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“The outspread wings to the American eagle are broad enough to shelter all who are likely to come.”
-Frederick Douglas-
Reader if you’ve seen the movie/read the book ‘Gangs of New York’ or viewed the current top rated BBC America series ‘Copper’ you’ll get a glimpse of the infamous Know Nothing Party (Nativist) or American Republican Party (1843-1860). This group of political head busting thugs had it in for Catholic German and Irish immigrants; they weren’t too fond of ex slaves either. Catholic buildings were burned to the ground in New York City, Philadelphia, and in other cities. African-Americans were beaten, lynched then burned alive. Priests were attacked by roving anti-Catholic mobs attempting to stamp out ‘Romanism.’ One priest was tarred and feathered! Throughout the 19th century ‘pro-American’ political parties used to campaign and win elections on basis of their Catholic bashing. It was ironic that the leader, principal speech writer and rabble-rouser-in-chief of this infamous ‘party’ was Lewis C. Levin a Jew whose own people received abusive treatment during those turbulent times. Street violence claimed many lives on both sides and sent scores to area hospitals. Today’s Know Nothings secretly fear with the sudden influx of Catholic immigrants the United States will ‘turn Catholic.’
Reader if you want to know what many Americans think about Roman Catholicism/Protestant Evangelicalism read the Yahoo comment section at the tail end of their religious articles. Some comments are among the most virulent and demeaning on the Internet. Their no holds barred bare knuckles style made political incorrectness a black art. If you’re thin skinned stay clear of the Comments section. America’s Nativists will use every trick in their book of mendacities, innuendos, and outright slander to maintain the status quo at the polling place. I remember the verbal tirades leveled against John F. Kennedy an Irish Catholic during his presidential campaign. Though I’m an old school Catholic I have to concede to one of their arguments. I asked my friend and Opus Dei member about the deplorable living, moral, and political state of affairs inside most Catholic countries that’s steering aliens north; he couldn’t come up an answer.
Despite the enormous good immigration has contributed to the welfare and development of the United States, the issue has always left native born Americans with a bitter after taste (Think: the argument over President Barack Obama’s birth certificate).
When I was a kid growing up in Englewood a South Side slum that was a microcosm of all that’s bad today, we had a small section where the ‘white folks lived.’ They were as dirt poor as we were. During those post World War II years there was constant friction among Blacks and immigrants. In broken English some would call us ‘niggers.’ We’d return the favor with ‘dirty DP’ (displaced person), ‘Pollock,’ or other derogatory names. When I look back on my ‘formative’ years I feel ashamed. As GOD’S grace would have it our family left that cesspool for the Robert Taylor Housing Projects; a year later we moved to the ‘Black section’ of Hyde Park. In time I became a teacher and spent most of my career working in multi-racial settings. I worked among a variety of people and got to know them as fellow human beings not racist labels.
I’ve taught school for neigh 32 years. I remember one school in particular that had a racially diverse student body. We had our problems but managed to solve them before they got out of control. After school was another issue. I would open my window and occasionally hear some parents cursing each other out using a wide assortment of racist terms. Most were an insult away from slugging it out. Sometimes I’d have to correct students about their racist behavior. I’d ask them if they believed that stereotypical junk they called each other. To my relief they admitted racism was wrong and didn’t believe any of the nasty names they hurled at each other; they only wanted to make the other kid angry.
America’s hierarchy of hate is alive and well in our schools, churches, work places, and neighborhoods. Seeing these kids interacting with each other and our racially diverse faculty was a sign that the evil days of racism will eventually be as dead as yesterday’s chicken dinner. Our nation’s hierarchy of hate will hopefully evaporate albeit very slowly.
Many Republican legislators envision the destruction of our two party system of government with Immigration Reform. Law makers fear that the liberal pro-immigration reform Democratic Party will become the sole political party in our nation. The 19th century Nativists was successful in part because America’s two- party system at the time was weak.
Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the country. With the majority of Latinos card carrying Democrats many assume that once they become the majority party, middle/upper class white conservative Republicans would be gradually erased from the American political landscape. This harks back to the ‘too many Catholics’ syndrome mentioned earlier. In truth Roman Catholicism in America is a house divided against itself in similar fashion as the rest of the country. Political columnists Georgia Ortega’s article ‘Immigration Reform Pros and Cons’ and Tom Head’s ‘Arguments against Immigration Reform’ suggested that depolarizing the reform argument may be a good way to promote change in immigration legislation. Perhaps a strong third party will be a balm to the current two party mess this country is embroiled in.
White nationalist and anti-immigration organizer John Tanton opines from his ‘Center of Immigration Studies (CIS) and Numbers USA’ that thousands of federal dollars are wasted processing illegal aliens back to countries of origin rather than have them apply for citizenship. Immigrants pay high taxes. Enforcement of immigration laws is very expensive. It’s hard to monitor 12,000,000 undocumented aliens out of a general population of over 314 million people. What reform foes fail to understand is that the majority of the undocumented pay taxes, create jobs, build businesses and open industries; Open Immigration + Education = a strong America!
For criminals who manage slide in under the radar and give law biding aliens a bad name my solution; BUILD BIGGER JAILS aka Arizona Chief Sheriff Joseph M. ‘Crazy Joe’ Arpaio. Despite his alleged anti-immigration mindset you gotta’ admit the man knows how to deal with societies malcontents. His one size fits all approach to crime, criminals, and criminality put the fear of GOD in convicted hoods that have had the misfortune of doing time in Joe’s jails. Why should decent people fleeing poverty be subjected to terror tactics from unsavory elements from their home countries; it not fair to them or America. No credible study exists that indicates that legalizing undocumented immigrants is detrimental to a society. As previously illustrated quite the opposite exists. Strict immigration reforms wouldn’t reward lawbreakers but punish them. Ghettoizing illegal aliens while letting criminals victimize them are akin to encouraging cancer cells to replicate unchecked until the organism of state dies (Think: Mafia.)
On Good Friday I witnessed a Downtown demonstration that urged immediate immigration reform. If you want to help bring about fair treatment and reform to the undocumented here’s how; acquaint/update your knowledge of U.S. immigration policies/practices. Read what the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, other sectarian and secular organizations have to say regarding Immigration Reform. Vote for legislation that will help immigrants enter and adjust to American life and keep an open mind.
This past June the U.S. Senate passed a broad bipartisan immigration reform bill. The bill goes next to the House of Representatives in a few weeks. The Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Immigration Affairs and Education invites you to join in their 40 Day Campaign of Prayer, Fasting, and Action. For a Catholic perspective on immigration reform visit www.arch-chicago.org/immigration. Time and page space doesn’t allow for a sampling of every immigration issue. Till next time GOD bless you, your loved ones, and drive/walk carefully.
(vamaxwell@yahoo.com)