A Latina's Take on Illegal Immigration and Racism

I was born in Portsmouth Naval Hospital where my father was stationed with the US Navy. He served for 20 years, and was in both the Korean conflict and Vietnam. He met my mother in Portsmouth, and they had me right before retiring from the service and embarking on a career in real estate after graduating from university.

I was the fifth generation born in my hometown on my mother's side of the family. In fact, her earliest ancestors in America came here with the Jamestown settlement. Her side of the family consists of white Europeans, so I am half white.

My father was born in Texas, and his family had been there since Texas was part of Mexico. There are lots of "Texicans" like my father, and they are American citizens. In fact, they are true Native Americans, on American soil before European colonization. They are, however, of the same ancestry and culture as the people of Northern Mexico, and are therefore, Hispanic.

Because of my mother and the Spanish influence from my father's side, I have a light-complexion. Perhaps because I am light-skinned compared to many of the illegal immigrants Americans have been exposed to on the television, I often am privy to the "Damn Mexican" comments that some people make in response to their irritation with the illegal immigration situation.

All I can think, is, "Here we go again!"

Hispanics represent approximately 12.5% of the documented American population. Most Latin-Americans were born in the U.S., and love this country very much. So much, in fact, that Hispanics make up 17.5% of the front-line forces in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Also, most of the dedicated, over-worked and under-paid border patrol agents protecting our borders are, themselves, of Mexican descent. "Damn Mexicans", right?

I have a good friend, also Mexican-American, who is the child of two college professors at a prominent East Coast university. Being of a darker complexion, he has been subject to almost constant harassment in the rural area in which he lives. He was born here, he pays taxes here and he has brown skin - when did that become a crime (again)?

I do not understand how even the slowest mind cannot discern between the "bad apples" and "the bunch".

I am sickened by the immoral behavior of American citizens toward other American citizens, based on a vague racial similarity to some illegal immigrants.

Most law abiding Hispanics consider crime (including illegal immigration) to be a bad thing. Personally, I feel that illegal undocumented workers are exploited by ruthless American business owners who are looking to make more money, and would prefer not to pay American citizens a decent wage to work. Why are we, as American citizens of all races not outraged by that? Are the workers committing a crime by coming here? Yes. Are these business owners accomplices to their criminal activity? Bet your bottom dollar, they are.

Cut off the source of the money, and the poor of Latin America have no reason to come here.

I recently saw the outcome of an immigration raid when driving through a nearby town. About 20 men who appeared to be of Latin extraction sat quietly in plastic handcuffs along a street curb, with only two police officers supervising them. Another police officer was nearby, speaking with a middle-aged Caucasian man who wore a shirt with the logo of the landscaping truck the Latinos sat near. He appeared to be their manager or, perhaps, a company owner. He had no hand cuffs on. He was not seated alongside the curb. People drove past and yelled at the "Mexicans" (who could have been Guatemalan or Columbian), but in the time I watched, not one person yelled at the boss.

My question is this - are Americans truly concerned with putting an end to illegal immigration, or is it just fun to hate somebody? This "Damn Mexican" wants to know.