Polimom spent far too many hours this weekend worrying about the immigration problems, and researching broad concepts, like “Hispanophobia” or “English Only”. It was there, in fact, that I found the roots for Bush’s “the National Anthem should only be sung in English” statement. In the end, though, it was all a waste of time on a beautiful weekend, because the bottom line is that Americans aren’t exhibiting xenophobia.
It’s a very specific fear: Mexicans.
It’s high time all this PC-ness about “illegal immigrants” and “Guest Workers” and “criminalization” or “amnesty” came out of the shadows, don’t you think? Yesterday, KHOU.com ran a story with this headline:
Mexicans prepare for May 1 boycott
Apparently somebody thought better of that, because this morning’s version of the headline reads “Latinos” instead of Mexicans. Judging from the article, though, they may as well have stuck with the original:
“There’s allot of jobs that a lot of white people or Americans don’t want to do that us Mexicans are willing to do it,” Maribel Lara said.
Lara did her weekly grocery shopping a day earlier than usual.
“We want to prove to the government that this place is nothing without Mexicans,” she said
All this time, I’ve been thinking the discussions and debates were about illegal immigration, generally — right up until I saw that headline and realized that this really is not that complicated.
The real bee in everybody’s bonnet, at least here in the border states, is Mexicans. Not Guatemalans, or Cubans, or Chinese, or Vietnamese, or any other country on the planet that has had people try to sneak into the country.
Why else would folks be worried that “they’re not speaking English”, when there are Chinatowns and Little Italies all over the country? Or when right here in Houston there are blocks and blocks of businesses with signs in languages other than English or Spanish, but nobody seems particularly concerned. Certainly I don’t know what they sell in those businesses. I can’t read the signs in Sharpstown either.
Folks, if the non-assimilation argument only applies to people who are undocumented, it’s a strawman.
We really should stop with all these political terms. Admit it Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. You’d be fine with those undocumented folks from pretty much anywhere else, wouldn’t you? Just so long as those Mexicans stay away.
Stop mincing words. It’s not xenophobia, or Hispanophobia. It’s Mexiphobia.
I’m not condoning the Mexiphobia — please keep in mind my stance on the Spanish national anthem, as well as my thoughts here — but I think it’s worth pointing out why so many in our nation are singling out Mexicans.
Zero immigrants are illegally crossing our border with Guatemala. Zero are illegally crossing our border with China. The same is true of our borders with Vietnam, Russia, Pakistan. You seem to portray this as a racist issue against one specific country, but it’s really a border issue — the Mexican border is the one that’s not secure.
Canada, of course, is a different issue. But what Canadian has ever been accused of failing to assimilate?
Forester,
When the demonstrations and rallies kicked up last month, the tone of the debate changed (imho) from a broader “immigration reform” to one centered on Mexicans. I think it stems from the idiocy of the “Reconquista” or “la Raza” movements; foolish and divisive sentiments about “reclaiming” land that should be “theirs”.
We didn’t separate those nuts from the wider issues. Instead, the backlash re-shaped the arguments and debates.
The undocumented people come from many countries, and non-assimilation doesn’t apply only to people from Mexico. Yes, the border is with Mexico, but that’s not the only country whose citizens cross there. Nor do they only come across that border, or even the northern. (Think of boats… and oceans…)
Many (all?) of the illegal immigrants from Central America come up through Mexico to enter. I’m sure you’ve read some of the many recent stories comparing the Mexican illegal immigration policy and laws with those of the US. Who do you suppose those illegal immigrants are, that the Mexicans are so hard on? Was their goal to work in a Mexican village? Of course not…
I’m not trying to say that we haven’t got lots of problems with those from Mexico… just that our problem is framed up as “illegal immigration” and/or “immigration reform”, but what it means lately is Mexicans. Yes, there are reasons for that, but we’ ve allowed the issues to merge.