Posted on 06/07/2007 7:39:55 PM PDT by SJackson
Is anyone old enough to remember the expression "Go back to Africa"? Can anyone remember when the lynchings of blacks and Asians and the hunting down of American Indians and Mexicans were commonplace?
Does anyone remember when Jews -- during the time of the Holocaust -- were turned away at this nation's borders? How about the Chinese Exclusion Act? Can anyone remember when the Irish, Germans and Italians were not welcome here?
This country has had a long and sordid history of xenophobia and scapegoat politics, which brings us to the current immigration debate.
Prior to this debate, I had not been aware that illegal immigrants were the No. 1 threat to the security of the most powerful nation on Earth and the cause of the majority of the nation's many problems.
It's amazing how we are all easily manipulated and corralled. All we seem to need is for someone to whip up the frenzy to permit the immoral discrimination against and segregation of human beings and to permit the mass incarceration of Japanese-American citizens or to conduct an Operation Wetback to send Mexican-American citizens "back to where they came from."
Not too long ago, it was George Wallace. Yesterday it was Pat Buchanan. Today it is the Three Amigos: CNN's Lou Dobbs and Republican presidential hopefuls Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter.
And it is amazing the lengths that people who have been formerly targeted by demagogues will go to to prove their Americanism. They seemingly scream the loudest when a new group has been targeted. One can hear the catharsis -- an incredible sigh of relief -- when they are able to point a finger at another group.
This time around, illegal immigrants are the target. They can't fight back or vote or even protest in public. And technically, they don't have a face. All the vitriol can be hurled against them without feeling guilty -- just don't say the word Mexican and you can't be accused of being a bigot. Besides, you have nothing against brown people, as long as they're legal, educated, employed (just as long as the job is not too good) and can speak English.
Consider the following: If the United States were to put up a 2,000-mile wall along the U.S.-Mexico border and if the 12 million nannies, busboys, gardeners and maids were deported, would the illegal and immoral war in Iraq immediately come to a halt?
If undocumented workers were deported, would gas prices go down, would it compel U.S. corporations to immediately institute a living wage for all workers, and would Congress pass universal health care overnight?
Contrary to what some have claimed, a recent study by the Washington-based Immigration Policy Center found that immigrants are much less likely to be imprisoned than U.S.-born residents of the same ethnicity. Another study, by the Public Policy Institute of California, has shown that immigrants are more likely to push up wages than depress them.
But who listens to facts anymore?
The urge to blame illegal immigrants or anyone else for the nation's problems is the result of the Bush administration's politics of fear, hate and blame. They've unleashed that dynamic, and now Americans have come to believe that their rights, livelihood and happiness depend on the denigration and dehumanization of their fellow human beings.
Perhaps the demagoguery is limited to a loud and rancorous minority of Republican ideologues; we do know that a majority of U.S. citizens support a path to legalization for this nation's undocumented immigrants. They do not want to continue to divide up human beings into legal and illegal categories.
It doesn't have to be this way; a simple transnational labor agreement could change all this. The drawback is that workers and their families would not lose their human rights, dignity or citizenship in the process -- so who would we then blame for the nation's problems?
As to his questions, which are the basis of his editorial,
the expression "Go back to Africa"?--Perhaps
Can anyone remember when the lynchings of blacks and Asians—If they can, they’re probably 100+
the hunting down of American Indians and Mexicans were commonplace—No, unless you include the treatment of Indians (he used it so I can) in northern Mexico well into the 20th century
Does anyone remember when Jews -- during the time of the Holocaust -- were turned away at this nation's borders?—No, it was a long swim. I presume he’s referring to the St. Louis, which was pre-Holocaust
How about the Chinese Exclusion Act?—They’re in their 140s
Can anyone remember when the Irish, Germans and Italians were not welcome here?---Irish, Germans probably not. Immigration laws adopted in the 20s did discriminate against Eastern Europeans and Italians, some elderly might remember that
I could have come up with far better examples, but it’s his editorial.
And none of those he cites as "discriminated" against entered the country en masse illegally.
He makes one good point.
It doesn't have to be this way; a simple transnational labor agreement could change all this. The drawback is that workers and their families would not lose their human rights, dignity or citizenship in the process
That should be the basis of any guest worker program, keep your citizenship, work here, but don't expect to be fast tracked to the benefits of American citizenship.
None of those unfortunates had reconquest ambitions for the States.
The story is about what I would expect from a guy named Roberto Rodriguez.
The big difference between now and 100 years ago is that those who came 100 years ago came here legally. Some were turned away at Ellis Island; not everone was allowed in.
Roberto makes this about racism. He says that there is an economic benefit to the illegals working here. But he doesn’t address the fact that they are here illegally.
America is the most generous nation in the world in terms of legal immigration. Guys like Roberto give America no credit whatsoever in this area. He is wrong to not give us credit for having absorbed so many legal immigrants and refugees in recent years.
America as we know it will cease to exist if we become overrun by illegals. The fact is that not everyone in the world who wants to come here can be accomodated.
So his implication that I'll get these things, and more, if we simple ease the way to citizenship for 10 or 20 or 30 million who want to work, but don't necessarily want to be citizens, falls on deaf ears.
My stomach is strong but it can't read text. It only reads food. It especially likes to read tacos, enchiladas and lots of hot sauce.
Guy is a college student and professional minority. Not to mention a little short on critical thinking skills. “Roberto Rodriguez of Madison offers a Latino/indigenous perspective on the Americas.”
U.S. Constitution, Article 4 Section 4:
"The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government,
1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass.
They were. I hope you aren't going to suggest we check immigrants for TB--that's racist. Besides, we have better health care. The infirm should go to the top of the list.
I could give you any number of legal Hispanics who would immediately denounce Roberto Rodriguez and his anti-American ideas.
More accurately, this story is what you should expect from a guy who writes for the Capital Times.
Is this correct? I have seen the question using the term immigrants but what poll determined a majority of U.S. citizens support a path to legalilzation regarding illegals?
Lying bigtime.
Consider yourself educated. And take heart. They say the first step on the road to recovery is admitting you have a problem.
None that I've seen. With a Dem Congress and pro-illegal President, note the fate of the immigration bill. Not exactly fast tracked. And that's because of the only poll congressmen care about, calls from their constituents.
The writer probably wouldn't recognize "Murphy" as being the quintessential IRISH NAME.
I think Timothy was pretty welcome in "this country", the United States, but probably not in the United Kingdom, a totally different country.
Roberto—
Please step over here with me and show me your papers.
They seem to be out of order.
You will board this train now.
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