A woman in her mid 60s told me recently how illegal
immigrants are destroying the economy because they’re taking jobs from
Americans, not paying taxes and not contributing to the local economy because
they send all their earnings back to their home country. Of course this is true
to some extent, but I can’t help but think that this opinion is one of the most
asinine and selfish perspectives on a reality that harkens to the founding of
this country.
America, the north and south parts, was “founded” by illegal
immigrants. Europeans came here, uninvited, stripped the land of resources and
its people of dignity, placed a flag in the ground, drew some lines on a map,
wrote some ideas down on paper and voila! A nation of savage tribes became
instantly assimilated into the grand idea of a civilized country.
Now, my woman friend, let’s call her Agnes, tells me that
this point is irrelevant, because “two wrongs don’t make a right.” Just because
we did it to the Indians, doesn’t mean the Mexicans should do it to us, she
said. By Mexicans, she means Latinos, basically.
“How do we fix the problem now?” Agnes asks.
True immigration reform requires a thorough examination of
how American history, culture, business, politics and public policy have
created a perfect storm for illegal immigration and undocumented employment.
Tightening our belts through increased security measures,
stricter punishments to offenders and convoluting the legal immigration process
will only lead to more problems. As the entrance barriers placed by the United
States intensify, more and more people will be forced to enter this country
illegally because the current system is already the strictest it’s ever been,
especially since Sept. 11, 2001. Dirt poor immigrants face thousands of dollars
in government and legal fees to obtain a green card today, and they would be
even less equipped to engage in the legal process should it become more
complicated and costly.
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