No fence tall enough to stop the desperate

[question everything]

Sunday, April 3, 2005

No fence tall enough to stop the desperate

By: EDWARD SIFUENTES - Staff Writer


(snip)

But why? Because they steal jobs from American workers? Because they drive down wages? Because they use valuable state benefits? Because they drive drunk on our freeways? Because they crowd our schools? Because they are illegal? No. It's because they are different. Not because they are Irish, Chinese, African or even Mexican. It's because they are "other."

They speak another language and refuse to learn English. Because they have different customs and they refuse to act American. Because they stand up for another country's national anthem and they don't understand our laws. It's because they are willing to take low-paying jobs with no benefits. Bottom line is that they make us insecure about who we are and what we stand for.

What's the evidence of this charge? Listen to the ones who are most annoyed by these new immigrants. They will object to the label of immigrant without the "illegal" adjective before the term. The most fervent will object to the term "immigrant" altogether and favor "illegal alien."

Why? Because it denies them their humanity. Illegal aliens are by definition criminals, illegals ---- and nonhuman, aliens. Some supporters of the Minuteman Project objected to human rights groups monitoring the border-watch group for possible legal rights violations.


(snip)

As Americans, we should question who we are and what we stand for. We should be unsettled when such feeble facades are allowed to mask a hatred of the "other."

More..

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/04/03/opinion/commentary/16_25_144_2_05.txt

Edward Sifuentes covered immigration, Indian gaming and politics for the North County Times for five years. This is his final column.