|
Immigration and Me—And You! When we moved to South Philadelphia, I began teaching English to immigrants, mostly Hispanic, working with Sr. Maria Lauren Donohue, MSBT of the South Philadelphia Hispanic Ministry. Not only has it been a most rewarding experience, but it has also given me the opportunity to meet and get to know some of the people who have come to bring new life to America. I have also been witness to the many difficulties some of them have encountered, difficulties manifest in some of the myths and misunderstandings that have grown up around the issue of immigration. The prosaic dictionary definition of immigrant—“one who leaves a country to settle permanently in another”—hides the emotional human story. Leaving one’s homeland for any reason—to flee religious persecution, to search for a better life, to earn money to send to the family, to escape devastating war or civil unrest—is a tearing up of roots and a movement toward an uncertain future. Those wrenched from an accustomed way of life are at their most vulnerable and in need of help on many levels. It is for this reason that Cardinal Roger Mahoney, in a recent interview in The National Catholic Reporter, calls immigration “very much a pro-life issue concerning the respect and the rights we give to these people.” America has, since its earliest days, been a nation of immigrants. The pilgrims came fleeing religious persecution and they set a pattern for those who followed. Later others came fleeing famine and oppression. All of us are descendents of immigrants and each of us enjoys benefits that were hard won by our ancestors. The Americanization of the immigrant was a dominant theme in American novels of the early 20th century. Novelists like Willa Cather, Ole Rolvaag, Betty Smith, James T. Farrell, Mario Puzo, Edwin O’Connor gave the reading public vivid pictures of the lives of these immigrants as they moved into the mainstream of American life. Although the films the 1930s and 1940s often used stereotypes, they did show close family relationships and allowed a much wider audience to understand the trials and triumphs of our ancestors. We take great pride in our ancestors who came and not only built the country but who also fought for its freedom. However, several factors have cast a darker shadow on immigration: the influx of immigrants in the last two decades, both legal and illegal; the concern for security after 9/11; and recent events like the raids in Postville, Iowa and Norristown, Pa. America, the nation of immigrants, faces a problem of almost epic dimensions as it tries to deal with an immigration policy that is confused, complicated and almost bankrupt. Communities across the nation are divided, particularly communities in the states bordering Mexico, but also throughout the country. Immigrants, seeking better schools and less expensive housing, have moved into small towns throughout America. Lacking a clear federal policy, cities and states have attempted to pass immigration ordinances that are constitutionally questionable and, at times, excessive. While we are waiting for the reform of this system, we should talk to people and combat the many false myths current among many people, myths detailed in reports from the Migration and Refugee Services of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since I have worked primarily with Hispanic/Latino immigrants, most of whom are legal, I will focus on their stories. However, I believe that these stories can be replicated in the lives of other immigrant groups—Laotian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, Albanian, Cambodian and others. Myth # 1
Immigrants Don’t Want to Learn English This is the myth behind the famous sign in a South Philadelphia eatery. If you want your cheesesteak “wid,” order in English. Believe me, my students know that if they want to succeed in America, they have to learn the language. And language is the key into the culture. Indeed, many of the people I teach attend classes despite great personal difficulties. And their individual stories give the lie to the myth. Eduardo (the names have been changed) sometimes finishes work in New Jersey at 3:30 a.m. and is in class at 10:00 a.m., at times a little groggy but always anxious to practice speaking. Pilar finishes her job cleaning offices late at night, gets up early to get her children to school or, in the summer, to day care, and is in class on time. Manuel and Pablo come to class on Friday because that is the only day they are free. Juan comes on Monday because that is the day he is off work. Many of them, when they are not in class, work on the exercises in our text, and then stay after class to go over them with me. And there are countless stories like these, immigrants who have committed themselves to learning the language of the country and learning about its culture. In Philadelphia, classes are offered throughout the day and night. Classes are offered through Catholic Social Services, Community College of Philadelphia, The Free Library, The Nationalities Service Center, The Welcoming Center, the YMCA and many religious, ethnic and cultural societies. Go to The Welcoming Center web site (www.welcomingcenter.org/), click on “Learn English,” and you will be guided to the multitude of sites where English is taught. Often, demand for English classes exceeds the availability because there is a need for teachers. Myth #2 — The New Immigrants are Different from Our Immigrant Ancestors. Another persistent myth is that, in some ways, the new immigrants are different from our ancestors. History tells us that, in the 19th century, one of the great periods of immigration to America, immigrants tended to live in ethnocentric areas, to develop ethnic businesses and newspapers, and, especially with the older population, to hold on to their native language and customs. Many of these are the claims made against present day immigrants—they have strange food and customs, they all live in the same areas, when they move in, property values go down etc., etc., etc. Father Gary Pacitti, pastor of Annunciation Church in South Philadelphia, preparing his mostly Italian congregation to welcome the Hispanic community, reminded them that Annunciation was originally built for and by a predominantly Irish immigrant population. The area then was one of the poorest in Philadelphia, crime-ridden, an area of unskilled workers and squalid living conditions. As described in Philadelphia: A 300-Year History (Russell F. Weigley, ed.) these “slums were not tenements but narrow alleys and dark courtyards of tiny three-story houses known as Trinity ... houses, one room to a floor. Jammed together, the houses had little light or air, lacked sewerage and adequate water supply, smelt of humanity and decay.” And the Irish were not accepted. Dennis Clark’s seminal work The Irish in Philadelphia describes the reaction against the newcomers—the squalid living conditions, the menial jobs, the sickness and the riots and church burnings. In time, as the Irish assimilated into American culture and gained some political clout, they moved out of the area and the Italians moved in. And the story of the newest immigrants repeated itself. These newer immigrants took the hardest jobs, the jobs no one else would do, worked hard and began establishing businesses catering to the community. The Italian Market was the place for these immigrants to find authentic Italian staples. And, it is now this population that needs to welcome the newest immigrants—the Hispanic Community. Throughout the course of a few months, Father Pacitti, with true pastoral concern for all, carefully helped his flock to realize their Christian duty toward the newcomers. And now in Annunciation Church there is a shrine to Padre Pio and a shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Patroness of the Americas. And each Sunday, there is a mass in Spanish. What all three of these immigrant groups have in common is a set of values that revolve around family, faith and community. If history tells us anything, it tells us that each new group of immigrants was originally met with suspicion, doubt, and anger. It also tells us that in the end for the Irish and the Italians, each group was accepted, assimilated and, eventually, celebrated. Myth #3
Immigrants Don’t Pay Taxes and Live on Welfare Like most people living in America, immigrants pay taxes at the local, state and federal levels. No shopper in Philadelphia can escape the local and state sales taxes. Rent payments enable landlords to pay property taxes. A tax study by Immigration Forum indicated that immigrants pay “between $90 and $140 billion a year in federal, state and local taxes.” The study also stated that “undocumented immigrants do pay income taxes as indicated by the ‘suspense file’ (taxes that cannot be matched to workers’ names and social security numbers), which grew by $20 billion during the 1990s.” Immigrant businesses contribute further to the overall economy not only by paying taxes but also by offering employment. During the 1990s, immigrants were a source for workers in both high and low skill areas, contributing to what was then a thriving economy. One study prepared by Northeastern University for the New England Regional Office of the US Department of Labor indicated that “the net benefit of immigration to the US is nearly $10 billion yearly.” Immigrants come to America to work. Stories within the communities recount how people who started as dishwashers have become waiters or managers or even restaurant owners; people who began mowing lawns have become supervisors. Hard work is not something they shirk. They do not like to be dependent. In 1996 the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act reduced government benefits available to immigrants. Illegal immigrants are not eligible for government benefits except emergency medical care, immunization and disaster relief. A study by the Friends Committee on National Legislation states “the ratio between immigrant use of public benefits and the amount of taxes they pay is consistently favorable to the U.S.” The immigrants I teach are hard-working people, willing to take jobs no one else wants and willing to work long hours. In this they are typical of the greater majority of immigrants. Myth # 4 Most Immigrants
Enter America Illegally According to the Department of Homeland Security “around 75% of today’s immigrants have legal permanent immigrant visas; of the 25% that are undocumented, 40% overstayed temporary (non-immigrant) visas.” During the great waves of immigration in the 19th and early 20th centuries, admission to the United States was contingent on interviews, medical exams and proof that the immigrant would not be a burden on society. While there were those who wished to stem the tide, especially of Asian and Southern Mediterranean people, there were no official laws or sanctions against people, except the 1875 Law prohibiting the entry of Chinese contract laborers. Immigrants came into Castle Garden and later Ellis Island in New York by the thousands or they entered through ports of entry in the east and west coasts and the Canadian border. And across the Rio Grande into Texas swept multitudes of Mexican immigrants to work in the dirtiest jobs in the beet sugar fields, the cotton fields, the oil fields. Now, however, entry into the United States is more restricted. There are two major pathways into the country: those who have green cards (Lawful Permanent Residents) and those with temporary visas (tourists, diplomats, temporary agricultural workers, students, intracompany workers). The first group may apply for citizenship after completing the residency requirements; the second group is not eligible for citizenship and must leave when their visas expire. Statistics from Homeland Security state that the United States admits about 900,000 legal immigrants each year (0.3% of the U.S. population) and the State Department issues about 5 million visas for temporary admission. The top three countries for Lawful Permanent Residents are Mexico, India and the Philippines, accounting for one third of all Lawful Permanent Residents. Not allowed into the country under any circumstances are those convicted of a felony; those who have a history of drug abuse; those who have infectious diseases (e.g. HIV, TB) and those who may become a public charge. These are also grounds for deportation for anyone who has entered the country illegally. I asked how easy is it for a person from a small city like Puebla, Mexico or residents of even smaller villages, to get a tourist visa? I learned that it is a major accomplishment. Potential tourists must prove they have land in their name, or a significant amount of money in the bank or hold a position that would ensure their return to Mexico. Visas, of course, are issued in Mexico City and thus the application and all the paper work must be delivered there and the individual or individuals must also appear there. If an applicant is fully eligible, the State Department may issue a three-month visa. For a Mexican to get a green card is almost impossible. For poor farmers or villagers, the pathway for legal immigration is slow and costly. They must travel long distances from their village, fill out multiple forms, and wait long hours to be interviewed. Add to this the loss of a day’s wages and the cost becomes more than most poor people can afford. For poor people desperate for work, America is a land offering opportunity to work, to earn money to send back to family. The inability to find legal means to enter can lead to a desperate trek through dangerous desert guided by a coyote who charges exorbitant amounts of money. As one man said, “It was either pay the coyote and try to get to America or stay in Mexico and watch my children starve.” Films like El Norte and Maria, Full of Grace detail the horrors of the attempts to gain entry illegally to America. The people on these perilous trips suffer, they die; they are exploited; they lose their human rights. And if they make it to America, they are destined to live a life of worry and fear of being apprehended and deported. What Can We
Individual Do? ►
Volunteer to tutor immigrants in English. The Center for
Literacy (215-474-1235) offers training and guidance for first timers. You do
not have to be fluent in another language (I have found that some basic
phrases can be very useful) but you do have to have patience. ►
Contact your congresspersons, senators
and state representatives about immigration. We need to enlist their support
for a comprehensive reform of the immigration policy, including among other
things border security, but also a guest worker program with a pathway to
citizenship, more pathways to citizenship, and, a fine and a pathway to
citizenship for those who have been living and working in the United States
but who came in illegally. ►
Ask the candidates for President to flesh out their
platforms for immigration reform. ►
If you haven’t done it already, research your own family
story, a story of immigration, a story rich in how your ancestors — we are
all descendents of immigrants — were motivated to
come to America and to build a life here. The Mid-Atlantic Office of the
National Archives on Chestnut Street is an invaluable source of information.
Rediscovering our own immigrant roots, we will really know that it is not Us vs
Them; we are all brothers and sisters. In the pastoral letter, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope, the Bishops of both Mexico and United States remind us that we must “seek to awaken our peoples to the mysterious presence of the crucified and risen Lord in the person of the immigrant and to renew in them the values of the Kingdom of God that He proclaimed. We judge ourselves as a community of faith by the way we treat the most vulnerable among us.” How do we treat our fellow immigrants? John F. Ennis |