While Minutemen build fences across the U.S.-Mexico border to try to thwart illegal immigrants from entering the country, Hispanic-Americans, both legal and not, are rallying in cities across the nation, boycotting work and school to stand up and demonstrate their economic influence after growing government and media attention. The culprit: a proposed effort to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States. The real culprit: scapegoating.
Americans can argue about the pros and cons of allowing illegal immigrants to live and work in this country all day long, but if the immigration issue was truly dire, something would have already been done, say a decade ago when illegal immigration accelerated in the U.S. The real problem lies with the higher-up individuals under fire for scandal, unprecedented deficits and low approval ratings, who need something to detract the public’s attention.
“Hey, let’s focus on those illegal immigrants!”
Hey, let’s not. It’s blatantly obvious that immigrants are helping fuel our economy. The misconception that illegal immigrants are taking jobs away from Americans is preposterous, and we are far from overpopulation. My hat is off to those protesting. Although many of them aren’t American citizens, they are standing up for what they believe is right, a truly democratic and honorable action.
It is disconcerting, though, that many immigrants, as comedian Dennis Miller so eloquently puts it, aren’t “signing the guestbook.”
But it’s hard to sign the guestbook when no one will let you have the pen. It’s also painful when you have to support your family in a country where the economy is collapsing, jobs are disappearing and your government is notorious for scandal. I’m not talking about America [we’re perfect]; I’m talking about Mexico. Men and women are crossing the border into America in order to support their families, finding a job that, despite low wages, is a tremendous help to their impoverished loved ones.
It’s an issue of survival for immigrants, not of race or wealth. To some Americans, it’s an issue of convenience.
I can see why these Americans feel that immigration is an inconvenience. After all, these people are coming to a country they aren’t native to in order to search for a better quality of life. No one in the history of the United States has ever done that.
Sarcasm aside, it’s important to point out that there’s no real argument here, just an observation of how anyone in this country can become a scapegoat, whether they are here to thrive or survive.