I have read many poorly written articles in the Emerald over the 10 years that I have been a graduate student at the University, and some that were also downright offensive, but this is the first time I feel compelled to write a response. “Immigration reform doesn’t cut it” (ODE, Dec. 1) by Ms. Brock is a very troubling, misinformed, and irresponsible piece of “journalism” that contains more than just a tinge of racism.
More than once, Brock makes very direct connections between undocumented “Mexicans” and terrorists like those responsible for 9/11. Making a comparison between undocumented workers who come here to be able to feed their families and 9/11 terrorists is simply outrageous. Are all people of color potential terrorists?
By the way, not all undocumented workers, or illegal aliens as you call them, are “Mexican:” There are other countries in Latin America from which people migrate to the U.S. for a variety of reasons, and indeed, other countries in the world from which people “illegally immigrate.”
I understand that Ms. Brock has written an opinion piece, but I was taught that effective persuasion pieces should still be well researched and based on examining many sides of an issue. Ms. Brock, however, seems to be simply using her column as a platform to spit out the same anti-immigration propaganda in mainstream U.S. society, without looking into any carefully researched works on the matter.
In regards to history, it is an acknowledged fact that the U.S. illegally took a large part of Mexico’s territory in The Treaty of Guadalupe. The U.S. government is not above acting illegally.
Second, if you know anything about U.S. immigration policy, you know that we have changed our policies over the years for our own convenience, depending on labor needs. We let people in our borders when we need them (for example during the Bracero program), and then kick them out when we don’t.
Third, part of the reason “Mexico’s lack of infrastructure” exists is not its own problem, but rather a result of how the U.S. has exploited this less powerful country over time.
Fourth, as you yourself point out, the U.S. economy survives, at least in part, because of the cheap labor that undocumented workers provide. Don’t tell me that American citizens would take these jobs for the same crappy pay and no benefits and hazardous working conditions. Why do you think the U.S. rarely prosecutes people who hire undocumented workers?
Given all this, ask yourself why immigrants leave everything that is familiar to them, risk their lives to come to this country, live in constant fear of being deported, and work for low wages. I think I might act “illegally” and cross the border rather than watch my thirteen year old daughter starve to death because there were no jobs in my country that would allow us to eat. Or, I might act “illegally” and come to the U.S. if my own country was torturing and murdering its citizens.
Instead of making any attempt to see people who come here as what they are – human beings – who for the most part come here out of sheer desperation, Ms. Brock turns them into faceless “criminals” and “terrorists.” I guess I would hope that more of us would make some attempt to educate ourselves, especially those of who are in a position to challenge biases.
Tami Hill is a University graduate student in Anthropology and Education