I Come From Foreign

Today, immigrants all over the United States are marching for “immigrant rights.”

Now I don’t play to know too much about this topic. I’ve always been here as a legal permanent resident and a green card pretty much entitles you to all the rights of a citizen besides voting and obtaining a U.S. passport.

So my first thought when hearing about May Day was: Who are these immigrants?

• Are they people like me, here legally, and just feel like they’re being mistreated?
• Are they mad because they’re trying to bring their families to the U.S. and can’t?
• Or are they foreigners here illegally who feel like they’re being mistreated and don’t see why they shouldn’t have the rights of U.S. citizens?

My second question, which followed directly from the first, was: What are immigrant rights?

If you’re illegal, is it the right…

• To attend school?
• To be treated in an emergency room?
• To obtain a driver’s license?
• To work legally or for a fair wage?
• To obtain citizenship?

If you’re legal, are you protesting against…

• Racial profiling?
• Discrimination?
• Something else?

Well, it seems like it’s a bit of this and a bit of that and there are at least some people fighting for every one of the above somewhere.

As an immigrant in the U.S., I guess I’ve been living a bit of a charmed life.

I’ve never felt discriminated against as such. I don’t think being Chinese-Trinidadian has ever been held against me. I’ve certainly never been raided by ICE. Sure, people don’t look at me as an “American,” but like I’ve said before, Americans don’t seem to think anyone who isn’t white or black is “American” regardless of their immigration status. I mean, think of what the term “All-American” stands represents. Not me. And it won’t represent my potential, future U.S.-born kids either. No law is going to change that, I feel.

I’ve met so many people with the skills, talent, and motivation that America needs to thrive and grow and they fought (and are fighting) so hard to stay in this country and contribute. Let me tell you, it’s a real crap shoot. I’ve met so many people with the skills, talent, and motivation that America needs to thrive and grow who eventually gave up and moved back home because they just couldn’t find a legal way to stay.

Probably the biggest argument against illegal immigrants is the economic strain they put on the U.S.–their children take up seats in public classrooms, they use emergency rooms as primary care facilities, they take away jobs from legal citizens.

Ok. I get that.

But here’s my thing. The U.S. kind of has its hands tied when it comes to the illegal immigrants, who number around 12 million or so, that are already in the country. They’re not leaving on their own. Kicking them out one by one is an effort in futility that will probably cost more money than the “strain” they’re putting on the economy. Why not just make them citizens, collect their damn taxes, and call it george?

No one wants to reward bad behavior (i.e. illegally entering the country) but I’m not talking principles here. I’m talking economics.

If they’re already here…

If they’re already using our resources…

If they’re not paying for them through taxes…

If sending them back home is not a viable option…

If you can make them law-abiding tax-paying citizens, thereby reducing the strain on the economy…

Well then, why not?

Again, I’m no immigration expert and I’m no economist and I know it’s not the solution to everything, but doesn’t it at least kind of make sense?

More than coming up with solutions, I’m really just asking questions here. Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.