Thursday, April 24, 2008
I support immigration.
After watching the recent documentary “Crossing Arizona,” I support it now more than ever.
The documentary, littered with first hand experiences of immigration, reiterated my beliefs as to why most immigrants risk their lives to come here. It’s not to “take our jobs,” “commit crimes and be free from prosecution” or “to not pay taxes.” I do acknowledge that some may take advantage of our system, but I should point out the number of Americans who take advantage of the same system, and they’re citizens. I don’t think we should label and stereotype a group of people with different motives based on the actions of a handful of malo manzanas (bad apples).
These people are risking their lives to improve the lives of their families. The documentary stated that more than one million attempts are made each year to cross Arizona. Out of those million, about 75-150 people die each year while trying to make the trek. Some immigrants said it was worth it to at least try; they would mention their starving children at home or their spouses needing medical attention.
“It is an absolute outrage that over 4,000 men, women and children have lost their lives attempting to cross the US/Mexico border to find work,” director Dan Devivo said in an e-mail interview.
“This is a tragic waste of talent and if our conscience doesn’t persuade us to change course, then at least our self-interest ought to. By trying to protect society from the perceived threat of immigration, we are actually harming ourselves. Stunting our economy and personal freedoms as we foster injustice and criminality.”
Some people have ignored the reasons behind immigration, letting their biased views get in the way. One man in the film said that every American should be sitting at the border with a shotgun waiting for them to cross.
After a recent trip to Arizona, Samuel Seliger, Seattle senior, felt differently. “I was surprised by how many Border Patrol vehicles I saw and how much tax payer money they’re wasting on it.”
While some believe Border Patrol is a waste of money, others feel enough isn’t being done. At a rally called Protect Arizona Now, a man in the film said if he could he would go as far as to deport the pre-schoolers. He said he would go to the retirement communities and deport the elderly. He even said that he would go the hospitals and take out the IV’s and send “them” to their own hospitals.
Of course, the extreme irony of this scene was at the end, the clean -up crew at the hotel where the rally was taking place, was Hispanic.
Migration is inevitable. The policies that our country is governed by affects less fortunate countries, continuing to make our rich richer and the poor around the world poorer. Immigrants don’t hinder our society, but instead, add to it.
Devivo agreed. “It’s curious how the immigration debate in this country focuses exclusively on what immigrants take and never considers what immigrants bring. Throughout our own history, immigrants have had a positively vibrant influence on our culture that has improved our lives in ways to numerous to detail. And immigrants are the backbone of our economy. Not because they are a source of cheap labor but because they are determined to improve their lives and the lives of their families.”
I find myself wondering, if we talk on how to diversify our campus, why not continue to diversify our nation?
McNaughton is a Topeka junior in journalism.
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Comments
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
I support LEGAL immigration not the sort that sneaks across border. The stress these "immigrants" are putting on our resources is a ticking time bomb. Schools and hospitals, especially, are prone to over crowding and low monetary income based on the level of use. Hospitals in southwest states have had to close or severely limit their treatments. If any person wants to go through the proper and LEGAL channels to come to this country I welcome them with open arms. This country was founded by immigrants who came together with a single language and purpose to create a diverse and tolerant society. Play by the rules or go home.
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
Of course Lenexa Mom supports LEGAL immigration! I'm sure the folks who put the roof on her house were legal! I'm sure it was legal for the white man who hired them to do so as well.
Get off your legalese b.s. - need and compassion (an American value I'm sure) precede legality. If you welcome people with open arms then make them welcome and stop vilifying them.
Go Mexico!
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
In Arizona, immigration is in the news everyday. And recently laws have been passed that ban companies from hiring illegal workers, and those caught with illegals will be face huge fines. I understand that some people view illegal immigrants as costing the United States millions of dollars each year, but what would you do if your family was starving, you couldn't afford or didn't have access to any medical care, and if you didn't act, you and your family would die? Many times, I have sat in a car at the border getting back into Arizona after a vacation in Mexico, and every time, children are forced to walk car to car begging for money or trying to sell tortillas. They haven't bathed in days, are sometimes only wearing shorts because they don't have money to buy a shirt, and are walking barefoot on hot asphalt. If you haven't seen the poverty and desperation in these peoples' eyes, you have no idea the struggles they face. I completely agree with this column. Americans need to lighten up and have some compassion for these people. Is it illegal and does it cost Americans money? Yes. But what would you do?
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
goobacks are taking our jobs
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
As the grandson of two immigrants of different backgrounds, I think I can offer a new perspective. One grandmother was from a latin country, but came from a tremendously wealthy family that could afford for her to learn 7 languages (one was English). She immigrated to the United States to marry my grandfather and worked hard to integrate into American society.
My other grandmother was uprooted from Poland in the 1920s and moved to New York City, like most European immigrants. Her family spent a generation in the ghettos of NYC, learning English and trying to become American. Her mother and father took classes every day and forced their children to practice English. They stopped speaking Polish by the time my grandmother was 10.
These narratives relate to the current state of affairs with immigration because a number of illegal immigrants choose not to integrate into American culture, bringing instead their own language, customs and keeping their money. The reason many Americans dislike the hispanic immigration is because they choose to speak English and force a number of entities (both public and private) to pander for business by putting signs in spanish. In additon, these people do not stay and bring culture to the United States. Instead, they send their money home live in isolated barrios.
If hispanic immigrants and the United States people really wanted to help the situation, they would help Mexico (and the rest of Latin America) turn itself around. Clearly, a number of these people do not want to live the "American Dream" like so many of their immigrant predecessors, but instead choose to be very nationalistic. Instead of dealing with migrant rights, we should protect the rights of naturalized citizens and legal migrants, putting their tax money to productive use to help conduct nation building in Latin America.
If you look at the city of Miami, you can see a successful example of hispanic immigration blending with typical American culture. Miami combines elements of white, black and Cuban culture and embraces the Cuban culture, because so many Cuban immigrants chose to become "American". There IS a fundamental difference between your typical "Mexican" and a Cuban or Asian or European or African immigrant.
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
To SimonJester: my house was built in 1958 so I'm sure it was "roofed" by Americans.
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
Linguo - I think a healthy reform is totally in order - in fact, that's what it sounds like you are saying. I side with Vladislav on that one.
TJG87 - Why is it acceptable, in your view, to not like someone because they choose to speak their own language? It's like saying "It's cool, you can not like them because they don't want to assimilate." And it sounds like hate-speak.
Who blames anyone for not willfully throwing themselves into modern American country. Besides, what impetus do they have? The come in, they work as hard and as long as they can until they get busted and sent back. They're not getting root down because our system doesn't let them and our racism doesn't want them. Why should they want to speak your language? Do you speak theirs?
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
Seraphim here are a few of questions. What is the most commonly spoken language in the United States? If you were to go to France, wouldn't you learn some French? How are there 12 million illegal immigrants in the US if they are all getting busted and sent back? Do you believe that you would be alright not knowing a lick of Spanish and living in Mexico? Do you think you would be treated well?
It's not hate-speak coming from TJG87 just a point of view.
I'm in between on the immigration issue. I have reasons to be on both sides, and I do believe that Mexico has to get in order if we want to have a reasonable hope of having a workable system. I'm not mad at the people who cross. I'm mad at the system that makes them cross and find problems with the distaste they have for the country that is supporting them (at least financially).
McNaughton: Immigration about more than give and take
I would have to largely disagree. First of all, immigrants are not the backbone of our country, but I am lost as to whether you are speaking of illegal or legal immigrants in your article. The idea that waves and waves of immigrants entering illegally substantially "adds" to our society is simply false. Illegal immigrants come to largely pursue low-paying low-skilled jobs that lower payroll costs for business owners and only serve to benefit these owners and their customers (usually the wealthy who refuse to mow their own lawns, for example). They make it harder, and now nearly impossible in many industries (landscaping, construction, etc.), for lower skilled AMERICAN workers to find employment at livable wages. The tidal wave of illegal immigration from our southern border continues to drive wages down, as the supply of workers willing and able to accept outrageously low wages increases. While gas and every other living expenses continue to rise, wages have remained stagnant – a problem perpetuated by illegal immigration. I do agree that there is a need for legal immigration into the U.S. The wrong answer is to notice we have an illegal immigration problem and then throw a pity-party about how hard it is to live in Mexico – that they would die to come here! I can promise you the legal route to gaining the right to work in the U.S. is far less treacherous. Immigration laws are already on the books for a reason.
At this point, businesses need to be served stiff penalties for hiring illegal work and border security needs to increase. Those that are here illegally need to be made legal, pay fines and be incorporated into our system.
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