Friday, February 24, 2012

A Very Brief History of U.S. Immigration Policy: Oh How Things Have Changed

Immigration today is almost a daily news issue.  It was not always so.  Although the problem is illegal immigration, the main stream media, and liberal supporters of illegal immigration, call it simply "immigration."  It is no accident that they leave the "illegal" out of it.  If you're against illegal immigration, you're branded as "anti-immigrant" or in some cases a "racist."  This is quite a stretch of the truth and, in my opinion, a blatant lie meant to smear, and an ad hominem attack of the worst kind. Watch this video of a debate about illegal immigration between Michelle Malkin and Geraldo Rivera to see what I mean.

Since I'm a legal immigrant, I find these issues quite interesting, to say the least.  Let's step back from any emotional reaction and look at the facts.  It was not until 1924 that the United States began to limit immigration to the United States.  Before that it was open borders.  My own grand-father first came to the United States in 1905 and then returned to Italy in 1911.  After the passing of the "Immigration Act of 1924" limits were instituted on how many immigrants from each country could enter the U.S.  This law discriminated against southern European countries and favored northern European countries.  Northern Europeans were considered more favorably than those "inferior southerners," such as Italians, Greeks or Spaniards.  Today, of course, all we hear is how we should favor immigration without consideration to whether it's legal or illegal.  I don't have a problem with this if we decided, by law, to make the United States an open border country again, but only if the people voted for such a law.

The problem is that those who favor immigration without limits, usually liberals and some Hispanics, want to ignore the existing law.  This a very bad slippery slope.  If we can pick and choose which law we follow, who is to say that any law should be followed?  This is not just a rhetorical question.  I have one simple question for those who favor unlimited immigration:  Why do you not propose to change the law and make it legal?  If there is such great support for open borders why be afraid to put this to the people?

Let me give a personal example.  My parents legally immigrated to Los Angeles in 1956 from Italy.  At that time there were quotas.  My family waited three years before getting permission to immigrate.  Before being approved for immigration the entire family had to go through a thorough medical  and legal exam.  Additionally, each family had to have a sponsor, and have a job waiting for them when they got here.  In 1956 there were no illegal immigrants waiting on street corners looking for work.  As a matter of fact, I don't remember seeing any illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area waiting on street corners well past the 1980s.  Now, I don't have a problem with how the law was structured when my family immigrated, even though I believe that it was discriminatory against Southern Europeans.  I believe that each country has the right to determine their own policies.  Who is to tell country "A" that they should have the law any other way? In most countries in the world, you're arrested if you enter the country illegally.  Try entering Iran, for instance, illegally, or Mexico, for that matter.

Today the left will proclaim that anyone who does not favor illegal immigration like they do is either a racist or anti-immigrant.  This is pure demagoguery of the worst kind.  Disagree but be intellectually honest about it!  This leftist view has even taken over the church.  Just ask Cardinal  Mahoney of Los Angeles or his replacement and they will be for unfettered illegal immigration, even though it is currently illegal.  As I recall, the scriptures say (Matthew 22:21) that you should give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.

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