Though the elections are proving most Americans are supporting more compassionate measures towards immigration reform there are still many groups that are working to demonize them. Therefore we must continue shedding light on this situation and pushing for understanding and compassion.
Desert Flower in an Icy Dreamland – OpEdNews.com
Headlined on 2/7/08:
by NezuaFLOR CRISOSTOMO is 28 years old. She is not a citizen of the United States, though she is trying to live her own tiny dream here. Which involves being alive, working very hard, living on extremely modest means (I can earn in an hour or so what this person does in a ten-hour a day work-week), wearing clothes, sending money to her three children, and sharing a two-bedroom apartment with four other women. Flor was dropped off in the desert after she paid a smuggler to take her away from México and up to El Norte, where she knew (as all know down below) that she could feed herself and her kids.
I found this write-up on Flor Crisostomo which I believe has some wonderful statements about our current situation with undocumented migrants and their plight. Though many people benefit from exploitative labor they certainly don’t want to have to look at those performing it. I believe this is exemplified in an article I posted about yesterday titled “Shore Issue: illegal immigration” where people claimed they were upset because of foreign labor in their neighborhoods.
From this article on OpEdNews.com I really liked the following quote.
But where does our humanity end? Is it at the county line? Or does the soul only stretch to the borders of the block? We cannot rest our reasoning here. We must take accountability for our fellow humans. She is our neighborhood. She is our business. She is the poor.
Anywhere human hearts beat is our neighborhood. Anywhere children are in fear, or need food is our neighborhood.
So where does our humanity end? Are those that are not U.S. citizens not humans? Do they not deserve our care and concern? Does their being in a country without permission deserve harsh treatment not unlike that of a thief, murderer, or pedophile? Does this really make any sense at all?
For all those that are so adamantly opposed to undocumented migrants don’t you realize the hatred and anger you feel will become manifest towards others that are here illegally. Hatred and anger are emotions not easily controlled. When they consume you it is very difficult to keep them from having residual effects on others. These emotions will blind you and will never truly bring about an appropriate, humane, or compassionate solution.
This story finishes with the following quote:
I stand with the desert flower. I stand with all others who stand with her. She represents, to me, humanity. I stand with her because I am an American, and I believe in dreams, struggle, opportunity, and Justice. For all.
And mostly, I stand with Flor because turning my back would mean losing myself and all that is important in my own soul and nature.
I believe everyone must listen to their hearts in this situation. What if this were your child? What if you were hungry and could not provide for you family knowing that there was, so close, a land that could provide you the opportunity to work and supply your family’s needs? You would certainly take this opportunity because the law will not feed you nor will it provide you a house. Only work will provide these things and it’s no surprise that those that desire to work will go where the work is. Though many like to compare being in the U.S. without permission to being a common thief there is a huge difference between robbing a convenience store and simply coming to the U.S. without permission to find work. These are migrant workers and they want to live in a sane and just world as do us all.
Filed under: Undocumented Workers, immigrant, immigrants | Tagged: Flor Crisostomo, immigration
You know, everybody should be afforded an opportunity and every protection under international law. Everyone should have the opportunity to earn a living and provide for their family. I don’t know anyone who would be opposed to these principals. However, what have the Mexcian people been doing for the past 80 – 100 years? The American people have been working, inventing, and sacrificing for the last 232 years.
What have the Mexican people been doing? They are our neighbors, yes. Their country is close and yet they haven’t sent people to learn from us and build a respectible country like we have. And because of their lack of initiative, they are now in a situation where thier president encourages his people to illeglly cross the border. He encourages them to work illegally in our country and send money home. He encourages his people to demonstrate in a foreign country and demand rights but he does nothing to break corruption, provide opportunites through growth and planning. He has made a pathetic attempt to stop drug smugglers at his northern border. He does use oil revenues to build up the education system which he obviously needs to do in order to provide knowledge which leads to prosperity. And he and formr presidents have never LEAD his counry to a truely law abiding nation. So, because of his lack of leadership, he simply encourages his people to come across the border illegally, disregarding the laws of this counrty.
Mexico could be a wonderful country with many opportunites but it seems it never will.
The president doesn’t encourage the rule of law, so what can we expect to get from the people coming across the border.
Now, as for poor people who need work, what about all those in Africa or Eastern Europe? Did I mention Asia? Just because latinos can walk across the border doesn’t make it O.K. because they don’t have work. Essentially, Latinos are practicing a form of racism when they say that they should be given a free ride and ignoring those people in other parts of the world. Why should they get a free ride? Because they didn’t have the foresight to build a law abiding country and because thier families are hungry?
As for polls and individual people invoking “The will of the American People”, they simply need to go back last year and look at the result of the attempted amnesty bill. People do not want to “adapt” 20 million people who don’t have any skills, education or any will to follow existing law. Why should we?
Yes, America is a country of immigrants. But people tend to forget that 99.99% of the people who came to this country in the last century FOLLOWED THE RULES!!! They were processed and given paper if they didn’t have them. Those who didn’t meet the requirements were sent home!!! This is the essence of a law abiding country, not a mob of +/- 500,000 people crossing the border on foot or by paying smugglers!
Last note: America has always been a generous country, but how generous would the average American be if this country was occupied by a foreign army? Essenstially, we have been invaded and the administration and Congress have not done a thing about it because big business whines about not having cheap labor. The last time I checked, the American people have the power in this country, not big business, not special interests, and not illegal immigrants who live in churches and taunt us on our own soil! Only when the American people get fed up with the administration’s lack of leadership and enforcement of law will this country begin to get back to it’s role of the world’s finest nation.
You’ve given a lot to respond to.
First, nobody is looking for a “free ride.” I could actually follow your ideas here until you say things like that as you know the busting your butt at a job is not a free ride. And for many that use smugglers it’s quite literally not a ‘free ride.’
As far as them not learning from us I’d imagine that’s the same mentality that’s allowed Western Culture to dominate many countries (and allowed us to dominate the American Indian) since they are ’savages’ and ‘undeveloped.’ Basically if you don’t do things like us then you’re way of life is wrong. If people want to live differently they can – I don’t see anyone bashing the Mennonites or the Amish for not understanding they can get more work done with a Blackberry.
Now I know the ridiculousness of what I just wrote, but the idea is that Mexico’s problems are not because they didn’t follow our lead. If you look at NAFTA it has a damaging effect on farmers in Mexico as they’re forced to compete with our huge farms.
As far as poor people from all over the world I believe we should and can promote positive change for them too. Just look at the things you buy. We have to make sure that the things we buy support a fair wage for workers. That will go a long way to helping people. We all know that the dollar is mightier than the sword – so use it wisely.
Also, as far as proximity, it really doesn’t matter if it’s fair that Mexico is close. I mean, is it fair that we were born in America and have so much? Why not ask that question? Naturally if a person can travel on land to get here it makes more sense. I suppose people from Asia and Africa could come too, but that’s more difficult and costly. However, I would believe that a more humanistic approach to the world in general could allow them to come while also promoting a better life in their home country.
Of course, there are many undocumented migrants here from all over the world who have simply overstayed their visas. The bottom line is as human beings our first and foremost thought should be in protecting one another. If our governments felt this way we wouldn’t have the problems we do. Since they don’t we have to force them by letting them know that we won’t support unjust laws.
If you want real and positive change it’s going to be really important that you remove yourself from the mindset that poor people are ‘taunting’ you. Do you really think being Flor is easy? By the sound of some anti-”illegal” immigrant commenters you’d think that undocumented migrants live like kings and queens. This is simply ridiculous.