Immigration: Who Is The Immigrant?
Author: Father Cody Williams, Holy Cross Church
Father Cody Williams
Holy Cross Church
The southern border. Masses of people streaming to the walls, clamoring to get into the U.S. These poor and dirty people all striving to enter the U.S. and start a new life. The media presents this image as the “immigration situation” of the United States painting the picture of our immigration woes as predominantly low-income Latinos. Rarely do we see the full picture of the problems facing immigration and our immigration situation.
Where are these people coming from and why do they want to be here? The most common answers are Mexico and to become citizens. Let's evaluate these answers for a moment. Imagine you are from Mexico. Your family has lived here for generations and all you know is Mexican culture and the Spanish language. Due to political unrest, lack of resources, and social unrest living in Mexico is no longer a safe and tenable option. The one option: migrate to the U.S. with the hope of providing enough money for your family. Notice the details of this very common situation. These people who are immigrating want to help their families and return to them, the situation in their homeland is unsafe, and they have one hope which requires leaving everything behind. Between 80-85% of migrant Hispanics seeking immigration come for economic reasons. The part we don’t understand is that half of migrants send money earned in the U.S. back to their families in their country of origin. Nearly half of immigrants are fleeing Latin American countries due to violence in their homes.
The image I presented above represents only part of the immigration situation of the U.S. This image usually dominates our perspectives on immigration and ignores the real issues. Each year the U.S. government sets an immigration quota for each country of the world implying that immigrants come from all over the world. Those who get to enter the country legally have a few common characteristics: they have money and they have status. The legal process of becoming a U.S. citizen is very expensive usually costing thousands of dollars in legal and processing fees. Any misstep in the process could bar the person from legal status for 10 years or cost thousands more in fees. Those who get to start the process of legal status have some type of status. They tend to have a prospect for a good job in the U.S., speak the language, and have connections or intelligence to navigate the system. Even with these advantages the system strives to make the process exceptionally difficult.
Obtaining legal status in the United States is immensely complex with many challenges requiring thousands of dollars and over 10 years of work. Before we begin to judge those who come over illegally and those who come legally, we should understand our legal process and make sure it fits our values and provides a decent legal way for people to enter. Let me put it this way, if the legal process was efficient and understandable, wouldn't most people choose it? Who wants to be worried about deportation, losing their children, or losing their opportunities? Most people would choose the legal option if it were understandable and reasonable.
On Monday, March 17th, we will explore the issues of immigration from both the practical and legal perspectives. Michelle Williams, who practices immigration law in Boise, Idaho, will present on the issues with immigration law and I will present on stories and issues facing our immigration system. The goal of this event is to both encounter immigrants as people and understand the challenges facing immigration in the U.S. The event is at Holy Cross Church, 101. S Walnut St and begins at 6 pm with dinner followed by an activity, presentations, and discussions. This event is open to everyone. Come one, come all.
