As the national debate regarding immigration reform continues, I find the essay in the July 2006 edition of Texas Monthly by Immigrant X as told to John Spong, "My Life As An Illegal," extremely insightful.
In the past few weeks I have noticed that discussion of issues related to the nation's "war on terror" seem to be washing over into the debate about immigration reform.
I can see how securing the borders is an important objective as we consider enemies who seek to harm us. But the 11-12 million undocumented residents of the United States, mostly from Mexico and other points south of our border, present no such national security threat. Most have been in the states for years, some decades. The vast majority make positive contributions to their communities every day.
The story told by Immigrant X provides a helpful, very human, day-by-day glimpse into the world, dreams and motivations of hard working Mexican nationals.
As I read his story, several things stood out for me.
1) Immigrants from Mexico are in the U. S. in large part because of the ease with which the system made accommodations allowing millions to come and to stay. Regardless of what immigration law says, the way the system has been working encouraged the influx.
2) Immigrant X pays taxes. He uses a fake Social Security number and a Taxpayer Identification Number assigned him by the IRS that is legitimate. He is very careful to pay all that he owes.
3) Immigrant X is in the U. S. seeking exactly what all of us want for our families.
4) Immigrant X's goal is citizenship, even if he has to wait for years to receive it.
5) Immigrant X is constant in his focus on "doing everything right" (a phrase he used over and over again) as a resident of this country.
Pick up a copy of Texas Monthly or visit the on-line site at http://www.texasmonthly.com/. No matter what you think about the current debate, the article will give you a very human and intimate perspective on the issue.
3 comments:
This particular extension of the fight against terror is really just a great excuse for racism. They've been looking for reasons to justify these actions for years, and now they're using "terrorism" to frighten us into going along with their plans.
The real "terrorists" are the politicians who use these tactics.
I disagree with the above comment.
Also, is citizenship really a goal of these individuals? It doesn't seem that they want to be American citizens, they just want to earn a living for their families back home. I'm not slamming that desire, as it is one that we would all share, but it doesn't seem that they want to become American citizens.
Todd, thanks for your post.
Your question makes me wonder if you know and have talked to any of these immigrants? I ask with no criticism, but for information. My experience lines up with the story told by Immigrant X in the article. Most want to become citizens, but with no current way to do so, they settle for the status quo. I would encourage you to find a way to open a conversation with someone in the situation.
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