by Harry C. Alford

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Shame on America for having an “Immigration Issue in 2006”. 

At the time of my birth in Oxnard, California this nation had a population of 140 million people.  Today, that population has more than doubled as it approaches 300 million.  Still, America is not half full!  Contrast this with Germany that is the approximate size of Missouri.  Missouri has a population of 5.8 million while Germany has over 80 million.  Taking that in mind, we are nowhere near capacity.  So what is all this furor about?

Perhaps it was capsulized in a comment by E.D. Hill on Fox News morning segment a couple of weeks ago, “Did you know that half of all newborns in this nation are from minorities?”  From there she went immediately into the Immigration Issue and that segue reeks of race.  If the majority of immigrants were coming from Western Europe, I firmly believe there wouldn’t be an issue at all.  This is about the “browning of America” and many people are uncomfortable with this change and the pace of it.  The fact is it is coming – fast and certain.  Those who have discomfort will have to get over it some way. 

From a macro sense it is happening worldwide.  40% of newborns in Germany are of Turkish descent.  France is a typical European nation that is losing population year after year while the African descent segment is burgeoning.  Russia is losing 1 million persons per year due to lack of childbirth versus mortality.  The whole world is browning just like it was in the beginning.  We should fear not.

I do have a few distinct memories of racial hatred growing up in Oxnard.  One morning we awakened to a ten foot burning cross in our front yard.  My parents received death threats for inquiring about a listed home in a particular neighborhood.  There, of course, were racist teachers who would try to flunk Black boys who actually had sufficient grades, police brutality, corrupted judicial system, etc.  This was the typical American community before the civil rights movement culminated into the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act (brown America’s constitutions).    

One of the most beautiful things I remember about Oxnard is that it was too small to segregate the population segments.  Unlike massive Los Angeles where the bulk of my relatives were living a lifestyle as segregated as the Louisiana they all migrated from, those of us living in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Oxnard had a forced integration and that had many benefits.  We could be in front of the lines for schools, hospitals and other public services and share the effects of good government just like the richest families in town. Back then 40% of the doctors and dentists in Oxnard were either Chinese or Japanese.

Oxnard had as many Asians as Blacks and three times more than that were Mexicans.  It never had a white population greater than 55% in my lifetime.  I remember the Fino family came to town and became the first Puerto Rican residents of Oxnard (Black folks who could only speak fluent Spanish). Carlos Lanza’s family came from Argentina and we couldn’t figure out how a “white” could only speak Spanish (our Mexican friends were more amused than us).  My neighborhood was totally mixed.  Cam Ming and Cam Toy Soo Hoo ran with Bobby Mendoza, Ruben Gomez and Lupe Magana.  They became part of my 1st grade “posse”.  We expanded from there and the mix was always diverse eventually culminating in high school graduation in 1966.  Our year books represented a wonderful story of American immigration and migration.  Mexicans born in Mexico; Chinese born in China; Filipinos directly from the Philippines, etc. and whites and Blacks whose parents predominantly migrated from Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.  We had big fun and loved each other as brothers and sisters.  It was an integration “Masterpiece”.

 When I left California, in 1968, it was the greatest state in the Union.  It was because of its diverse population and tolerance/appreciation of various cultures.  Since then, much of that Americana hatred from the Midwest, East Coast, et al. has taken over.  I don’t believe any other state today carries more racial animus than California.  They legislate it! That is tragic and it should be addressed head on.  I keep waiting for the outrage. 

Shame on America for having an “Immigration Issue in 2006”.  You can pull out the racial animus and the problem is still there.  Undocumented people crossing our borders at will and uncontrollable cooperation by Corporate America who cannot resist the lure of cheap labor.  It is basically due to bad policy or lack of any policy.

Immigration is a good thing!  It has been the lifeblood of American ingenuity.  Immigrants come with drive and an unstoppable ambition.  They appreciate our Puritan Work Ethic and blend right into our economy.  That segment which may be criminal or scrupulous does not exceed nor equate to that type of element already here.  The vast majority of immigrants should be transformed into new Americans as soon as feasible.  With this in mind we should consider the following points:

1. A Formal and Expedient Guest Worker Program:  This program should be predicated on the economic indicators that accurately predict industry demands and low unemployment rates.  This should not be guided by corporations trying to suppress wage standards by flooding certain occupations such as high technology engineering with people willing to work at levels much lower than typical American standards.  If there is significant unemployment in certain classifications, there cannot be an infusion of guest workers.  People from abroad should be able to obtain applications through their local American Embassy or Consulate.  The process should be rapid.

2. Organized Process for Citizenship: Visas and Citizenship Applications should be available at all American Embassies and Consulates.  There should be a fair and impartial process with no crippling delays.  No one should be allowed into this nation nor permitted to stay by physically crossing a border illegally.  Illegal is illegal.  Those that are here need to apply in the proper manner – “go back to #1”.  There should be no prosecution of those already here but they should be strongly encouraged to apply in the legal manner.  Sponsorships by American citizens should be considered in the approval process.

3. Protect Our Borders:  Our borders along Canada and Mexico should be monitored effectively.  Any violations should be dealt with firmly.  Those crossing illegally should be jailed for a specific time and then deported.  If deportation becomes an issue we should deal diplomatically with the applicable homeland.  Those trafficking drugs across our border should receive automatic life sentences.  This has been a living curse on our population.  Those trafficking humans should also receive life sentences.  Those nations who may aid or assist in illegal crossings should be banned from commerce with the United States.

4. “Sarbanes/Oxley” Immigrant Worker Program:  CEO’s, officers and board members of corporations who hire immigrant workers must be held accountable and abide by all wage standards (Davis Bacon, minimum wage, etc.), tax withholding requirements and offer the same benefits to immigrant workers as with other employees of the company.  Violations should be severe.

5. Civil Rights Protection:  Guest workers and immigrant workers should be protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 even before full citizenship.  They cannot be discriminated against.

The above would make a better, safer and stronger America.