
The section titled “Success Stories” (l. 344) offers a few examples of Mexican immigrants who managed to overcome the difficulties and even become legal residents in the US, such as a man who opened a hairdresser’s.
This section also explores the topic of temptation, by describing how Antonio and others like him frequent a striptease club: “And there are more nights ahead at the Chicano Club, and at the nightspots that he has discovered along Roosevelt Avenue in Queens...”…
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Impact on Mexico
Through the story of Antonio and his brother, as well as through other examples, the article explores the financial benefits of illegal immigration for the relatives who stay in Mexico.
For example, Angel Flores was able to invest in his siblings’ education: “a nurse, a lawyer, an engineer. He is not envious of them, either; he put each through college with money he earned in New York.” (ll. 148-150). Also, Antonio and his brother helped their mother to build a kitchen and open a store (ll. 305-313), while another man used money made in New Yo…
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Argumentation
“Toil and Temptation” by Michael Kamber is constructed mostly using indirect argumentation. This means that instead of presenting arguments and views directly, the writer conveys his message indirectly through examples and case stories.
The article follows the case story of illegal immigrant Antonio Gonzalez upon arriving in New York. Using his example, the writer explores how immigrants are overworked and underpaid, how they send money back home, how they struggle to integrate into their new environment, and how some of them eventually succeed.
What is more, the article includes examples from othe…
