Mexican cardinal criticized U.S. xenophobia

[Matt25]

catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=18259

Cardinal Norberto Rivera, archbishop of Mexico City, criticized what he termed the “xenophobic attitude” of the United States as news that construction of a 559-mile fence along the American-Mexican border to keep illegal immigrants out is moving ahead. After celebrating Mass at the archdiocesan cathedral, the cardinal said such expressions of xenophobia were beneath the United States and any other country in the Americas.

“Mexican immigration to the U.S. is due to the lack of well-paid jobs in this country, and not only does the Mexican government bear responsibility for this; so also do businesses,” he said. “Political corruption” has become one of the main factors behind immigration, Cardinal Rivera said, adding that such a problem “didn’t just pop up yesterday; it has been with mankind from the beginning.”

He added that he believes the United States “has the right to protect its borders, but when this is set against the fundamental right that every human being has to seek out dignified employment, there must be dialogue.”

 

[Franze]

The things aren´t so easy but…
Mexico must destroy their corruption and grow up with freedom.

 

[gilliam]

Article doesn’t seem to match the title.

 

[MikeWM]

gilliam:

Article doesn’t seem to match the title.

It is about a cardinal, from Mexico, talking about the US, and saying about a ‘xenophobic attitude’. It seems to me that the title and the article belong together.

Mike

 

[Joe_Kelley]

JMJ

For years the Mexicans have complained about U.S. interference in their internal affairs. Now they want to run the U.S.

I think it is time to help them get a government and country their people will enjoy and not want to flee from.

 

[gilliam]

It is about a cardinal, from Mexico, talking about the US, and saying about a ‘xenophobic attitude’. It seems to me that the title and the article belong together.

Mike

He isn’t talking about the US here:
“Mexican immigration to the U.S. is due to the lack of well-paid jobs in this country, and not only does the Mexican government bear responsibility for this; so also do businesses,” he said. “Political corruption” has become one of the main factors behind immigration, Cardinal Rivera said, adding that such a problem “didn’t just pop up yesterday; it has been with mankind from the beginning.”

And here he is defending the US:
He added that he believes the United States “has the right to protect its borders, but when this is set against the fundamental right that every human being has to seek out dignified employment, there must be dialogue.”

 

[Matt25]

Joe Kelley:

JMJ

For years the Mexicans have complained about U.S. interference in their internal affairs. Now they want to run the U.S.

I think it is time to help them get a government and country their people will enjoy and not want to flee from.

The US Bishops have a view on migration usccb.org/mrs/nmw/bishopsletters.shtml

I invite you to join in the 25th anniversary observance of National Migration Week. The theme for 2006 is Journey to Justice, a journey which each of us is called to make in solidarity with migrants, immigrants, refugees, human trafficking victims, and other people on the move seeking justice and peace… As the U.S. bishops wrote with our brother bishops from Mexico in the pastoral letter “Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope”:

*From its founding to the present, the United States remains a nation of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope and cultural diversity. Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving.*Never has this call to solidarity been needed more than today. Too often those who have come to our land seeking a better life for themselves and their families face discrimination and exploitation. For that reason, the bishops, along with a broad coalition of Catholic organizations have committed themselves to changing minds and hearts through the national Justice for Immigrants: Together on the Journey of Hope campaign. National Migration Week provides parishes and schools with an excellent opportunity to give expression to the ideals of the campaign in their local communities. You can find out more about the campaign at www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

And justiceforimmigrants.org/faq_cath_position.html
Why does the church care about immigration policies?

           The Catholic             Church has historically held a strong interest in immigration and             how public policy affects immigrants seeking a new life in the             United States. Based on Scriptural and Catholic social teachings,             as well as her own experience as an immigrant Church in the United             States, the Catholic Church is compelled to raise her voice on             behalf of those who are marginalized and whose God-given rights are             not respected.

           The Church             believes that current immigration laws and policies have often led             to the undermining of immigrants’ human dignity and have kept             families apart. The existing immigration system has resulted in a             growing number of persons in this country in an unauthorized             capacity, living in the shadows as they toil in jobs that would             otherwise go unfilled. Close family members of U.S. citizens and             lawful permanent residents must wait years for a visa to be             reunited. And, our nation’s border enforcement strategies have been             ineffective and have led to the death of thousands of migrants.

 

[JCPhoenix]

Interesting article.

I lived in Mexico while I was in college…and I would say the Mexican government has a lot more responsiblity here because people, including professionals, are fleeing to the US for opportunity.

Sadly, the Mexican governmnet sees building resorts to be the focus of their “opportunity”… Oh, goody. More low-paying jobs in tourism with people begging for tips to buff their 3 peso per week minimum wage.

Mexico has a crisis in professionals…their educated professionals move to the US or Canada for better opportunities, better money, etc. While Mexico suffers further as a result of the dinosaurs running their government. Dinosaurs who are really lamenting the lack of professional mordidas filling thier pockets.

God bless the Cardinal, but I think he needs to take a step back and lose the nationalism which so characterizes Mexico.

I admire Mexican nationalism, thier pride in their country and their people…but I also admire realism.

I was in Mexico in 1994 when Prop. 187 passed in CA, which limited the ability of illegal immigrants to obtain public assistance.

While I expected to be attacked, I was stopped on the street by random Mexicans and asked about this. I always asked them what they thought about it. They ALWAYS supported it.

I was shocked. But then again, from an oppressed person under Mexican government…they just had a sense of obedience to the law. They explained that the figured that if they needed ot work to cross the border in order to obtain opportunities, everyone should have to work for that diffiicult goal.

This is a complicated issue, and maybe the good Cardinal should do a little more research. I realize he loves his people…but that’s why he’s ordained and NOT a politician. Because at heart, politicians don’t really love anyone but their own agendas.

 

[rlg94086]

Americans have no disagreement with legal migration. That is not why we are putting up a fence. The good cardinal is right on all accounts except for the xenophobia. While it exists, it is no more widespread than anywhere else on the planet.

No other developed countries, including the UK and the rest of Europe, would put up with the mass illegal immigration that we have here. Check with your Home Office, and you’ll find that they will deport someone who is in your country illegally.

Matt25:

The US Bishops have a view on migration usccb.org/mrs/nmw/bishopsletters.shtml

I invite you to join in the 25th anniversary observance of National Migration Week. The theme for 2006 is Journey to Justice, a journey which each of us is called to make in solidarity with migrants, immigrants, refugees, human trafficking victims, and other people on the move seeking justice and peace… As the U.S. bishops wrote with our brother bishops from Mexico in the pastoral letter “Strangers No Longer, Together on the Journey of Hope”:

*From its founding to the present, the United States remains a nation of immigrants grounded in the firm belief that newcomers offer new energy, hope and cultural diversity. Our common faith in Jesus Christ moves us to search for ways that favor a spirit of solidarity. It is a faith that transcends borders and bids us to overcome all forms of discrimination and violence so that we may build relationships that are just and loving.*Never has this call to solidarity been needed more than today. Too often those who have come to our land seeking a better life for themselves and their families face discrimination and exploitation. For that reason, the bishops, along with a broad coalition of Catholic organizations have committed themselves to changing minds and hearts through the national Justice for Immigrants: Together on the Journey of Hope campaign. National Migration Week provides parishes and schools with an excellent opportunity to give expression to the ideals of the campaign in their local communities. You can find out more about the campaign at www.justiceforimmigrants.org.

And justiceforimmigrants.org/faq_cath_position.html
Why does the church care about immigration policies?

The Catholic Church has historically held a strong interest in immigration and how public policy affects immigrants seeking a new life in the United States. Based on Scriptural and Catholic social teachings, as well as her own experience as an immigrant Church in the United States, the Catholic Church is compelled to raise her voice on behalf of those who are marginalized and whose God-given rights are not respected.

The Church believes that current immigration laws and policies have often led to the undermining of immigrants’ human dignity and have kept families apart. The existing immigration system has resulted in a growing number of persons in this country in an unauthorized capacity, living in the shadows as they toil in jobs that would otherwise go unfilled. Close family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents must wait years for a visa to be reunited. And, our nation’s border enforcement strategies have been ineffective and have led to the death of thousands of migrants.

 

[Matt25]

rlg94086:

No other developed countries, including the UK and the rest of Europe, would put up with the mass illegal immigration that we have here. Check with your Home Office, and you’ll find that they will deport someone who is in your country illegally.

No doubt, but every citizen of the European Union is entitled to settle here. That hundreds of millions of people. If they like rain.

 

[rlg94086]

Matt25:

No doubt, but every citizen of the European Union is entitled to settle here. That hundreds of millions of people. If they like rain.

And the people from Northern Africa?

 

[MikeWM]

rlg94086:

No other developed countries, including the UK and the rest of Europe, would put up with the mass illegal immigration that we have here. Check with your Home Office, and you’ll find that they will deport someone who is in your country illegally.

The problem being that without the mass illegal immigration, you’d have nobody to do the jobs that no-one really wants to do because they pay so poorly. You’re going to have large reforms of your economy if you want to get rid of the illegals.

Conversely, because of the EU, we don’t really have too much of a problem. Some restaurants would probably go bust without illegals, but our economy isn’t balanced on them the same way the US economy seems to be.

Mike

 

[Franze]

I am against ilegal immigration.

 

[Fitz]

gilliam:

Article doesn’t seem to match the title.

I thought the same thing. There is much about the Mexican corruption in their government in the article.

I think it is wrong to think we are xenophobic to want legal immigration. The cardinal just seems frustrated with his own government, and their inability to help their own people.

 

[MikeWM]

gilliam:

He isn’t talking about the US here:
“Mexican immigration to the U.S. is due to the lack of well-paid jobs in this country, and not only does the Mexican government bear responsibility for this; so also do businesses,” he said. “Political corruption” has become one of the main factors behind immigration, Cardinal Rivera said, adding that such a problem “didn’t just pop up yesterday; it has been with mankind from the beginning.”

And here he is defending the US:
He added that he believes the United States “has the right to protect its borders, but when this is set against the fundamental right that every human being has to seek out dignified employment, there must be dialogue.”

Nevertheless, he said ‘xenophobic attitude’, or at least I assume he did because it is in quotes.

I could point to hundreds of threads referencing articles where the headline refers to just one or two sentences in a very long statement about many different issues. It seems odd to complain about just this one.

Mike

 

[davy39]

Why do they not have jobs that pay decently in Mexico? Most of our corporations have moved down there, leaving our people on the unemployment line. Some of the problem is that the same companys are leaving Mexico for China, where the labor is even cheaper. The country that supplies the cheapest labor gets the jobs. I think they should have built the fence ten years ago.

 

[Matt25]

davy39:

I think they should have built the fence ten years ago.

And that would stop companies re-locating to China or Vietnam?

 

[davy39]

Matt25:

And that would stop companies re-locating to China or Vietnam?

No, but it might give our border patrol a chance to stop some of the illegal immagration.

 

[rlg94086]

Mike,

It is not true that illegal immigrants only take the jobs that “no one really wants”. There are some cases, like some farm labor, where that may be the case, but you’d be hard pressed to convince construction workers that they don’t want the construction jobs held by a lot of illegals.

Our economy would be effected if we tried to deport all the illegals - what economy losing 10 Million people wouldn’t. I happen to favor the guest worker program proposed by President Bush. Unfortunately, it won’t pass because of pressure from the left and the right. The liberals want 100% amnesty and/or to make all services free at the taxpayer’s expense.

The EU argument is bogus. The fact that the EU came to agreement to have open borders between the member countries does not have anything to do with illegal immigration. No EU country would tolerate illegal immigration from a non-EU country. They certainly would not admit their children to the state schools, pay for medical care, etc.

Robert

MikeWM:

The problem being that without the mass illegal immigration, you’d have nobody to do the jobs that no-one really wants to do because they pay so poorly. You’re going to have large reforms of your economy if you want to get rid of the illegals.

Conversely, because of the EU, we don’t really have too much of a problem. Some restaurants would probably go bust without illegals, but our economy isn’t balanced on them the same way the US economy seems to be.

Mike

 

[MikeWM]

rlg94086:

It is not true that illegal immigrants only take the jobs that “no one really wants”. There are some cases, like some farm labor, where that may be the case, but you’d be hard pressed to convince construction workers that they don’t want the construction jobs held by a lot of illegals.

I can’t speak for US construction. An awful lot of people working in construction in the UK are immigrants though, and there is still a labour shortage.

Our economy would be effected if we tried to deport all the illegals - what economy losing 10 Million people wouldn’t. I happen to favor the guest worker program proposed by President Bush. Unfortunately, it won’t pass because of pressure from the left and the right. The liberals want 100% amnesty and/or to make all services free at the taxpayer’s expense.

I thought the program made sense too. I didn’t know how it was going though, I’m sorry to hear it won’t get through.

The EU argument is bogus. The fact that the EU came to agreement to have open borders between the member countries does not have anything to do with illegal immigration. No EU country would tolerate illegal immigration from a non-EU country. They certainly would not admit their children to the state schools, pay for medical care, etc.

As I argued in the other immigration thread going earlier, I beg to differ on health care. We treat everyone. We don’t check to see if someone is legal or not first. Politicians are trying to make doctors do just that and doctors are refusing to do it - I saw a programme on just that a few months ago.

As for things such as schools - why should the children miss out on an education because their parents are breaking the law? If they broke any other law, the children wouldn’t be denied schooling.

Mike