The United States of America is still the most welcoming country in the world. By far, the U.S. keeps being the nation that attracts more immigrants. In the last half a century around half of these people have arrived from this very same continent, The Americas.
Due history and geography Europe gets natural flews of people from Africa or the Middle East. Germany use to attract Turkish migrants; Spain, Ecuadorians; the U.K. and France, people from their former colonies. Meanwhile, China lives another huge transformation through internal migration. And North America’s newcomers arrive mostly from the south.
There are many reasons to consider that the U.S. could consider itself fortunate regarding the kind of immigrants that have established here. About the latest wave: their youth and determination to succeed are their main two characteristics, but they additionally come with an extremely rich cultural background and a strong set of values.
Of course we like Latinos, you can take that for granted, but also we proud ourselves for our objectivity. As mainstream America recognize it now, Latino immigrants (in fact, all immigrants) bring real value to the economy and strength to the nation. Latinos achievements in all fields –from the top of the economy to the ones involve in the most humbles activities, have earned respect and appreciation among most of others fellow Americans. Only the dunces and the professional haters keep pushing for massive deportations and rejection.
Therefore, from now one the lack of political will to get and immigration reform will only hurt the very essence of this great nation soul. For a country built by immigrants, any kind of political trick with the much-needed reform probably will back fire to those dumb enough to play games with the security of the country and the peace of mind of millions of families. Actually we should say American families, as for most of the 10.7 million Latino families currently living here immigration is a priority, because within many of that families there is a loved one –a dad, a mom, a sister, without all the appropriated legal papers in hand.
Once the G.O.P. leadership was able to set their basic principles about immigration, only short sight and irresponsible political bets could stop the reform. Giving up on their principles for fear of the extremist caucus of the Republican Party would be as bad as giving up to their own future. The same with President Obama and his party: they will not be judged for their intentions or rhetoric, but by their capability to deliver results.
Thanks God Latinos are very nice people. Also, they are many. With one Latino kid celebrating his/her 18 birthday every 30 seconds, they are the future of this country. In few years they will represent one third of the nation’s population, almost all of them born in the U.S., of course. They already represent political and economic power, and that will only increase.
Therefore, after a quarter of a century of keeping many of them and their loved ones as victims of a broken system, the rational thing to do is to start voting in Congress all the themes where there is agreement in order to fix the broken system. Then, work very hard in an immigrant integration program (and we, our magazine, is here to help on that) in order to repair the fabric of society and avoid the deep social internal conflicts so common in other countries. All of that in order to achieve the very same goal that all previous generation of Americans have fight so hard for: give everybody the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
March 2014
