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FinalCall.com News
Perspectives
Si Se Puede! The undocumented speak up - and America should listen
By Lydia Chavez
-Guest Columnist-
Updated Apr 10, 2006 - 9:32:00 AM
At last, reality rears its lovely head. For months, the immigration debate has been hijacked by some of the nastiest, most jingoistic and dumbest politicians around. In the name of national security, the House of Representatives passed a bill in December that will turn the 12 million undocumented residents of the United States into felons and build a Berlin-like wall between the United States and Mexico.
But finally, the immigrant tormenters recently got a look at the men, women and children who live without papers in places like Charlotte, Atlanta and Phoenix, but feel strongly enough about their adopted country and friends to take to the streets. In numbers that surprised organizers in Los Angeles, more than half a million immigrants and their allies marched against the House bill and offered a spirited celebration of immigration.
Their message was clear. Senator Gilbert Cedillo, (D-L.A.) told reporters, “Immigrants want to work legally, drive legally, study legally.” And, “Yes they can” or “Si se puede!” the marchers proclaimed on signs that bobbed among American, Mexican and other national flags.
The rallies offer yet more proof that the punitive measures that some in Congress propose are completely out of touch with the reality of why we have 12 million undocumented people living within our borders and how they live in our midst.
While immigrant tormenters, like the former California governor Pete Wilson, Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo and their allies on talk radio, have spewed hate, American employers have opened their doors. Communities have too and in the last month, some have taken steps to declare their borders sanctuaries for the undocumented.
The Senate, which has begun its debate on its version of an immigration bill, must contend with reality, not the white noise of colleagues in the House. The undocumented are here to stay and the question that should be uppermost in the Senate debate is how best to incorporate the undocumented residents, who pick the food for our tables, build our cities, clean our houses and tend our gardens.
What do we risk by giving them a path to citizenship? Tormentors would answer that we are rewarding criminals. This simply isn’t true. American employers hired workers, not criminals. And if Rep. Tancredo wants to be taken seriously, then he will have to show a Colorado program that fines employers who hire the undocumented. Impossible to check? Ha. When California stupidly decided to deny a driver’s license to the undocumented, the state had little trouble verifying social security numbers to names. If Colorado or any other state wants to verify the status of its workers, it can. But Colorado doesn’t want to, because it needs the work force, and the communities where the undocumented live, need their buying power.
Do the undocumented crowd the schools? No, they fill the schools and offers jobs to American teachers and administrators. Do they cost taxpayers money? Studies show that undocumented immigration is a wash, but it might also be good for the bean counters to keep this in mind: In economic terms, the undocumented cost or contribute no more or less than any low-paid worker.
The arguments in favor of legalizing the 12 million already here and in establishing fair and rational rules to entering the United States are as clear as the buoyant chant of the demonstrators. Si se puede! By creating a path to citizenship, Congress would make heavily immigrant communities whole. California alone has 12 cities in which the majority of adult residents are non-citizens.
Twelve million residents denied the benefits of being an American will do the country little good and in the end, much harm. Will this encourage others to come? They will come regardless of what we do here. The Senate’s choice is to lead and fashion legislation that will regulate the flow, not pander to the knuckleheads in their midst. Americans deserve better.
