It's hard to look objectively at things. Especially when I'm looking at an issue like illegal immigration. Sure, I'm not an illegal immigrant, neither are my parents, members of my family or any of my friends. I filed for a student visa, did all the paperwork and stepped through the immigration offices into America. And do I feel identified with Mexicans crossing the border? Yes, because in a way (I'm not trying to pretend like I have any idea of the things they have had to go through, because I'm sure they have been tougher than anything I've experienced) I know how it feels to be an immigrant.
Do I feel like I'm different from the people in my class? Yes.
Do I feel like people look at me differently because I'm from Latin America? Sometimes, yes.
And I'm in no way victimizing myself. Being Latina is something I take great pride in, and I wouldn't have it any other way, but if being an immigrant for me is hard, I can't even imagine what it could be for those who come illegally.
And that's why I think it's been incredibly enriching experience to investigate this issue, because lets be honest, if you're an illegal immigrant, you can spend all your life surrounded by people and opinions that reaffirm your own. Do I now share the views of those who are anti-illegal immigrants? Not really, but now I can definitely understand them.
I see news about online videogames where you can shoot at pregnant Mexican women crossing the border and still feel disgusted, but now when I go to websites like immigration08 I can tell their news are biased to only show the goods side of immigration.
Life isn't about being on one extreme or the other, it's about finding a path to meet in between. Because , if there's something I've learned, is that people often look out for themselves. While some complain about illegal immigrants taking their jobs, other benefit from it.
As well as some immigrants come looking for a better life and then steal from the Americans here because they don't find jobs to pay for their food or living arrangements, making the incarceration right one fifth above the rate of the American populations as a whole.
When will we start to look around us? What about what's not best for me, but for everyone of us. Why not look for a immigration reform that will help us all? instead of looking for the first thing that will get aliens back to their countries, or one that will give me a free ride into the country?
Why can countries like Cuba or Mexico establish an agreement where they decide to take a legal, organized and secure control of the immigrants without papers that have been detained in their countries, and the U.S. can't do that with any other country?
I think the research I've done has given me the opportunity to step into someone else's shoes. I can understand why Americans would feel it's not fair for illegal immigrants to take their jobs, and I agree with them. When someone is applying for a job legally, that person should have a right to take it over the one that's applying illegally, and I couldn't see that when all I read was news with partisanship for illegal immigration or discussed with people that were biased.
I know I said before that this has taught me that a lot of people look out for their own, but it has also made me realize there are so many selfless and generous people that go out of their way for those who come to American in need, and they are sometimes overshadowed by those who let their xenophobic rants spread all over the Internet.
People want to come to America because it's great country to live and grow, and Americans have worked hard for that to happen, and that can't be overlooked for illegal immigrants just because they want a better place to live. At the same time, they deserve the same chance as us all for happiness, and who are we to take that away from them.
5 comments:
I most definitely agree with you opinion that there should be a median between both sides...a compromise between both extremes. I can tell this topic is very important to you, and the fact that you are looking at aspects without bias shows that you really seek for a beneficial solution. There are disadvantages and advantages to both sides, as you point out...But i think the U.S will eventually be faced with the need to welcome immigrants rather than use so much effort to prevent them from entering.
I love this post. I got goosebumps while reading it! It is hard not to take extreme sides because our biases often force us to only see the good in one side. I am not an exception. I often forget to see the issue from the view of a hard working American who is truly worried about loosing what they have worked for. I am glad you have been able to gain such a balanced and self-reflective understanding through creating your blog.
We are an inviting country, I could see why immigrants would find America an ideal place to better their fortunes. But it is definitely a double-edged sword. It would be ideal to accept those illegal immigrants who contribute to society yet at the same time it would be difficult to impose a sanction which did not involve provide amnesty to those not pulling their weight. It is a question that will continue to be raised in the coming years.
I agree with you d.r., illegal immigrants are HERE, and there's no way to avoid, what we need to work on isn't only how to prevent our borders, but how to deal with the immigrants that are already here.
Thanks Laurel, it really is an issue that touches me deeply, and I'm glad my post made you take a new fresh look at things...
You make a good point Drews1990, that's something I've talked about in some of my previous posts.
The illegal immigrant looking for nationalization must complete a series of things (get education, work/military service, contribute to society, etc), if the illegal immigrant doesn't come through, then his/her nationalization should be denied.
The matter is definitely complicated, and if the solution was easy probably someone would have found it already. I agree that it's not one issue, but two: America must take an official stance regarding immigration and then one the immigrants that are already in the country. Kicking them out most definitely isn't the way, but it seems weird to "reward" them by making their situation completely legal.
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