What ever happened to "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

CookingWithCarlo.com ^ | 01/11/2004 | Carlo3b Dad, Chef, Author

[carlo3b]

 
IMMIGRATION INDIGNATION, holy smoke! DID YOU SEE WHAT I SAW?

What ever happened to  "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."

They came here for several centuries for the same reasons – freedom and hope -- and then a Frenchman created a statue that embodied their hopes and dreams. And it embodied America's promise as well. "Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."
THE STATUE OF LIBERTY

I have been watching with a bit of sadness, and more than a little concern, the debate that has been raging over President Bush's Administration proposed guest worker program. I haven't seen anything definitive yet, but I have to admit that I have some uneasiness about what is being said, and what may be done.

First and foremost, I do not wish to trivialize the genuine fear and the authentic concern that most of the protesters of the proposal have expressed. Nor do I disagree with the legitimate anxiety over what the future may hold if this proposal is actually what is being portrayed, "a blanket amnesty for illegal aliens". That being the case there would be in fact, national as well as historical principles at stake, and we must be ever vigilant in the protection of our liberties as well as our sovereignty.

"Principles have no real force except when one is well-fed."
-Mark Twain

Immigration is now and always has been a tricky affair. The delicate balance of need and want, verses can and should. We can certainly understand someone living in desperate conditions wanting to improving their lot in life. What better place to do it than the greatest nation on earth. America is the envy of the world. We are a magnet, and a beacon.

Who wouldn't choose to be free, unless as is the case in too many places, they are incapable of understanding the reality of freedom. Who wouldn't want to have wealth, if we all agreed on what wealth really is. To someone without anything to feed themselves or their children, a neighbor possessing a sack of flour, is indeed wealthy.

To a nation of plenty, it has to be understandable that a desperate and starving parent wouldn't break down a door, or cross a sweltering desert to feed their child, or a family would risk their lives in a sealed boxcar to work for a steady meal.

I must admit, and state for the record, that as a policy, I firmly believe that all law breaking must be prevented, and law breakers should be punished.. the sooner the better.

That said, I may be a candidate for a flogging I might be at most a fugitive from justice, or at the very least a shameful hypocrite, because I have in the past, and without a moment of indecision would again, give employment to someone I suspect but cannot prove, may be an undocumented worker, ..yes, AN ILLEGAL ALIEN!

I have experience with this issue.. up close and very personal...

I AM A PRODUCT OF FORMER ILLEGAL ALIENS.. Thank God.

As a young boy, I watched as my 92 year old great Grandfather, an immigrant from the bowels of depravity in Italy, as he stood in a crowded church basement and took an oath, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance to his beloved country to finally become a citizen of the United States Of America. For him, becoming a real member of this wonderful country was the culmination of a lifetime of work, and struggle and hope, and prayers.

My great Grandfather, his aged body bent from years of hard work, managed to stand tall as he listened closely to my uncle, who whispered in his ear, everything that was said from the podium. In those days, hopeful immigrants had to study and be tested to prove they knew enough about this country, and it's founding, history and government, to be qualified to contribute to it's greatness.

He had done his homework, and he didn't want to miss a word.

It was that day, in the cold damp basement, in a soft grainy light, walls decorated with flags, and with his fine and honorable family looking on, he and a large group gathered to prove that they were worthy patriots. That day this proud man who had overcome language, illiteracy and poverty, was at last to be rewarded, he was finally a real American.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, he broke down and cried for the first and only time I ever remember in his long and distinguished life. At that moment,  I remember thinking, it must be special to be an American.

Yes, my family crossed a border from Canada into the United States in the dead of night in hopes of securing a better life for their children. They suffered the pain of fear, poverty and ridicule to take a chance. What was being said throughout the world, was true, America was and still is a nation of opportunity.

I do hear the call of fears and doubt of my fellow Americans, and I share the pain when my neighbors hurt as a nation. There is real worry about the costs and loss of jobs. There are legitimate concerns about lawlessness, and precedent of the apparent "reward the lawbreakers", at the expense of the law-abiding and innocent.

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort."
-Sydney Smith

I know we cannot be the world policemen, or pantry. We are a mighty nation built upon a foundation of hard work and sacrifice. Much of that labor was done by immigrants, many of which were here illegally not by choice but by necessity. Many, as my family, didn't do it as a thief, but as poor frightened peasants, who came without documentation because the limits on Italians were reached, and they couldn't afford to wait until the bureaucracy opened the doors again.

Upon arrival, frightened and stranded in a strange place without money, friends or family, they did the unthinkable, they prayed and began working until they were safe, solid and accepted.  They raised a family that contributed and their offspring went to war, and they became solid threads in the fabric of their chosen country. There were a few that gave my folks a boost, a chance, a lifeline until they were secure.

So now the dirty laundry, I did the same for others, but I am apparently not alone. This isn't a unique thought to bend the some rules to help those who need help when the need is the greatest.

History is replete with law breakers that did what turned out to be a blessing. There has always been a few that took the law into their own hands when it seemed that was the only way. Moses, was spared by a benevolent stranger. Thank God a man named Schindler broke the laws to save a few hundred Jews from the Nazi's and where would we be if the Underground Railroad was derailed, because it was against the law to save a slave.

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances - to choose one's own way."
-Victor Frankl

The overwhelming numbers of our newest immigrants aren't fleeing death, or slavery, and I am not Schindler, but I could see the desperation in their eyes and feel the need in their hearts. And what was I offering? A job, and friendship. A job that few Americans wanted, and friendship that has lasted decades.

"The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit."
-Nelson Henderson

There are jobs that nobody wants and few would do, unless they had no other choice, a situation which rarely arises in our country.  But they are good jobs that need to be done. By and large these jobs are hard, thankless, dirty, repetitive jobs, at odds with a normal schedule. However, they are at the limits of those that need them.

Contrary to popular belief, almost no large companies would ever pay cash to save a few dollars, or underpay wages to a poor man because he is illegal. We never paid under the table, or less than the going rate because we were a well known company, and a scandal of that pettiness, would have harmed everyone, including hundreds of employees, almost all homegrown Americans.

  "Something that has always puzzled me all my life is why, when I am in special need of help, the good deed is usually done by somebody on whom I have no claim."
-William Feather, The Business of Life

Lest you think it was all one sided, these workers were solid as a rock, and usually faithful as a clock. The work ethic in other countries is as it was in much earlier times in our history. The bottom line is they needed us, and we needed them. They stayed with me and climbed the ladder in the all American tradition, and I watched them with pride, and admiration.

For those that are really concerned about these poor people taking the bread out of your mouth, unless you are a pot scrubber, or a garlic picker, you are at little risk.. And to ease your mind, I have discovered a new money making venture, one that has a fabulous track record. This one has recent and past history has never failed to pay-off. It's remarkable in it's simplicity!

Here it is... bet against the fatalist, place all of your available milk money on the person needing something, and against the person wanting to keep it from him.. in short, betting against profits of doom.

Bet the farm, or the futon, that the screams are always louder during an election year, and the spin is more spit than polish. Just like the generations that preceded us the Italians, Irish, Germans, Haitians and Vietnamese, these folks will continue to be a blessing to our country. Take a deep breath and think about it without the shrill voices whispering apocalyptic threats.

Before you make your final decision on this matter, ask yourself a simple question. What would you do if you were in their place, but first, take a long look around your home, in you fridge and in your pantry.. and just for an added effect, and take an extra moment thinking of your children. Perhaps, you'll come away with a slightly different outlook.  Then again, maybe not.. you have that right, my once removed, illegal uncles and a lot of others died for your right to be wrong..

I am proud of our President, he knew there would be anger and once again he faced the problem head on. Dealing with this now is going to save us all in the long run, and as to the near future.. remember we are free Americans thanks to our immigrant forefathers, and some day as in the past, these new Americans may well save you and your country...

  "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."
-Abraham Lincoln

"One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency."
-Arnold Glasgow

GOD BLESS AMERICA

[ovrtaxt]

Yes, my family crossed a border from Canada into the United States in the dead of night in hopes of securing a better life for their children.

My family applied legally, left Spain and entered through Ellis Island. Am I more of a legitimate American than you? Yes, I have the record of law to validate it. You have the record of a criminal act.

Sorry if the truth hurts.

[dennisw]

Your view of illegal immigration is highly colored by you working with them. I have read Anthony Bourdain's  "Kitchen Confidential" ,who worked with so many Hispanics in NYC restaurants. I am familiar with the food industry. I know there are tons of illegals working in the restaurant business. Many of them fine people but illegal as heck, as illegal as me stabbing someone with a knife or drunk driving. There wouldn't be so many restaurants if it were not for illegal aliens. So what? If the iron and steel industry had been allowed to hire illegal aliens we would have a lot more American steel companies alive today. 

Legal legal legal legal legal legal. 
We cannot have illegal aliens flooding our sovereign nation. Make this current crop of 12 million legal and you will provide a huge incentive for more illegal immigration, Same as happened from Ronald Reagan's' amnesty. This is not Mexico, this is the sovereign nation of the United States of America. GWBush plan dilutes my precious American citizenship. GWBush mocks it! I have no sympathy for this tide of illegal Mexicans/Central Americans flooding my country. They are greedy pigs butting into the line of orderly immigration 

How would you feel if you tried for years to bring a relative here from Italy? Someone who dearly wants to live here and contribute on a high level? He is university educated. Then Karl Rove/GWBush come along and says "Screw you Carlo! Mexicans and  Central American law breakers go to the head of the line. Screw your Italian biologist cousin!"

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Not any more.
We are Republica Norte.

[dennisw]

Legalize illegal immigration and you will get a lot more of it. 

Reward illegal immigration with "temporary guest worker programs" and you will get a lot more of it. 

Legalize 12 million illegal aliens and you will encourage those who wish to come here legally, to try their luck coming here illegally.

Legalize those who play games with visas and you will get a lot more of it. Are you aware of how many Latinos (Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina especially) come here on tourist visas and stay illegally? Hire immigration lawyers to tie up the courts and get them green cards.

[Rebelbase]

"It is not like it used to be. Nowadays, immigrants do not care to assimilate into the "American" culture. And the State accomodates them (multilingual education, voter's ballots, etc.)."

Could you imagine the outcry if there were a requirement for a person who becomes a citizen and is allowed to vote to have to have a reasonable proficiency of English?

[dalereed]

"How much would the taxpayers pay to hunt down,go through the court sytem and send them back over the border?"

Hunt down the employers, fine them the maximum, and the project is self supporting.

[cajungirl]

Times change. Sentiments change. Good policy for a country in its infancy two hundred years ago may not be good policy for a country in its maturity. We cannot take everyone who wants in for whatever reason. We have to make judgements about who is yearning to breathe free and contribute. We cannot become the world's mecca for those who would take advantage of freedom and give nothing.

[ClintonBeGone]

Good for you Carlo, you're right on with this statement.

[waterstraat]

My family applied legally, left Spain and entered through Ellis Island. Am I more of a legitimate American than you? Yes, I have the record of law to validate it.

My ancestors also came here legally, we have always tried to be respectful law abiding citizens. There is a difference between those criminals who dont want to follow the law, and those who do respect law and our government.

[hershey]

We need to make English the national language as a first step to hanging onto our identity as a nation. Would you believe it, here in MA, we finally outlawed bilingual education...but we had to get a republican governor to implement it, and the NEA is still fighting it tooth and nail.

[Rebelbase]

I agree 100%

[Rebelbase]

"We need to make English the national language as a first step to hanging onto our identity as a nation."

Or else we're doomed to eventual Balkanization.

[OESY]

Good post, Carlo, nicely sprinkled with memorable quotations.

It's either the Bush Plan, or Do Nothing. As we begin to build a front-end database of arriving visitors, we have to clean up the back end -- the 8-10 million already here, who made it in -- the vast majority of whom are good contributing people.

A program should not condone or encourage illegal entry, but no one will pay for the billions it would take to enforce a non-voluntary plan. So you need a program of incentives, and the best incentive is to legitimatize their existence because we aren't going to deport them.

Pardon my mixed metaphor, but where the rest of the world has a brain drain, we are the magnet that attracts them. The benefits are ours. We depend on their labor, their ambition to make it, their contribution to the economy and, yes, their taxes to fund our the government, including our fight against terror, social security and the rest. Beyond that, we depend on them to fashion their ideas into products, start new companies with their savings, and hire Americans as we saw so abundantly during the technology boom which is now experiencing a revival.

Bush presented a well-thought out incentive program that will help us get a handle on uncontrolled immigration and potential terrorists within our borders. It recognizes reality and has political side benefits.

[peteram]

I have a cousin in Italy who came over a few years ago on a student visa and learned to be a helicopter pilot. During the course of his schooling, he became very interested in becoming a U.S. citizen and be able to stay here. When he looked into it, he was denied. I believe their reasoning was that there was a quota of immigrants allowed from each country and that there was a long (several years) waiting list that he can get on.

I seldom got to see him before his visit and now see him more rarely. I really wished he could have stayed and become a productive contributor to this country like his uncle (my father) did. But the law was the law, and he went back.

[autoresponder]

How about having your cousin learn some Spanish and sneak in across the border?

Mexicans do it.

Islamic terrorists do it.

Lets all just break the federal and state laws now.

Starting with defunding the IRS and other agencies.

We US citizens seem to have now been told that US law means nothing.

If I was your cousin I would not let illegal aliens from Mexico, Central America, or the middle east or Red China sneak in and take his spot he has waited for.

Time for the old "student Visa" trick and getting lost in the USA?

It seems the INS and IRS and FBI do not consider this any big deal.

Especially if we go along with GW's "non-reciprocal" worker plans.

Call your US Rep and 2 US Senators and ask them which laws e can now ignore.

IRS statutes?

No Problemo for Pedro and his working under the table paid wife getting food stamps and free medical care.

This is going to encourage more Americans to go "underground".

1099s or nothing at all.

We are told it is now "The American Way" and fine with DC and both parties.

Line up suckers, here come the hordes of more lawbreakers.

US citizens will foot the bill.

Or will we?

If they did not/do not control, arrest, try 12-24 million illegal aliens here now in the USA how can they come after 280 millon honest Americans?

America is governed with the consent of The People.

You!

Say no!

100% reciprocal agreements with Mexico and other countries or forget it!

The line is drawn in the sand now.

Dare them to crossing it in DC!

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

If I may, let me slightly modify your prayer.

"May God Have Mercy Upon A Lawless America, Where Once We Had Enforcement of Laws Under Which We All Entered and Lived."

Nearly every poor person on earth would love to live in America. Should we let them ALL live here? There are 18 million horribly impoverished people living in Calcutta, India. When an airliner lands there and its door is opened, you can smell the human waste of the city.

Let's bring them all here.

Don't they have that right?

Think how cheaply you could get your lawn mowed in America if we brought in 3 or 4 billion of the world's poorest people?

Now, that would be what you'd call "huddled masses!"

Those cheering illegal immigration should be the first to allow illegals to crowd into their houses and neighorhoods. I'd like to see the next half million illegals move into Crawford, Texas, and build a tarpaper shack city there. Better yet, fill the green public lawns of Washington, D.C. with them. This, after all, is the stronghold of support for illegal immigration.

Illegal Mexican immigrants have imported their familiar Mexican civic corruption with them to the point some cities within greater Los Angeles are hopelessly corrupt with everyone on the take.

Illegal immigration is destroying America. It's a cancer of ethnic strife and hatred and is undermining all respect for the law. Lawlessness begets lawlessness.

Legal immigrants know illegal immigration is wrong. Anyone with half a brain knows unrestricted immigration is in the process of destroying America's culture, legal system, health care, entitlements, language and sovereignty.

Of course we are populated by immigrants and their descendants but this country has had rules regarding immigration since its first days of existence. Without those rules and their serious enforcement, we are doomed as a nation.

A nation without control of its borders will not long remain a nation.

Legal citizens of a sovereign nation have the absolute right, through their representatives, to declare who may visit and/or stay in their country.

It's my house and I decide who enters it. If not, it is not my house.

[NittanyLion]

It's either the Bush Plan, or Do Nothing.

False choice. There's any number of additional alternatives that could be adopted. Surely you know that...

[BureaucratusMaximus]

BUMP to your comments.

[OESY]

There's any number of additional alternatives that could be adopted.

Sorry to disappoint, but they will never be enacted. Look how long it's taken to even recognize there's a problem. The catalyst was 9/11. It's the Bush Plan, or no action at all because the alternatives are too costly, in terms of dollars or votes.

[thathamiltonwoman]

Sentimentality makes very bad law.