And Justice For All

In the past week I have read more than one article aimed at the Hispanic population. It seems that we are now the biggest threat this country has ever had. I have been living in the United States since 1973; I was 13 years old when I was brought over from Mexico City to live in Los Angeles, California.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to show me that I was now in a strange land, with a strange language and different customs, coming from the big city that is Mexico I was not shocked at the size of the City of Los Angeles. Yes we were once living here illegally, yes we broke the law by living here illegally, but not once in our wildest dreams we ever thought of ourselves as criminals. All my dad wanted to do was to give us a better chance at surviving by living in America than if we would have stayed in Mexico. I will never stop thanking my father for having the guts and the drive to do what he did. He left his family and his country to search for the American dream for his wife and children.

Our example is one of millions I'm sure. But rest assured nothing comes free in this land, I remember getting my first permit that granted me the chance to live here without deportation, at the age of 16. Being deported was the least of my worries but now I had the assurance of knowing that deportation would not be in my immediate future.

Thanks to the Amnesty of 1986, I was able to request my residency. It took almost five years and an endless amount of paperwork and money to supply all the required forms, pictures, fingerprints, medical reports, etc, etc, etc. but finally in 1992 I was granted permanent residency.

I was now ready for the next step; I needed to become a US Citizen. So again we filed for citizenship and again it was a long and costly process, full of hurdles and requirements. Finally in the year 2000 on September the 18th (My birthday) I became a citizen of the United States of America and a legal voter. So it took well over 14 years for the whole process to be complete.

There is no legal way to come into the United States, if you can come here legally you don't need to be here, chances are you have the necessary money and meet the requirements to get a visa. Most people that can come here legally are probably well off and can afford vacations and or to have their children come here to get an education (Just look at all the Hispanic celebrities living in Miami). If there was such a thing as "the legal" way, you think emigrants would risk their lives crossing a desert. Many don't make it and that's the ultimate price to pay for trying to better your way of life.

So yesterday, I read in the newspaper that Arizona wants to pass a law that makes English the state's official language. Do they think we don't know this already, will passing such a law make thousands of immigrants magically speak the language? Come on wake up and smell the coffee. It's hard enough for immigrants to just survive to be concerned about what our official language is. Bottom line is, if I need to convey a message, I will find a way to do it even if it means bringing my official translators.

Second article I read was on the "letters" section of the newspaper. A Caucasian woman was upset and venting because even though she filled the requirements for a position, she didn't get the job which instead was given to a Hispanic woman whom also met the qualifications and was bilingual, the position was at a school on a border town with a predominantly Hispanic population. The Hispanic woman was American and obviously more qualified but to this other woman she was "The stupid wetback" that took her job.

Third article, a woman vowed to never go to a fast food restaurant because all the staff were Spanish speaking and she claimed she couldn't understand them. I personally think this woman will have to cook home from now on; even fancy restaurants in the best neighborhoods employ a huge amount of Hispanic workers.

Last article came to me via a motorcycle newsletter that I subscribe to. On May 1st millions of Hispanics took the day off and marched requesting some form of emigration reform, I took the day off and the warehouse staff decided to do the same, the next day we were all called into the office and were written up. We were told to and let me quote "Let the politics for the politicians", it didn't matter that three of us have been with the company over 15 years.

The motorcycle article suggested that all bikers assemble at a local dealership and rally by riding to the Mexican Embassy to counter the previous emigrant marches. I'm a biker, and I am a patriot and I'm also American but this is one ride I would not participate in. I cannot forget where I came from; I cannot forget my roots so when only 24 motorcycles showed up they called it disappointing. What did they expect?

Well my biker buddies are at it again, they want to send a loud and clear message to all "illegals"to let them know they are not welcomed here, so they have now organized another ride which supposedly will go through the corridors that illegal emigrants use to come in, and they will be the two wheeled minute men. Good luck to them, although the only loudness in this ride will be the rumble of their pipes. I truly hope the only bikes that show up belong to the organizers.

So there I vented, I'm not into politics but enough with the name calling. I'm all for securing the borders, I'm all for deporting those who get caught, you know we'll be back anyway. I'm all for building a fence to separate the U.S. from Mexico, truly I'm all for that, but remember that where there's a will, there's a way. All I'm asking is stop already with the name calling and the hate; after all we are not a different race because we are all members of the human race.

PEACE!