build it and they will (still) come...

That phrase has stuck with me the last few weeks amongst all the talk about changing the illegal immigration policy in the U.S. Mainly, because in my mind, even if the U.S. constructs a Berlin proportioned wall between the borders between the U.S. and Mexico, people will still find their way in, whether it be through obtaining illegal paperwork or climbing and/or cannonballing themselves above it. This debate has really hit me hard, as it deals directly with my chicano brothers and sisters out there. While they may be illegal: they are undoubtedly an integral portion of the fabric of this society. Yet I am torn as a taxpayer to be forced to pay their debt to society. It truly is a strange feeling.

And above all the chatter of the media and heated debate among all of us with a voice, I know in my heart that the proposed policy changes will not work. Immigration will continue to be a daunting problem. I say this simply for many reasons, but most importantly, I say this because the policy changes do not deal with the root cause of the immigration problem: the economic crisis going on in Mexico. It's a simple fact: these people are fleeing their beloved country because of necessity and hope for a better life. They are so desperate that they risk life and limb to get here illegally. The proposed policy changes totally ignore this fact. What our government should be focusing on (instead of trying to put up a physical border) is to deal with the root issue of WHY they are coming here!!! And the solution is economically simple: Let's help Mexico become a more prosperous nation, allowing their poor and homeless a chance at survival and mere happiness. It can be as simple as giving U.S. companies tax breaks which open up shop there.

Last but not least, I must say that I'm sick and tired of people (and to a lesser extent: the media) quoting statistics stating that Mexican-Americans are more criminal, less intelligent, more lazy, and are a drain to our society as a whole. Believe it or not, it's true: if every single illegal immigrant was labeled a criminal and deported, we would truly fuck this country up in unimaginable ways. While undocumented workers are only about 5 percent of our overall labor force, they are between 22 and 36 percent of: America's insulation workers, miscellaneous agricultural workers, meat-processing workers, construction workers, dishwashers, and maids. The American Farm Bureau, the lobbying group for agricultural interests, says that without guest workers, the United States would lose $5 billion to $9 billion a year in fruit, vegetable, and flower production alone.

(source for figures in the last paragraph: "Undocumented workers contribute plenty" - The Boston Globe)

~^~@ Later post @~<~
Thinking about it some more, the most positive thing to come out of this whole ordeal is the fact that mi gente really came together peacefully and united. I'm proud to be Chicana!



Latinos unidos

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