The Problem with un-Assimilating Immigrants

During the past weeks many have written in regards to the problems caused by immigrants who refuse to become “Americans’. Some have commented that the “flag waving” of their home country is an insult to America. Others made note of how some immigrants, even after naturalizing, continue to refer to themselves, not as US citizens, but nationals of a foreign country and pay homage to the customs and holidays of that land, over recognizing their own identity in the United States of America.

This last weekend I saw these problems that confront our nation first hand. Driving across northern Minnesota I was appalled at the number of flags of foreign lands and signs in strange languages. These symbols of rebellion are an affront to my beloved USA. I even saw a graduation announcement that referred to children, raised in this great land, not as Americans, not even as hyphenated Americans, but as children of the land of their parents and grand-parents. If these people are so in love with their home land – let them return to Scandinavia, or claim allegiance to the USA and this country alone.

We really need to be worried about Mexican immigrants; they might follow the example of their predecessors who flooded this country before 1924, when the only limit on immigration was the golden rule of capitalism – “supply and demand.”

Get over the paranoia. These new immigrants are not terrorists, they are here to work. Remember the great impending disaster of Social Security, because baby boomers are aging and there are less young workers? Give these law abiding workers green cards, temporary work permits and even let them work towards citizenship – that will make the USA stronger!

I've gotten some emails lately - read several blogs that demonstrate how quickly we seek out information that supports our preconcieved ideas. Even an unknown ex-border patrol agent is now an expert witness in the debate on immigration - I'm waiting to see ........

But here's another issue to consider in exploring WHY so many come here and WHAT should be our response.......

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Published: April 22, 2006 - Minneapolis Star and Tribune

Octavio Ruiz: Immigrant surge is tied to the failure of NAFTA
The trade agreement left rural and urban Mexicans worse off than they'd been.


The 12 million Mexicans working in the United States who will be criminalized by proposed immigration legislation are the same people who were promised the possibilities of a decent living with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

It is ironic that House conservatives who want to execute these anti-immigrant policies are the same ones who signed the trade agreement, which only has brought poverty to the Mexican people for the last decade and years to come. No level of heightened criminalization will reduce the flow of immigrants to the United States when we endorse trade agreements that give people little choice but to leave the countries of their birth.

According to the Pew Hispanic Center, the number of immigrants to the United States from Mexico actually decreased by 18 percent in the three years before NAFTA's implementation. But in the first eight years of NAFTA, the annual number of immigrants from Mexico increased by more than 61 percent.

The cause was twofold. First, NAFTA's agricultural provisions resulted in a flood of subsidized corn being imported into Mexico from the United States. The effect in rural areas was that some 1.5 million rural families -- and some researchers claim twice that -- were driven out of business. Their only options were to move to the cities and seek whatever work, at whatever wage, could be found, or to cross the border. A very large number chose the second option.
Because NAFTA's labor rules did not provide Mexican workers with gains in workplace rights, the trade deal also hurt urban workers. Deprived of their ability to join unions or to organize, Mexican manufacturing workers saw their real wages fall by more than 20 percent over NAFTA's first five years. Today, workers in the country's vast export manufacturing sector, the maquiladora factories, earn from one-fourth to half of their previous wages. Such pay does not even provide very basic necessities for a family. Many of these workers eventually choose the hardships and uncertainties of crossing the border over the certainty of long hours in unhealthy conditions for below-subsistence wages.

Despite the failure of NAFTA, many in Congress who now insist on a draconian response -- including James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, author of the mass-felony bill passed by the House -- voted last year to extend NAFTA to Central America and the Dominican Republic via the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). These conservatives are also about to vote on the NAFTA-styled Andean Free Trade Agreement that includes Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. They're doing this despite sources as diverse as the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Catholic Bishops of Central America warning that CAFTA would displace millions of rural people in the region.

If these lawmakers want to address the social and economic costs of the growing number of undocumented immigrants -- or, as they call them, illegal aliens -- in the United States, they should stop passing trade deals that destroy people's livelihoods in their home countries.
It is time for a different policy for engagement with the global economy. Instead of one built on maximizing the supply of "cheap labor" and excluding worker rights from our trade agreements, we need one based on raising the standard of living in all nations. Instead of one based on the displacement of small farmers in our trading partner nations, we need one that develops local markets for those farmers. Otherwise, we will continue to push people into a situation where they have few options other than to immigrate north.

Octavio Ruiz is globalization coordinator for the Minnesota Fair Trade Coalition-the Resource Center of the Americas.

Un Dia Sin Latinos - (A Day without Latinos (and other Immigrants))

The immigration protests today are NOT about ARROGANCE (demanding rights)
But about FEAR (will we be turned into felons - does the country really want to send us all away?)
I want to encourage all to think through the implications of a racialized, nationalistic reaction
- this is a time for the church to raise up a voice that is unique to the Republican and Democratic polarization
-we can have NATIONAL SECURITY & MERCY for those SEEKING OPPORTUNITY and FREEDOM FROM OPPRESSION
LETS be a VOICE for the one who came proclaiming-
18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
________________________________________________
I prayed this morning as I drove to work-
For Miguel, Andres, Joe, and Jake
They are my brothers - different mothers
But from the one Father above

In birth we were far far apart
They, from the South across the Rio Grande
But alike, we learned a love for family
Respect for God, appreciation for hard work

They made the hard decision to leave family
Not for greed - but for love
Now with every check
Food and medical care, education and clothing
Are made available to those on the other side

They knew to come here they must break
A man-made law in a government far away
But their passion to fulfill the laws of God
The responsibility to provide for their own
Drove them to risk in order to give

Was their decision to disregard the regulations
Of distant government
That brought harm to their family -
Unlike the choices of the patriots of 76?

These men, women, their children here
The siblings and parents they support
Want to learn English - they too, pay taxes
They do not come to destroy
But participate in the land we Love

Do not, Politicians, use their plight
To polarize our country
So you can get votes!

I too, think free trade is Good
But then why is free trade of Labor bad?
Especially when our policies
Contribute to their National poverty.

We all want security
We know terroristic threats are real
But to punish those who have been here
Helping - not hurting
Working and contributing
Will not stop terrorism

Recall the words of the Lord -
"Remember the alien
Do not mistreat him"

"When one part of the body suffers,
All parts suffer"

They are not criminal
They are not terrorists
They are my brothers

Pray for the immigrants
Fearful and exposed
Pray God's Love, grace, and Justice
Are not denied but shown

When Talking about "Illegals" do we care about the bible?

Several in the Blog-world are writing some crazy stuff about "illegal aliens" specifically "Mathaetaes" on a blog " http://woodchipsandmusings.blogspot.com/ " and at http://woodchipsandmusings2.blogspot.com / - this is a response I posted to them - but wanted to put it here for others to ponder...

What concerns me with your position on "illegals" is that while you claim to be a believer in Scripture and the Lord (and I am not doubting you are) - your statements fail to take into account the wealth of scripture that speaks directly to this issue -

consider the following sample of biblical mandates from Leviticus 19(NIV) -

9 " 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.

33 " 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

I'm sure you could try to skirt these verses by saying they do not apply - since they entered the country illegally , but - Is a scriptural command to believers ever contingent on other persons past behavior?

Also, consider 1 Tim. 5:8
If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

So which is more Godly; to break a man made law to keep a divine imperative - (to provide for your family) - or to obey a man made law of a country and NOT be able to provide for your family as God has ordained?

A large number of undocumented immigrants are your brothers and sisters in Christ, and far fewer are the ruthless criminals you characterize -