Commentary by Cantice
May 1st was International Workers Day. It was also the day which legal and illegal immigrants marked for demonstrations throughout the United States. Immigrants wanted to press politicians and the American people to make citizenship attainable for the millions of illegal immigrants who are currently living and thriving or not in this country.
I enter this conversation as someone who was born in the American southwest, and who grew up eating flautas and quesadillas (rolled tacos and cheese crisps). To this day my husband has to live with my proclivity to substitute the American loaf of bread for a 10 pack of flour tortillas. I also just happen to have a BA in Spanish. Do I say this to say some of my best friends are illegal? Well yes and no. Yes I am trying to show that I have been well acquainted with illegal immigrants in my life. And no, currently, I don’t have any friends who are illegal immigrants, nor do I make it a point to keep one friend of the sort.
I bring up the issue because after the War in Iraq, healthcare reform, and maybe after social security reform, illegal immigration policy is the next big issue bubbling before eruption. I think that we as a country need to realize that we will not be able to move forward with immigration reform without some concessions. There are probably hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have established businesses and households and have been living peacefully in the US for decades. There will have to be some sort of statute of limitation on deportation for this category of immigrants. I also think that to make immigration levels sustainable, tighter border control, strict deportation policies and fines for hiring illegal immigrants will have to become more frequent occurrences in law enforcement. Local governments will have to get serious about tracking and punishing document fraud and punishing other businesses who cater to the illegal immigrant market (who turn a blind eye to lack of or fraudulent documentation). Heads of States will need to be influenced to support reforms. Unfortunately, I don’t think either side of the border is ready for this.
In the worst case scenario, this situation could become terror-like or war-like if our government doesn’t begin now marketing solutions to US citizens and heads of other countries with high immigration rates to the USA. Even more radically than sentiments today, our national society could develop an “us against them” stance that could erupt in violence in neighborhoods throughout the US. If that were to happen, in case no one has noticed, here in the south the legals could be outnumbered.
Response by Wanda
I have mixed emotions around immigration issues in the US. I am definitely not from the camp of “deport them all” – unless they are breaking serious laws--but I also think that if illegal immigrants are not contributing to the economy they should not receive social benefits. As you mentioned, there is definitely an “us” against “them” sentiment that has heightened over the years. But forgive me if I still have a problem with completely embracing this country as my own and I cringe upon even celebrating Independence Day. I can’t help it, its from reading Dubois, Woodson, and West and living as a black American.
I have noticed that there hasn't been a lot of attention in the Presidential debates nor their individual platforms around immigration. However, this week many immigrants did march in cities across the country (except cities in Georgia where recent legislation was passed to “deport em” as soon as you can) to keep the issue before the public and not to fade into the background or be overshadowed by the war in Iraq – and that entire debacle is becoming so last Fall style season to me ---- boring.
I think our country needs to continue to acknowledge the opportunities that we bring to so many decent people that have left their countries for a better life. And although we can not allow them to be a deficit on our economy, I believe that many have proven to be a vital part of our economy. I am not well versed on immigration issues, fortunately my church is holding a conference on it this month, I am sure I will be able to speak more intelligently after then, but for now, I think that we shouldn’t begin a rampage to “send them back to the old country” as Bunker, Jefferson and Scott (that’s my Dad) would say. Maybe there is another way, maybe its all hype that they are going to “take over”- as if the powers that be will give them some type of political power- but what if they do? Does that make me any less American? Or make this country any less than America? Remember, its the home of the brave and land of the free… yeah right.
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