"Take a Ticket" by Peter Salins: What is the author's purpose and how did he achieve his purpose?

Essay by falariousHigh School, 11th grade January 2007

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Peter Salins wrote the argumentative essay "Take a Ticket" on December 23, 1193 in order to persuade the reader that the current issue of immigration in America is beneficial to our country and should not be done away with. Salins' thesis is supported by his use of various rhetorical strategies throughout his essay.

Salins' use of diction shows he is very serious about the subject on immigration. He uses words such as dying to show emphasis on the poor condition of the neighborhoods. Combined words such as family reunification explain how many people come to America to reunite themselves with their families.

Salins uses facts, statistics and reliable sources to back up his view on immigration. One if his facts from The Reform and Control Act of 1986 states that the average rate of legal immigration in the 1981 to 1990 period reached a post-Depression high of 3.1

percent per 1000 U.S residents. By using this fact from Simpson-Rodino, the reader can have a better understanding of Salins' views.

By stating his own opinion, the reader can understand that he is very passionate on the idea of immigration. One of his opinions is, "The Truth is, the immigration score does not reflect a genuine problem, it reflects a genuine panic."