On May 1st, my kids and I marched to support immigrant rights. They are the children and grandchildren of (legal) immigrants on their father's side. I understand that the issue is complicated, and that there are real problems created by illegal immigration. But I've been concerned with the increasing virulence of the "send 'em back" crowd. They speak as if illegal immigrants are *only* a vile burden, and their tone implies that we'd be better off without the legal immigrants as well -- at least the ones from countries south of our own latitudes.
Hatred and fear isn't going to solve anything. Laws can be enforced with respect, dignity and an an eye toward the practical. Richard Rodriguez is a man who understands the importance of treating all people like, well, people. His essay is called "Gracias!"
Portrait of the Artist as a Middle-Aged Woman
-
I received my membership card from the Philadelphia Museum of Art today.
The front of it has an excerpt from a painting by Wassily Kandinsky, Circles
in ...
2 years ago
3 comments:
It really is a difficult issue, and I find myself falling on both sides of the fence, depending on the specific we're discussing. (Sometimes surprising myself, really.) But the bottom line is that yes, this is about people. Real people with real families, lives, joys and problems. Thinking about it in that way makes everything more clear for me.
I loved that essay - thanks for pointing it out!
I agree whole-heartedly with the points you've made. Yes, it is a complex issue, but the rising surge of anti-ALL-immigrants is frightening.
And thanks for the link to that article. Good read!
Maria,
the daughter of immigrants
Glad to see a new post to your blog, Stephanie!
Thanks, too, for the link to the essay--also an interesting read for me, too. My mom is an immigrant...and it is an extremely complex issue--and, as almost all extremely complex issues are, it's almost impossible to feel 100% certain one's views on it...
But we need to keep thinking and writing, and speaking about it...
Post a Comment