Azimdjon Gaziev

ENG 2150

Prof. Kristen Martin

Project 3

Reflection essay

 

I decided to research on topic about illegal immigration in the United States, the cost and benefits of illegal immigration to the US economy and society. I became interested in this topic, because nowadays illegal immigration became one of the most controversial problems in the United States. My research topic is based on “What are the costs and benefits of illegal immigration?” For this new project, I composed a multimodal project, creatively remixing my research-based argument essay based on illegal immigration. My multimodal remix project is utilized with different modes such as images, videos, graphic design and alphabetic text. For this multimodal project, I decided to design a presentation using Prezi. I chose the third generation of Americans as an audience for my project, particularly, I wanted to figure out the pros and cons of illegal immigration to the third-generation Americans. I am also providing my audience with a deeper and clearer sense of the reality of illegal immigration. People of third-generation refers to a family to be born in the United States. I chose the third-generation people of America, because most of the first-generation people already have an idea about immigration hardships and difficulties that they have been faced while immigrating to the United States. Also, they can feel how is to be an immigrant and start over your life in a different country.

A writing can be a powerful tool for many reasons. In many cases, writings are simply used as a way of telling a story, describing an argument or to deliver a message. In this sense, if the writer is not careful, it is easy to make the work feel one directional. However, when a writer gives a work of persuasion they intend to enact a response in the audience, or ‘receiver of the message’, creating multiple channels of communication. These types of writings can range anywhere from a bestseller books to a simple college essay. The common goal in persuasive works is to influence the audience’s view on a certain subject – whether that means changing their opinion completely or simply strengthening an already existing view.

In order to best accomplish my project delivering my claim to my audience clearly, I used a variety of arguments and strategies, most of which can be summed up into the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos or the ethical appeal is based on the character, credibility, or reliability of the writer. There are many ways to establish good character and credibility as an author like establishing a common ground with our audience. Most of the time, this can be done by acknowledging values and beliefs shared by those on both sides of the argument. If appropriate for the assignment, we can disclose why we are interested in this topic or what personal experiences we have had with the topic. In this way we use only credible, reliable sources to build our argument and cite those sources properly. Similarly, here, I also used an ethos to my remix project that is I presented some information and statistics about illegal immigration. The main thing that I needed to do was convince the audience that they know what I am presenting about. Pathos, or emotional appeal, appeals to an audience’s needs, values, and emotional sensibilities. Argument emphasizes reason, but used properly there is often a place for emotion as well. Emotional appeals can use sources such as interviews and individual stories to paint a more legitimate and moving picture of reality or illuminate the truth. For example, for my remix project I used a video of illegal immigrant which is about Journalist Jose Antonio Vargas who talks about growing up undocumented in America, and why immigration is the most misunderstood issue in the U.S. today. What he means is people who were brought to the US, who contributed to our American society, who are Americanized in every way – often from their childhood, and do all the “American” things that other Americans do – but are discarded as not American, because of citizenship status. So, this part of project can be referred to the emotional appeal. Logos is the logical appeal based largely in facts or logic and attempts to appeal to a person’s ability to reason. Persuading the audience by using reason to prove the writer’s argument. I used logos strategy by using facts, figures and statistics about illegal immigrants that support my main claim of my project. I also chose particular mode and medium to describe my project to my audience. I used a visual mode for my project which refers to the media and various technologies that my audience see.  I used a visual mode in order to instruct, persuade, entertain, represent feelings and expressing details. That’s why I chose Prezi presentation making media, to describe my argument better to my audience showing them different media and visual photos, videos and alphabetic texts. Moreover, by remixing and revising my previous project I did gain affordances such as the way explain better my main claim and argument showing by visual media and oral presentation to my chosen audience. Because sometimes a picture or video may more accurately and quickly convey a better message than words.

After making a draft we had a peer review session with our group. When I received a feedback from my professor and peer review group then I did several changes to my project. Some of the changes are: I narrowed down my audience to only third-generation Americans instead of all American citizens. Because it is very important to choose a particular group of people in order to deliver them a message clearly. Also, I made some changes in multimodal creative remix project. Particularly, I used to have on my project very broad information about illegal immigration, then I made my argument and order of points more clear and specific. I also realized that my research findings have disproved part of my original agenda, making it necessary to change my message significantly. Moreover, after making changes now I can provide to my audience with a deeper and clearer sense of the reality of illegal immigration. Finally, my project is ready to view for my chosen audience. Because, I already put all the necessary information, data and video and photos which are making my project’s point clearer and deeper to understand. Now, in revision process I would want to revise by which I look over again in order to correct and improve my message. In this case, I would notice the elements that need further investigation, development or additional examples and visual aids as I document. This is an important step to the overall production of my message. The first time I wrote something it may have made sense to me, but upon reflection and after trying an idea out, I need it to be revised in order to work effectively as part of my document. Once I have gathered what I thought is enough material but I would a step back to return to the general and specific purpose of the document I set out to write. I would have looked again at the basic elements such as who, what, when, why, etc. and fill in the “answers” based on what I have found.