Pro-Immigrant Ideology in Behavioural Processes

73 From this explanation, the assignment of immigrants as behaver in this behavioural process depicts helplessness and unimportance because it seems like it is a common thing that they die and thus is unimportant to deal with. By this depiction, it aims to evoke readers’ sympathy towards immigrants and therefore from this behavioural process, it shows that this newspaper is a pro-immigrant newspaper. Excerpt 43 and the labors aspire to become full Americans. Behaver Behavioural Phenomenon Clause 9c The behavioural process in this clause is aspire. By using the verb aspire, it is shown that the labors exercise their powers to act but the action does not impinge on another participant. Aspire is an activity which does not affect anyone else. In this clause, it can be argued that the assignment of the labors as the behaver shows that they hope and wish to be American citizens but that does not seem to be an easy thing to do. To become full Americans is assigned as the phenomenon, since it is what is hoped for by the immigrants. This phenomenon has the power to impinge on the consciousness of the labors. The researcher thought that ‘full’ here means that they are made legal and thus benefit the rights that go along with that legality. So it appears that phenomenon has stronger power than the behaver in behavioural process because phenomenon impinges on behaver but behaver does not impinge on phenomenon. 74 From this explanation, it can be said that the assignment of labors as behaver depicts them as dreamers, the ones who wish for something without knowing whether it will come true or not, as they have no control over the immigration system. Interestingly, the participant which has power here is the phenomenon which can impinge on the consciousness of the behaver. This phenomenon is what they dream about and what they hope to come true. The researcher thought that this phenomenon of ‘to become full Americans’ is due to what is called as Americanization. It is the term used inside the U.S. which often refers to the process of acculturation by immigrants to American customs so that if they are made legal by the immigration system then they can call themselves ‘full American’. This implies that as for now, those labors are not yet full Americans due to the fact that they are not yet given the legality. From this discussion, it can be said that the immigrants are depicted as helpless and considered by government as unimportant. They are also associated with dreamers. By those associations, the text writer wants to evoke readers’ sympathy for undocumented immigrants so that they support the enactment of immigration reform. This leads to the conclusion that from this behavioural process, it shows that The New York Times is a pro-immigrant newspaper. 75

4.2.1.3 Pro-Immigrant Ideology in the Mental Processes

The ideology of pro-immigrant can be seen from the lexical choice used for the processes and assignment of the participants in mental processes. It can be seen in excerpt 44 to 47 as follows. Excerpt 44 they were focused on catching dangerous criminals, Senser Mental:Cognitive Phenomenon Clause 6c The mental process in this clause is were focused. This clause is taken from the sentence: “He and Ms.Napolitano always said, they were focused on catching dangerous criminals, but they cast a wide net that has struck day laborers, carwash employees, farm workers and others who pose no threat.” The verb phrase were focused is a mental activity which is of thinking activity. By using this verb, the writer of the editorial wants to convey message that the government does not do the thing they say. The assignment of they Mr.Obama and Ms.Napolitano as departing secretary of homeland security as the senser in this clause shows that they exercise their power to respond to an external stimulus, which is ‘catching dangerous criminals’. But apparently, they only focus on that, without doing exactly what they focus on. Ideologically, this conveys message that the government only sells promises without giving proof which is expected by the text writer. Whereas the phenomenon here is on catching dangerous criminals. This phenomenon has the power to impinge on the consciousness of senser. It means that 76 catching dangerous criminals is what the government consciously focuses on, that they respond to that duty of catching dangerous criminals. From this explanation, it can be said that grammatical assignment of participant as senser in this clause depicts that government realizes the importance of catching dangerous criminals. But unfortunately, later on they do not conduct the right filtering and thus make all immigrants possibly assumed as dangerous criminals. This false judgment by government towards immigrants are emphasized to evoke readers’ sympathy so that they support the enactment of immigration reform. It can be said that from this mental process, the ideology of The New York Times as a pro-immigrant newspaper can be seen. Excerpt 45 that benefits all Americans. Phenomenon Mental:Affect Senser Clause 4e The mental process in this clause is benefits. This clause is taken from what Senator Dianne Feinstein a Californian democrat wrote to Janet Napolitano the departing secretary of homeland security. In her writing to the secretary, she emphasizes that immigrants are benefiting assets for the country because they contribute to vital agricultural economy and the safe high quality food supply. Therefore, that fact is considered as giving benefits to all Americans. By using the verb benefits, the text writer wants to convey message that it is wrong to treat immigrants in terrible way as it has been, since they benefit all Americans.