Maus Essay

The topic of this cartoon is the fact that it is growing easier and easier to buy your way into the United States. Legislation has recently been introduced that would allow fast-track visas to foreigners spending upwards of $500,000 on residential property. The "Visit USA Act" would allow purchasers and their families to live in America for as long as they owned their houses, though not to work there or receive any federal benefits.

The main characters are, of course, America's iconic immigration symbol Lady Liberty, and a few (literal) fat cats. The Statue of Liberty seems to have taken quite the beating, judging by her bruises, chips, and Band-Aids. However, the foreign fat cats are drawn as having quite the blast, popping champagne with suitcases dripping money. And while there's no written information, the message here is still clear: the immigration system is being abused by upper-class foreigners. While this is of course an exaggeration, and it's not like America is only letting in the richest of the rich, it is a growing problem. Upon the plaque beneath the statue of liberty is an ode to immigration that reads "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses,". This seems to be less and less the case. My opinion is that instead of making it easier for the upper-class citizens of the world to immigrate (who will contribute a one-time residential donation and then not work for the duration of their stay), we should instead be making moves to ease up the process for those less fortunate.

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