DREAMers Movement - Rhetorical Argument and Fallacies Blog Post

 Brief background on the DREAMers Movement: 

The DREAMers Movement sprung from momentum created by the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, otherwise known as the DREAM Act, which was first introduced in 2001. Amid immense hostility towards undocumented immigrants, immigration advocates fought for broader immigration reform by focusing on legalizing the situations of undocumented youth who had been raised, socialized, and educated in the United States. These advocates worked to portray undocumented youth as contributing members of society who represented the American Dream. Storytelling became an important part of producing cultural and political material for the movement as it allowed the narration of personal experience and encouraged discussion. 

Analysis of (3) primary sources from the movement: 

Schemes: Anaphora, repetition of the word "no"

Tropes: Paradox, typically immigrants without papers are   

             fearful of being found out so this sign is sending 

             out a strong message

Visuals: Grounding, foreground middle ground and background

Fallacies: Emotional Appeal, appeals to others by showing bravery

Premises: Specific Values, not all immigrants would be able or 

       willing to be open about not having papers 

Arguments: Intention?

 

Schemes: Anaphora, repition of the word "no" in first sign

Tropes: Metaphor, "dreaming is American"

Visuals: Angle, Eye Level

Fallacies: Black or White, "no dream no deal"

Premises: Presence, Time, undocumented youth in middle 

       poster establishes the lenght of her stay

Arguments: Justification?, middle poster

 

Schemes: Enumeratio, details Lorenzo's achievments 

      while in the U.S.

Tropes: Antiphrasis, "his only crime is to be a ... college 

   graduate"

Visuals: Focalizers, "Dreamer 19643" sign made to look 

    like a mug shot sign, dark red capitalization in 

    "Criminalized Dreams" 

Fallacies: Emotional Appeal, makes audience feel bad for 

      Lorenzo as it is insinuated he is going to be 

      arrested and did not do anything wrong because 

     it was the choice of his parents to take him to the 

     U.S. as a child, he did not ask for this life 

Premises: Abstract Values

Arguments: Illistration, Clarity or Import