The Immigration Debate

Here is my reply to a comment posted by Paul, a visitor to this website. He made some rather critical remarks concerning the current immigration debate in the United States that I felt warranted a thorough (aka: loooong) reply.

I invite you to add your own thoughts on the subject!

******************************

Dear Paul,

Thanks so much for visiting my website.

You obviously have some passionate feelings about the immigration issue, and I appreciate the fact that you took the time to share them with us. As for my allowing you to post your comments on the site, I’m afraid it’s not a matter of “courage” but rather, humility.

The more I learn, the more I realize just how complex this world is. I am humbled by the many shades of gray that define the difficult issues, such as immigration. I certainly don’t pretend to have all the answers, and that’s why I post news and analysis from so many different authors. It is also why I always enjoy reading the comments that visitors, such as yourself, leave on the weblog or send via email.

First of all, and as a matter of introduction, I would like to share some of my background with you. I am a U.S. citizen, a New Yorker to be exact. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been born in a country abounding with natural beauty, artistic creativity, cultural diversity, human ingenuity... and so much more.

Eating at a Chinatown or Little Italy restaurant in New York City... sipping a sweet iced tea on a porch in North Carolina... hiking the stunning Cascade Mountains of Washington State... listening to a live jazz performance in New Orleans... watching the sun set from atop the Sears Tower in Chicago... these are just a few of the gifts that I have received from living in the USA.

That said, however, I am more than just my nationality. In addition to being an American, I am also a son, brother, uncle, Christian, artist, activist, volunteer, etc. These parts of my “being” also guide me, motivate me, and inspire me... in short, they help define who I am.

I have also had the great privilege and pleasure of living in Guatemala for the past seventeen years (give or take a year or two). I could probably write a book on the lessons I’ve learned while living here... some were easy to grasp, others took a while. (Thankfully Guatemalans are very patient teachers!) These experiences also shape the person I am today.

And in the interest of total disclosure, I should also mention that I was absolutely blessed to be able to work for a couple of years at a migrant outreach center in Washington State called Tierra Nueva. It was there that my eyes were finally opened to the struggles and sacrifices of our nation’s migrant workers.

Well, Paul, you might be wondering where I’m going with this. What the heck does my background have to do with the immigration issue?

I think that at the heart of this issue is how we view the immigrants themselves. Many in the United States are quick to slap a label on them: “illegals”, “criminals”, “wetbacks”, “aliens”, or worse.

In short: not "us", but "them".

My experiences have led me to believe that the "us" versus "them" separation is a false one. Languages, customs, and even nationalities aside, I believe that there is more that unites us than divides us as human beings.

In Guatemala, for example, men and women work long hours for to provide for their families. Parents lovingly embrace their newborn babies. Children giggle as they dash around the playground. Seniors sit in lawn chairs in their front yard taking pleasure in the late afternoon sun. Students reluctantly do their homework, young couples sneak kisses, the ice cream man rings his bell, and the politicians in Congress are seen as being somewhat less than effective.

Sound at all familiar?

Once you begin to realize that there really is no such thing as “us” or “them”, it becomes all but impossible to ignore the suffering and struggles of other people... whether they be Latino, gay, Chinese, sick, Muslim, poor, Iraqi, handicapped, African, homeless, etc.

Once you begin to understand that we all depend on each other, then you will no longer want to close your heart, your door, or your border to those in need.

Once you begin to see every person as part of this family of humanity, you won’t want to build walls that separate, but rather build bridges that bring us together.

Paul, I truly hope that you will come to experience this feeling of belonging to something bigger than the United States... call it what you will: “compassion”, or “solidarity”, or “love for your neighbor”... it is a wonderful, life-changing experience!

Finally, because my reply to you took a turn for the philosophical, I should at least try to respond to some of the more concrete questions you raised.

You wrote: “Firstly, if you don't live in this country, keep your opinions to yourself.”

Well, OK, too late for that one.

You wrote: “The very first thing they ever did in the America was to become a felon by illegally crossing the borders.”

In a previous post I explained that while the United States depends on migrant labor, the possibility of a poor, or even middle class, Guatemalan receiving a work visa is virtually nil. Most immigrants who enter the US without a visa do so because they HAVE to, not because they WANT to.

No immigrant enjoys paying thousands of dollars to be smuggled across a deadly desert only to work without any legal protections, and to live in constant fear of deportation. The U.S. immigration system has been broken for many years. Hence the current debate in Congress.

You wrote: if you vote, then you can spew your U.N. approved rhetoric.

Sadly, Kofi Annan doesn’t proofread this website. My rhetoric is 100% my own.

You wrote: “until some natural disaster occurs...then they all want our money to help them out”

Did you know that Mexico sent disaster relief to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina? Offers of aid also came from other countries and organizations such as: Belgium, Canada, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Guatemala, Britain, China, Australia, Jamaica, Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organization of American States, NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel, the United Nations, and the United Arab Emirates.

Here’s a quote from Union-Tribune:

"A Mexican army convoy crossed into the United States on Thursday [September 8, 2005] to bring aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina. ... Carrying water treatment plants and mobile kitchens that can feed 7,000 people daily, the convoy bound for San Antonio is the first Mexican military unit to operate on U.S. soil since 1846. Military engineers, doctors and nurses are among the 200 people headed to San Antonio."

You wrote: “Nor do they pay taxes”

That’s a common mistake. The truth is, though, that even undocumented workers pay taxes. They pay sales tax on everything they purchase: food, gas, clothing, etc. Agricultural workers are paid by check, with income taxes, even social security, deducted. The catch is that the workers are forced to use a fake Social Security number, so billions of dollars are pouring into the Social Security fund which will never be collected! These payments have helped maintain the solvency of the U.S. Social Security system. Also many immigrants ask the IRS for a special “tax ID number” so that they can legally file their returns, with the hope of someday becoming a U.S. citizen.

Here’s a quote from The Christian Science Mo

Posted by elcanche at May 8, 2006 11:20 PM