Throughout the course of the Obama's election and inauguration, and while reading Obama's personal book at the beginning of the year, I have been constantly intrigued by his passion for justice and unrelentingly deep reflections about social issues, inequalities, politics, and also about life in general. But mostly, I have been touched by his ability to emphatize for different groups and different circumstances, by using his own hard experiences as a ground base for learning the necessity of emphathy and the need to understand and respect differences. But one issue that I don't remember him addressing in detail is immigration and "undocumented" immigrants. I know that this is topic is a very controversial one--a very personal one for many, and a very touchy one for some. For me, I tend to unrealistically like to see humanity without dividing borders and without oppressive labels, and I grew up seeing the hard labor of so many "undocumented" immigrants in my hometown in Southern California as they struggled to just make a living. I come from a Vietnamese immigrant family myself--so I just think to myself--"how lucky am I that my family was given the chance to come here legally without any obstacles...but so many 'economic refugees' are not so lucky to be given this chance...". Being an immigrant myself, I only have emphathy for these hard-working individuals who are willing to risk their safety to quietly and painfully carve an unpaved path for themselves and their families. To me they are bold and brave. They are not the "scums" and "aliens" of our society, they are examples of courage and persistence for survival. The only problem is how to resolve finacial and economic issues that are seemingly attached to this topic, which I for sure don't know too much about. So I tried to find out what Obama has to say or will do in addressing this important issue. And here is a very interesting and telling article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/us/politics/09immig.html
I think it's very respectable that despite all this opposition and economic turmoil, Obama is still firm enough to stick to his promise to the Latino community and voters about granting citizenship rights to undocumented immigrants who have been living in the United States for some time. I completely agree with this statement: "Administration officials said that Mr. Obama’s plan would not add new workers to the American work force, but that it would recognize millions of illegal immigrants who have already been working here."--so no, we cannot claim that "illegal immigrants" will steal American jobs if they are legalized, because like this statement says, they are already so intertwined in the work force. I also acknowlege how Obama is very balanced and realistic, because although he wants to better the lives of these undocumented immigrants and understands their need to "have some mechanism over time to get out of the shadows", he also understands that the border issues would not be resolved unless there is more regulations and a reformed more orderly system. He is also not afraid to crack down on profit-driven employers who aim to hire illegal immigrants in hope of reaping more money, all the while perpetuating a problematic system of low wages and poor conditions for workers and the nation. Lastly, I'm still not sure how to feel about this last penalty that Obama's adminstration feels needs to accompany illegal immigrant's legalization: "In broad outlines, officials said, the Obama administration favors legislation that would bring illegal immigrants into the legal system by recognizing that they violated the law, and imposing fines and other penalties to fit the offense." But I guess these are only temporary fines and penalties to make matters legal--and the exchange in the end would be legal citizenship, which poses a much brighter future for these immigrants! So I guess Obama's balancing of both ends--legality vs. morality--seems pretty fair after all. We'll see how they will be in affect!
To end my thoughts, I would love to hear about your opinions on the topic, the article, Obama's policies, how effective you think it'll play out in the future, and whatever else you've got! I know I'm pretty ecstactic and will be waiting in anticipation...
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Immigration is definitely a tough issue to handle especially for President Obama. This post reminds me of the continuous debates in California whether to grant illegal immigrants licenses. Even in the most populous and influential state in America, the issue with immigration are never ending and resolved. I think with Obama’s administration addressing the problem of immigrants by stating that they are not taking away any jobs brings to reality the actual position immigrants occupy in the capitalist society. There is a constant uproar from the public regarding the impact immigrants have but the public is ignorant of the jobs immigrants must take to survive in the capitalist society. These jobs are the ones Americans deemed “unworthy” such as picking fruits, being late night janitors, etc. Without immigrants, the United States cannot function economically since the society is dependent on their work.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think immigrants should have some rights in the United States since they are hard working individuals who do contribute to the functioning of the capitalist nation. I believe immigrants should be granted licenses since the ability to work would be a lot faster commuting wise and the efficiency of job production would be smoother. Dealing with the issue of employers exploiting immigrants, Obama does need to crack down on the unfair practices. Immigrants are workers like every other Americans except for the title of citizenship.
The issues of immigration do need to be resolved eventually since the problems will only increase within the next few years. Programs and solutions need to be formulated and successfully implemented. With the past solutions of tightly enforcing the border, the process has been dehumanizing and is in effect short-term. There needs to be long-term solutions created in order to resolve the issue at some level beyond the temporary.
I think it is great that Obama is thinking about a law that will legalize undocumented immigrants since the rights of immigrants are often invisiblized in the dominant narrative of who is and who is not considered a citizen of this country. But, at the same time, I disagree with the idea of the here and now not being the right time to address this issue. Yes, the economy is in a crisis, and many people think that recovering the economy should be the only focus of the new Obama administration, but the economic crisis is tied to many different things. For example, who is affected the most by the crisis? Low income communities of color which includes immigrant communities, documented or not. With the economy in crisis, the most vulnerable to job insecurity are going to be those that do not have the security of citizenship in this country. If an undocumented worker loses his or her job, he/she will not be eligible for unemployment benefits, social security, etc. As stated in the article, families are struggling with losing members to deportation and job loss now more than ever. So, why should we wait to “deal with the problem of immigration” when it is affecting many people living in the United States right now, some undocumented and others citizens. I also dislike how the legislation has no place for the testimony of those undocumented immigrants that will be affected by the law. The voice of the undocumented immigrant is missing from the article and also the legislation. Although, I understand that an undocumented worker would want to remain anonymous for the purpose of maintaining a sense of safety and security.
ReplyDeleteImmigration is an issue that has must be addressed in order to be able to find a solution, but it is true that there are also issues in this country. I agree with what Jessica said because even if there is an economic crisis in the United States, other issues should also be addressed because everything is intertwined. It is not correct for people to believe that Obama should only focus on the problem of the economic crisis. If the focus is only the economic crisis, then there may be more issues after a solution has been found for the crisis. I am not an immigrant, but both of my parents are immigrants from Mexico. I know that my mother came to this country legally, but my father did not. It took him a long time to be able to have the opportunity to become a United States Resident.
ReplyDeleteImmigrants are some of the hardest working people because they know how difficult life can be when resources for successful are not readily available to them. From the research my group and I are conducting, we have found that immigrants tend to be more law-abiding because they do not want to risk being deported for committing any crime. Illegal immigrants find it necessary to find any type of employment as long as they are being paid. Most of the time, the jobs they find in this country are better-paying than the jobs they had back in their home country. This is the reason why many immigrants are hard-working individuals that are willing to take every opportunity that is presented to them in order to be able to provide for their families. Both legal and illegal immigrants should be taken into consideration when immigration legislation is being created. Obama’s administration will be completing its promises of helping the people that make this country the country it is today if the proper legislation is created.
Despite that arguments have been made, including those in this article, that immigration legislation needs to take a backseat to issues like heath care, the environment and the economy, I think that it is a topic that needs to be considered right alongside those subjects, like Jessica argued in her blog. The status of immigrants effects thousands of people living illegally in America and I commend President Obama for taking action on such an important cause. I’m glad that Ly brought up the quote about the fact that illegal immigrants would not be “stealing” jobs from Americans but rather that they already are working incredibly hard in a system that doesn’t recognize them. These people are already in the workforce and because they have no legal rights as citizens many times they are taken advantage of from employers who do not pay fair wages or provide safe working conditions. If anything, allowing illegal immigrants an opportunity at citizenship, we would be opening up more equal opportunities in the work force for everyone because then employers wouldn’t have the option of cheap, unfair labor. They would have to treat everyone equally and with respect and that way all Americans has a fair chance in the competitive work environment.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with Thuy Nguyen in the point she made about immigrants taking jobs Americans felt were “unworthy.” She is completely right, it’s those hard working people that keep America afloat; their untiring dedication helps keep our country running. Rodrigocg also brought up the excellent point that immigrants are some of the most law-abiding people residing in America. These are good, hard-working people who should have every right seek citizenship in a country they so desperately want to be a part of. I truly hope that Obama does take the appropriate actions in initiating fair immigrant legislation in the near future.
I have to agree with Thuy that illegal immigrants have been exploited for cheap labor because many Americans don't want to work on the field. Some might say that working on the field is not a respectable job in a conventional society. One thing I like to point out is that we should also acknowledge that this is a nation of immigrant as well. I know that this kind of saying is a cliche in our society, but we still have to acknowledge that facts. Otherwise, there is no point in having history to remember. Illegal immigration should have been dealt with at lease ten years ago when the number of illegal immigrant is still not as high as today. Now we have millions of illegal immigrants in the United States. Now when we are facing economic crisis we raise the issue of illegal immigrants as a topic to talk about. I see if millions of illegal immigrants managed to get to the United States, then we are not doing a good job in securing the boarder. I say we are at fault too in preventing this to happen. I hope the Obama's administration will articulate this issue in a mature manner. I hope they will do things with compassion. I hope they can see humanity in people not like the Bush administration who just like to dismiss a problem then dealing with it. I am very interested to hear the detail of how Obama's administration are going to do exactly and anticipating the outcome. Moreover, I don't like the word "alien" like Ly. My family came to America through the refugee camps. We are documented as a permanent residential alien. As a matter of fact, I still carried my card with me everywhere I go. The word "alien" is a bit too strong because we are all human being. Also, for the South Eastern Asians, we didn't come here by choice, we came here because of the war, especially the Cambodian refugee. I think the Americans government should acknowledge the fact that they are also responsible for SEA refugee to fleet to America. They only bombed the Ho Chi Min route to stop the North Vietnamese from getting war supply. Cambodia became waken because of the bombing and gave Pol Pot a chance to invade our country. My family alone had to go through four refugee camps to get to this country that labeled us "alien" like strange creatures from out of space. The day I discovered what this word means, I used to abhorred America and never want to become a citizen. The reason I'm doing my citizenship now is because I understand the privilege of being an American citizen going back to Cambodia. The people in the airport will treat you better if you are an American. I heard they separate people who are not American citizen to another line and mistreated them. Also, as a citizen, I can vote in the next election. If Obama's makes some positive result, I will vote for him.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how whenever the Immigration issue is brought up the idea of "stealing jobs" is brought up right alongside, almost to the point where people can't conceive of talking about one issue with out bringing up the other. In a capitalist society whether we agree with it or not, aren't employers suppose to be able to hire who they deem the "best" person for the job? Sometimes based on work ethic and unfortunately most of the time based on who will work for the least amount of compensation. Under this context the the concept of "stealing a job" by working harder or for cheaper seems rediculous to me. I'm tired of the same old tired solutions, we have to "beef" the border blah blah blah. Why don't politicians ever bother to ask the tough questions and get to the true underlying problem? Since NAFTA went into effect 1.2 million farming jobs have been eradicated from Mexico, US corn exports to Mexico have increased over 240 percent as of 2004 while the price of corn has dropped over 70 percent. (I'm not sure of the numbers in the past 5 years but I'd venture that they have either remained the same or increased.) Our trade agreement "pushes out" farmers in Mexico by undercutting their profit margin below subsistence, with those facts in mind who's stealing who's jobs? We continue to fix the immigration issue by securing our borders, which doesn't lower the number of immigrants coming to our country. Securing the border only increases the amount paid to smugglers and forces immigrants to cross through more isolated dangerous terrain which also inreases the number of deaths. While Obama's proposed immigration reform seems promising in that it aims to offer a legalization process it will not provide a sustainable solution, we must address the core of the issue which is the eradication of farming jobs through our trade agreement. As long as subsistence farmers in Mexico are forced to compete against large American agriculture corporations they will continue to lose and so will we.
ReplyDeleteThis is another great subject for a blog. I guess all the people that helped Obama get elected are going to start demanding to see results. As the article states the Latino community did come out in big numbers to support and elect President Obama. As the child of immigrant parents I understand the importance of immigration reform. I remember in the late 1980s when my parents were applying for legal status under IRCA, the Immigration Reform and Control Act. They were going to appointment after appointment with immigration lawyers and the Immigration office. It is a lot of money that is spent in the process of applying for legal status. To turn around and add on to these costs a fine and making immigrants admit that they have broken the law seems a little too much. Are these fines going to apply to all immigrants that are in the United States illegally fairly across the board or are they going to be applied like in the past to the poor applicants who the government knows cannot afford to pay and will be thus deported.
ReplyDeleteThe article makes an excellent point; immigration is a very sensitive subject. President Obama already has a very difficult task of bringing the country out of the depression and this subject would only make his task even more difficult. I am all for immigration reform and a way for productive immigrants who have been in this these country for several years to gain legal status. It is very difficult to see people have to go to work every morning nervous about whether they will return home. Many families have the fear of separation that they would have to deal with if one of their members is deported. Immigration is a ticking time bomb that no one wants to handle. I hope that president Obama can be that member of the bomb squad that defuses the bomb and fixes our immigration system. (Word Count 326)
As stated by Gutierrez, there is no right time for immigration reform because there are millions families and people who need this change to come now. I do have hope to some extent that Obama will work on this issue and truly change for the better our current system which is hurting so many innocent people and leaving them with no way to become citizens or live equally in this country. I am however skeptical of the Obama administration actually doing anything about this in a timely manner, because as the article state there is already so much opposition and so many that are prepared to mobilize against the idea of equality for illegal immigrants. For these reasons and the fact that the economy is in such bad shape I think it is doubtful there will be any serious reform done in the next year, and I doubt that Obama will live up to his promise about changing the system within the next year. Although as the article has stated this promise has already shifted from actual reform to simply “starting the discussion,” which I think is nonsense since there has and will continue to be plenty discussions around this issue until some serious change is enacted.
ReplyDeleteThe whole platform that Obama ran on was change, which is obviously something that our country needs in different arenas, one of the most important being immigration reform. I do realize that as stated in the article there are many other problems facing our country, however I do not think we can put them all on a scale and weigh them as more valuable than immigration. Yes the economy is in bad shape, so shouldn’t that be all the more reason that we help those who are at the bottom of society and feeling the discrimination, lack of jobs, and exploitation the most? I think it is great that people have faith and believe in Obama but I also believe that there should be more pressure on him to enact this change, and it should match if not surpass those groups and people who are anti immigration reform and against helping illegal immigrants. We need to step up and let him know that we will not forget the promise he made to us, and just as we turned out with our votes he better turn out a proposal to help our communities and our people who are being effected by illegal immigrants having no door to become citizens through. Just as we demand change on May 1st we need to similarly continue to push and demand that our president represent us and enact some actual legislation that our community is in desperate need of. I think that if we all stood together and did this we would see the change we need happen faster than we think.
As many have stated in their responses above, I do agree that this topic of immigration should not be pushed to the back just because America is in a crisis. Immigration contributes and impacts our society as much as heath care and other issues do, yet people who do not want to have to deal with such a controversial issue is trying to push it back and not address it. I also agree with danielvidaca that as a capitalist economy, the concept of stealing a job is just the general population having to deal with loosing their jobs and thus needing a place to express their pent up emotions. Hopefully we will not see America go through another phase of scapegoating or nativism as Obama addresses the issue of Immigrants in this economic crisis. Immigrants have every right to these jobs because the employer sees them as fit for the job, not only that but as someone else mentioned, these jobs that immigrants have are jobs unwanted by Americans. Another important aspect brought up by Katie Klamm, is that Immigrants are already working the jobs they have and they are no different than American citizens. Immigrants are just trying to fend for themselves and their families just without the title of citizenship. I think that regardless of their citizenship status, immigrant or not, its takes a collective effort to continue pushing America’s economy forward. I feel that the neglect to addressing issues of immigration will only force us to continue allowing employers to employ immigrants and exploit these individuals while not taking responsibility thus improving self gains but hurting the economy while immigrants are working not only for themselves but in the benefit of the economy by taking up jobs unwanted by citizens.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great topic! Like my other classmates, I believe that undocumented immigrants should be documented as soon as possible. We need to give recognition to all these hard working people that have been contributing to our economy for years. Yes, undocumented immigrants contribute to the economy so their issues are just as important as the economic crisis. I find it ridiculous that some republicans in the article argued that jobs will given to undocumented immigrants instead of being given to legalized Americans who are losing their jobs. That argument is unfounded because undocumented immigrants are doing jobs that others despise. Further, I agree with Jessica when she states that an immigration law should not take a backseat to the economic crisis because the economic crisis affects communities of color the most. For example, we hear in the news about middle-class Americans losing their homes, but we never hear about the working-class people of color who have never owned a house. Also, like Jessica stated undocumented immigrants do not have access to social services such as unemployment benefits. All in all the economic crisis is just as important as the need to document immigrants because both issues are deeply intertwined. I also agree with Jessica when she states that the perspective of undocumented immigrants is necessary when creating a bill to legalize them. Their perspective is necessary because maybe a bill might be created that makes it almost impossible for them to become documented. I believe that was one of the issues with the bill presented in 2007 by the Bush administration. The bill posed many hard-to-meet requirements such as a high processing fee that many undocumented immigrants could not afford.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy to hear that President Obama is moving towards tackling the issues concerning immigration. At the same time however, I am increasingly upset that nothing concrete was done in regards to immigration within the first one hundred days. One topic that has been brought up many times in some of my other classes has been about the ice raids. ICE raids are mass roundups, arrests, and often deportations of undocumented immigrants. Immigrants are being likened to terrorist threats and are having their rights completely violated. Some say that such massive ICE raids are a direct response for the May 1st protests of previous years—thousands of people have protested against the practice since it began.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the people in charge of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Janet Napolitano has been urged to address the violations of ICE agents, facilities, and the raids in general. Although she has not taken authority away from ICE to make a raid happen, she has in fact issued a statement implying that there would be a temporary freeze on ICE raids in order that some investigations could be carried out.
While I agree with what has been said—there are in fact many other issues which concern the United States, I believe that immigration policy—especially when ours is potentially violating human and civil rights—takes a very high space on the list of things to do.
I would like to agree with Han, I think it is incredibly important that the government take responsibility for some of the very powerful factors that push immigrants out of their home country and pull them into the US.
I agree with both Jessica and Rodrigo that while the economic crisis is pressing many other issues are at hand. Immigration is a touchy issue that must be addressed urgently, and directly. I admire Obama's dedication to his proposed promise of granting citizenship to undocumented Mexicans with history and family here. I admire the hard work of so many undocumented workers to simply put food on the table or send money back to Mexico to loved ones in need. For most it is not a choice. As in the reading for next week, it comes down to a simply reality: stay and starve, or leave and be considered criminal. As I shared in class in high school I participated in protests against the proposed immigration bills back in 2006. It is an issue that is very close to me, my family, and friends. My best friends father who I have known since I was 7, and to this day still call Papi, is the hardest working man I know. He completed what in the United States would be less than a third grade education before immigrating from Mexico. He worked his way up through a local roofing company, and now is a supervisor. It took him many years to gain citizenship, something he is immensely proud of. Was his original action criminal? I simply cannot see how this can be a though for some. I am truly proud Obama is taking the first steps of this necessary action.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how long established myths about immigrations are still constantly used and present in our society today. One of the most famous was used in the article “immigrants take away jobs from Americans” the idea is absurd but I guess makes sense when trying to marginalize and keep these immigrant populations without a voice while framing them as pests for our society. This comes back to what the professor was discussing in class today how it is that in the media people that dedicate their lives in researching such topics are never heard outside the institution and in particular in mainstream forms of media it is only people that have an opinion or the uneducated that discuss their biases. The actual research and evidence against the hegemonic ways of perceiving immigrants therefore remain and sustain the issues of power or lack of. Like danielvidaca I find it interesting that whenever the immigrant issue is brought up “stealing jobs” and many other negative connotations arise and instead of investigating the larger picture people remain focusing on the simplified micro reality that denies the macro interrelatedness of the world and societies. One quote that I found quite hilarious was the following: “It just doesn’t seem rational that any political leader would say, let’s give millions of foreign workers permanent access to U.S. jobs when we have millions of Americans looking for jobs” All I have to say is that these people really act like the jobs that are available today are such that don’t have any requirements or that are jobs that are going to be easily accessible to immigrants. The huge reality is that as years pass the jobs that remain in the US are those that require higher levels of education and the outcomes of outsourcing have thus left out marginalized groups from employment do not have high levels of education. The jobs that are then left are those that even marginalized community members as citizens who expect a certain number of rights and regulations do not accept.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think it is very good to renew the debate on the topic of immigration, I really do not see the Obama administration tackling this issue right now. I believe that while the issue of immigration will be debated and analyzed, I do not see any real action being taken until his second term. The economic crisis and other domestic and international issues take precedence to the issue of immigrations, which is a very polarizing issue. I think it would be smart for Obama to garner support through consensus issues at this point in order to maintain his level of popularity so that he can gain the political capital that is necessary to pass such a polarizing policy as immigration reform.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I think that we need to look at what kind of reform the Obama administration plans to implement. While I think the shift in rhetoric is very positive, the solutions that have been given thus far have failed to attack the core issues that cause immigration. An example of this is the Obama administrations insistence on maintaining the North American Free Trade Agreement. It has been argued many times that this trade agreement has caused undue pressure on Mexican nationals to immigrate to the U.S. because the displacement that is caused through the complete destruction of domestic Mexican industry. Although Obama had rightfully criticized NAFTA on the campaign trail, his positioned has weakened with his ascension to the presidency.
Furthermore, his choice of former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to head the Department of Homeland Security, the office that oversees immigration, is a bit disheartening to those that wanted to see a truly humane immigration policy implemented. Napolitano has been a strong advocate for the further militarization of the border, but has also made positive strides in other areas. I suppose only time will tell what kind of policies she will propose and implement.
Overall, I believe that the positions of the Obama administration are much better then the preceding administration, but we need to organize our communities in order to push this president to do more. We need to bring to light the economic causes of immigration and question the old policies that obviously do not work. There is currently organizing being done in the Bay Area for an immigration march on May 1st. If anybody is interested in getting involved they can go to http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=51921867383 for more information.
I'm glad to hear that immigration issues are finally being addressed. I will like to start off by discussing what I just read in the article" Opponents, mainly Republicans, say they will seek to mobilize popular outrage against any effort to legalize unauthorized immigrant workers while so many Americans are out of jobs. " This was one comment that really bothered me, because first of all, if am illegal turns into a U.S citizen, it will then be one more U.S citizen keeping their job, instead of loosing one. Taxes and other benefits that the state could receive would then be possible and vice versa. Second, it seems people are keeping jobs they all ready had and others probably didn't want. There was a statement in the article that said why give a job to an illegal that could belong to a U.S citizen, well I would like to ask back, would a U.S citizen normally have chosen that occupation? Again, a common theme in the readings that I noticed is a us versus them mentality when people should look at the world and our country and ask themselves how can we all collectively grow and prosper?
ReplyDeleteAs Katie also mentioned, immigration is just as an important issue as our economy, environment and health care. All these issues effect each other in one way or another; there is definitely a domino type of effect that occurs when one is doing worse then the other. Reading about immigration, of course reminds me of my own family. I remember when my mother became a U.S citizen, I was 6 or 7 years old and she was so proud, we all were. I felt somehow more official and special, I'm sure she must have felt the same. I remember she made a joke that lasted for years, she would always say " Don't touch me, I'm an American Citizen" , as if she was now free from some sort of an invisible oppressing hand. The process of becoming an U.S citizen she later told me, was long and did not just happen over night. She had to live here for several years before filing for residency, then after residency she could then apply for citizenship, fees and other test preparation was hard and if more people understood the steps and other obstacles people living out side the U.S had to go through, they may understand why people come here illegally. Becoming a citizen is not so easy in an unfair and at times, depending on the country your trying to leave, corrupt system. People shouldn't forget that this country never really belonged to anyone, I would say the natives who had their land taken away, and we should really all learn how to share. there is no us or them but instead a we, we are all the people,even immigrants. I'm happy that Obama is taking the steps now to start working on immigration issued, this is a serious issue that effects everyone and needs to be dealt with with as much high priority as any other.
In light of a recent article I read (cited below), I was especially moved to respond to yuri's blog post and article which is, incidentally, very good. I learned by reading the article about Obama's plans, but I was disturbed a but by some of the reporting and was moved to write to the reporter. I've cut and paste my message to her below.
ReplyDelete"It's interesting, not to mention disappointing, that the only organizations represented in your recent article on Obama and immigration are right-wing nativist and not one (!!!) that represents immigrants or the immmigrant rights movement. Where is the responsibility to balance in reporting in that? I suggest you read the recent report by the Southern Poverty Law Center, "The Nativist Lobby: Three Faces of Intolerance" or, at least, read the article in its recent paper, "SPLC Report" (Spring 2009, v39, n1, p3) on the racist roots of anti-immigration groups. In both publications, FAIR, NumbersUSA and others are examined. Please educate yourself and honor standards of balance in reporting. (I apologize if you have already read these sources, but the knowledge is not reflected in the article.) I know it's difficult these days of right-wing demogaguery and the degradation of journalistic standards, but please try for your own honor and the public good. I hope your editor is open to it. One never knows with the NYT."
It is encouraging to see that President Obama is trying to address the immigration problems; however, I do agree that he needs to focus on the economy first. Our economic problems should be addressed first. I know that there needs to be reform in the way we are dealing with immigrants, especially illegal immigrants. As Ly said, they are not the scum of our society they are examples of courage. These immigrants are striving to reach this “American Dream” that we promote. It will be helpful if Obama can successfully find a path for illegal immigrants to become legal. Although there will be protest to this idea of making illegal immigrants legal, it is good that the Obama administration clarify what their intent is. “Administration officials said that Mr. Obama’s plan would not add new workers to the American work force, but that it would recognize millions of illegal immigrants who have already been working here.” This is proof that the Obama administration is not condoning the bringing in of more immigrants so that they can “take over jobs that are meant for Americans.” Although many Americans are out of jobs, these immigrants are the ones that often take up the jobs that Americans are no willing to do. Personally I believe that many Americans are jobless because they are either being lazy or too prideful. There are jobs out there and some people think that they are too “high and mighty” to take on these jobs because they seem “below them.”
ReplyDeleteOne of the most disturbing things about this article/ issue is that it is definitely a one sided conversation. In fact, we’re engaging in a debate with, as Katie Klamm points out in her blog, a “system that doesn’t recognize [the undocumented].” How then, can we ever achieve an authentic dialogue when the conversation does not include the “illegals” themselves? Is it really a debate when only one side of the issue is presented in media, legislation, and other forms of dialogue? This policy is, very obviously, going to impact the large population of undocumented individuals in this country, which is why it is very important to include their voice and allow them a safe space where we as a nation begin to foster an authentic conversation on this issue
ReplyDeleteAs others have already touched on, it is definitely hard to decide whether or not Obama should address this topic at such a critical stage—it could definitely become a polarizing debate for the president. I think Alberto summed it up best when he characterized the immigration issue as a “ticking time bomb.” Not addressing the issue will definitely perpetuate marginalizing realities for the undocumented their families. On the other hand, addressing the issue can definitely cause Obama to lose some much needed supported, which we need him to hold on to if he is to achieve some much needed change. Overall, I have to say that I’m definitely a proponent of acknowledging and legalizing the millions of invisibilized communities that have been so integral to the growth and development of the “great” nation. How the whole thing actually pans out will definitely be an interesting debate to follow!
I have a tremendous amount of respect for President Obama as he has established a new sense of nationalism in America, a new sense of freedom, a new sense of hope, and the sense of change building within the American peoples since he was elected in November of last year. The fact that the press has been following Obama so closely seems to be something new to me. Although I was a lot younger when Bush became President both times, I do not remember the press following his actions as closely, especially after his first election in 2000, although a vaguely remember the country during that time. I do feel that after the events of 9/11 he did draw more attention, almost in a positive manner because he was leading this country to the “weapons of mass destruction” to the people in charge of causing so much pain on the American peoples that day. I think that we should look at the attention that has been placed on Obama during his so called “honeymoon period”. In response to this blog about his views towards immigration, I agree with Jessica when she states that “ she thinks it is great that he is thinking about a law that will legalize undocumented immigrants… but at the same time doesn’t feel that now is a good time to address this issue”. Although, I think that he, and the country as a whole, has many other problems and laws to consider, I would like to ask the question of when would be a good time for him to address this issue. This is one of extreme importance, and I firmly believe after studying more about the immigration polices since taking this class, and lookin at how immigrants from Latin countries, especially Mexico are viewed in society, it is important that people start viewing them as citizens, not as “illegals”. We are a country founded on the beliefs and traditions of our forebearers and should recognize this. We should take into consideration the roots of the Western states, including California, a state that has named several cities of significance after the Mexican Missions. I believe that this is just another example of the “change” that he has promised the American peoples.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the pressing necessity to deal with the issue of undocumented immigrant workers. Like Thuy and Jessica’s and others’ comments have said, there is a need to recognize the economic refugee status of these people. They aren’t coming here to steal jobs from “Americans” or bankrupt our economy by benefitting from social services. If anything, I thought it was important that they contribute to our economy by the taxes cut out of their paychecks for social security but they never see that money again. Where does it go? Like the products of their labor, it goes to US citizens and other areas the government wants it to.
ReplyDeleteWe as a society don’t need to be promoting the deportation of undocumented immigrants or economic refugees. This only shows how we’re not embodying the values and morals that the US has promoted ever since it’s creation. If we truly are a nation of immigrants, why do we deny them the rights of this nation? It should be our responsibility to allow them a chance for , not deport them, breaking up their families and opportunities they’ve risked their lives for with no other alternative. That is what really seems un-American. That’s why I think it’s good that Obama’s Administration has acknowledged the volatility of this issue, however, the … It’s important that the US be a place where people in it feel protected, not like they’ll be attacked from their own neighbors. The stress caused by the uncertainty of survival or deportation is greater than any stress from “Americans” about undocumented immigrants working here. It’s an uncalled for response, but nonetheless has must be dealt with, hopefully in an understanding way.