First of all let me tell you that anyone who has ever been to a Mexican border town knows of the horrible and deplorable situation that exists there. I once had a little girl no more than age 8 in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico who tried to pick my front pocket while she offered to sell me a necklace on the street. When I gently grabbed her little hand away from my pocket and told her "No" her eyes filled with tears. She looked to the side street with horror in her eyes. Then I realized this little girl's mother had sent her over to do this and was watching her progress. She was a conflict of emotions. She obviously didn't want to do it but was fearful of her mother's reaction of not completing the task. Although my heart goes out to the people living in these conditions, circumventing our laws is no excuse to get out of this situation. Instead of fleeing, the people of Mexico need to stand up for their country and rise against the corruption that is their oppressor as our forefathers did so long ago. Fleeing is not the answer. Fighting for your country is not only important but a necessity of its survival.
That being said let me give the first reason for my stance. My husband is a first generation American. His father came from Stockholm, Sweden when he was fourteen years old. When my husband's grandfather decided to begin the process of legally bringing his family to America, he first made sure (out of respect for America and his desire for his children to prosper) that they learned English. When they arrived in America they kept their Swedish traditions at home and became Americans who spoke only English. Upon arrival, my husband's father continued to go through hoops and bounds to become an American citizen. He first had to live in the country for seven years, prove his knowledge on American ways and also his mastery of the English language. Then after becoming a full-fledged American, he enlisted in the United States Navy and fought for his new country in the Vietnam War. Oh by the way did I mention that the reason they came here was to offer advancement to America and not to help drain away its resources? My husband's grandfather was a scientist and a professor who went on to make breakthrough discoveries in the fields of Marine Biology and Zoology in America. Illegal immigrants are a slap in the face to my husband's family's love for America and their struggle to become a part of it.
Now let me tell you a little about some of my experiences of living for four years in an area overrun with illegal immigration. When I was younger, my husband and I lived in a city in South Texas. It did not take me (a Non-Hispanic descendant) long after moving there to realize that my residency would be spent in the roll of that of an unwanted minority. I can tell you of dozens of horrible experiences I encountered. However I will just pick a few to highlight.
Upon arrival, I was immediately turned down for job after job because I could not speak Spanish. This made it hard for us to survive in an area where the cost of living was high but the pay wages were low. What do you think brought the wages down and how did others make it under such conditions? As my husband and I struggled to pay rent, my next door neighbor (a stay at home mother) invited us over for pricey, elegant and exotic dinners while routinely showing off high-end purchases. Her Non-English speaking husband brought home much more money than did mine. However, in the long run my husband and I both bought and paid for these meals and all the nice new purchases. How is that so? What were our spouse's occupations? Her husband was an illegal immigrant who was paid under the table as the manager of a restaurant and my husband was an Airman in the United States Air Force serving his country. Those dinners and big ticket purchases were paid for with the aid of the tax payers through food stamps, welfare and section 8 housing assistance-none of which we qualified for.
Also around that time Americans were shocked when national news brought us the horrible images of the bodies our soldiers being drug through the streets of Bosnia. Not long after, my husband was sent on a Bosnian support mission for NATO. As I worried and prayed daily for his safe return, I continued my college education. During his mission, I remember breaking out in tears after a Business Communications Class. A lady stood up and stated (while looking directly at me) that Texas should just be given back to Mexico because Mexicans were the majority anyway and their way of life dominated the state. She also followed up that if you could not speak Spanish you should not be allowed to live in Texas. How did the class react you may wonder? They cheered and agreed unanimously. I countered that the ONLY reason I lived there was because my husband had agreed to risk his life to serve this county (including South Texas) and that his permanent-duty station was located at a nearby military base. After my comments, I had to fear for my safety on campus and became totally fed up with the way of life there. I began to pray daily that God would not only return my husband home in one piece but myself as well.
I won't even go into the crime-rate. It would take all day. Let's just say for one example, it was routine to be awaken at my home the middle of the night. One of the late night rousings was courtesy of a gentleman that decided to crawl through my window. He did not understand me when I told him in English "I will shoot you if you come any farther". Thankfully he got the point when I showed him a gun. He turned and ran away. Thank you God for the Second Amendment. It often works around the language barrier.
Last but not least, let me tell you how I personally became an American. My Grandfather, whom I admired more than any man I have ever known, was born into a very large Native American (Lumbee) family with very little means. He worked hard to build a business that would provide for his family and their future. He also served his country proudly in the U.S. Navy. It was his determination, faith, patriotism and hard work that helped make me who I am today. To me, he was the epitome of the values and morals of this country. The remainder of my family descended from those very colonist who fought against oppression at all costs to become who we are today. When push comes to shove we are all immigrants outside of those whom are are Native American. I think I share in the opinion that most Native Americans have held since the very first immigrants stepped foot on this soil. We welcome you if you come here to be a part of our way of life, live in peace and do your part in making our home a better place to live . If you came here in direct defiance of our laws, without respect to our way of life and with the direct intention of draining our resources, I say don't even bother to take off your coat.
OnTheWriteSide
