“CHICANO OPPOSITION TO IMMIGRATION REFORM”

Wouldn’t you know
that now when immigration
reform
is within striking distance of a
huge bipartisan victory, that a
left-wing opposition revolt is
brewing because the hotly contested
Senate immigration bill,
will:
“Exclude (s) most undocumented
from legalization;
Continue (s) mass deportations;
Create (s) de facto immigrant
worker indentured servitude;
Fund (s) billions in defense industry
pork for more drones
walls, and guards on the U.S.-
Mexico border;
Enable (s) massive racial profiling
and discrimination by
codifying E-verify;”
So writes Antonio Gonzalez
in the national Hispanic Link.
He is of the Willie C. Velasquez
Institute in San Antonio which
is a left-wing Chicano group
that argues it knows and polls
the “Chicano” community better
than anyone or group.
It is a Mexican American
group. That is important because
immigration is more important
to people with Mexican backgrounds
than of Puerto Rican or
Cuban backgrounds. Two thirds
of the 53 million “Hispanics” in
the country have Mexican backgrounds;
it goes without saying
that practically every Mexicanbackground
family has had a
relative walk across the border
and stay illegally since 1924
when Congress made it illegal
to come to America from Mexico
without “permission.”
This is not the first time a
left-wing Chicano has objected
to immigration reform. Gonzalez
reminds us of the first elected
Mexican American politician
from Los Angeles in the 20th
Century, Ed Roybal, who went
on to Congress from a Los Angeles
City Council seat.
Congressman Ed Roybal
was the Los Angeles politician
who promoted immigration reform
for years; then: “In 1982
after years of trying to legalize
undocumented immigrants
Roybal championed the Simpson-
Mazzoli legalization bill.
But when the bill was amended
to include measures that violated
labor and human rights, Roybal
introduced dozens of amendments,
effectively killing the bill
he had earlier advocated.”
Roybal supported the 1986
immigration reform bill signed
by President Ronald Reagan
that granted amnesty to almost
3-million people. It should be
remembered that many illegally-
present people did not avail
themselves of the amnesty; to
wit: an estimated 30% did not.
Gonzalez: “Today’s Democratic
legislators appear set to
support “Comprehensive Immigration
Reform” no matter
how punitive and/or ineffective
its provisions are. Democrats
want to claim victory with Latino
voters who are spun daily
by corporate media that hypes
the bill in lockstep with the liberal
establishment.
His points are
discussed here :
“Exclude (s) most undocumented
from legalization”
This assertion is based on
nothing but guesswork. He says
that 30% of the 1986 “undocumented”
didn’t legalize but he
neglects to mention that those
that did came from 150 different
countries not just Mexico or
Latin America. Certainly some
presently here will not qualify
by background criminal checks
here and in their native country.
Certainly some will not qualify
because they will not be able to
pay fines and application fees.
Certainly some will qualify but
not make it through a probationary
period. These are not
good reasons to deny millions
of people who do qualify, for
legalization.
“Continue (s) mass deportations;”
People who have been deported
once or more times and
others who have committed
felonies and been convicted
deserve deportation as per judgments
of immigration courts.
This Gonzalez objection is
worthless.
“Create (s) de facto immigrant
worker indentured servitude;”
This argument is specious
for the simple reason that a guest
worker permit will allow ingress
and egress across the border and
not be limited to a single employer.
The Agricultural permit
being discussed will allow
for a Permanent Resident card
(Green Card) in just three years
allowing the worker to work
anywhere and in any job he/she
can find and wants.
“Fund (s) billions in defense
industry pork for more
drones walls, and guards on the
U.S.-Mexico border;”
So what, Gonzalez? That is
a small price to pay for legalization
of 11-million plus people
here now illegally. Drones
won’t be armed, fences won’t
be electrified and moats won’t
have alligators. More Border
Patrol agents won’t make any
difference. Work permits alone
will drastically cut illegal border
crossing so budgeted agents
won’t be needed.
Enable (s) massive racial
profiling and discrimination by
codifying E-verify;”
Gonzalez apparently hasn’t
read the e-verify proposals. All
employment applicants will be
required to be e-verified. All applicants
regardless of skin color,
accent, color hair or passport will
be e-verified. Turn downs can
be appealed. There’s always law
suits to keep everyone honest.
Hard to imagine that any legitimate
Mexican-background
organization would object to a
plan that will legalize millions of
illegally present Mexicans and
allow future millions to come
and work at their pleasure as
needed and fill critical jobs that
will otherwise be unfilled; hard
to imagine such opposition.
The Prize is legalization and
work permits for millions. Anyway
to accomplish these goals
is acceptable and welcomed by
most. Numerous polls indicate
massive support for legalization.
Those that disagree are entitled
to oppose, even as they take
their eyes off the Prize again —-
leaving millions in the shadows
and crops rotting in the fields.
Contreras’ books are
available at amazon.com