Yuri Castano | Bringing the immigration debate home

The United States is not a white, Anglo-Saxon country. Listening to brown pride poetry, spoken in Spanish at Independence Park, made this fact all the more clear to me.

At the Torch of Hope rally last Wednesday, around 300 people, mostly of Mexican origins, stood together in support of comprehensive immigration reform. The waving of American flags and the ubiquity of signs reading "We are America" reminded spectators about who we are, what we value and what our responsibilities are as a nation.

Despite the continued efforts to enact comprehensive immigration reform, little progress has been made since last year's nation-wide "Day Without an Immigrant" demonstrations.

In Bridgeport, Pa., just 18 miles from Philadelphia, town officials this year declared English its official language and stipulated punishments for those who provide employment or housing for illegal immigrants, according to a recent article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. In fact, the article stated, a third of the 100 communities that have introduced laws targeting illegal immigrants are in Pennsylvania.

This anti-immigrant movement stems from the recent influx of Mexican immigrants into the state.

"There are an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., making up five percent of the workforce; 70 percent have been in the U.S. for five years or longer," said Ricardo Diaz in a speech at the rally. Diaz was a lead organizer in the Day Without an Immigrant marches, which spread throughout the nation last year.

The phenomenon of cultural change in America isn't new; it is rooted in a long tradition of immigration to this country in pursuit of the American dream, a wealth of opportunity and the freedom to take advantage of it.

However, nativist fear of this racial and cultural shifting and a distorted view of the United States as an anglicized nation continue to exist. This attitude is a leading factor behind recent immigration policies which seek to further militarize the border, accelerate deportation and make health care, housing and employment increasingly difficult for undocumented workers to obtain.

But as the Bridgeport situation proved, policies like these manifest themselves in states far from the border.

Realistic immigration reform must understand that undocumented workers are part of this nation and are contributing members of society, whether or not they have legal status.

Proposals like the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act are the first step down the path of comprehensive reform.

The DREAM Act aims to reduce barriers to college education for undocumented immigrant children who entered the country before the age of 16. The act also seeks to create pathways to gain legalized status and eventual citizenship.

The DREAM Act was introduced almost four years ago, in July 2003, yet Congress has shown little initiative in pushing through reforms of this kind.

Policies like the DREAM Act aren't just about recognizing these students as productive members of society who deserve civil liberties. Equal focus must be placed on understanding how U.S. foreign policy has contributed to the waves of immigrants seeking refuge in this country.

America's neo-liberal economic policies seek to merge international capital markets while failing to take into account that labor will also move across countries, according to College sophomore Oscar Benitez, chair of Penn's Latino Coalition, and a speaker at the Torch of Hope rally.

The North American Free Trade Agreement, for example, shows how America's stance on free trade is rife with inconsistencies. It is problematic because it allows American companies to take advantage of cheap labor in Mexico but doesn't allow Mexican laborers in the U.S. access to better opportunities.

"You can't say no to labor and yes to everything else," Benitez said. As long as this discrepancy prevails, those originating from negatively impacted countries should be entitled to education, health care, housing and employment in the United States.

Bridgeport, like many other communities in Pennsylvania, is running in the wrong direction. Declaring English as its official language, for instance, demonstrates little more than racial and cultural animosity. Bridgeport falls into the trap of viewing human beings as a problem rather than a resource.

Lancaster, in reaction to anti-immigrant initiatives, declared last month that it would not support "overzealous efforts" that "fail to recognize our common humanity and the values of our nation," reported The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvanians may not be able to change national economic and immigration policies in the short run. Humane legislation, however, can challenge the foundations of intolerance and inequality.

Yuri Castano is a College sophomore from Mexico City, Mexico. His e-mail address is castano@dailypennsylvanian.com. Bringing the n Back appears on Wednesdays.

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