Respect Immigrants
To the Editor:
J.J. had a sallow complexion, dark eyes and a prominent nose. He was from the middle east and spoke with a definite accent. He came into this country illegally and stayed. What are you thinking now?
The truth is that J.J. came into the US to escape from certain persecution and possible death. He was 16 years old in 1905 when he left the Ottoman Turkish empire whose leaders were systematically killing all the Armenians. He did not have a passport or a visa. He simply got off the freighter he had worked on in New Orleans and started his life in Louisiana.
He was not a terrorist. He did not bring diseases. He was not vermin. He did not poison the blood of his adopted country. On the contrary, he became a citizen in 1910, worked hard and provided well for his family. All of his children and grandchildren have been college educated, productive citizens. I am proud to be his grandaughter.
Immigration is a controversial subject, fraught with fear and uncertainty. We have a broken immigration system with outdated policies. The next administration must update, streamline and modernize this system. But why do some Americans want to demonize the immigrants?
There is currently a huge amount of rhetoric designed to make us hate immigrants, to see them as “less than human.” It is chilling. Donald Trump and J.D. Vance have manufactured false stories and social media have perpetuated the lies. They are using the false narratives to make immigrants “the other,” disease-ridden, rapists, bringing drugs and crime. Throughout history immigrants have been scapegoated, vilified and murdered. Trump and Vance are using the same tactics to appeal to our worst natures instead of our better angels.
We are a nation of immigrants but there is a long ugly history of discrimination and scapegoating them in this country. Take a look at previous immigrant groups (perhaps they are your ancestors.) Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jewish, German, Chinese, not to mention Africans who were involuntary immigrants, were discriminated against, denied jobs, physically abused, murdered, incarcerated and denied justice. From 1942 to 1946 Japanese-Americans were interned in camps in the U.S. under the Alien Enemies Act of 1789. This incarceration of 120,000 people was a shameful chapter in our history for which we have profoundly apologized. Yet Mr. Trump has threatened to invoke this law to deport, not only undocumented migrants, but even legal immigrants that he doesn’t like.
It is not true that immigrants are causing more crime. First of all it would be foolish, especially for someone who wants to keep a low profile, to commit an act that would get them noticed and deported. The evidence according to a number of studies (Politifact), says that immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born citizens and do not raise crime rates where they live. Sensational crimes are horrible but do not constitute an immigrant “crime wave”.
In terms of what immigrants contribute to our country, economists say that immigrants take on positions that native workers are unwilling to fill such as agriculture and food processing jobs. Stan Marek from a Houston construction firm confirmed that immigrants are absolutely not taking jobs from native-born workers. He believes that the US needs an identification system that addresses national security concerns so those who are in the country illegally can work. He indicates a need for more blue-collar labor. Economist Ethan Lewis says that the research shows that jobs for U.S. workers might be created rather than taken by immigrants.
Finally we have only to look to Florida to see the affect that eliminating immigrants from the labor force would create. As a result of Gov. Desantis new restrictive work laws, their produce industry is suffering from lack of labor and the result may be catastrophic for the growers. Look around you and imagine your life without the benefits of immigrants.
Republicans and Democrats agree that the system is broken and should be a priority for the new administration. But the immigrants fleeing from violence, drugs and poverty are human beings. While we work to fix the system can we not see them like my grandfather who are just people seeking a better life.
Mass deportation is not the answer.
Judy Balch La Grange