Are Hispanics the only ethnic group speaking out about immigration?

No

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by Marea E. Johnson

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While I don't think Hispanics are the ONLY ethnic group speaking out about immigration, I DO feel their efforts are the ones that are most widely publicized.

We now have more Hispanics living in this country than ever before in history. Record numbers of individuals are committing the "horrible crime" of wanting to feed their families.

I am so tired of hearing lazy Americans, regardless of their ethnicity, complaining about "all of the jobs" that are being taken by immigrants, primarily Mexicans. There are very few "Americans" that I know of that are willing to work for $2.00 an hour. If there were, we wouldn't keep hiring immigrant workers. In fact, our citizens are so spoiled that they think they're "too good" to attain employment if it "only pays minimum wage".

Do you know how many people in this world would "kill" to have a "minimum wage" paying job? Millions!

There's a very simple answer to the reasons mostly Hispanics (primarily Mexicans) seem to be the only group speaking out about immigration; wouldn't immigration laws be YOUR top priority if you're living in a country that forces most of its citizens to live in abject poverty, and the only thing stopping you and your family from eating is a chain link fence? I don't think the average American has any idea of what these men, women, and children go through just to have access to food, water, shelter, and work; all things we Americans take for granted! Do you think these people come over here on an air-conditioned bus, or by plane? Hardly! These people are taking a HUGE risk by trying to come to the States. Most are stuffed like sardines into trucks with no ventilation, with no food or water, and forced to relieve themselves on one another. Many die of heat stroke and suffocation. Many never even get CLOSE to the border. Many are abandoned in the desert after having saved for years and years, what to them is A LOT of money, and left wandering in the blistering heat for days with no water. A lot of them die after being abandoned by the "coyotes" (people who sneak them into the country). They tell them to wait in the desert and they will return when its "safe". But they never do go back and the majority of these people will have suffered greatly, lost every cent they ever worked for, and be deported; but those are the "lucky" ones; the ones who escaped death. But because the will to survive is so great in us as humans, most will continue to make that perilous journey.

I think its a tragedy that the "government" of ANY country can decide where one will, or will not, live out their life. How can ANY government deny the residency of a hungry, homeless, desperate person who has sacrificed their life savings just to be able to feed their families? Its not a matter of law, its basic human nature; the will to survive.

Maybe if Mexico and the United States didn't have such impossible standards regarding foreigners who would like to reside and work here, there wouldn't be such a drain on the country's resources, as we would then be able to document workers and deduct from them, the necessary taxes taken from every resident, citizen or not, to keep our country running fairly and efficiently.

Nobody owns this earth, and each and every person, as long as they are a productive, contributing, law abiding resident, should be able to freely come and go and live and work in the country of their choosing; it would be a benefit to all, and put to an end to what has been a long, frustrating, and unfruitful endeavor; trying to keep starving people on the other side of the border.

Those of us who had the LUCK of being born in this country, have no more right to it than a "non-citizen" does. Being born in this country was no more our doing than the color of our skin; we can neither take credit for it, nor assign blame.

I hope Hispanics will forge ahead and continue to hold their rallies, which are ALWAYS peaceful and respectful, and fight for the rights that should not just be reserved for "citizens", but for "humans" everywhere.

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