The Border, Immigration, Multiculturalism, and Assimilation

[pnewton]

What about the poor people here who are American citizens? Shouldn’t we help them first before taking on more from foreign countries?

We are. There are many programs already in place that benefit the poor. Poverty has not been eliminated, but according to Jesus, it never will.

 

[jc-servant]

From a pastoral perspective, it makes little or no sense for the wealthiest nation in the world not to share its resources with those who have less. It is a sin to turn away the poor and encourage the wealthy of the world to enter our country. The Kingdom of God is for everyone and the poorest of the poor must always be at the heart of Catholic social and pastoral action.

This is an exaggeration of our policy because we do not have resource requirements for all immigrants nor do we only encourage the wealthy. We encourage people who bring sufficient resources, skills and education rather than those who are illiterate and have no way to avoid needing government assistance when they arrive.

You can look at the explosion of people using our county hospitals right now and see part of the problem when people can only work for low wages with no benefits due to their lack of literacy, etc. If a person has some education and/or bankable skills, then they are far more likely to be able to obtain employment that allows them to pay all of their bills including health costs. The same skills/education and resources will keep their children from needing food stamps or TANF.

We are not going to be the “wealthiest” nation on Earth for much longer at the rate we are going. We have trillion dollar debt (for many reasons), and we borrow from many nations. We are not taking care of the poor citizens we have now, so why on Earth would we want to absorb millions of unskilled laborers who can then apply for government benefits?

Mexico has dumped millions of its poorest and least educated people into our lap. Where is the pressure and outrage that Mexico is not spending its vast oil revenues on its own people instead of the wealthy few? These people are not fleeing certain death like people from many other countries.

The US cannot solve the problems of the whole world and Mexico can do a whole lot more than it has been to stop the illegal flow into our country since the majority of people are coming from there. If they solve their problems, then we could help the people who actually need it more! The real “sin” is not ours because it is not for Mexico or the bishops to decide that we must support Mexico’s poor at the expense of others! I personally would rather allow people in danger in Africa or Haiti or people who are truly starving from anywhere to immigrate even without resources before allowing people to stay here who merely want to make more money than they can at home.

 

[JReducation]

I believe that Spok has struck this nail on the head. At our final judgement, we are not going to be judged by how well we protected our borders, but how we treated Christ. Let’s not forget that Christ was a refugee in Egypt or that the early Christians lived under horrible conditions in their own country and had to leave.

No one, including the Church, says that countries do not have a right to sovereignty and freedom from invasion, crime and so forth. That’s not what the Catholic Church is calling into question. What the Catholic Church is calling into question is the moral fairness with which we treat immigrants

Is it morally fair to grant someone a visa, because they have money and deny someone else a visa, because they are peasants?

As to the job situation, I can tell you from personal experience that we have thousands of jobs that our young don’t want. I live in Florida. Last August the State of Florida was short 2,000 teachers at the beginning of the school year. My county was short 30 school bus drivers. My son and his classmates graduated from high school last May. They all went on to college and not a single one took a job cleaning or a job that interfered with their school life or their social life. My kid has been hanging around with the same group of five since he was in grade 8. When I suggested to them that they look into openings at places like the Dollar Store or fast food, they were not interested, typical middle class American boys. Like them, the average American is not interested in these and many other jobs. I don’t see American students lining up to become teachers, nurses, farmers, nannies or housekeepers. The argument that illegal immigrants take American jobs does not always work, because we have areas of critical shortage (i.e. education and nursing) where American parents don’t want their children going. The average American parent wants their child to attend Harvard and become President of the USA, not a school teacher or a nanny.

As I posted earlier in this thread, our consulates abroad are a disaster. There are too many mean people who work there. They make arbitrary decisions as to who gets a visa and who does not. The decision is usually based on money. Why aren’t Americans demanding that the State Department clean up our embassies and consulates so that more people can be legally processed at that level? This would not eliminate illegal immigration, but it would reduce it significantly. Under our current setup, our consulates turn people in need away, because they don’t have money to spend in the USA. Then we have to process them anyway when they get to this side of the border illegally.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe Canada has a system where they screen immigrants based on what skills they need and what the immigrant brings to the table. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a start.

To close, I pose this question to Catholics on this thread. The Bishops have already said that the American Catholic Church will not cooperate with deportation. They have prohibited Catholic parishes and agencies from cooperating in this endeavour. It began with the Archbishop of LA and has spread across the country. What Catholic is going to turn in a parish or diocese for giving aid to illegal immigrants?

Hopefully, it will not happen too often. Once in a while we have to choose between Church and State. The Church has the right to question the law and those who make the law. This is what Catholics should be doing. We should be asking how well does our immigration system work and how do our consulates and embassies do business abroad. We should ask why is it that people with money have no problems getting a visa to enter the USA and poor people are turned away. If there is something that Americans should be proud of is the fact that the USA was built by the sweat and effort of the poor.

 

[pnewton]

I personally would rather allow people in danger in Africa or Haiti or people who are truly starving from anywhere to immigrate even without resources before allowing people to stay here who merely want to make more money than they can at home.

Now I like this idea. Bring those people by the millions to work and become citizens. It would help feed the hungry and give hope to them that at least in upcoming generations they have opportunity to be anything they want. I also bet they wouldn’t fight assimilation like hispanics do.

 

[JReducation]

I’m not going to disagree with you, because it’s true that many nations, not just Mexico, have to do better than they are doing now in regards to the poor. They have not done so. However, the Church in those nations has been very aggressive in pointing that out to them too. It’s not as if the Church is saying that the USA is the only country in the world with an obligation to the poorest of the poor.

What the Church does, in these cases, it looks at families who are already here. It says that if they are deported, their conditions are not going to get any better back home. Therefore, the solution is not deportation. The solution is international cooperation to address the issue of poverty and equitable distribution of resources among nations.

If I understand the Bishops correctly, they’re saying that some of our political leaders are going about this all wrong, because the moral issues that cause illegal immigration are not being addressed on either side of the border.

A good example of this is Catholic Charities in Denver. It may have to close. Catholic Charities provides many programs that help the poor, legal and illegal. But the State of Colorado is making demands on them that they cannot comply with, because it violates their Catholic identity. Instead of having more resources and services for the poor, the State of Colorado is going to have less, because Catholic Charities in Denver is one of the largest social service agencies in the State.

The politicians and special interest groups are not helping and Catholics need to stay on top of them to make sure that they stay focussed on the real issue, to see and serve Christ in the poorest of the poor. If you force an agency like Catholic Charities to close shop, you shouldn’t complain because the State’s welfare system is overloaded.

It’s almost too easy for politicians to want to solve the problem of injustice by throwing people back and forth over boarders (I’m applying it to all nations). It’s ludicrous when they (politicians) insist on controlling those who can be potential allies in solving the problem of poverty, such as Catholic Charities and other faith-based organisms.

As most of us know, poverty is the biggest reason why people leave their homeland, political oppression is second.

The news and the average person doesn’t know about this.

This is an exaggeration of our policy because we do not have resource requirements for all immigrants nor do we only encourage the wealthy. We encourage people who bring sufficient resources, skills and education rather than those who are illiterate and have no way to avoid needing government assistance when they arrive.

You can look at the explosion of people using our county hospitals right now and see part of the problem when people can only work for low wages with no benefits due to their lack of literacy, etc. If a person has some education and/or bankable skills, then they are far more likely to be able to obtain employment that allows them to pay all of their bills including health costs. The same skills/education and resources will keep their children from needing food stamps or TANF.

We are not going to be the “wealthiest” nation on Earth for much longer at the rate we are going. We have trillion dollar debt (for many reasons), and we borrow from many nations. We are not taking care of the poor citizens we have now, so why on Earth would we want to absorb millions of unskilled laborers who can then apply for government benefits?

Mexico has dumped millions of its poorest and least educated people into our lap. Where is the pressure and outrage that Mexico is not spending its vast oil revenues on its own people instead of the wealthy few? These people are not fleeing certain death like people from many other countries.

The US cannot solve the problems of the whole world and Mexico can do a whole lot more than it has been to stop the illegal flow into our country since the majority of people are coming from there. If they solve their problems, then we could help the people who actually need it more! The real “sin” is not ours because it is not for Mexico or the bishops to decide that we must support Mexico’s poor at the expense of others! I personally would rather allow people in danger in Africa or Haiti or people who are truly starving from anywhere to immigrate even without resources before allowing people to stay here who merely want to make more money than they can at home.

 

[JReducation]

I also bet they wouldn’t fight assimilation like hispanics do.

PNEWTON

I thought I’d respond to your statement, because it applies to me and others such as me. I’m a member of two minorities. I’m a Hispanic Jew. If you factor in that I converted to Catholicism four years ago, that makes me a member of an even smaller minority, a Hispanic Catholic Jew. In fairness, I have to say that I’m not an immigrant. My Spanish ancestors arrived in the USA circa 1898. My Jewish ancestors came in 1939 in anticipation of what was going to happen to Jews in Europe.

Let’s talk assimilation. I’m just exposing what little I know about this subject and term, as this is more in the field of anthropology and that’s not my area of expertise. I would ask you to consider the following. Remember, I’m not an anthropologist. I’m going on what I learned in college and graduate school. In fairness, my area is Theology. Please be patient and kind with me if I get this all wrong.

1. There are serious doubts in the academic community as to whether there is actually such a thing as assimilation. In most cultures around the world people migrate and they accommodate and even integrate, but they preserve elements of their heritage such as food, music, art, religion and even language. Personally, I believe this is healthy in order to survive in a new environment.
2. We must also factor in history. In the case of the Hispanic population the historical situation complicates the picture at many levels. First, the Western part of the USA was originally settled by Spaniards, hence all of the states and cities with Spanish names. In fact they were Catholic. As the Anglos moved west, these territories were ceased by many means. The Anglos not only brought a new language and customs, but most were Protestant.
3. The Hispanic population in these areas were not immigrants. They were there from the 1500s. It is natural that there be some defiance to what they considered an invasion and also resentment, much like many Native Americans feel all over North and South America. Resentment, confusion and not having something in common didn’t help either the Anglos or the Hispanics to integrate as quickly as we would have liked. I’m not saying that the Anglos were bad people. They had their own limitations too. They migrated west seeking a better life. What you have is two groups competing for survival in one geographical territory. Humans, being what we are, were going to discriminate against each other and dig in their heels. It takes time to get over this. Ask any Jew how he or she feels about Germans, Muslims or Russians. Look at Israel.
4. While I believe that my ancestors had the right of it, because they learned English, I also see why they did it. They didn’t learn it to keep the Americans happy. They needed to go to school, get jobs and survive. English was a tool. I believe this is the same for Italians, Germans and other people who migrated to the USA over the last 500 years. Language identifies people with something that is familiar to them and that they value. I believe that both sides have to give a little here. The non-English speaking population needs English as a tool and should learn it. However, the English speaking population has to accept that people’s language is an important connection with their heritage. Look at China Town in CA or in NY.
5. Finally, the multicultural phenomena is not just in the USA. In fact, I think it’s newer here. If you look at the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, India, Argentina and China, you have many cultures living side by side. In some of these countries people speak several languages. I recently had dinner with a young man from Switzerland. He spoke four languages. He said that in his part of Switzerland you can’t live with one language. They speak German-Swiss and Italian, while other parts speak German-Swiss and French and so forth. They have a common language, but they also teach every child a second language from day one in school, because they need it on a daily basis. Obviously, there is no assimilation taking place in Switzerland and many other countries. You may be surprised how many people in Buenos Aires speak Italian as their first language.

I was fortunate that my father worked in Foreign Service. I got to live in four countries and three continents. I ended up speaking five languages. I find it enriching to be able to speak them. I’m not so keen on the idea of wiping out Spanish or any other language spoken in the USA. From an ecclesiastical perspective I see my ability to speak other languages as part of my Catholic identity. I am part of a universal faith family, the more culture and languages, the better for everyone, including immigrants.

 

[JReducation]

This is an exaggeration of our policy because we do not have resource requirements for all immigrants nor do we only encourage the wealthy. We encourage people who bring sufficient resources, skills and education rather than those who are illiterate and have no way to avoid needing government assistance when they arrive.

This is where we can learn from St. Benedict, St. Francis, St. Vincent de Paul, and Blessed Mother Teresa.

The nations of the world, including the USA, cannot discriminate against Christ under the disguise of the poor and illiterate who have no way to survive. If they do, they will have much to answer for when the Lord says, “I was hungry and you didn’t give me food.”

As Christ said on the cross, “I thirst.” In conscience, can we turn the crucified naked Christ away when he asks us for food, shelter and opportunity? As St. Francis said, “The crucified Christ is totally poor. He is naked. He is a leper. The Gospel calls us to embrace him and welcome him as he is.”

 

[pnewton]

1. There are serious doubts in the academic community as to whether there is actually such a thing as assimilation. In most cultures around the world people migrate and they accommodate and even integrate, but they preserve elements of their heritage such as food, music, art, religion and even language. Personally, I believe this is healthy in order to survive in a new environment.

Thank you for your time.

I painted with too broad of a brush. Perhaps I had better apologize, back-pedal and clarify. Likely I use the word assimilation incorrectly. It is not the cultural areas that I have ever objected to. I also believe it is a benefit to all Americans to have this culture added. What I object to is a political lack of assimilation. Specifically, a disrespect of their host country and expressing their Mexican nationalism with disdain toward America. There are some Mexican nationals that are extremely racists and anti-American. This is the problem that I do not think we would have with other immigrants. I know that this group is as offensive to most hispanics as the are to non-hispanics.

Check out La Raza Unida.

 

[JReducation]

Thank you for your time.

I painted with too broad of a brush. Perhaps I had better apologize, back-pedal and clarify. Likely I use the word assimilation incorrectly. It is not the cultural areas that I have ever objected to. I also believe it is a benefit to all Americans to have this culture added. **What I object to is a political lack of assimilation. Specifically, a disrespect of their host country and expressing their Mexican nationalism with disdain toward America. There are some Mexican nationals that are extremely racists and anti-American. This is the problem that I do not think we would have with other immigrants. I know that this group is as offensive to most hispanics as the are to non-hispanics. **
Check out La Raza Unida.

I agree with this position. This is wrong. Any form of discrimination, in any direction, is wrong. It is unfortunate that it exists at all.

When I have lived abroad I always impress upon people that the people of the United States are not what they see on TV or subscribe to the values of Corporate America, profit at all costs. I have always tried to impress people with the idea that the average person in the USA is a good person who wants to make a place for their family in this world, just like any other human being. I have also found it important to separate myself from our politicians.
Sometimes, politicians may have a good idea, but a bad delivery and it makes American’s sound arrogant and imposing.

I try to approach the world community as the Mystical Body. Everyone is part of it. As Mother Teresa said so many times, “it does not matter if a person is a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Communist. We are all brothers and sisters. We have the same Father. Jesus is present in all of us.”

This rule applies to Mexican nationalists and right-wing Americans equally. Anytime you plant a seed of hatred toward another person, you punish Christ.

 

[FLCathMom]

Excellent point. ALso, I do not think the numbers match up. The number of unemployed, even if we do not limit the number to unskilled unemployed or delete the transitionally unemployed still is short of what is needed.

I think you also have to include the working poor. There are many people who work and are also on welfare. If we cut the supply of cheap labor by going after employers who hire illegal immigrants, the wages for those low paying jobs will have to go up, and many more Americans would be able to support themselves without gov’t assistance, which is what they want. Who wants to be on welfare when you have the opportunity to make good money? Of course, that probably means the cost of food and construction and other things will go up, but I think it should. I think the cost of those things are probably artificially low because of the cheap labor. It is the job of the American government to help Americans.

I see the immigration problem as a problem of the Mexican government throwing their poor on us instead of working to fix the underlying causes of poverty in their country. I am fully in favor of working with the Mexican government to help make that happen. I also think that a large part of the problem is young Mexicans and other young South Americans are dreaming about going to “El Norte” instead of dreaming about how they are going to make their own country a better place to live.

 

[pnewton]

I think you also have to include the working poor. There are many people who work and are also on welfare. If we cut the supply of cheap labor by going after employers who hire illegal immigrants, the wages for those low paying jobs will have to go up, and many more Americans would be able to support themselves without gov’t assistance, which is what they want.

I wasn’t referring to the economic numbers, but the number of workers. If the figures of illegal workers (between 12 and 20 million) are true, we do not have that many unemployed in the workforce available to go pick fruit.

 

[KathleenElsie]

Immigration and migration of those that desire to work and follow our civil laws is something that has until recently was a desirable thing. I think those that want to work and abide by the laws of our land should be given a chance to become members of our society.

Those that I would like to see deported are the ones that come here to make a fast buck. The drug dealers, gang members, sexual predators et. These are the ones that should be actively pursued and sent back to where they came from.

As to people bringing illnesses into this country, when my grandparents came into this country they were inspected for blindness, deafness and other physical problems. If they showed signs of TB or other diseases they were denied entrance into the USA. So this is not a new situation just an old one brought back to protect society from the devastation of an epidemic and in some cases taking on the costs of caring for people that are already ill or disabled.

But then this is just one old womans ramblings about something I can’t do one little thing about.

 

[JReducation]

If I may, I would like to address this issue from a Catholic perspective; I’m assuming that those of us who are reading this are interested in this issue not only as a national issue, but we’re also interested in doing what God wants of us.

I had the great honour of living and serving in several developing countries in Latin America, before returning home. What I saw not only saddened me, but also moved me to embrace our Catholic identity with a global sense.

It is no secret that political corruption reigns in many developing nations. It’s almost a way of life. However, what many Christians in the USA are never told is about the good people who are crushed under the wheels of oppressive regimes often supported by the government of the USA and by Corporate America.

It is easy to say that the younger generations of the developing countries have to fix their own problems. It is far more difficult to do so when you have nations where there is not separation between the army and the police. Of course, the army’s allegiance is to the reigning political leader.

I remember being in Ecuador on Feb 11, 2000 when a coup de stat broke out. Four million Native Americans out of a population of 12 million had walked into the capitol city of Quito. Without firing a single shot they took over the Congress and the Supreme Court. The President was secretly escorted out of the country. The issue? The President has absconded with more than $30 million US dollars and made them disappear, while unemployment was up to 60%. In those days $300 US dollars could feed a family of three for a month. In the meantime, the President had also allowed major US and Canadian corporations to buy extensive farmlands at very low prices. This land was used by poor farmers to feed their families.

Ecuador is the world’s first supplier of bananas and the second in shrimp. Suddenly, the shrimp farms and the banana plantations were in the hands of a few wealthy power brokers, many of them Americans. These power brokers avoided paying proper taxes and employee benefits by lining the pockets of the President.

Fed up with years of poverty, working their lands only to see the profit go into the hands of a few locals and many foreigners, the working class which consisted mostly of Native Americans, marched on the capitol and took over the government. In 24 hours the USA discharged Ambassador Peter Romero to Ecuador with a single message, “Restore the government or you will see a blockade similar to that of Cuba.” The Ecuadoreans conceded and the Vice President took office.

In the meantime, the deposed President, Yamil Mahuat, was granted a visa to the USA, permanent US residency and a teaching post at Harvard University where he taught government. This is just one of many events that happen in developing nations.

Politics is the proper arena of the lay person. It is our role to remain informed of the issues that drive people to flee their countries and to press our leaders to work toward building the Kingdom of God on Earth, not the kingdom of power and unbridled greed. A Christian people cannot dance with and fight the devil at the same time.

 

[rlg94086]

Er… I have bad news for you. Unless you are a descendant of one of the indigenous peoples of North America, then you are not an American. You are, by your own reporting, Irish/Italnian. Just the fact that you were born here doesn’t magically change your ethnicity. You are still Irish/Italian. So I hope that you plan to build that fence with you on the outside, because you don’t have any more right to be here than any other immigrant.

Signed,

The Proud Anglo-Celt living in America

LOL… I don’t agree with RomanCrusader, but you have got to be kidding! My family has been here on both sides since the 1600s, if you go back in a straight line; however, my ethnicity? Mutt.
My ancestors are German, Irish, Sioux, Spanish, English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch, etc.

These are the ones I know of…and yes, one of my great, great grandmothers was Sioux…do I qualify as an American?

Also, my wife’s ethnicity is primarily Filipina with some Chinese. What does that make my children? Are they or aren’t they Americans? What ethnicity would you pick to hyphenate them?

 

[Pong]

Your children may have been born in America, but they, like you and your wife, are of whatever ethnicities you have previously listed.

 

[LCMS_No_More]

If I may, I would like to address this issue from a Catholic perspective; I’m assuming that those of us who are reading this are interested in this issue not only as a national issue, but we’re also interested in doing what God wants of us.

I had the great honour of living and serving in several developing countries in Latin America, before returning home. What I saw not only saddened me, but also moved me to embrace our Catholic identity with a global sense.

It is no secret that political corruption reigns in many developing nations. It’s almost a way of life. However, what many Christians in the USA are never told is about the good people who are crushed under the wheels of oppressive regimes often supported by the government of the USA and by Corporate America.

It is easy to say that the younger generations of the developing countries have to fix their own problems. It is far more difficult to do so when you have nations where there is not separation between the army and the police. Of course, the army’s allegiance is to the reigning political leader.

I remember being in Ecuador on Feb 11, 2000 when a coup de stat broke out. Four million Native Americans out of a population of 12 million had walked into the capitol city of Quito. Without firing a single shot they took over the Congress and the Supreme Court. The President was secretly escorted out of the country. The issue? The President has absconded with more than $30 million US dollars and made them disappear, while unemployment was up to 60%. In those days $300 US dollars could feed a family of three for a month. In the meantime, the President had also allowed major US and Canadian corporations to buy extensive farmlands at very low prices. This land was used by poor farmers to feed their families.

Ecuador is the world’s first supplier of bananas and the second in shrimp. Suddenly, the shrimp farms and the banana plantations were in the hands of a few wealthy power brokers, many of them Americans. These power brokers avoided paying proper taxes and employee benefits by lining the pockets of the President.

Fed up with years of poverty, working their lands only to see the profit go into the hands of a few locals and many foreigners, the working class which consisted mostly of Native Americans, marched on the capitol and took over the government. In 24 hours the USA discharged Ambassador Peter Romero to Ecuador with a single message, “Restore the government or you will see a blockade similar to that of Cuba.” The Ecuadoreans conceded and the Vice President took office.

In the meantime, the deposed President, Yamil Mahuat, was granted a visa to the USA, permanent US residency and a teaching post at Harvard University where he taught government. This is just one of many events that happen in developing nations.

Politics is the proper arena of the lay person. It is our role to remain informed of the issues that drive people to flee their countries and to press our leaders to work toward building the Kingdom of God on Earth, not the kingdom of power and unbridled greed. A Christian people cannot dance with and fight the devil at the same time.

What? The US isn’t only a power for Good and every other country a power for Evil? How dare you?

 

[rlg94086]

Your children may have been born in America, but they, like you and your wife, are of whatever ethnicities you have previously listed.

So, they are German-Dutch-Filipino-Anglo-Chinese-Irish-Scottish-Spanish-Etc-Native-Americans. Got it. I don’t know how you fit that on a form though.

Ethnicity is not important in my life. Nationality is more important to me. You can call yourself whatever you want, but we are Americans - anyone, born or nationalized. I’m not any more or less American than someone whose parents immigrated here from Mexico, China or India. I think it is sad that you feel hyphenations are important.

 

[Pong]

I think it is sad that you feel hyphenations are important.

I think it’s sad that you feel that nationality is more important than ethnicity, but we get to disagree. I’m personally very proud of my Anglo background…

 

[JReducation]

American is not an ethnic label. In fact, American has different meanings. One can be an American because one is a citizen of the United States. Citizens of the Americas are also Americans.

If you check your passport, under citizenship, it does not say American. It says USA. If you go to Washington, you find the OAS (Organization of American States) this organization includes the USA and every other sovereign nation in the Americas.

I’m not sure why it’s suddenly so important to establish an American ethnicity. Almost every nation on Earth has more than one ethnic group. Ethnic heritage is not the same as national origin.

Current law in the USA recognizes as a citizen of the USA anyone born in the USA or anyone born outside the USA to citizens of the USA provided that the birth is recorded at the local US embassy within a specific amount of time. They keep changing this rule, so I don’t know how much time you have and what are the circumstances required.

I know that my son was born in Italy and is considered a natural born American. His birth was registered at the local embassy within four days. He can even run for president. God help us!

I believe the issue of this thread is what should be the Catholic response to the immigration problem. Ethnicity has less to do with the problem than justice and our commitment to the poor as Christ calls for in the Gospels. In addition, we have a moral obligation to protect innocent residents of our country from harm that may come across our borders.

This means that we have to put forth Catholic solutions to this problem. These are solutions based on ecclesiology, moral law, mercy, justice and charity. We must also remain attentive to our own nation’s role in creating the problem. While we have little voice in someone else’s government, we still have a voice in our own.

This may not be part of the OP, but there is a historical precedent that may be helpful here. In 1948 the USA and many other nations declined a large number of Jewish immigrants from Europe. The USA and the UK crafted out a Jewish state, which passed in the UN.

The point is this, if we can team up with other nations to solve an immigration problem once, why can’t we do it again? I don’t have the solution; but I believe that we have the brain power and the influence to bring other people to the table. Why aren’t we using this intelligence? Isn’t this a more Christian approach than breeding bigotry and discrimination?

 

[rlg94086]

I think it’s sad that you feel that nationality is more important than ethnicity, but we get to disagree. I’m personally very proud of my Anglo background…

Why shouldn’t I think being an American is more important?

Which background should I be more proud of? Which background should my children be more proud of? It may be easy for someone whose parents or grandparents are recent immigrants, but I don’t see your point. What is my ethnicity? Should I call myself Native American because my Great-Great-Grandmother was Sioux? Should my kids say they are Germans because my Grandmother was German…even though my eldest looks more Filipino than anything else? Or should he call himself a Filipino-American and deny over half of his ancestory? My kids would feel just as much at home in the Philippines as I would.