I got an email today from a family member that shall remain nameless (you know who you are) that got my hackles up. It was one of those "tea party" racist anti-illegal immigration screeds that would be right at home in the state of Error-zona. I'll spare the Faithful Reader some of the gory details, but a couple of salient points spring instantly to mind. This email called for all immigrants to:
"Get a sponsor"
"Get a job"
"Live by OUR rules" (emphasis theirs)
And the clincher...
"Learn the language like immigrants have in the past"
Forgive me if I seem out of touch, but doesn't that make every white person in this country the descendant of an illegal immigrant? If history is anywhere near correct, the first white people in America had no sponsorship, the native population had no employment for them (and was ignorant of the concept...), needed assistance from the native population and forced THEIR language and customs on the natives that weren't killed outright. Don't even get me started on the other ethnic groups that came to this country, willingly or not, since then.
The only other logical position that comes to mind is even less flattering. Since the "Europeans" (France, England, Spain) stole this land from its' native-born population, perhaps the "logic" being used is more of a "we stole it first, so stay the fuck out" mentality. What these "tea party" chowderheads tend to forget is that EVERYONE in America is descended from immigrants. Save for the Native Americans, everybody in America is the progeny of someone that came to these shores looking for opportunity or was dragged here in chains by those exploiting opportunity. Everyone in America is an immigrant, most of us are descendants of those who made their own legal sanction.
One of America's greatest strengths is the diversity of her population. This nation was built and has been maintained by people that WANT to be here. The mingling of cultures and customs has kept our nation lively and interesting for over 200 years. While I agree that immigrants should be legal, the culprit is an overly restrictive immigration policy, not the folks trying to find a better life. As some of my hip-hop acquaintances say, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." Seems extremely fitting in this case...
