Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Sadness

Today I am sad. I am sad because of immigration. There was a huge raid in six states, where workers were arrested for using fake or stolen documents. One of these plants is in Hyrum, Utah.
I have met people who work in that plant. One of my roommates when I was at USU taught an adult English class in Logan, and she asked me to come and help them practice their English. So I did. It was very interesting. I remember them telling me about their work, and I was surprised at how brutual the working conditions were. They did not seem to mind. They said they were living much better than they did back in their home countries.
I know that breaking the law is wrong. I know that it would be horrible to have your identity stolen. However, I think it was horrible to stage this raid right before Christmas. The news said that some of the workers children were left in school wondering what happened to their parents. I hate that the laws of this country tear families apart.
I do not know what it is like to be truly poor. I sometimes struggle with money, as we all do, but I am sure I will never starve. My child will not starve. I love my daughter so much. I can understand why these parents would want to make their children's lives better.
Most illegal immigrants I have met want to be legal. The process is horrible. My husband and I have been through it. We had to spend lots of time, money, and sleepless nights. Some people just don't have that money. It is so sad.
I have no solution. I don't know of a way to make it better. I feel the US has made immigration what it is. People don't want people here illegally, but don't make realistic ways for people to get here legally. We all want things cheaper, but are not willing to accept that the cheapness is at the expense of illegalness.
Mostly, it is horrible to let people work and live here for years, pretending that you don't know they are illegal, and then one day come in and ruin their world. Will I sleep better knowing that the government is finally "doing something" about immigration? No. I will sleep worse. I will sleep worse because This raid has left children alone with out the adults in their lives. I will sleep worse because of the news report that people with light skin and white skin were quickly released while all the ones with dark skin were retained. My husband is here legally. My daughter is an American Citizen. How soon do I have to expect questioning for them, because they "look" illegal?
Why do we think we are so much better because we happen to be born here? I am so lucky that I can travel where I want, when I want. I can see and talk to my family any time. My husband does not have the same blessings as me. But I would venture to say he is a better, more righteous, law abiding person than me. However, I have more rights than him, because of my accident of birth. Politicians say they are protecting me, by keeping illegal immigrants out. Stricter screening processes protect me. Stricter screening processes also keep my daughter from meeting her Grandmother, because the US feels there is not enough evidence that her Grandmother would go home after the visit. It hurts. It really hurts, and I do not think I will ever understand it.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Guess what? I've read your page again. I hope you are impressed and I hope you "feel the love." As you know, since we've discussed it, the US immigration policy really needs to be completely redone. It does not work the way it currently stands.

I went to a community performance of The Messiah in which traditional and gospel style music were performed, sometimes at the same time. It was an awesome experience. While I sat enjoying the moment, I couldn't help but think that we were gathered from different backgrounds and preferences, yet still celebrating the same things. It's sad to me that we can only find this ability to get along and appreciate our differences once in a great while, and usually around Christmas. If we can use our talents to enhance musical events, why can't we use other talents that I'm sure must be possessed somewhere to get along and be kind to each other, no matter what our situations are? I hope someday we will be able to learn from and enjoy people everywhere.