Cardinal Mahony: "Immigrants are us" (LINK)

"Our nation needs an immigration system that upholds the rule of law, responds to our long-term economic need, values family unity, and respects basic human rights.  Now, our immigration system accomplishes none of these goals.  Our democracy was built on the premise that unjust laws can be changed."

"As a citizen and an observer of the law-making process, I believe I can say with confidence that the American public is somewhat disillusioned with the posturing and rhetoric that has become so prominent in our political culture.  This dynamic has been displayed most recently during the national health-care debate, with the subject of immigrants and their eligibility for health-care an ongoing controversy."

For upcoming changes to immigration detention policies, go to: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/us/politics/06detain.html?_r=1&hpw

The History of Immigration: "Immigration Stories, From Shadows to Spotlight" (LINK)

"When we think about illegal immigration, we think about Mexican immigrants, whereas in fact illegal immigration cuts across all immigrant groups," notes University of Minnesota History Professor Erika Lee, author of "At America's Gate: Chinese Immigration During the Exclusion Era, 1882-1943."  As described in the above article from the September 30th issue of the New York Times, today's immigration system developed out of a 60 year effort to keep out Chinese immigrants.

In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act barred Chinese-Americans from being naturalized.  Ten years later it was expanded with a requirement that all Chinese-Americans register with the government and prove their legality through the testimony of at least "one white witness."  The article notes that even then many lawyers felt these laws were counter to "the very soul of the Constitution" and so argued before the U. S. Supreme Court.  In 1893, the Supreme Court issued the decision "Fong Yue Ting v. United States" granting the U. S. government sweeping power to deport foreigners as "absolute and unqualified."  These laws were finally repealed when China became an ally in World War II.

The article also tells the story of a young man who came over from China illegally before World War II pretending to be someone else (like an estimated 90% of Chinese immigrants during that time).  After serving in the U. S. Army during World War II and working for most of his life in a family laundry, at age 88 he is proud of his childrens' professional successes (a dentist, a doctor, and the wife of and a noted New York City restaurant interior designer) and of his six multi-ethnic grandchildren.

In sum, the article says, "At a time when debates about immigration often include the claim that 'my relatives came the legal way'...[his daughter notes] 'One's status being legal or illegal, it's two seconds apart at any point.'"

Myths About Immigrants (LINK)

As we will begin to enter the debate about comprehensive immigration reform, there will no doubt be many myths raised about the evils of immigration in general and of undocumented immigrants in particular.  It is important to have some facts to refute those myths quickly and share the real facts.  Thanks to the folks at Justice for Immigrants (U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) here are some quick myth-buster facts!  (For the full text, click on the blog title.)

1.  Immigrants don't want to learn English.
     MYTH!  FACT:  ESL classes for adults fill-up quickly;immigrants DO want to learn English.


2.  Immigrants don't pay taxes.
     MYTH!  FACT:  50-75% of undocumented immigrants do pay federal, state, and local taxes.


3.  Immigrants increase the crime rate.
     MYTH!  FACT:  Crime rates dropped by over 30% during the period of the highest growth in the undocumented population.


4.  Immigrants take away jobs from Americans.
     MYTH!  FACT:  Immigrants typically take low wage jobs, but there are still plenty of low wage jobs.  That's the problem, they are so low wage you can't really live with any comfort or security.


5.  Immigrants are a drain on the U. S. economy.
     MYTH!  FACT:  Studies from both ends of the political spectrum show that the immigrant community is a net benefit.


6.  Undocumented immigrants are a burden on the healthcare system.
     MYTH!  FACT:  The foreign born use fewer health care services so their costs are dramatically lower than for the native born population.


7.  The Catholic Church supports illegal immigration and "open borders."
     MYTH!  FACT:  The Bishops of the U. S. recognize the need for border protection and that immigration reform legislation will actually improve it.

Immigrations Recent Contributions to the U. S. (LINK)

The history of the U.S. is the story of the contribution immigrants and the children of immigrants have made to every aspect of American life.  The American Dream, that unique aspect of our country, has been fed generation-after-generation by the hard-work and talents of many immigrant groups.  This continues today as highlighted by the 20 sample stories of Americans of our time who have contributed to our country:

1. Franklin Chang-Diaz (Hispanic and Chinese-American):  Co-holder of the record for the most spaceflights by a NASA astronaut.  His daughter is a member of the Massachussets House of Delegates.
2. France Córdova (Hispanic and French-American):  The youngest person named NASA Chief Scientist and currently President of Purdue University.
3. Serena Auñon (Hispanic-American):  Flight Surgeon for NASA and astronaut candidate. 
4. Col. Sidney Gutierrez (U.S.A.F. Ret.) (Hispanic-American):  Flew the Space Shuttle on two successful missions. Nine other Hispanic-Americans not mentioned are or have been NASA astronauts.
5. Mario Molina (Hispanic-American):  Nobel Prize winner in Chemstry in 1995 for his work on depletion of the ozone layer.
6. Roberto Goizueta (Hispanic-American):  Former CEO of Coca-Cola who launched Diet Coke and managed the greatest increase in shareholder value.
7. Hector Ruiz (Hispanic-American): As a child he walked across the border every day from his town in Mexico to attend high school in the U.S. graduating valedictorian just three years after learning English.  As an adult he received a Ph.D. from Rice University and went on to become CEO and Chairman of AMD, the computer chip manufacturer.
8. Loida Nicolas-Lewis (Filipino-American):  Businesswoman and CEO of Beatrice International (Beatrice Foods).
9. Dado Banatao (Filipino-American): Computer engineer who developed many of the critical chip components used in computing technologies.
10. Jim Yong Kim (Korean-American):  Scientist and President of Dartmouth University.
11. Jeong Kim (Korean-American):  Scientist and President of Bell Labs.
12. Eugene Trinh (Vietnamese-American): NASA scientist and astronaut.
13. Trung Dung (Vietnamese-American):  Came to the U.S. with $2 at age 17, but eventually started a software company which he sold for $1.8 billion.  He is now a venture capitalist helping other young people start new companies.
14. Sergey Brin (Russian-American):  His Russian parents lost their jobs when they applied for a visa to come to the U. S. that they weren't sure they would get.  Arriving in the U. S. as a teenager with little knowledge of English, he went on to become co-founder of Google, the dominant Internet search company.
15. Peter Nicholas (Greek-American):  Co-founder of Boston Scientific.
16. Admiral James Stavridis (Greek-American):  Commander, U. S. European Command, and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
17. Dr. Michael DeBakey (Arab-American):  Pioneer of cardiac surgery.
18. Ahmed Zewail (Arab-American):  1999 Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry.
19. I. M. Pei (Chinese-American):  World famous architect.
20. Jerry Yang (Chinese-American):  Co-founder of Yahoo.

Immigrants in the U. S. Military

On July 4, 2009, as reported by the American Forces Press Service, U. S. Army General Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Forces in Iraq, presided over a nationalization ceremony at Camp Victory, Iraq during which 237 servicemembers deployed to Iraq became U.S. citizens.

"Odierno praised the newest U.S. citizens for the role they have played in building Iraq's future.  Pointing to their diversity, he called them 'an example to the Iraquis of a country that welcomes men and women from everywhere.'

Looking out over the group, Odierno said he'd be hard-pressed to describe them by the inscription on the Statue of Liberty, which begins, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.'

'To be honest, I'm not sure that its legendary inscription is applicable to this group here today, because when I look at the men and women sitting out in front of me here, I'm having a hard time because I don't see them in terms of tired, poor or huddled.'

'If I had to write a description of the soon-to-be citizens in this rotunda,' the general continued, 'I would say, 'Give me your brightest and your bravest.  Give me your warriors and your heroes who will enhance our great nation and strive to keep her safe.'"

Facts:

• 15 % of current U. S. Marine enlisted personnel and 11% of U. S. Army enlisted personnel are Hispanic (the largest current group of immigrants in the U. S.).  17.5% of them serve in front line positions.
• 4.9% of active duty officers and 6.9% of warrant officers are Hispanic.
• 11 % of the military deaths in Iraq have been Hispanic service personnel.  One of the first U. S. Army soldiers killed in the invasion was a young man from Guatamala who was not yet a citizen.
• By 2015, 20% of all 18 year olds in the U. S. will be of Hispanic heritage.
• The history of Hispanics in the U. S. military goes back to the Civil War when three were awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery.

Broken Immigration System Risks Serious Damage to U.S. National Interests, Warns CFR Task Force (LINK)

"'The continued failure to devise and implement a sound and sustainable immigration policy threatens to weaken America’s economy, to jeopardize its diplomacy, and to imperil its national security,' concludes a new Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Independent Task Force co-chaired by former Florida governor Jeb Bush and former White House chief of staff Thomas 'Mack' McLarty.

'The stakes are too high to fail,' says the report. 'If the United States continues to mishandle its immigration policy, it will damage one of the vital underpinnings of American prosperity and security, and could condemn the country to a long, slow decline in its status in the world.' For this reason, the report urges: 'The United States needs a fundamental overhaul of its immigration laws.'

Key among the changes:

• "Earned legalization: The Task Force favors a policy of earned legalization, not amnesty, for many of the illegal immigrants currently living in the United States. The DREAM Act, reintroduced in the 111th Congress, provides the right model by requiring that young people without status who wish to remain in the United States must attend college or perform military service and demonstrate good moral character in order to earn their eligibility for permanent residence."

For the full report go to: www.cfr.org/immigration_policy

Excerpts from Miami Herald's August 17, 2009 Editorial on Immigration Reform (LINK)

"The [Council on Foreign Relations] 160-page report was produced by a committee co-chaired by former Gov. Jeb Bush and former Clinton White House Chief of Staff Thomas ``Mack'' McLarty. It states that, 'If the United States continues to mishandle its immigration policy, it will damage one of the vital underpinnings of American prosperity and security, and could condemn the country to a long, slow decline in its status in the world.'

Too dire? Not at all. We are a nation of immigrants, skilled and unskilled, and must remain one to stay strong and productive.

Skilled, educated immigrants expand the envelope of the economy. The current immigration system, however, does not make it easy for them.

Furthermore, there is a direct correlation between the influx of unskilled foreign workers and the well-being of the economy, particularly with demographic trends showing an aging America. The absence of foreign workers would require the government to encourage Americans to take unskilled jobs. Is that what Americans want?"

"The nation's police chiefs -- including Miami Chief John Timoney -- are fully behind the effort to overhaul immigration policy. For good reason. Dealing with immigration, which should remain a federal enforcement issue, is a distraction from the priority of catching violent criminals and stopping terrorism. Local police need the trust of immigrant communities to fight real crime."