Immigration: Our Perspective

When it comes to perceiving the immigration issue, let me try to paint a picture of the regional Latino mentality towards immigration.

My mother’s side has lived in the Del Rio-San Antonio area for about five generations now, not including Native American ancestry. You could call us Latino/Tex-Mex/Hispanic/Mexican-American and of Mexican descent (that alone refers to a mixture of Aztec/French/Italian/Spanish). During the 1950s, my grandma was the head nurse of Del Rio, taught by Catholic nuns in Dallas, so our family was of a high social standing (they had maids in the house- migrants from Mexico). During this time many Mexican-Americans were classified as “White”. So distinctively, the poor Mexicans, usually darker, were looked down upon as minorities. This created an even worse mentality towards “Mojados” or “Wetbacks” who cross from the other side, which could be mixed with either compassion or disgust. They could look out the window and see them riding on the freight trains just a block away. After NAFTA passed, a highway was built on the same land and my grandma was forced to move, now there’s a big highway leading straight into Acuña, making it easier to cross back and forth. (Many wealthy native-Mexicans cross into the U.S. on a daily basis to shop here, and those are the ones whom are usually rude, “fresas” will fly into San Antonio for a day shopping spree.) I would encounter many of them while working at the airport and passing through Customs, but there’s usually plenty to be found at La Cantera.

Most Americans don’t know what it’s like to get stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint, deep within U.S. territory, coming back from visiting their family, and to get asked if they’re U.S. Citizens or not, every single time. This is something my family’s had to deal with for many decades. When my mom was little, she wasn’t allowed to speak Spanish in school, it was forbidden, and if they did–they would be punished harshly. These techniques were to force American assimilation, yet what it created was a loss of identity and a loss of culture. This is disappointing for my generation because my grandparents mostly spoke Spanish and watched Spanish Television, so what happened was a disconnect from heritage and from family. I tried learning things, but it was difficult to understand since my mom doesn’t speak Spanish in the house. I am what a native-Mexican would call a “Pocho”, a Mexican-American who speaks little to no Spanish. But the term can also be used in derogative terms and applied to “wannabe” Mexicans or Americans. My dad doesn’t know any Spanish at all, a “gringo” from Indiana, with English-Irish-German descent, my dad’s side of the family could’ve come out of a Norman Rockwell painting, so I can see the other spectrum of perception as well.

My grandfather Rudolfo Torres was a Lieutenant during World War II, in the Pacific Theater. He would tell stories that were so outlandish it was almost hard to believe. The experience of landing on the island shores. Capturing Japanese Generals (who spoke to him in Spanish). Surviving kamikazes on their encampment. And supposedly securing the Japanese Imperial family. These are just a few of many stories he had, which had I been able to learn Spanish better, I probably would have been able to hear as well. He passed away last Fall and is now buried at the DFW National Cemetery. All of my great uncles were also in the service, and some afterwards continued to work in government institutions. Before his generation, my great grandparents were immigrants and they were very hard workers, working for the Pacific railroad in San Antonio and working in the coal mines of North Texas. One of my uncles, even served on high level top secret missions during Vietnam, of which might still be classified.

Now the system is a lot different than it used to be, the process of becoming a naturalized citizen is a lot more complicated, convoluted, and even corrupt in Mexico. It’s unfortunate that a lot of these immigrants crossing into the U.S. nowadays are illegal, but the United States wouldn’t be the great nation it is, without the sacrifice, hard work, and dedication that immigration has provided the States over hundreds of years. Nowadays, you might have one lady receiving thousands of dollars in aid, not doing anything other than taking care of her five or seven children who were born in the States, she might be illegal and not paying taxes, but everyone of those “anchor babies” born in the States is now a U.S. Citizen. What that means is that instead of one legal citizen, you now have 8 legitimate citizens, and in 18 years, they will be fully immersed into the system, paying taxes, and providing something back. If they fall victim to crime, that’s not because they’re an immigrant or Mexican, it’s because they were alienated by society and the education system failed to entice their imaginations. Many of the illegal immigrants are poor Mexicans, but it’s by no means a cheap affair. What typically happens is that they, or their family, spend their life’s fortune, around $2,000 USD to the “coyotes” who will bring them across the border. Once they’re here, if they make it by “la migra”, they can attempt to have children here, marry a U.S. Citizen, or get a leg-up on the naturalization process which takes about five years. The problem with the naturalization process is that it typically requires a written exam to prove they can speak and write English, but this is usually not possible because they were never able to learn this in school. They’re too poor for education, but not too poor to work hard making a bearable living.

Whose jobs are being threatened? The ones which require no education? Is it bad that illegal immigrants are taking these jobs, or that so many Americans need these jobs as well. There’s plenty of skilled labor jobs being threatened, but this isn’t the backbone of American society. We’re an Information Technology society. Those are the jobs we need, and those are the jobs that are being given away to foreign nations. Now we’re also losing jobs from the creative industry.

A Real Strategy:

Foremost what needs to happen is an information “psyop” strategy. An information campaign must be developed to demystify rumor and fears so that U.S. Citizens can focus on the important matters first. Media outlets such as websites, stickers, posters, billboards, broadcasting, university Q/A rallies, and other events can engage the topic with citizens. People need to know what the real threats are because the immigration issue is clouding the subject. Immigrants are being focused upon while the businesses who employ them are being let off, they’re being bailed by banks, evading taxes with offshore tax-havens, lobbying congress, and outsourcing their crucial workforce with outsourcing.

JOB LOSS: The figures on illegal immigrants are skeptical at best, because they’re undocumented workers, it’s practically impossible to know for sure, Estimates are between 7 million and 12 million low-skilled jobs at risk from immigration. That may seem like a big issue, but the flip side is that 14 million high-level jobs are at risk due to outsourcing. With the economy being bad, more small and large businesses look towards outsourcing to further increase their revenues. This is especially troublesome because Information Technology is the United States’ main economic industry. They’re not only paying less wages, for the same kind of work, they’re receiving higher quality results. http://www.rttsweb.com/outsourcing/statistics/

CHASING PHANTOMS: Immigration policies like Arizona’s must be condemned, to re-insure the local populace that their rights will not be violated. The policies of “asking for papers” is draconian, reminiscent of NAZI Germany. This does not provide an efficient means of finding illegal immigrants, whom will be scattered and hiding. What this does is create inequality and divides the civilian population. We need unity on this matter between Latino and Anglo communities. http://maldef.org/news/releases/maldef_and_other_civil_rights_05172010/

CRIME: It’s being associated that we have a large amount of illegal immigrants in our federal prisons. The Mexican Cartels pushes drugs and people into the States. When they’re caught, it doesn’t mean they’re an immigrant, only an illegal operative. Marijuana accounts for over 60% of the cartels funding. These funds only return to the U.S. when military grade weapons are purchased to keep the syndicates heavily armed. Now the DEA is stating that it’s considering the legalization of Marijuana it order to thwart the syndicate operations who operate like terrorists. http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/05/05/fbi-marijuana-is-the-top-revenue-generator-for-mexican-cartels/

JUST GET LEGAL: It’s a lot more difficult for an illegal “alien” to process the naturalization exam when they’re being hunted down like animals here in the States. The naturalization process is long, tedious, and extremely difficult for poor Mexicans to obtain. It’s a lot more plausible for them to save up over many years, mostly using their life savings to pay a “Coyote” who will get them across. There are plenty of rumors, false information, and success stories to attract them. We need services to provide sanctuary and then education so that these individuals can become true citizens and obtain jobs like anyone else. Or for those capable, educate on enlistment options so that they will serve in the military where they will receive a real “American” education and citizenry after tour. This will be much affordable to U.S. tax-payers then “hunting down” and “deporting” illegal immigrants while still providing a gain for America.