Socioeconomic gaps, along with their political elements, are rooted in class warfare, or class struggle. Social constructs (concepts that were invented by humans during our development as a civilization) such as race, religion, and gender roles have been used as a weapons of societal divisions by the powerful elite, but the struggle of humans in attaining higher levels in the socioeconomic ladder is rooted in class warfare.

This can be seen in the caste system of ancient and, to a lesser extent, contemporary India. Examples of controlling the distribution of wealth, land, and power can also be seen in Europe with the feudal system, or serfdom. This hierarchical structure can be seen in modern-day America, in which lower-class and lower-middle class immigrants and non-immigrants alike play respective roles in the social and economic systems.

In the novel, the author explores the extreme and realistic forms of these social and economic dynamics. The author does not provide concrete solutions, such as those you would find in a suggestion section of a peer-reviewed thesis, but paints the complexities of physical and political borders and the concept of unrestricted human migration.

What is the most significant barrier immigrants face in achieving a successful life in the U.S. according to The Tortilla Curtain? What solutions does the author suggest?

The first question here can be answered from a number of different angles. Here are some ways to approach the question that might be helpful.

The most significant barrier that immigrants to America face really depends on where they are coming from and where in America they are going. One way to construct a response to this prompt involves thinking about which specific immigrant group you would like to learn about. Boyle's Tortilla Curtain concerns the plight of Mexican immigrants in California, so that could be a good place to start. Additionally, if you come from an immigrant family yourself, you may want to find out more about your own family's story so you have something to compare to the experience of Cándido and América Rincón.

All of the barriers suggested by the prompt are valid, but some barriers are more difficult than others depending on where in America an immigrant chooses to settle. Consider thinking of each option from your own point of view: imagine yourself moving to a different country. What kinds of problems might you encounter? You might also want to think about some of the places in America where immigrants from certain countries settled in the past; for example, Boston has a very large population of Irish Americans, so someone coming from Ireland today might have an easier time in Boston than in San Diego, where fewer familiar accents and customs exist.

Because you have so many options and directions in which you can go to create a credible response, taking some time at the beginning to free-write and to outline is important. Good luck!