Monday, May 3, 2010

May I see your papers please?

So, my next rant was going to be "I baptize you in the name of barf," but a funny thing happened on the way to the May Day rally on Saturday, May 1, 2010.  Please let me share my story with you.

Once upon a time, May Day was a wonderful, flower-filled celebration of spring. Ribbons were attached to the top of flagpoles, appropriately renamed "Maypoles" for the day, and children could dance around the Maypole holding onto the ribbons. We would deliver little baskets of fresh flowers and leave them on the front porch of our friends' homes, or the May Day savvy, actually provided a hook on which to hang the little flower-filled baskets.

Fast forward … May Day celebration, 2010; the May 1st celebration of the "Workers of the World" come-immigration-protest at my state capitol building. I attended armed with camera and an old tea party placard on which I cryptically scribbled, and hurriedly stapled, my "No To Illegal Immigration" sign. Not no to immigration, but no to "illegal" immigration ... big difference.

There were approximately 1,000 people attending. The forward group of about five Hispanic young men held a very large American flag, but visibly absent was the sense of joy and celebration of the "Rights of Spring.” Instead, they were five young men with jaws set in angry defiance and hostile opposition. It felt more like a Che Guevera moment for me!  While we were only about a handful of anti-illegal immigration protesters, a group yelled, "Get out. This is OUR rally!" State troopers intervened quickly while calmly explaining that everyone was allowed to participate and to be on the capitol grounds.

The rally was scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM.  The pre-march protest was totally in Spanish, and despite my best efforts, bordering on desperate attempts, I was unable to locate the “push 2" for English button. I did my part yelling in my best English, “No to illegal immigration.” “Come in the front door … don’t sneak in the back.” “Legal immigrants only.”

Then I discovered that this group could speak English!  As they passed by me and read my sign, each and every one of them called me every single vile curse word in the English language that they could think of. Those who hadn’t mastered that aspect of the English language called me similar names in Spanish.  Perhaps, they did not have time to “dry off” yet!

I stood my ground, as the “parade” of “Workers of the World” a/k/a illegal immigrants marched by. If I had only thought about it before, I would have purchased a navy blue nylon windbreaker with ICE or INS on it!! That works to clear out McDonald’s, emergency rooms, and drivers license bureaus. It might have worked at this rally, too!

Why am I so vocal and why do I feel so passionately? I do have a very strong opinion on this. It may have started when my American company applied for my working papers so that I could work for this same American company in the Frankfurt am Main, Germany office. It took many months to apply and get approved. I was required to take a tuberculosis and AIDS tests, be up to date on my rabies shots, provide all financial information to prove financial stability (so I wouldn’t go on welfare, I guess), pay for and provide local and state criminal checks, and allow for German, Interpol, and FBI checks. I was required to provide everything about me, including my bra size in exchange for my working papers and Visa; for the simple right to work in Germany. Once approved, I was told that I was required to have my passport or a photocopy of my passport on my person AT ALL TIMES. So what’s the problem here? Is there one?

When I arrived in Germany, the natives didn’t speak to me in English. They said it … short and simple… "Hier ist Deutschland. Wir sprechen nur Deutsch!” [“This is Germany. We speak only German!”] Guess what? I learned to speak German. So what’s the problem here? I don't see one!

More recently, I went to train in a French Michelin-starred restaurant under a very famous chef. Since I was unable to get working papers, I became a stagaire, meaning I worked 14 hours a day for no compensation without any reimbursement for room, board, or transportation. I paid for everything myself out-of- pocket for the privilege of training under this French chef. After spending huge sums of my money to train under a famous European chef, I returned to the United States only to find that I must be know “kitchen Spanish” in order to work in a kitchen. Caliente, por favor, and compormiso! I am amazed how many illegal immigrants can get jobs off of just one social security card. No one questions five José Gonzaleses with the same social security number. Dude, last time I checked, this was the USA! This is the Mexicanization of America by immigrants instead of the Americanization of immigrants. So this is a problem! Do you see it yet?

Each time I or my fellow Americans travel, in or out of the United States, in or out of foreign countries, by plane, train, boats, or automobiles, actually everyone in the entire world is required to carry a passport or federal documents of some sort. We must show documents to leave and we must show documents to enter every country in the WORLD. So exactly why is it that are we giving illegal immigrants a “special” pass on this? So this is a big problem. Are you starting to get it now?

As a citizen, born in the United States of America, if I am stopped for a speeding or a broken headlight or I run a stop sign, I am asked for my documents: driver’s license, proof of insurance, and car registration.  I can't refuse, yet this group of illegal immigrants thinks it's profiling and they want to be exempt. So this is more than just a big problem.  This is insanity. Are you seeing it now?

The problem is it that these illegal immigrants come across an imaginary line somewhere on the southwest border of the United States and believe that because they crossed this imaginary line, that they have arrived at the pearly gates, that they have won the lottery, that they have hit pay dirt, and that’s the end of the line. They are in America. All they need are rakes to gather up all the money they can get, and wheelbarrows to take it to the bank! They can attend American schools, have indoor plumbing, running water, and access to our healthcare. If a pregnant woman is lucky enough to make it across the border before she squats to deliver a baby, she thinks that both she and her baby are entitled to the same rights as Americans. They aren’t and they don’t. And that’s a huge problem, and I don’t get it!

Every single country in the world requires official government documents for travel, for work, and for play. My daughter lives and works in London. Her company had to hire attorneys and pay approximately US$25,000 in order for her to work LEGALLY in London and Paris. My son lives and works in Paris. His company had hire attorneys and the equivalent of US$25,000 for him to work LEGALLY in France. Consequently, he is now working for the company; however, he heads up the New York office. That’s the problem here? It’s the law! Yet illegal immigrants have no respect for it and no one pays attention to it!

Immigrants don’t want to learn the language and demand that everything be in Spanish. They want their children to attend American schools, but to be taught by bilingual teachers. They work without paying taxes. They don’t spend their illegal earnings in the US, but instead send their money to Mexico to support Mexico’s economy. While I have referred only to Mexican illegal immigrants, I am referring to any and all illegal immigrant groups. They want the advantages and rewards of being in America without doing the hard work. And that’s the problem here, and I am angry!

This is wrong. Americans must be completely bilingual to compete for jobs in every sector; doctors’ offices, customer service, grammar school teachers, legal offices, government offices, etc. And to go even further, I am required to show a social security card and a driver’s license when opening a bank account with Bank of America or to provide other documentations in the normal course of conducting business, yet the same is NOT required of Spanish-speaking illegal immigrants. This group violates our laws, while reaping the benefits, but is still given special consideration. And if the federal government, Bank of America, or a car dealership were to require documentation, they yell racist and run to the streets protesting and yelling “poor treatment.” If I wanted to rob a bank, could I keep the money? If I tried to protest in the streets to keep the money, they’d lock me up! I think you're getting the gist of it now.

This is America, yet each day Americans are being treated more and more like second class citizens. Isn't this is reverse discrimination? I will not “push 2” for English.  Maybe we can qualify for affirmative action. Oh, that's right, we can't do that either.  And there’s a really big problem here. And quite frankly, I don’t get it!  Do you?

2 comments:

  1. Right on, Sister!!!! Excellent ... thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, very well put. Now if we can just make more people aware. Should we publish this how another to some editors.? Let me know I will help.

    ReplyDelete