After reading this opinion piece I believe that it does in fact promote social capital. Instead of funnelling billions of dollars into a project that is already experiencing a bevy of technical problems, the author is suggesting that the 'virtual fence' should be scrapped once and for all. I believe that this promotes social capital because the money that can be saved from this project (approximately $6 billion) can be put to better use. Instead of trying to heavily guard our ... More »

This is a very interesting story that I feel both promotes and hinders social capital. Arizona's recent Immigration Law has created a divide among many people. For the most part stories regarding this law have hindered social capital. The law itself allows for police officers to request to see papers of anyone whom they suspect to be illegal. Instead of promoting a community, it divides it. This story does something similar. The husband, Efrain Sotelo, supports the law, while his ... More »

One thing that I found to be very interesting about this article was that it does not use the cultural value of "Ethnocentrism". When it comes to issues regarding immigration, too frequently people look at it from an American point of view, rather than a through a global lens. This opinion piece however, uses this global lens which works well to remind readers about a key fact: America is a country of immigrants. One line, "We hope he goes on to make clear to all the states that the ... More »

When looking at this story it is clear that the Race/Ethnicity, Geography, and Class fault lines are present in this story. The story is based on race/ethnicity. These civilians are being harassed, arrested and tormented simply because they are Latino/Hispanic. The geography fault line is also used in this story. The author makes it clear that this is specifically happening in New Haven, CT. While immigrants face discrimination everywhere, those situated in New Haven have to face ... More »

This story presents the issue using a legal frame. It outlines the amount of people who have been deported and the reason for their deportation. The writer has included many credible sources that all relate to the issue (such as employees from the Department of Homeland Security). It typically focuses on officials and does not contain any personal stories. This frame looks at the deportations from a purely legal stand-point and does not discuss the repurcussions for those who have ... More »

This editorial used a more personal frame. It focused on three well-known people, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch, and Stephen Colbert. Instead of looking at immigration as a legal or civil rights issue, the writer personalizes the story and shows how these well-known figures support rational and well-regulated immigration. Instead of providing facts about illegal immigration, or the alleged ramifications of increased immigration, the writer provides direct quotes from ... More »