Utah understands illegal immigration. After all, our Utah pioneers were illegal immigrants of Mexico in Alta California, escaping religious persecution from the United States.Nowadays, Utah's 300,000 Hispanics are our fastest growing minority group.
But these photos of so many protestors in Los Angeles, Chicago and other American cities yielding Mexican flags will change the face of the debate. Our melting pot is much more welcoming of immigrants waving the American flag of freedom. Waving the Mexican flag in large American cities is no way to melt into America. Protestors should have carried American flags to show that they are an important part of America's economy.
Bad PR move.
My prediction. The country is going to have a stronger gut reaction on the side of immigration enforcement.
10 comments:
I've heard plenty of the accusations that LDS pioneers were "illegal immigrants," but I have neither seen any documentation showing the immigration laws of Mexico in 1847 nor any documentation that said laws were broken. To call them "illegal immigrants" without a spec of evidence is fabricating evidence to support one's own agenda and viewpoint. Shame on you for perpetuating this myth.
The old adage that you should learn from history never seems to work. Americans didn't like the, (plug in German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Irish) immigrants because the had strong ties to their homeland, couldn't seem to catch on to the english language, lived in their own neighborhoods, on and on. Now it is the same thing with the dreaded Mexican. the Illegal problem wouldn't be so big if we had a immigration policy that was equitable across the board. However, we don't. We will still take just about anyone if they are white, European, educated. What we don't want is a bunch of brown skinned people coming here, no matter how hard they are willing to work. It doesn't matter that their children and grandchildren learn English and act like Americans. It doesn't matter because we don't want them here. My grandfather came here from Scotland one hundred years ago, so immigration is close to my heart. I hope we can come up with an immigration policy that does not include a Berlin like wall 1700 miles long with guards and dogs and barbed wire.
Our immigration policy is indeed a hodge podge. Rich Canadians or Australian media moguls can get into the states easier than poor Bolivians -- for various reasons. Unwrapping the complexities of those policies is beyond my understanding at this moment.
However, if Chinese immigrants were protesting with the flag of the People's Republic of China, most Americans would be alarmed. It is an outward sign of foreign allegience.
It wouldn't be good for PR or for their cause, whatever it might be.
There are documents about immigration policy of Mexico before and during the Mexican-American war. Take a look at my article in October.
Foreign immigrants were required to apply to a very tough Mexican government to settle in Mexican territory. They had to convert to Catholicism and needed to pay taxes to Mexico (of course).
Having said that, many of us didn't have much respect for the new Republic of Mexico or its laws. We also had the mindset of manifest destiny on our side and settled where we darn-well pleased.
Still doubt? Just think back to what you know about the original white settlements in Tejas (Texas) and how the requirements the Mexican government made -- learn Spanish, convert out of Protestantism to Catholicism, taxes, allegiences, etc.
This is from the Wikipedia encyclopedia on Texas. American settlers were settling in Texas, New Mexico, California and other areas of the territory of Mexico.
"In 1835, Antonio López de Santa Anna, President of Mexico, proclaimed a unified constitution for all Mexican territories, including Texas. North American settlers in Texas announced they intended to secede from Mexico rather than give up their "right" to slavery, which Mexico had abolished. Other policies that irritated the Texians included the forcible disarmament of Texian settlers, and the expulsion of illegal immigrants [in Mexican territory] from the United States of America. The example of the Centralista forces' suppression of dissidents in Zacatecas also inspired fear of the Mexican government."
What is the difference between what happened a couple weeks ago in downtown SLC, NYC, LA, Chicago, etc when thousands of people crammed the streets celebrating their immigrant heritage while flying only Irish flags? I did not see many US flags at SLC's St. Patrick's Day parade; however, we seemed to have survived the Irish invasion of the 1840s quite well, despite the critics who said it would destroy America then. I am not disputing that flying too many Mexican flags was a bad PR move, but that doesn't make their claims any less reasonable. They are claiming it's not only yours and my country, but theirs also, since they are working here also. I don't dispute that there is a major problem with undocumented, illegal immigration; but I respectfully disagree with your intrepretation that we are losing our country. Immigrant heritage, whether Irish on St. Patrick's Day, Swiss Days in Midway, the Scandanavian Festival in Sanpete County, or Cinco de Mayo, is part of what makes us a United States.
You asked what the difference was between what happened during Saint Patrick's Day when Irish immigrants flew Irish flags and the illegal alien protests?
Difference #1. Those celebrating Saint Patrick's Day are Americans, legal immigrants or legal visitors.
Difference #2. During Saint Patrick's Day, American flags are flown WITH Irish flags. Not an Irish banner by itself but rather one flag flying with the other. Such action shows solidarity and friendship. Like jam and peanut butter, bees and pollen, Irish and beer.
How do you know that the people marching in either the St. Patrick's Day parade or the immigrant rallies are citizens? We don't wear citizen clothing or have marks; so don't prejudge them based on that. Many of the protesting students in SLC have said they are Americans, but sympathize with the immigrants.
Secondly, there were American flags being flown in all the demonstrations; perhaps you haven't seen them in the photos. I have no problem with the Mexican flag being flown with the American flag; like the breakfast burrito.
Nope. I'm not seeing a large American flag being flown side by side with the Mexican flag.
And the chances of those celebrating Saint Patrick's Day being illegal immigrants are very, very, very low. According to the Pew Hispanic Center report, all of Canada (our largest trade partner) AND Europe account for less than 6% of illegal immigrants. Hispanics make up most of the illegal immigrants in this country.
You are freaking racist man..... Your state was once a majority Catholic Hispanophone area which suddenly became "American".....
Until nowadays, Hispanics keep this story inside their hearts (like myself), and you know what.....they are only fighting to have their rights respected, which were heavily denied over the 19-20 centuries.
Maybe you don't get it because you don't live in Canada. I suggest you take a trip to Canada and see for yourself how both English and French peacefully coexist.
Post a Comment