August 8, 2006
REGULARIZATION:
New Americans (MICHAEL BARONE, August 8, 2006, Creators Syndicate Inc.)
America needs immigration legislation to regularize the flow of immigrants in tandem with our labor markets and to promote assimilation and Americanization, which, in the past, enabled immigrants and their children to become interwoven into the American fabric and worked to make our country more prosperous, productive, and creative.Regularize the flow of immigration. Opponents of legalization and guest worker programs talk as if the only moral blame for illegal immigration should fall on the illegals themselves. But we are all complicit. Politicians and officeholders, Democrats and Republicans, voters of all stripes have for a long time failed to insist on effective enforcement of the law, and must share the blame for the fact that people, almost all of them in search of work not welfare, have come to America illegally.
There are different ways to change this situation. Some would require illegals to return to their countries of origin; others would let them pay fines and back taxes and apply for legalization without leaving America. But the governing principle should be to find a way for immigrants to come here legally in response to the demand for their labor that obviously exists. Shutting off the flow of immigration would severely damage our economy. Legalizing it would improve our security. We need to do the latter.
This is in our interest and is also in line with our heritage. In "The New Americans," I argue that minority groups of today resemble immigrant groups of 100 years ago — blacks resemble Irish, Latinos resemble Italians, Asians resemble Jews. A century ago many argued that Irish, Italians, and Jews were separate races that could never be interwoven into the American fabric. Today we know those predictions were wrong.
The "racial" aspect is why nativist passion is so central to the Darwinian Right.
A century ago many argued that Irish, Italians, and Jews were separate races that could never be interwoven into the American fabric. Today we know those predictions were wrong.
The question isn't whether they CAN be, but whether they will CHOOSE to be.
And the evidence is that many will NOT so choose, and that their supporters will ensure there is no PRESSURE to do so.
And that is deeply corrosive of our social fabric.
"But we are all complicit. Politicians and officeholders, Democrats and Republicans, voters of all stripes have for a long time failed to insist on effective enforcement of the law, and must share the blame for the fact that people, almost all of them in search of work not welfare, have come to America illegally."
Ah, yes. Everyone is to blame. Which means, NO ONE IS TO BLAME. Which also means, just let things fester until we can find a gallows handy for some convenient target.
Darn that nativist right for jumping the gun on the process.
Posted by: Brad S at August 8, 2006 9:01 AMAssimilation tends to be closely associated with the political need of the governing class in whatever area the new immigrants settle it. If there's a substantial special interest faction in an area putting politicians into power with the mandate to maintain ethnic groups' seperate identities through things like keeping children in second language classes long-term, or by mandating government documents or other items be bi- or multi-lingual, you lower the incentive for people to assimilate.
Those thatt are willing to take the "easy" path offered by some state and local governments deny themselves the advantage of the full American experience by learning English, but they can cocoon (or imprison) themselves in their own little neighborhoods for life, where they never have to learn the language. Fortunately, most immigrants and their kids don't want to be held prisoner by the government or their native language for very long.
Posted by: John at August 8, 2006 9:42 AMFortunately, most immigrants and their kids don't want to be held prisoner by the government or their native language for very long.
Very true and it's much easier now than it was a hundred years ago.
It's too bad this doesn't translate to the denizens in the Black ghettoes. Slavery wasn't the worst thing we inflicted on these poor people. Far worse is being held in ignorance and poverty for the greater glory and financial enhancement of their poverty pimp "leaders."
Brad:
You're confused here. The blame to be apportioned is for the fact they're considered illegal, not for the immigration. And for that the nativist is to blame.
Posted by: oj at August 8, 2006 11:05 AM