| As an Hispanic child growing up in Northern New | | | | people from their natural and historical migrations and |
| Mexico in the 1940s I recall being surprised one day on | | | | travels. |
| hearing my Aunt Josefina say to my grandparents | | | | After the U.S. invasion and conquering of Texas and |
| that, contrary to what they thought, we were | | | | the southwest, Spanish-speaking people in those areas |
| "Americanos" too, just like the 'gringos' (Anglos, | | | | (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, California, etc.) |
| Germans) and 'gabachos' (Frenchmen) in and around | | | | consisted of long-time natives (like my grandparents) |
| our little village. "¡También somos | | | | whose families can be traced back to the 1700s and |
| Americanos!" (We're also Americans!), I shouted my | | | | later immigrants to the area, who attained legal |
| brother. My brother and I thought it was funny; for we | | | | residency and eventually were naturalized as citizens; |
| had believed all along that the "Americanos" were | | | | and finally the later immigrants who migrated to the |
| those big, well-to-do white people who spoke a | | | | U.S. without the legal documentation. Many of these |
| strange language; but now we were those guys too. | | | | assimilated to the North American culture, adopted |
| What a revelation! Now, why would identification as | | | | English as their primary language (in some cases, as |
| American sound surprising to people who had lived for | | | | their only language) and became full-fledged U.S. |
| multiple generations in that part of the country? | | | | citizens. Others retained many aspects of their |
| I thought about this as the news about Arizona's tough | | | | Hispanic culture (in California and New Mexico, for |
| immigration law was breaking, inspiring action and | | | | example) or Mexican culture, speaking Spanish as their |
| reaction around the country. New Mexico is not | | | | primary language. The attitudes toward illegal |
| Arizona, but a next-door neighbor with a different | | | | immigration and undocumented immigrants coming |
| history; but coincidentally, Arizona, like New Mexico, | | | | across the border with Mexico of these people vary, |
| was not admitted into the union until 1912. | | | | with some agreeing with the establishment classes |
| I do not have a solution for our difficult illegal | | | | that tougher enforcement of immigration laws are |
| immigration problem, and I seriously doubt that anyone | | | | needed, especially when the criminal problem of drug |
| else has the answer. A complete sealing of the border | | | | smuggling is considered. But among these people (as |
| is not a practical possibility, and draconian laws against | | | | among other groups) there are those who tend to |
| anyone likely to be undocumented (like Arizona has | | | | have more feeling for the human element of the |
| proposed) will also likely fail and produce unacceptable | | | | problem. This is more noticeably the case among |
| consequences. Immigration is a problem for the federal | | | | those who have been recent immigrants themselves |
| government; eventually Congress will get around to | | | | or have closely associated with the struggles of the |
| passing legislation which hopefully will at least be a | | | | poverty-stricken immigrating from south of the border. |
| partial solution to the problem, maybe something similar | | | | When we take into consideration the human element, |
| to legislation of the 1980s which granted a path to legal | | | | we're likely to emphasize that undocumented |
| residency and eventually allowed naturalization to | | | | immigrants are mostly just human beings trying to |
| millions of undocumented people already in the country. | | | | improve their lives and that of their families, humans |
| But the problem of mass migration of people, with or | | | | who have reluctantly left their homes, families, and |
| without proper documentation, is an historical problem | | | | friends to migrate to a different part of the world |
| and a worldwide problem. Surely it is not one special to | | | | (which may not welcome them) in order to survive and |
| the United States. Consider the immigration problems | | | | hopefully flourish, something that all humans desire. |
| that Western European countries also face. As long | | | | When we take the human element into consideration |
| as certain regions are poverty-stricken and offer few | | | | we're likely to emphasize the difference between |
| prospects for a decent standard of life and other | | | | honest, hard-working people just looking for better |
| regions offer better opportunities for desperate people, | | | | prospects in life and the criminals who exploit and prey |
| there will be migrations of peoples. | | | | on the weak in all societies, including the societies of |
| But let me return briefly to my family's situation in New | | | | immigrants themselves. When we take the human |
| Mexico in the first half of the twentieth century. Why | | | | element into account we're likely to oppose draconian |
| would my grandparents, my brother and I be surprised | | | | laws which turn all poor, unfortunate, undocumented |
| to hear that we were Americans too? After all, we | | | | individuals into criminals to be treated the same as the |
| were not new comers to New Mexico, far from it as | | | | drug smugglers, violent felons, and cheaters among the |
| our family lines went back to the time of Oñate's | | | | immigrant population. |
| original entry into the region back in 1598. My guess is | | | | When we take into account the human element we're |
| that part of the answer is historical and part is linguistic. | | | | likely to focus on questions of moral justice and dignity |
| My grandparents were born in the territory of New | | | | of the individual, and not just the question of violation of |
| Mexico before it officially became a state (47th in the | | | | immigration law. Recognition of the narrow legality |
| union ) in 1912. Citizenship supposedly came for the | | | | involved and the need for nations to enforce their |
| residents with statehood. But my grandparents were | | | | immigration laws does not tell us anything about |
| descendants of people who had lived in the area for | | | | broader questions of universal justice and morality. For |
| several centuries and who had been vanquished by | | | | someone conscientious about the philosophical and |
| the invading U.S. Army in 1846. For these people the | | | | moral questions, what justification is there for policies |
| "Americanos" were the invaders and the foreigners. It | | | | that give preferential treatment to some segments of |
| took a major change in perspective to see | | | | humanity and exclude others from the comfort and |
| themselves as "Americanos." Furthermore, my | | | | rewards of a more organized, prosperous society? |
| grandparents' people spoke Spanish; the Americanos | | | | We are likely to say to the law-and-order person: "All |
| spoke English. Even the name "Americano" was not | | | | right, so you're straight about the legality of the |
| typically understood as designating a citizen of the | | | | problem, but what about the morality? In other words, |
| United States, but more as designating those outsiders | | | | the problem of illegal immigration is not simply one |
| who conquered us and took over. My grandfather | | | | about 'justice' in a legal sense, but 'justice' in a moral |
| participated in his community as a Justice of the | | | | sense. Draconian laws like those instituted in Arizona |
| Peace and voted in U.S. elections; but he did not see | | | | don't help at all in this matter. |
| himself as an "Americano." Our family, except for a | | | | Our law-and-order citizens may insist that the only |
| younger son who joined the military, spoke Spanish | | | | relevant question concerns the fact that so many |
| primarily and exclusively. We were dark skinned, poor | | | | immigrants are "illegales" (i.e., persons do not have |
| working class, Spanish-speaking people. We would | | | | proper documentation for legal entry). So the only |
| have been primary targets or for Arizona-Maricopa | | | | relevant issue concerns legality, not morality? "What |
| County Sheriff Arpaio's deputies, out searching for | | | | part of 'illegal' don't you understand," they yell at us. We |
| those who do not look "American." Were someone to | | | | can imagine the same question being shouted by |
| yell at us, "Mexicans, go back where you came from!" | | | | someone defending State laws at the time of legal |
| we wouldn't know where to go. | | | | slavery in the South: all that counts is the fact that this |
| So what does this have to do with illegal immigration | | | | Negro is the property of the slave owner; i.e., all that |
| and smuggling across the border with Mexico today? | | | | counts is the legality of the situation, not the morality. At |
| Don't the United States and individual States on the | | | | a later period of Europe's history, we could imagine a |
| border have not only the right but the obligation to | | | | citizen of the Third Reich in Germany arguing that the |
| protect the border and enforce immigration laws? | | | | only relevant issue when confronted with Jewish |
| Don't all countries, including Mexico, do this? Doesn't | | | | people being shipped to the "work" camps was the |
| Arizona, over-run by illegal immigrants and drug | | | | legal issue: German laws had been passed requiring |
| smugglers, and having to deal directly with the violence | | | | this relocation of Jewish people. The question of the |
| and social cost of all this, have the right to legislate | | | | justice and human dignity was set aside as a |
| relevant laws and take steps to protect its citizens? | | | | secondary question. Does a similar situation apply to |
| The answers to the last three questions is "yes," the | | | | our illegal immigrants today? |
| U.S. and individual States do the right and obligation to | | | | Historically, we can ask how the policies of the U.S. |
| take legal steps to deal with illegal immigration and | | | | government in relation to poor countries in our |
| other violations of the national border. But when we | | | | hemisphere have affected the economic status of |
| acknowledge this we should not oversimplify the | | | | those countries, and affected the living conditions that |
| problem and think that legislation and tough | | | | afflict the majority of people in those countries. It would |
| enforcement will solve the problem. It won't; and even | | | | be comforting to believe that our country has always |
| defining the "social problem" is problematic. Contrary to | | | | done well in this respect, contributing positively, not only |
| what our 'super-patriots' contend, the problem is not | | | | to economic growth, but also to rising living standards in |
| simply one of legality and enforcement of the law. | | | | those countries. But studies of the problem might lead |
| But, what does the situation of my ancestors and | | | | us to contrary conclusions, and might lead us to |
| grandparents in New Mexico have to do with the | | | | conclude the policies of our government and our |
| problem of illegal immigration today? | | | | international corporations have contributed to the bad |
| Historically, the immigration problem in the | | | | economic and social conditions that compel people to |
| Southwestern U.S. must be understood in the context | | | | migrate to richer nations, whether they have legal |
| of three-to-four centuries of interaction between the | | | | admission or not. Furthermore, we should not overlook |
| peoples of that region of the world, original | | | | the periods in our history when immigration from |
| pre-Columbian Americans (the real "Americans"); the | | | | Mexico and Central America has been encouraged by |
| invaders from Europe, Spaniards, English, French, and | | | | employers, both farming and non-farming employers, |
| other European colonial nations. From these came the | | | | eager to have a good supply of cheap labor. |
| people of mixed-ethnicities and races, people who | | | | It is true that the federal government should reform |
| became the Central Americans and Mexicans, residing | | | | immigration laws and do a better job of controlling our |
| for centuries in Central America, Mexico and even in | | | | borders (not just the one with Mexico). The United |
| North America (those parts later conquered by the | | | | States has to do a better job of controlling illegal |
| United States). During this period there were always | | | | immigration and a better job of reducing the entry and |
| invasions by superior military powers, redefining of | | | | presence of criminals, drug smugglers, and terrorists. |
| borders, mass migrations and mass re-definitions for | | | | But doing this should not require that we treat others |
| peoples. For much of this period national borders might | | | | who simply seek work and a better life as |
| have defined where the territory of one nation ended | | | | sub-humans, unworthy of the ordinary values of |
| and that of another started; but they did not prevent | | | | human dignity and fair play. |