They can’t vote. They are often uneducated. They have no civil rights. They are stuck in a subculture of poverty and substandard living where they work long hours but all the benefits go to someone else. This sounds like the conditions of African Americans not long ago. It sounds like something we protested against during the civil rights movement. Something our kids are supposed to read about in history class (but often they don’t and don’t even have a clue how blessed they are.) However, these conditions exist right now. I’m not talking about some “Third World” country either. People live like this in the great old US of A.
One might think that African Americans would feel some sense of unity and brotherhood, with Mexican and other immigrants, who are exploited and oppressed as we once were. However, I often hear the opposite sentiments. I hear, “They need to go back to where they come from,” or “Why don’t they learn to speak the language,” or “They just come over here and take advantage of the rights we fought for.” I’ve even heard people complain about how Hispanics are becoming the biggest minority group in Florida and other places. Who would fight over the position of “minority” anyway?
With recent issues and proposed immigration legislation, there has been much debate over immigration, both legal and illegal. Congress just tried and failed to pass an immigration reform bill. Mexicans marched and sang freedom songs just like blacks did in the 60s. That stirred up Americans who counter-protested and sent letters, faxes and e-mails to their congressmen. African Americans mostly joined attacks against the perceived foreign invaders. Of course with politicians seeking to remain in office, the public outcry caused them to back off the bill for amnesty. Now there is no solution for our immigration problem and Mexican and other immigrants must continue to live as modern day slaves.
Many don’t see the common bond between black and brown people. In fact, the situation often puts us in competition. Those against immigration reform or amnesty say that allowing immigrants into our country will take jobs away from Americans. This will more likely affect poorer people. Also, loosening restrictions on immigration will drive down the wages for poorer people because Mexican workers will often work for less.
However, those who are for amnesty say immigration reform will actually do more to increase the wages for Mexican immigrants and help alleviate the conditions of poverty. Also, they say we can’t stop them from coming. Therefore, it would be in our best interest to at least document them so that we will know who is here (especially with terrorist threats to our homeland security).
Mexicans risk being shot, starving to death, hypothermia, being attacked by animals and all kinds of other dangers in their pursuit of the American dream. So why are the Mexicans risking their lives to get here anyway? They do it for the same reason immigrants did it in the early part of this century. They want a better life.
Many say, however, that this is not our problem. They say it is not our responsibility to solve the problems of Mexico and risk our own wealth and happiness. But is it? Often, so called “First World” developed countries gained their wealth on the backs of “Third World” laborers. America did it during slavery on black backs. They did it during the American expansion of the late 19th and early 20th centuries on yellow and brown backs. Now they continue to do it on Mexican backs. Now, as Malcolm X said, the chickens are coming home to roost. The third world wants their share of the benefits they have worked to provide for the first world.
In 1994, President Clinton negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada. This agreement eliminated tariffs on products sold among these countries, encouraged privatization of state-run businesses, and relaxed environmental and labor standards. Ultimately, it meant America could go into these countries and sell products, get cheap labor, and make a lot of money. It was supposed to benefit the poorer countries by giving them greater access to foreign capital, goods and consumers. It did benefit some people. Mostly the rich in these countries got richer, while the poor lost their farm jobs and had to go and work in factories. NAFTA ended up destroying hundreds of thousands of agricultural jobs in Mexico and the price of Mexican goods such as corn plummeted. Then their alternative was to become street vendors or go and work in factories called maquiladoras. In these maquiladoras, they work long hours and barely get paid. They are often abused and exploited by oppressive and brutal overseers, especially women. Sounds like slavery to me. The irony is that the money made in these deplorable places comes right back to the U.S.
So as poverty persists in Mexico, Mexicans look to el Norte. But they come over here and have no rights because they are not citizens.
So what is our obligation? Our responsibility is to be fair. We owe it to our ancestors and ourselves to pursue justice. It is in our best interest as a country. It may seem like selfishness and self-centeredness is more profitable. But in the end, arrogance and pride will bring about a downfall. It is a fact of history. We see the signs. The world now looks at America with contempt. We can change this by shifting our value focus from getting more things to doing what is right. If we do this, we will be blessed. If we don’t, we have been warned time and again. And justice won’t always sleep.
