I have been silent on the immigration debate because I wanted to take the time and do some research. Like any topic of interest, you should never solely rely on the media as your source of true information. Everything you see on your favorite news shows and even in print should be put through a filter of fact and truth. The immigration debate is riddled with myths and stereotypes. It's easy to fall back on your personal bias or to simply have no opinion at all.
Why should you care about immigration? Look at your family tree. Most Americans are just a few generations shy of being immigrants themselves. The only true natives to this country are the American Indians. The rest came here willingly and in the case of slavery, unwillingly. If you think you are too far removed from the immigrant classification, do you fall in either of these categories: Female, gay, have a disability (physical or mental), obese, working class, poor, etc. This is just a short list of categories that you may fall in that can lead to you experiencing some form of discrimination. Bigotry and discrimination go far beyond the color of a person's skin. When any group of people are singled out unfairly, we should all be alarmed.
I think all Americans, even Latinos, agree that we need immigration reform, but that reform needs to be fair. Take the time to learn more about immigration. I found an interesting article in the September issue of Latina Magazine. I will post some of the article below. The article debunks several myths about the immigrant community and I hate to admit I thought a few of these were true myself. Learning is fundamental! (LOL) Although I grew up in culturally diverse neighborhood and had many Latina friends, I even held to some of these myths simply out of ignorance of facts. Please read the article below and feel free to send me a comment.
J
Myth #1: Immigrants are mostly dishwashers, nannies and construction workers.
False! In America's 25 biggest metropolises, an immigrant is more likely to be your boss than deliver your dinner. In these cities, half of immigrants hold white collar jobs-and 11 percent of them are executives and managers, while just seven percent work in food service, a study from the Fiscal Policy Institute shows.
Myth #2: Undocumented immigrants get here by sneaking across the border via places like the deadly All American Canal in California.
Actually, nearly half of undocumented immigrants come to the United States on planes. They arrive with legit tourist or student visas and then overstay their allotted time here, becoming undocumented.
Myth #3: Undocumented immigrants are costing border states billions of dollars.
In reality, Arizona rakes in a $220 million profit from undocumented immigrants per year. Neighboring Texas does even better, with a $420 million profit per year. That's because the taxes these immigrants pay far outpace the services they use (mostly public schools and emergency rooms).
Myth #4: Immigrant-haters are mostly young 20-somethings competing for jobs with indocumentados.
Nope-it's actually the elderly who are riled up over immigration. Most young people support immigration, while Americans older than 45 are twice as likely to say the United States should cut back immigration, a recent New York Times poll shows. The generational divide is more pronounced in states such as Arizona and Florida, where retirees and new immigrants have settled.
Myth #5: Undocumented immigrants are criminals putting Americans in danger.
In truth, the opposite is true: Native-born Americans are five times more likely than immigrants to be incarcerated. Plus Mexicans and Salvadorans-the groups with the largest undocumented populations-actually had the lowest incarceration rates of any Latinos.
Please read this entire article, written by Franziska Castillo in the September issue of Latina Magazine.
