Immigration

I wonder where I fit in on this whole Immigration thing. I am a HUGE fan of Immigrants. They work harder than most Americans. They still believe in the American Dream. Many of them are very successful. I’d like to know how many Americans work for Immigrants (in jobs created by someone born in another nation).

I think one of the best solutions to the ‘Illegal Immigrant Problem’ is to increase the quotas, so more can come to America Legally. (to be honest, other than logistics, I’m not sure why we have quotas) You can’t call it a jobs issue. Most people I know who don’t have jobs, won’t work the jobs most known illegals take. On the other hand, for those of you without a job, quit looking and create your own job. Then find some other people to work for you. Put another way, Quit looking for a job and start creating them. Yet another way, Quit depending on someone else and start letting others depend on you.

Personally I think of many immigrants as Heroes. It takes a lot of courage to take your family someplace where you don’t speak the language. You don’t know anyone. The culture is very different than yours. The laws are so different, you never know if you are breaking them. You don’t know what your “rights” are. There is a lot that we take for granted that make life very difficult for an immigrant. It’s simple things like going to the doctor. Enrolling your kids in school. Driving a car when you can’t read the street signs. Have you gotten insurance lately? What do you suppose it is like to have to get car, home or health insurance, when there is no such thing as insurance in your home country. It’s a truly foreign concept. Then try to understand all the ins and outs and options of insurance policies. To put yourself and your family through that, just for the Hope (no guarantee) that you can create a better life for your family. In my book that makes you a HERO.

I would ask yourself what you can do to help. Americans should start putting out the ‘Welcome Mat’ for immigrants. By that I mean a couple of different things. 1)Volunteer to help them learn English. Stop saying that They” should speak English and start teaching them. 2) Learn another language yourself. That way while they are learning English you can still communicate with them. 3) Just be neighborly. Say “Hi” to them. Take them some cookies when they move into the neighborhood. One of my best friends is an immigrant. When he and I met, because I volunteered to teach English, he couldn’t understand a word I said. Now he speaks pretty good English. He is looked at as a leader in the company where he works. His wife is about to complete her degree from a major university. He will be starting toward a degree soon. Our kids are best friends. All this, and when we met, we couldn’t even communicate because of the language barrier.

Where do I stand on Immigration. I am Completely and Entirely for it. I understand that everyone needs to be ‘documented’. I really struggle with the idea of just documenting those that are here unlawfully. It’s not right or fair to reward someone for breaking the law. I can’t say that I am for Amnesty. I also can’t say that I’m for sending them all home and never letting them back into the country. They’re here. They are managing to obtain food, shelter and the other necessities of life. So obviously our economy can sustain them. I see know reason that they shouldn’t be here except that the immigration quotas are not large enough for them all to come in to America as legal and documented. I say, “Set an extra place at the table and invite them in.”

The best option I can come up with that takes into account the logistics is to ‘drastically’ increase the quotas from the countries where the ‘Illegals’ are from. Maybe for a year or two. Make them file for immigration, work visas etc. from within their own country. This would hopefully encourage many of them to leave and return in a Legal manner. Let companies who have illegals currently working for them create a policy that would give theses people time off to go home, come back legally and still have their job when they get back. Then the company would not have to pay to retrain a good employee.

These are some of my thoughts on Immigration. Let me know if you agree or disagree, and then what politician or party feels the same way.