The Plight of Immigration in Modern Day America

First let me explain why I feel so impassioned about the plight of migrant workers. Then I would like to address some misperceptions in regards to migrant workers. When I first got out of the Marine Corps, it was during the height of the unemployment problem in the 80’s. The only job I could find that summer was working alongside migrants picking tomatoes and pulling tassels on corn. I was astonished by their work ethic. These people would work long hours for just a few dollars. Whole families would work from dawn to dusk. I was in great shape then, considering I was fresh out from the Corps, and even the smallest migrant worker could out work me! Some were as young as eight years old. Since then, I have had great respect for migrant workers, as should all Americans. They work harder here in our country than most Americans! I now live in La Junta, Colorado; a town that is predominately Hispanic in decent. While living here I have become great friends to many Hispanic people and I sympathize with many of their concerns.

The greatest misperception about migrant workers coming from Mexico is misidentifying their ethnic heritage. Most migrant workers coming from Mexico are descended from: Apache, Aztec, Amuzgo, Cheyenne, Ch'ol, Cochimi, Cocopa, Cora, Guarijio, Huichol, Hopi, Kickapoo, Kiliwa, Kumiai, Matlatzinca, Mayas, Mixe, Mixtec, Mojave, Nahuatl/Mexica, Navajo, OaxacaChontal, Opata, Paipai, PimaBajo, Popoluca, Pueblo, Purepechaor, Seri, Sioux, TabascoChontal, Tarahumara, Tepehu, Tlahuica, Tonto, Tubar, Yaqui, Yucatec, Yuma, Zapotec, Zoque,and Zuni Native American Indians. I suppose most neo-conservatives and other groups who oppose open borders would feel uncomfortable to demanding the government to kick-out “Native Americans” from the United States; it must make them feel more comfortable to use their self-justifying racist overtones and condemnations.

One of the most ironic points neo-conservatives make on the issue of immigration surrounds how they spout the government needs to be a “responsible” government in dealing with this issue. The irony is that I agree the government needs to be HONESTLY responsible for their actions which lead to the current plight of migrant workers in America. However, most neo-conservatives do not want the government to be truthfully responsible for their past historical actions.Our country’s responsibility lies in two different concepts; the first being historical. I assume everyone is familiar with the term “blowback”. The first blowback began at the end of the Spanish-American War; which resulted in the annexation of over 60% of Mexico with the agreement and understanding the borders would always be open to Mexican families on both sides of the border; this historical agreed openness lead to the present situation with American businesses and employers being more than welcoming to migrant workers. During these times, migrant workers helped to build our great nation; just a few examples being their contribution in building the continental railways and in helping turn the desert southwest into productive farmland. The second blowback occurred more recently in the form of American corporate greed. During the late 20th century and early 21st century, widespread austere poverty and starvation in Mexico was at almost pandemic levels due to US corporations relocating their cheap-labour plants from the US-Mexico border to Asia; plunging millions into poverty causing mass migration.

Now to further clarify my point, in regards to responsibility, the United States is a great nation. As a great nation, we should also be a responsible nation in accordance to our past actions. In addition, I strongly believe the current mentality of those who just want to "kick them all out" fail to realize the responsibility our nation has played in promoting the plight of migrant workers.

Furthermore, being a responsible nation doesn’t mean to just kick out everyone who for over a century were more than welcomed and helped to create this great nation. When did the words on the Statue of Liberty change? Last time I read them they said this, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” Regardless, citizens on both sides of this issue realize real reform needs to take place. Why not have gateway cities on the southern border that resemble an “Ellis Island” type of entry stations for migrant workers? Although the divide on the debate on this issue is wide there is a common ground where real reform can begin. Most everyone agrees there needs to be accountability of who is in our country and for what reason, and most everyone agrees migrant workers are exploited terribly in our country. “Ellis Island” gateway cities would begin to solve both of these issues.

A very common question which arises from the issue of immigrations is this; “If America has so much to offer them, what do they have to offer us in return for all of that free stuff they get?” This question is answered by quite a statistical reality. Migrant workers pay over $7 billion annually into the Social Security Administration. Since this money mainly goes to the federal government and hardly little goes to the local and state governments this results in the misperception that migrant workers receive more than they give. This is also undoubtedly why state and local governments are so active in anti-immigration policies, while the federal government has more sympathy to immigration reform.I believe many white European descended neo-conservatives realize their European based culture is changing. This inevitable coming change in the racial and ethnic make up of the population of America threatens their sense of nationalism. This is the reason they spout, “It’s the law, and it’s the law” over and over again. And in this regard of identifying migrant workers as “illegal’s”, not all laws are just, that is what makes our country great, when a law is not just we change the laws. I fear that many of these insecure Americans have a stark comparison to the same people who defended “Jim Crow” laws during the 60s. I wonder would they have had the same passion to tell a “Negro” during the 60’s they could not drink from their white water fountains; because it was the law.

In addition, why do we forget that all but one of the 9/11 hijackers came across the Canadian border. Some studies have shown there are over 300,000 Canadians living in our country under illegal status, no one speaks out against them. Why? Canada has a very strong and a growing fundamentalist Muslim population, but I see no demands for a fence along our northern border. Is this because Canadians are predominately white European decent?Moreover, we will never 'kick them all out', because for one important simple reason the demographic culture of the United States is changing. Soon the Hispanic population will gain the upper hand in dealing with this problem, due to white European descent Americans dropping to below 50% of the population; so whatever tough legislation may or may not be passed by the federal, state, or local governments in the present; is in reality a little too late so to speak. When the Hispanic population gains the upper hand, they will either reverse or create new immigration laws that will show more sympathy to migrant workers more than the current public opinion and trend. Much like the early part of the 20th century when European descended Americans created immigration laws which showed more compassion to the Europeans immigrating to the United States.