Prayer

And now we come to the end... It's been quite the semester. I have learned quite a lot about our society, and have formed relationships with some of its newest members. I am now about to step out of the bubble of my private Christian liberal arts school, and into the world of the rich and the poor, the homeless and the mansion-dwellers, the hungry and the over-fed, the successful, the hopeful, the well-established... and the failures, the hopeless, and the immigrants. I will graduate from a hugely expensive university with little but a tiny scrap of paper to show for it (which society tells me that I need), and the learning which that paper represents (which is of much more value. Priceless, in fact).
America, to me, means consumerism, a house in the suburbs, and a life in the rat race. It also means exploitation of the 3rd world, atrocities carried out in the name of democracy, and a military force larger than that of the rest of the world combined. Sorry for the judgment and cynicism. I realize that other countries would probably be no better if they had as much power as we... All of that to say; I think the best way to end this series of blogs is with a prayer.

May God lead us away from arrogance and hypocrisy and towards humility. May God give us the strength to give up our greed and spread the wealth to those who truly need it. May America give up the idolatry of Nationalism and instead seek the God of Truth who shows up in the faces of our brothers and sisters all over the world. May we move away from individualism and toward community, building relationships of love with those we used to ignore or despise. May we pull away from our television sets long enough to recognize and respond to the ill-effects of the non-committal sex and mindless violence with which our culture is unhealthily saturated. May we be a people who seek justice for the poor and helpless. May we learn to love laughter and peace. May we lead the way in laying down our weapons (or turning them into farm equipment). May my skepticism be proven wrong.
Amen.

A Hard Knock Life for the Undocumented

I have interviewed about 4 undocumented immigrants now, as well as several other people who have connections with them. They all have pretty similar stories. They all came to America in search of a better life, they all attempted to cross the border several times before actually succeeding, and they all agree that life actually is better here, even though it contains racism, fear of the immigration police, and trouble finding work (you can find excerpts of these interviews on my journalism class's website, which I will post soon).

Our immigration policies, instead of welcoming immigrants into our country with open arms, make it nearly impossible for most people to become naturalized citizens. In order to become a citizen of the US, you have to either be a genius, or very very lucky. So, naturally, many people come illegally. Instead of having fear of those who we label as "illegal," I propose that we build relationships with them and welcome them as guests. They are real people, created in God's image, with feelings, hopes and dreams. We must petition our government to make it easier for people to become naturalized, and simultaneously we must help build up other countries so that their citizens won't have as much motivation to leave. Let us be a part of the solution to illegal immigration, not part of the problem.

Immigration Myths

Many people get upset at undocumented immigrants because they supposedly mooch off of tax money that should rightfully go to the rest of us. The truth is, undocumented immigrants often own their own houses or rent their own apartments, and so they end up paying a lot in property taxes. Additionally, those who work under false identities, with false social security numbers, are paying a lot of money for unemployment benefits that they will never be able to collect. So in reality, they are subsidizing the system, not stealing from it. So why do we get so worked up about illegal immigrants? Often it is because we are afraid that they are stealing our jobs. However, in an economy like the one we've got right now, it is the most vulnerable who suffer, and right now, undocumented immigrants are the most vulnerable. They are the ones losing their jobs, and are getting cheated by employers who take advantage of their undocumented status. We are also ignoring the fact that we are the ones who put them out of jobs in the first place. We created thousands of unemployed Mexican farmers by flooding Mexican markets with cheap US corn. We subsidize our exported corn so much that there is no way Mexican farmers can compete. So, since there is no point in growing crops at home, they come across the border and help us harvest our crops here. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Yet we make it nearly impossible for them to come legally, and when they attempt to come illegally, we build big walls which force them to go through the often lethal desert in order to get around. The border between the US and Mexico has claimed thousands of lives. All because of greed and fear.

Soccer Therapy

So I've decided that I need to develop my soccer skills. Most of the world is crazy about soccer, and the US seems to be one of the only countries that somehow missed the bug. Soccer builds bridges. When you are in a foreign country and have no idea what to talk to people about, soccer is a pretty safe bet. An even better bet would be to find a ball and start kicking it around. Soccer transcends language, culture, and even race.

The other day I was reading in a park on the "wrong side" of town. I don't know who labeled that side of town the "wrong side," but I rather enjoy it over there. There were about 12 Hispanic guys in their 30s and 40s who were kicking a soccer ball nearby. I decided to set my book down and watch them play for awhile. After a few minutes they finished warming up and started setting up goalposts. One of the guys kept looking in my direction. Finally he turned to one of his friends and asked "Invitamos este? Pienso que quiere jugar." His friend shrugged. A few seconds later the guy turned to me and yelled "Hey you! Wanna play?"

It was a great game. And probably the most fun I've had in a long time. I really suck at soccer, but I tried hard, and the guys were forgiving. At the end of the match, we parted ways with smiles on our hearts, and I walked off in the bright sunshine laughing to myself. Maybe I can be a part of healing the racial divide.... one soccer game at a time.

Roots of Racism

Remember your high school cafeteria? Most of the kids who didn't speak English very well sat together, away from everyone else. It was probably the easiest thing for them to do. It takes a lot of courage to interact with people in a language other than your own. Sometimes it's nice to just hang out with people who understand you for awhile.

It was also very easy for the rest of us, who were born into this culture, to let those kids be isolated. It takes a lot of effort to try to understand someone who is so different from you.

So... both groups failed to initiate interactions with the "other," and continued to perpetuate segregation. We all knew in our heads that racism is wrong. In fact, we most likely never thought of ourselves as racist. We were just taking the easy road of non-interaction.

Thinking back, I wish we had done things differently. You see, it is that innocent separation that allows the fear of the "other" to sprout. Why is it so easy to create stereotypes? Why is it so easy to blame the "other" for societal problems that we are all responsible for? If we were to make an effort to engage; if we were to learn to care, we would soon see that all our fears are unfounded. People are people, no matter what the differences. Dare we be different? Dare we step outside of ourselves and extend our hands toward the "other?"

A Land of Immigrants

Today's USA has been shaped primarily by Immigrants from Europe. The country's government, constitution, and economic structure all stem from European ideas and ideals. The previous inhabitants of the land had absolutely no say in the country's foundational decisions. Instead, they were systematically killed, or forced to leave. The treatment of Native Americans by European settlers fully conforms to the current UN definition of genocide. They were not given citizenship and voting rights until 1924, and those rights were not fully enforced until the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

With this history of immigration in mind, today's immigration issues take on a rather different light. As kids we were taught to be proud of our immigrant past, and the atrocities that our forefathers committed were not dwelt on. We were told that we live in a land of opportunity, where anybody can make it big... especially poor penniless immigrants. We were told that we live in a melting pot of cultures (though many today prefer to call it a salad or a stew), with all the world represented by our one single nation. We were told we live in the greatest country on earth. So... what's with all the hysteria these days about immigration? In recent years, this has become one of the most heated debates in the nation. There is a lot of anger surrounding this issue, particularly towards Mexican immigrants. Why are we who are so proud to be the descendants of pioneers so adamant about refusing to allow any more people in to our country? Isn't our stance a tiny bit hypocritical?

Over the next few weeks I will be exploring the issue of immigration a little more in depth, examining questions about racism, fear, nationalism, etc. I will also be interviewing several people with differing points of view on the subject.

America

by: Luis

Intro:

I have been wondering to myself; what does it mean to be an American, what is it that makes people want to become one, and why are they resented worldwide?

I have been given the opportunity to explore these questions in depth. I have always wondered what people think about the American dream and the meaning of America, and also what people are willing to do to become Americans.

Before I can continue with my research, I must first stop and think and define in my own mind what America is to me.

America is the land of opportunity; the "land of the free:"

To me, America truly is the land of opportunity. I was not born here, and my family, like many others, had to make the journey here from my home country. We came here looking to build a future. I have lived in the United States for 15 years now, and have become a part of this society. My love for this nation has made it my new home, and I feel indebted to this country for the opportunities that have been presented to me. I say "presented" and not "given," because this nation is the land of opportunity where a man has the opportunity to fight for his future.
:
Some people have the misconception that in America opportunities are just handed over to people, which is not the case. I have had to fight for everything that I have accomplished up til now. I have had to make an effort to stand out. I give thanks to this nation for those chances that I have been given. I look at what I could have been if I were to have stayed in my country and realize that I would have been a different man. This nation is a place where a person of my simple upbringings can fight for a place in society of equality and freedom; where a person like me can work hard to someday become someone. My parents brought me here in hopes of fulfilling that dream, and their hard work and sacrifice are what pushes me forward.

In my home country it is hard to overcome obstacles. Though we have free university, the drive to study is not really pushed on to the young people. It is a different culture. Corruption in the government (and society in general) holds generations of people down; not allowing them to grow or succeed. My parents saw this threat and brought me here to this nation; where with hard work, I have come to the place I am today.