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“There can be no divided allegiance here…We have room for but one flag, the American flag…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…”
-President Theodore Roosevelt 1907-
“Inmigración de Estados Unidos. Abre la puerta! Tenemos órdenes de deportación para…” Few things are as frightening as lightening raids conducted by armed agents of the United States immigration services. Federal agents showing up at homes, places of business appearing as if out of nowhere is enough to scare anybody out of their wits especially hapless illegal aliens hoping to evade deportation proceedings. Without proper papers undocumented aliens risk all. Entire families are arrested, broken up then unceremoniously sent packing back to points of origin within hours of their arrest. Undocumented aliens risk having assets frozen, seized or sold. These are the hallmarks of immigration officers who have the onerous job of cracking down on the undocumented. La Migra is a Spanish colloquial term that refers to Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE and members of the U.S. Border Patrol. Their job is to police the borders and enforce American immigration policies.
The issues surrounding immigration reform are complex. Though billions of dollars of dangerous drugs are seized at our borders and destroyed later, many potentially indispensable people fleeing from countries less fortunate than ours are caught in this vicious dragnet. Despite what late comedian George Carlin said about the so-called ‘American Dream’ (Go to: George Carlin’s ‘American Dream’ You Tube video.) there’s still something to be said in favor of wanting a share in the remnants of America’s prosperity. The world’s poor still hope their coming to America may bring some measure of peace and prosperity when most have known only poverty, wars, bad governments, subservient religions and ignorance. All things considered the United States of America is in this writer’s opinion still a great country where anyone with ambition and drive can achieve some measure of success.
Many argue that America’s immigration laws are antiquated, discriminatory, and needs revamping. Others opine that America is overpopulated and our populace needs to be stabilized or culled through wars. Another common complaint says American workers could lose their jobs to immigrants. This is fallacious. Immigrants generally come from countries where entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency is de rigueur. Immigrants create America’s jobs. Singling out undocumented immigrants for exclusion on the supposition that they steal American jobs is defamatory!
I have a copy of TIME Magazine’s article ‘The Original Genius Bar.’ Of the nine genius level people shown on the front cover the largest percentage of them as I understand were immigrants. New peoples accept all the dirty work that ordinary Americans shun. When I was a kid I used to work as a laborer at a metal parts factory on the Near North Side. The job was hard, dirty beyond words, low paying, excessively noisy and dangerous. Several people, including one foreman, had their hands chopped off while running punch presses or crushed by falling 2 ton and die! I grew up poor and had little choice but work there. The factory consisted of people from all parts of the globe; Koreans, Columbians, Brazilians, Poles, Lithuanians, urban and rural Blacks, Swedes, Slovaks, Appalachian whites, Romanians, Mexicans, Chinese, including prison escapees. Our factory employed a potpourri of peoples.
I worked side-by-side with those hard workers. They rarely complained no matter how hard working conditions were. I can personally vouch for their good character and their industry. It’s a pack of lies when bigots complain that immigrants take jobs from U.S. citizens. Those factory jobs were low paying, dirty, and so dangerous that most Americans wouldn’t want them anyway.
I’ve noted over the years that while most immigrants arrive poor some without shoes on their feet within a generation or less they’ve made considerable progress on all fronts. They own and operate prosperous businesses. Their kids attend good schools, get top grades, and aren’t delinquents. In time these once impoverished people get top paying positions in their chosen fields. Once on top they are eager and able to assist their less fortunate country folk to find jobs for their families and quality schools for their kids.
When I became a teacher 40 plus years ago after I left my first profession as a highway designer-drafter I taught their children. Immigrants who become citizens are similar to religious converts; their excessive zeal makes them ideal patriots. Most new citizens value their new-found status. I’ve attended swearing in ceremonies and witnessed firsthand newly naturalized citizens including family members break down in tears of joy; they were glad to be here. The newly naturalized have a patriotic fervor that few of their natural born counterparts can match.
Some opine that with the current onrush of people coming to America our national identity would be compromised; not so. I married into a large Filipino family. If my new family is any indication of how new Americans respond to their new status as full-fledged Americans I would say that our national identity is in good hands and will never be diluted though it may be altered.
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods. There are entire sections in the city where English is a ‘foreign’ language subordinate to the predominant tongue of area people. I can’t rule out that our national identity is eroding as mercenary immigrants whose aims are to share America’s wealth yet despise their new land and its people. There are some who have no intention of becoming naturalized or learning English. These people dream of making enough money to return to their native lands in high style. I’ve met quite a few of those types during my missionary trip to southern Mexico a few years ago. I’ve entered half empty villages where the bulk of the people have ‘Green Cards’ and work in the U.S. seasonally returning only to leave money to help support families and boost businesses while retaining Mexican citizenship. This sort of European styled ‘guest worker’ approach is being considered as part of the overall immigration reform package.
Some pundits argue open immigration would make America an easier terrorist target; nonsense! If any terrorist wanted to enter our country with malice and forethought he/she won’t go through Customs. They’d devise some ingenious method to circumvent gate security.
I remember my Mom + GOD rest her soul + used to tell me when I was little “no lock can’t stop no thief!” Mom was right! I reiterate if terrorists want to enter illegally no laws, gates, rivers or walls will ever stop them. The government should get creative. During the Cold War era Western spies had a hard time penetrating the Iron Curtain; Soviet spies would enter and exit at will unlike CIA or MI6 operatives who were often captured, tried, executed hours after they entered Russia. The old KGB knew how to secure their national boarder. Perhaps our government could learn something from our former foes.
America’s borders are porous; anybody can get in. Newer methods of surveillance and high tech gadgetry are needed to secure our frontier. Many come to America to flee political oppression. This truth is graphically illustrated in so-called ‘banana republics’ where wannabe fuehrers rule the roost to the extreme detriment of their people. Bad government has always been a root cause of evil.
The American people have been misled by demagogic anti-immigration politicians who could care less about the fate of those unfortunates only about getting reelected. These political opportunists argue that any changes made to our current immigration legislation would aid criminals. Undocumented workers are prime targets for criminal gangs who worm their way to our country alongside those innocents who only want to make better lives for themselves and their families. Huddled in barrios unfit for vermin, illegals fear the police. After wearing the yoke of tyranny for so long, undocumented peoples are reluctant to call 911 even in crisis situations for fear of being deported if questioned. Vicious gangs exploit them at will. Immigration reform must demolish the invisible barriers of tension, mistrust and hatred that exist between police and people. Revised immigration statutes should put vicious thugs and others who take advantage of the undocumented where they belong – in prisons or in the ground. (vamaxwell@yahoo.com)