Essay Four
Immigration: An Argumentative Research Essay
PROMPT:
Essay Four will build on Essay Three, relying on the readings from Essay Three
and FOUR sources you’ve discovered through sound research for Essay Four.
ONE of the Essay Four sources must be a JOURNAL article.
Essay Four, will then be a researched argumentative essay focused on a main
claim that relies on sources you’ve analyzed (taken apart to study) and
synthesized (put together) to back each subclaim supporting the main claim.
The essay will include at least one significant counterargument/rebuttal and will
demonstrate the essential skills for effective academic papers.
Essay Four, will be an 8-10 page, MLA formatted paper, including MLA in-text
citations, and an MLA-formatted Works Cited list.
Argumentative Research Essay
Components
I. Four Precis, Due Sunday, May 5
ASSIGNMENT STEPS:
1. Conduct research to find four sound sources that relate to the main claim you plan to argue.
(Don’t worry if you feel you need to adjust your main claim as you conduct research. Our
claims often evolve as we learn new things. In the end, we must be able to defend our
arguments through the research we conduct.)
2. Write a precis for each source, ONE of which must be a JOURNAL ARTICLE.
3. Write a separate Works Cited page that will get you started on your Essay Four final
submission. To create this, refer to our Canvas page on creating Works Citied lists where you’ll
find instructions and the “Works Cited List Sample” document. Your Essay Four Works Cited
list only needs to include outside sources, not those which I provided. (In a standard academic
essay, you would include a Works Cited entry for all sources cited in the paper. In this case,
you may not have enough information to complete that for those I’ve found for you.)
4. TO EXCEED THE B CONTRACT: Include a precis and Works Cited entry for an additional source.
II. Main Claim, Introduction, Outline, Revised Works Cited, Due Sunday, May 12
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS: This assignment will include –
1. Your revised main claim.
2. A draft of an effective introduction.
3. A bulleted outline (not written in paragraph form), including 8-10 subclaims, at least two
pieces of evidence to support each subclaim with an accurate MLA in-text citation, a
counterargument from an actual source, a rebuttal, and a concluding idea.
4. A revised version of your Works Cited page.
5. TO EXCEED THE B CONTRACT: Produce an exceptionally effective assignment with attention to
detail.
Larson – ENGL 124-0582 - Spring 2019 – Essay Four Assignment Sheet
1
III. Essay Four Draft, Due Sunday, May 19
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS: Essay Four builds on Essay Three and is an MLA-formatted, 8-10
argumentative research essay on a focused aspect of U.S. immigration. Your argumentative
research essay will bring your ideas together with source ideas to support a focused and debatable
main claim. It will demonstrate the essential skills for writing academic essays that we’ve
practiced this semester.
SOURCES: Essay Four will rely on Readings One-Six from Weeks Nine-Eleven that you’ve analyzed
and produced rhetorical precis for and on the discussion readings assigned for Roll Call Posts
during Weeks Ten-Twelve. This was our work for Essay Three. In addition, Essay Four will rely on
an additional FOUR sources, one of which will be from a JOURNAL ARTICLE.
Your Argumentative Research Essay will include An effective introduction that provides necessary context and logically leads to the main
claim.
Body paragraphs that –
o begin with subclaims (key supporting points)
o include related evidence from our source texts and your explanation
o relate back to the main claim
At least one counterargument from an actual source and your rebuttal.
A conclusion that logically relates to the essay, but that adds an idea or suggestion for further
action or thought that leaves your reader with something to ponder.
Your essay will Be submitted to NetTutor for review.
Remain focused on one primary idea throughout the essay.
Use sound evidence and reasoning.
Allow your voice to speak first, last, and loudest.
Rely on at least FIVE sources provided by me and researched by you.
In EACH body paragraph, include embedded quotations/paraphrases/summaries from these
sources that each include a signal phrase, accurate citation, and explanation afterward.
FOUR embedded sources must be direct quotations.
Include accurate in-text citations
Include a separate Works Cited page as the last page of the essay.
Not include instances of “you.”
Be clear and logical, overall.
TO EXCEED THE B CONTRACT: Draft NINE full, effective pages.
IV. Essay Four Peer Review, Due Wednesday, May 22
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS: This will be an extended peer review of TWO peers’ Essay Four drafts.
1. Identify at least one area of strength and three specific areas for improvement, citing from
the draft and including suggestions for revision, in a minimum of 100 words for each aspect.
Consider the required elements of the essay, as shown on this sheet, when choosing the
aspects you will review.
2. TO EXCEED THE B CONTRACT: Provide a review for an additional peer.
Larson – ENGL 124-0582 - Spring 2019 – Essay Four Assignment Sheet
2
V. Essay Four Final Draft, Due Sunday, May 31
ASSIGNMENT DETAILS:
1. Meaningfully revise your draft relying on your own judgment and your instructor’s and peers’,
and NetTutor comments.
2. SENTENCE REVISION USING TEMPLATES: Revise two sentences or groups of sentences using
templates from They Say/I Say.
• Underline these passages in your essay.
• At the end of the essay, before the Works Cited page, include the original and revised
passages.
• For each revised passage, show the original passage first and the revised passage after.
3. REVISION REFLECTION: Below the They Say/I Say revision, before the Works Cited page, write one
paragraph that reflects on the revisions you made and why you focused on these.
4. THE FINAL PAGE OF YOUR ESSAY WILL BE THE WORKS CITED PAGE. This should be on its own page.
Skills We’ll Practice
Brainstorming, Summarizing, and Synthesizing Ideas
Drafting and Revising a Longer Essay
Interpreting Texts
Writing with a Focus
MLA Paper Formatting, In-Text Citations, and Works Cited Entries
Supporting Main Claims with Subclaims, Evidence, and Explanation
Properly Embedding Source Material with Signal Phrases, Citations, and Explanation
Writing Logically, Clearly, and Fully
Care for Your Readers’ Understanding and Reading Experience
Eliminating Instances of “You”
Larson – ENGL 124-0582 - Spring 2019 – Essay Four Assignment Sheet
3
Mona 1
Yousif Mona
Trina Larson
English 124
25 April 2019
U.S immigration: Are the illegal migrants in the U.S beneficial to the country?
Immigration has been an issue in the U.S for a very long time. Many discussions and
policies have been formulated to come up with a solution to the issue, however, there has not
been any solution reached. Over the years, the number of illegal immigrates into the country has
increased therefore increasing the population of the country. Studies show that 27% of the
population of the United States is made up of these immigrants. A closer look at the issue of
illegal immigrants, a very important question comes into mind, ‘what is the impact of the
immigrants in the country? The topic is important to me because it stirs different feelings when it
comes to the thoughts behind why do these people move away from their mother country and
risk living in a foreigners' country. The topic under discussion is also relevant as it has resulted
to some sort of attention to all the parties involved, for instance, the legislatures, the border
patrol, the authors of different sources and the immigrants. Due to the ongoing debates regarding
the way forward to dealing with the issue. Some of the people feeling that illegal immigrants
should be provided with documents in a bid to become citizens while others feeling that coming
up with plans to bar them from entering the country is the way to go, the paper will focus on the
different benefits of the immigrants in the country, the context of my thinking regarding the
issue, a faulty narrative of my idea, analysis of the provided sources and further research in a bid
to understand the issue better.
Mona 2
From the study sources provided, it is evident that immigrants are a blessing in disguise
to the country. It is stated that immigrants play a very important role in increasing the growth of
the economy of the country. In the event that the migrants are absorbed in the labor force, they
contribute to the increase of the capacity of productivity of the economy. Therefore, an increase
in the population of a country, leads to an increase in the productivity of the people. Studies
provide that, there are a number of sectors in the country that are being faced by a shortage of
workers thus acting as a threat to the economy of the country. In that case, the illegal immigrants
are absorbed in these sectors thus become part of the task force of the country. As a result, the
threat towards the growth of the economy is reduced. In addition, “they contribute to the number
of people working in the country, thus raising the Gross Domestic Product of the country.”
(Edsall, 2016). Information from another study source provides that immigrants formed
approximately 17% of the task force of the country in the year 2014. Additionally, it is provided
that, 45% of the domestic workers in the country is made up of immigrants, 36% of the
immigrants are found in the manufacturing sector, 33% of these individuals are working in the
agricultural sector and 32% are in the accommodation section. A Pew study indicates that minus
the immigrants' workforce, the working population of the country is expected to reduce to 165.6
million from 173.2 million hence reducing the productivity of the economy as well as the GDP
of the country (Felter and Renwick, 2018). In addition, the contribution of the illegal immigrants
in the country through seeking services and products offered contributes to the equal distribution
of wealth among the different classes of people living in the country thus reducing the poverty
levels.
The immigrants have also played a very important role in ensuring that the workforce of
the country is highly skilled. Studies have shown that it is not only native Americans who are
Mona 3
highly skilled in different sectors that require employees. However, there is a number of
individuals from other countries around the globe that can offer more competitive and skilled
labor needed in different sectors of production in the country. In that regard, the absorption of
highly skilled immigrants into the task force of the country contributes to increased performance
and productivity in the different production areas. In addition, the involvement of more skilled
immigrants in the country's workforce results in increased competition among the workers. The
challenged workers seek ways and methods that can increase the competency and their level of
skills to fit or surpass the competition being presented to them by the skilled but illegal
immigrants. As a result, the general performance of the economy is increased. Consequently,
today's business world requires that different strategies be used in a bid to deal with the stiff and
fast-rising competition in the respective industries. One of the main strategy being used is
innovation. Innovation provides a company or a business with an opportunity to reduce the input
resources while increasing the output thus more revenue realization and generation. In that
regard, it is seen that immigrants contribute to the development of innovation and creativity
among the workers. They bring different ideas to the productivity table, some of which require
very little input, however increasing the output. According to Edsall, “This in return challenges
other workers, thus leading them to become more creative and innovative.” (Edsall, 2016).
The debate of illegal migration has been on the rise as the issue results in different
attitudes in different individuals. Different plans and policies have been put in place to deal with
the issue but have failed to resolve the issue. For instance, the ongoing resolution being offered
by the current president of the United States is to build a Mexican-American border wall that will
hinder the illegal immigrants from entering the country. From reports, the wall will cost the
country quite a huge sum of money to be completed. In addition, there are many concerns about
Mona 4
the effectiveness of the border in restraining the immigrants. Therefore, a closer outlook at the
plan shows that a huge amount of resources will be required for it to be successful. However,
accepting and providing the immigrants with documentation to allow them to become legal
citizens of the country will cost the country very little. All the efforts and the debates regarding
illegal immigration will reduce in the event of acceptance thus there will be no conflicts of
interests and resources currently being put aside will be used to address other problems and
issues affecting the country (Felter and Renwick, 2018).
My thinking towards the benefits of immigrants in the country was triggered by the
number of unskilled laborers working in different sectors. I thought in the event that these
individuals leave the country, there would not be anybody left willing to pick up these jobs.
A faulty narrative provides that immigrants lead to decreased wages, which is not the
case because they rise the growth and productivity of the economy hence the increase in wages is
a likely occurrence. In addition, some studies provide that immigrants contribute to the slow
growth of the economy as a huge amount of the money they receive is not spent in the country
rather sent to their mother countries (Levin 2017). In that case, the money they use in the country
is not enough to pay taxes that are to be used to cater for their public needs and demands.
From the analysis of the contexts, I have learned that the issue of illegal immigration is
rooted in the political affiliations of individuals, whereby the Democrats advocate for the
documentation of the immigrants while the republican advocate for their leave (Edsall, 2016).
This analysis will form a basis of discussion for my next essay. I would like to carry out a
comparative research on the economic growth of a country not being faced with the issue of
immigration in a bid to understand the issue better.
Mona 5
Work cited
Edsall, Thomas B. “What Does Immigration Actually Cost Us?” Campaign Stops. The New
York Times. September 2016. Retrieved from https://nyti.ms/2dmt3wt
Felter, Claire. & Renwick Danielle. “The U.S Immigration Debate.” COUNCIL on FOREIGN
RELATIONS. March 2018.
Levin, Yuval. “Toward a Conservative Immigration Policy.” The University Bookman‘s
Symposium: Citizen, Community, and Welcoming the Stranger, Book, 6 February 2017.
Purchase answer to see full
attachment