"Legals" vs. "Illegals" for papers

Thu25May2006

"Legals" vs. "Illegals" for papers

AP has a good piece today about how "legal" immigrants feel about the move towards legalizing thousands of undocumented workers. It's a muddy area. The subjects interviewed in the article seem to sympathize with the plight of the undocumented workers, but fear that bureaucratic gridlock currently keeping them from legalizing their stays here in the U.S. will only worsen as the system absorbs all of these new cases:

Commuting to his home in suburban Bethesda, Md., Francisco Gonzalez passes scores of busy Latino construction workers, most likely illegal immigrants from his native Mexico. To the 36-year-old Latin American studies professor at John Hopkins University in Washington, those immigrants' presence is at once a humanitarian crisis to solve and a real threat to his own ability to stay in the country.

"Our morals are on the side of the illegals. The paradox is that if they're legalized, the line of 8 millions will become 20 millions, and the green card, they're going to give it to me when I'm ready to retire," Gonzalez said.

The system is to blame here. The need for mano de obra in "unskilled" jobs is great, but there is also need for immigrant workers in other areas, such as tech, teaching and nursing. All immigrants, documented or undocumented, are being failed by a system that makes it too expensive to legally immigrate for those who don't have the means or the education, and nearly impossible for immigrant professionals to do so because of the low number of H-1B visas handed out per year -- 65,000 for the entire country.

The hypocrisy of people with an immigrant background and are against any kind of immigration continues to baffle:

A small but vocal group of Latin American and other immigrants want to restrict all immigration, including many of the provisions that allowed them or their parents to move to the U.S.

"We should reduce legal immigration to the level so it's not a strain on energy and the infrastructure. Why shouldn't China take care of the Chinese?" said Ling-Ling Yeh, a Chinese woman who immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 and later founded the Oakland, Calif.-based Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America.

Lupe Moreno's father came from Mexico during a World War II guest-worker program, but she now resents being surrounded by Spanish-speaking Latino immigrants in her Santa Ana, Calif., neighborhood. She founded a group called Latino-Americans for Immigration Reform.

"We've been more than generous with everybody. Now we need to take control.

Via / SunHerald.com

Photo via Guardian.co.uk

Katie Couric Tries to Boost Sagging Ratings on the Backs of Immigrant Women (Tuesday, Apr 08 2008)
Schwarzenegger Won't Blame Immigrants for Economic Woes (Thursday, Apr 03 2008)

Jennifer

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1. Juan G Tornoe ~ Friday, May 26 2006 | 11:41H:

Dear Jennifer,

Thank you very much for publishing this article on a subject that most people tend to completely ignore.

Humanely, I empathize with the struggles of the illegal immigrant. Looking at it from a very cold perspective it is a matter of labor supply and demand along with a social, political, and economical reality in many of the countries from which all this persons are coming from, that won’t change any time soon.

This is what drives me crazy: the Government says that someone who entered the country illegally and has managed to stay here for 5 years (and have learned English) qualifies to become a resident. What about those who entered the US legally, are respecting all the laws and rules of this society, pay Federal and State Taxes, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and already knew English prior to even coming to the United States? They are contributing to the American society as much (sometimes even more) than the undocumented immigrants. What option do they get if they want to become a resident of this great Nation? From the notorious lack of mention by the lawmakers, minute media coverage and almost no general discussion, apparently they will get a good kick in the behind along with a lukewarm “Have a nice life elsewhere” when their legally obtained visas expire.

It is either that or pay several thousands of dollars to apply to become residents, hoping and praying that in 5+ years their application might get approved; I emphasize the might.

What is wrong with this picture?

Here is a link to an organization that is doing something about it: http://immigrationvoice.org/

VivirLatino