I am the son of immigrant parents. My parents are from Guyana, (that's in S. America). They came to this country (LEGALLY) with hopes and dreams of making a better life for themselves. My parents came to this country during a different time (mid-60's) among protest rallies and riots they came face to face with something they had not experienced in their own country (racism).
So now we flash forward to today. Immigration is a huge topic in the news lately, I'm guessing it has something to do with mid-term elections coming up.
It seems that when people talk of immigration the first thing you think about is someone of Latin decent (particularly Mexican). But there are many other kinds of immigrants who are in this country legally and illegally. But you don't see them at the forefront of this movement. Why is that? Let me put a few ideas on the table.
Please note that I have not done any in depth research on this topic and I am strictly giving an opinion and what I've seen on the news. Remember folks this is my blog and I can say what the hell I want to say.
Maybe non-Latin immigrants don't want to be at the forefront of this issue because they have already assimilated to the point where you would not be able to tell if they are here legally or illegally. We have thousands of Irish illegals running around but no one seems to be able to find them. We have thousands of West-Indians who are here illegally but no one seems to be able to find them. Is it because they've managed to blend in to the point in where they would not want the attention?
I understand that Latinos make up the majority of illegals. But does that mean Latinos get to be speak for all immigrants? What do you think?
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Hispanics, mostly Mexicans, make up the vast majority of illegal immigrants. I don't think anyone on either side of the issue thinks legal immigration is a problem. Many, however, do feel that millions of illegals being in America do represent a problem. If you think of it was a problem, then you are most likely focused on Hispanics, because they make up the bulk of the people involved in the issue. Logically, they would be the "face" of the "problem" because of the numbers involved.
So just cause they have the numbers means they get to speak for all immigrants?
In general, I don't think non-assimilated immigrants can speak for assimilated immigrants, or that illegal immigrants can speak for legal immigrants. The assimilating immigrants, by definition, are trying to blend in and become Americans (or let their children do so if they can't) - so they are unlikely to speak for themselves or to want anti-assimilation immigrants to speak for them.
Moreover, I suspect that each group of immigrants has different cultural advantages and disadvantages for achieving success and generally adapting to life in the U.S., not to mention different support structures awaiting them here. (Thomas Sowell has written extensively on this topic, scrutinizing major waves of immigration over time and the turning points, if any, in their success here.) To my mind, this casts further doubt on the credibility of any claim that Hispanic immigrants can speak for all immigrants.
Jazz, you seem to want to avoid the reality that there is a difference between legal and illegal immigrants. This group of people are the voice of illegals, not of all immigrants. In this case, since the numbers of illegals are overwhelmingly Hispanic, the attention focused on them is appropriate.
As I said in my last paragraph, I understand that they make up the bulk of illegal immigrants but they have not only become the face of illegal immigrantion but they've also become the face of immigration in general.
At least it looks that way to the average joe.
I think Latinos are the face of immigration because there is already a deep racism against them. It is easier to rile up people for the midterm elections against "sneaky job-stealing illegals" who are, yes, going to outnumber whites in this country soon, than it is the Irish or the West Indians. It's a deep fear of a brown planet that is driving this immigration reform. Didn't you see the guy on Fox news calling for more white people to have babies so that the Latinos don't outnumber them? Wow. They don't even bother to hide a white agenda anymore.
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