In grade school I was taught that the United States is a melting pot. People from all over the world come here for freedom and to pursue a better life. They arrive with next to nothing, work incredibly hard, learn a new language and new customs, and in a generation they become an integral part of our amazing nation. Although it requires some adjustment by those already here, immigration has made the U.S.A. the most prosperous nation on Earth.
In reality we have not always treated immigrants well. One example is the Chinese Exclusion Act. Starting in 1882 a series of laws was enacted to not only exclude new Chinese immigrants but to deny rights and freedoms to people of Chinese descent legally in the United States. Chinese Americans couldn't buy land, they couldn't fully defend themselves in court, and they couldn't leave the country and return even if they were U.S. citizens. In multiple instances they were murdered and wronged with little recourse. In the eyes of many U.S. citizens, legal Chinese Americans were unwelcome. They wanted them to leave and enacted laws to punish them for being here. This went on for 61 years until these laws were overturned in 1943.
Another example is the internment of Americans of Japanese descent during WWII. In hindsight, putting patriotic American citizens in prison camps was a bad idea, but at the time few people questioned it. In addition to lost years, many interned families lost their homes and businesses. Only young Japanese American men were allowed to leave the camps, to enlist and fight the war in Europe. With great irony they fought bravely and died to protect freedoms being denied to their families who concurrently were locked behind barbed wire.
In hindsight, these and other moments in American history are at best embarrassing, but mostly shameful. How could the rightful United States treat its own citizens so poorly? Why would other U.S. citizens and their elected officials support these terrible laws? I have always hoped that we are better and more informed now. These kinds of behaviors could not happen again. Or could they?
I believe we are in the midst of another sad and shameful period of U.S. history, where promising young lives are being destroyed by bigotry and partisan politics.
We have an immigration problem. At times in the past, the U.S. did not restrict the number of immigrants. If you got here and were in good health you were let in. Currently we restrict the number of immigrants each year. We expect people desiring to come to the U.S. will respect these restrictions and wait in line. That hasn't been the case and we find ourselves with about 10 million adult immigrants living and working in the U.S. who came here illegally. We have to enact some kind of immigration reform to resolve this problem. Most people believe that if you came here without permission there should be some consequences, yet at the same time most of these 10 million people are already an integral part of U.S. society and can't be sent home. As I see it, there is nothing shameful about how the U.S has handled this situation so far. We have a difficult problem to solve and need to work toward a resolution.
The shameful part is how we are treating the children of illegal immigrants. There are about 2 million young adults who were children when they were brought to this country by their parents. They didn't decide to come here and had no choice, they were children. How we are treating these kids is shameful.
We do not punish children for the actions of their parents. We invest in the health and education of our nation's children and indeed even protect them from their parents if need be. We have a collective interest in children's well-being, and don't hold children accountable for the actions of their parents.
Today, the undocumented children of illegal immigrants are in a terrible quandary. These kids were raised in America, went to school in America, speak perfect English, and for many of them, this is the only home they know. Yet they can't get a driver's license, they can't apply for most financial aid to attend college, and they can't travel freely. They can't legally work at any job. Even if they graduate from a top university with amazing credentials (which many do) they can't legally work, even as a dishwasher. Just as they come of age they realize they have almost no options for living a normal productive life. In effect we are terribly punishing them for the actions of their parents.
The DREAM Act was a bipartisan attempt to partially rectify this embarrassing situation. However, it has become politicized to where now many politicians who once viewed it as an obvious and necessary correction can no longer support it. We, as a nation, should be ashamed of how we are treating these innocent kids. Future Americans will look back at this time with embarrassment and shame and ask "What were they thinking?" "How could that happen here in America?"
"Dream Act" kids are like all other American kids, with the exception that they have to work harder to excel in school, they live in fear of deportation, and they worry about their future. You will find them in most High Schools and in virtually every university and college. The best and brightest should be future leaders of our country. They all should be welcome.
If you get to know even one of these kids it is nearly impossible to ignore their plight. I know this firsthand when I learned one of my daughter's friends in High School was undocumented. Since then I have met many others. They are sweet and earnest young adults. They all want a chance for a normal life and to help others. Punishing them for obeying their parents is wrong and shameful. We need to rectify this situation as soon as possible. That is why I support Dream Act kids, DefineAmerican.com, and all efforts to enact the Dream Act. I encourage you to do the same.
These "kids" would be turned away at any country's port in the world if they showed up there without a passport & visa. These people have a country, why don't they go there.
First of all, NO ONE IS ILLEGAL. A person may commit an illegal act, but stop calling people that because you put them in the category of being a non-person, something Hitler did to the Jews in Germany.
Second, have some compassion for these young people who often did not get a chance to decide when or where to come to this country. They want to work hard, get a college degree, and contribute to this society -- something I can't say for all of the young people who were born here.
Third, don't you know when you are being manipulated to get all scared and xenophobic, thinking the undocumented worker is your worst enemy, in order to divert your attention from the true criminals in this country? (By the way, those are the bankers and corporations who have taken over).
Geez this forum is run rampant with yahoos.
Heck no1
Lets examine your comment " We do not punish children for the actions of their parents"
He is the counter to that argument.... If you do not punish the parents, then more illegal parents will bring themselves and family into our country" So , who really suffers? I say the family that stayed in a foreign country, waiting on the immigration list, wanting to come here LEGALLY with their kids.
however, we do need to enforce our laws and welcome immigrants who FOLLOW the rules and can help to improve our nation; we do not need people whose first step onto the US is an illegal one. Why these people HATE the US so much they break our laws from the outset is beyond me!
We need to truly become more tolerant of diversity--diversity not measured by skin color.
Maybe if we can get a Fairness Doctrin in place for the internet, we can clean up the hate from left-wing websites---which oinly ends up fomenting violence in this country.
German Americans were held in more than 50 camps across the United States and Hawaii.
Simple justice says we should not penalize the children of those who have sinned--the Bible tells us that--but simple economics says we need every taxpayer to support the national needs for our society. Pass The Dream Act! Now. Lets give these kids the incentive to do their best for us.
Pr Chris
There are plenty of people- adults and children- who are currently seeking to become citizens through the proper channels. Give THEM the first crack.
When do you want to deport them? Do you honestly want to send a 12 year old to a country where they might not speak the language, have no family, and no means of support? At what level of cruelty are you comfortable?
I have seen these young kids up-front and in significant numbers. They are here in California, like many other places. They have no memory of another country...for many years, they think they are American. And you would just basically say: get the hell out of Dodge, and too bad.
Do two wrongs make a right? Why punish these kids, just as bright and hardworking as your kids, and make them de jure Americans, like they are de facto.
Punish the parents if you will; don't punish the kids for the sins of the parents...or else, the kids of Americans ought to be punished whenever their parents break the law, even if they are toddlers at the time. What's good for the goose....
Pr Chris
News flash there speedy - we have 310 million today.
We allow more immigration by FAR then when we had open borders.
We have shortages of everything we MUST have like water and energy.
We have social programs supported by taxpayers that immigrants get at much higher rates tehn others.
We have been plowing over open spaces & farmland for housing and strip malls.
We have had the strongest middle class in times of lower immigration.
We have had the strongest wealthy class during times of high immigration.
This ain't the 1800's anymore jeff.
Pr Chris
And what do we do in 40 years when the population hits 450 million and yet more people are growing old? Have yet higher immigration?
It's unsustainable - period.
You can't prop up a system like SS, that is easily fixed, using other methods such as massive population growth. SS can be fixed by removing the millions who never paid a cent into it, get control over the disability abuses and raise the ceiling a little bit. Solved and no catastrophic to the environment overpopulation issues.
SS can be fixed using other methods - water shortages can't be fixed using other methods. Lack of open space can't be fixed by massive population increases.
We added about 225 million people to this country over the last 100 years. We are slated to add well over 300 million in the next 100 without any amnesty or increases in legal immigration, which accounts for about 80% or more of that growth.
Even IF SS fails from lack of massive growth it's a cost well worth it. If you disagree go visit China and get back to me.
WRONG! We have an illegal immigration problem!
You want to come here, wonderful! Follow our laws, learn our language, work hard, you will be rewarded.
Otherwise, save the sad stories. Im tired of irresponsible people getting a pass through society because they have a tough tale. I feel sorry for those in this society that are responsible and yet still struggling. Those are the people we should be trying to help.
As a member of a very large, very racially mixed family, I don't appreciate being called a bigot. YOU sir, are a race baiter. I believe legal immigration is good for our country. I believe anyone willing to work should be able to eventually reach our shores from any other nation and that it would strengthen our economy. I think we should streamline to immigration process to help achieve that goal.
I also think the fence should be twice as high and electrified. The bottom line is, even if our rules need changing, I don't want ANYONE here who cannot respect and follow the rules. This is how the MAJORITY of those opposed to ILLEGAL immigration feel, and calling us racist or bigots is an unfair lie, which in many cases (including mine) is quantifiably untrue.
When you have to lie about the people you disagree with, its a good bet you are on the wrong side.
Anthony Borelli
The Third Report: Atlas Shrank
http://www.thirdreport.com/third-report.asp?storyid=469