Community Forum: Racism isn't the issue on immigration
Mr Flores:
There are many, many ethnicities in this country, and each has brought something special to the American table. That is what America is, a litany of traditions melded from many others into our own unique set. The difference between all the others and you, sir, is that you want us to believe that the Mexican population in the USA is “special,” and worked harder than
anyone else (your assumption, not mine) they should be given a free ride to enter this country ILLEGALLY simply because they want to.
My question to you, sir, is this: What makes you think Mexicans are any better than anyone else? I teach my child that we are all equal, no matter our skin color, our religion (or lack of) our job, our gender, our financial status, that we are all capable of the same accomplishments and mistakes. I also teach him that when you break the law, there are no rewards, but there are consequences. My question again, why none for ILLEGAL immigrants?
Allow me to remind you of something, Mr. Flores. The United States of America was built on the immigration (LEGAL) of people from all over the world.
Look at history, they came from everywhere to look for a better life.
The difference between them then and them now is the original immigrants came in the front door, stood in line, paid their dues, learned the language; they walked in with heads held high, not holding their possessions over their heads to avoid the water in the Rio Grande!
That, sir, is a slap in the face to every immigrant family who came here the right way.
If you wish to label me a racist, that is your prerogative, but remember this:
If 100 people ILLEGALLY cross the Mexican border and 50 people cross from Canada (ILLEGALLY) we need to concentrate our efforts on the larger number first. No matter if the ILLEGALS are Mexican, Indian, Pakistani, Honduran, etc., where the most ILLEGAL activity happens is where we are going to pay the most attention.
You and those of your mindset seem to think the USA owes you something.
Again, Mr. Flores, read history.
Whoever these bosses, slave-drivers, bad folks sitting on the porch were, they were not all white. The huge hacienda owners were here long before we won the war.
In closing I would like to remind you that racism runs both ways, sir, particularly here in the Rio Grande Valley.
The land belongs to the United States, but you refuse to speak English, you penalize potential employees for not speaking any language but English, your grocery stores, clothing stores and even the newspapers here cater to the Mexican population. You have done everything possible to turn the RGV into a mini-Mexico, and yet you are still calling us racists and screaming for more. No, sir, I believe the racist in this conversation is you, for the simple reason that you are practicing reverse discrimination but are not honest enough to admit it.
You omit tiny little words like ILLEGAL when we all know that if people are here legally, they haven’t got a thing to worry about, here, in Arizona or anywhere else. Get real, Mr. Flores, you think you are special by virtue of your Hispanic surname, but believe me, no one is any more special than anyone else.
We all need to obey the law, even the ones we don’t like.
M.D. Gerdes,
Harlingen
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