Immigration Reform

By Rosemary -- "--" (Galanda) Jenkins, --

Our nation was built on the premise that we welcome to this country the downtrodden of the world in order to give them the second chance that was the promise given to our own ancestors who came here to be Americans.

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled
masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched
refuse of your teeming shore, Send these,
the homeless, tempest-tost to me. . . .

Forty percent of those who are labeled "undocumented" are not from Latin America and yet the stereotype says otherwise. For most of us, our ancestors came here (whether legally or illegally) to provide a better life for their children (escaping dire circumstances in their native countries). Because American laws passed only a few years ago have made it virtually impossible for many to make a living in their own countries, many residents of those countries have found no alternative but to cross our borders in order to provide healthcare, education, and decent and safe housing for their families (just as many of our ancestors did).

It is a fact that such immigrants do not as a whole vie for jobs that our citizens are seeking; neither do they run up costs in emergency rooms since they fear getting "caught"; in fact, the American poor are the ones who most use such hospital offerings. On the other hand, the children of undocumented immigrants usually grow up to be an asset to our society, having gone through our educational system (often through college) and are productive members of their communities as a result.

Allowing a reasonable pathway to citizenship for our undocumenteds will unquestionably produce a positive impact on our society as a whole. All they ask is a way (without making an end-run around the process) to contribute to their second country as a way of making it their first country of choice!