On immigration.
I am sick and tired of hearing so many people -- but especially my Christian brothers and sisters (or people who say they are, anwyway) -- talking about "illegal aliens" like they are dirt. Here are my issues in general:
1) The Bible says not to mistreat aliens living in your land, but to love them as yourself. It doesn't ever ask people to check their papers first. The talk I hear is far from that. You cannot call yourself a Christian and not feel at the very least compassion on a section of society that is disenfranchised at best.
2) It burns me to hear people say "They don't have any rights, they're lawbreakers." I know that they have broken the law. But so have you if you have littered, gone through a red light, or gone 60 in a 55. You are a lawbreaker too and you cannot be high and mighty. Jesus broke laws that needed breaking several times too, didn't He?
And isn't it illegal to convert to Christianity in Iran? Does the fact that it's illegal make it wrong?
3) "They need to learn English." And they do. But how do you know they aren't making the effort? Have you talked to them? Have you bothered to ask?
4) "They are coming here to have their babies." Again, have you asked them why they're coming?? I guarantee you that will not be in their answer, though they'd be idiots to miss the opportunity. Unless you can talk to someone (and if you don't speak each other's language, how can you??) and ask them, you are not allowed to assume things like that.
5) "They are taking over our country." Uh, history lesson, people. They were here first. It was our ancestors that took over their country and this entire continent. And our ancestors did not bother to learn the language of the natives. (I'm not saying we need to take the blame for that, but just remember that THAT's the reason we speak English here -- because our ancestors didn't bother to learn another's language.)
6) "They don't pay taxes." I hate to burst your bubble, but yes they do. Rightly or wrongly, most people here illegally (at least in our area) have fake papers that they use to get jobs. Which means that......they get taxes taken out just like everybody else. And most don't file taxes every year, so if they've got too much taken out, they don't get it back. They pay social security, Medicare, disability, state taxes, everything. Sales tax, gas tax, cigarette tax. (I'm not condoning smoking, don't get me wrong.)
7) "They need to come here legally." Duh! But people who say that don't generally have any clue what it takes for a poor (meaning financially poor, not pitiful) Latin American to come here. A Norwegian doesn't have to wait long at all for his visa to the US. A Mexican may have to wait 10 years for his, if he is not a doctor, lawyer, or entertainer (i.e., poor). If his application is even approved. Is that fair? I don't think so. And the Norwegian's children probably won't go hungry in the wait for the visa. (If Kirsi & Maiju are reading this, nothing against Scandinavians...just an example!) So if you want people (who come here driven by need) to come here legally but are unwilling to do something to make that easier, you lose your right to complain when they find a way around it.
8) I heard a politician say just this morning (a Republican, surprise): "Illegals need to know this: when you want to come to our country, knock on the front door first. Cause the fence is going up and the back door's going to be closed." Challenging tone aside, I doubt there were many "illegals" listening to what he had to say...they were probably too busy WORKING.
9)While we're on the subject, could you please use a nicer phrase than "illegal aliens?" #1) No human being for whom Christ died is illegal; and 2) He is from planet Earth, not Mars. "But they are criminals! They don't deserve a nicer title."
Please see point #2.
10) Is your problem really with illegal immigrants, or is it with illegal Hispanic immigrants? Do you look at white faces and wonder if they are people here illegally from the UK? If not, then I have made my point. (not insulting Britons. Nor trying to offend. I just want people to search themselves honestly.)
11) My biggest problem with all this is that most people who make all these assertions and spout this stuff have never actually made friends with an illegal immigrant, or (can you imagine!) invited them to dinner. When you are talking about a human being who has affected your life positively, it is much much harder to demonize them. Whatever numbers & arguments are out there, the story becomes vastly different when this is a friend, a neighbor, or a spouse (and father of your child) you're talking about.
I know this is a dead horse that has been beaten. But it is a reality, and a very close one for me. I am not trying to be hostile; I am telling you what's in my heart. I do not ask you to totally agree, but I do ask you to consider it. I am not perfect. I have recently been convicted by the Lord of my own prejudices, which I did not even realize I had. I hope this will in some way at least make people think. Feel free to print, forward, comment, disagree. Thanks.
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4 comments:
Not to add fuel to your fire, but one time Miles and I were in a group of older Christians and we were talking about service projects that we could get involved with and one of the people said, "We could help out the INS and round up some of the illegal aliens that hang out in the morning looking for work." We were totally scandalized! At first we looked at each other in shock, although we thought he was joking (not that that was at all funny, but because it was awkward and a joke would have been at least passed of as horribly insensitive and telling of his generation) but he was DEAD serious. We couldn't believe it.
Your venting post was really thought provoking. I liked it!
This is silly, but I like the show Ugly Betty, it is on ABC on Thursday nights at 8:00pm... Like I said, it is pretty silly, but they have tackled illegal immigration on a few of their shows, since the main character's father it turns out came to this country illegally. The show, I thought, did a really good job of talking about the issue with repect and allowed the dad to explain to his daughters that he came to give them a better life, and a chance at financial success, etc. He got it all worked out and everything was fine, but it was a little glimpse into the fear that families feel in that situation, so decidedly far from my own. It's a topic that we don't like to look at very often and kudos to Ugly Betty for dealing with it. It should be in our faces more often.
On a totally other note...I commented back to you on our blog about the book and then I wrote a whole post about the book. FYI
Hope you guys are well!
At UNC we took a class where they told us to refer to blind people as "person with a sight impairment." I still use blind person when referring to their condition. When speaking of my grandfather who is blind, I don't say "my blind grandfather" when referring to his condition, but I do say "my blind grandfather" when his condition is the topic of conversation. On an entirely related note, when I refer to my friend who is Mexican and illegally here, I refer to him as my friend. When speaking of his status (we'll call him "Bobby"), I say that he is an illegal alien. Because he is. He is. I am a follower of Jesus who is bald. But I am also a bald man.
Now, onto the rest, you have many good points, but if someone is referring to the legal status of a person, I (personally) think it is perfectly legitimate to refer to them as an illegal alien. Naomi is a resident alien with a green card. The official terminology isn't green card alien. If it was, I would tell people she is that when referring to her status.
Back to your point, though (as I take it), a first descriptor of someone you know should not be illegal alien. If a person is working illegally at a grocery store - as an example - and they are mexican and illegal - then I think that the description should be a.) their gender (man, woman), their race (if attempting to identify them), and quite likely not their status!
Anyway, I know you don't mind interaction on this. Let me know what you think, too. I just have read your dislike for the term "illegal alien" and I just think it is appropriate in the right contexts - and it does not preclude personhood.
I think you are right, Burly. My dislike for the term alien (even though that is the correct term) extends to resident aliens, nonresident aliens, and illegal aliens. I just think there could be a better way of stating that this person isn't a US citizen. Alien just sounds cold. In Spanish the term is extranjero, which means foreigner. I like that better. Semantics.
The rest I agree with. My husband (whom we'll call Jimmy) (as opposed to Bobby) is technically an illegal alien. But that is only a small (and to me the least important part) part of who he is. When I care for a Hispanic family (or any other non-US nationality) in the hospital, I don't care what their legal status is and don't think it should matter.
You said what I was trying to say...that their legal status does not and should not define them. They are people first, then somewhere at the bottom the list is their legal status. Thanks for your thoughtful comment.
Hi Brooklynne!
The kind of mentality that you described from the person that was a part of your group is exactly what I'm talking about. I just don't believe that the Jesus of the Bible would be calling INS to round up folks looking for work.
I'm all for rules that people follow, but the rules need to apply equally to everybody and they need to be reasonable. Expecting someone to wait 10 (or even 5) years for a work visa to come here legally when his family is hungry NOW is not reasonable.
I am glad that Ugly Betty is finally in English. Betty la Fea (Spanish for Ugly Betty) has been a character in Latin American TV for years. This show is a little different than the original character, but it is apparently very popular here. Maybe it will finally explain some things about Hispanics that most Americans just don't get. I am glad you guys enjoy it.
Immigration in general, but especially the reality behind illegal immigration is something nobody wants to face up to. If they did, they might be forced to change their view. Nobody wants to admit that they were wrong to feel a certain way so it is just easier for most folks to continue with the attitude they have. Human nature.
The ultimate answer is Jesus. But I also think it's a really good idea for every person to visit a Third World country to see what reality is for others. The whole world is not like America, and Christ died for the whole world.
Thanks for joining the fray, Brooklynne!
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