This article, however, provides a delightful counterpoint to the hysteria...
Just another generation gap: “My stepdad says, ‘Why do I have to press 1 for English?’ I think that’s ridiculous,” Ms. Vespia said, referring to the common instruction on customer-service lines. “It’s not that big of a deal. Quit crying about it. Press the button.”
It made me laugh because I've had this conversation with other folks sharing part or all of my situation: "why is it that my supportive, accepting, hippie parent -- you know, who raised me to embrace difference, be a 'citizen of the world,' and eat carob -- is so freaked out about my undocumented boyfriend from [insert Latin American country]?!"
I guess there are things that even the 60s and 70s didn't prepare our square ol' parents to deal with, particularly proximity to the fruition of their espoused ideals...
But -- to take a leaf from their playbook -- "it's getting better all the time... (can't get much worse)!"
Read that this morning....and had exactly the same thoughts! Ok oldies...time to branch out of your typical information sources and find out what's really going on!
ReplyDeleteAnd when is someone going to write an article about the hundreds (thousands...I have no idea) of couples in our situation? Most people I know just think that if you marry an American, you are legal (to be honest I didn't really understand until after we got married).
In my opinion, and in my own experience, most of those "oldies" are simply out of touch/don't know the current immigration laws. I don't blame them for it, really. They have busy lives. But absolutely there is a huge disconnect.
But I'm happy to see more in the news about it =)
I love the article by the huffington post. so many people dont realize that these "illegal immigrants" aren't destroying their country, aren't bringing in drugs, and taking advantage of the system. They are just hard working people trying to establish a life. And especially for these young people like Jessica who's parents brought her here without a choice and who is essentially american because America is where she grew up. *sigh* I hope beyond hope every day that someone will take the initiative to fix a very broken system.
ReplyDelete@Jane -- I so agree with you; no one knows, and until they do, nothing is going to change! It is nice that it's being discussed, but I wish the geezers would get with the times...
ReplyDelete@Stephanie -- I once had a lawyer tell me "if you want to stay in the States, just tell your husband not to drive; they'll never find him." I hate those 287(g)s... the only thing worse are those officers who just ring up ICE on their cell phones like some sort of immigration vigilantes! *sigh* indeed!