Virginia's Latino Lobby Day 2007

"We want to stop illegal immigration because it costs us so much money, but we also want to praise legal immigrants because they have made Virginia great". Those were the words of Virginia General House Assembly Delegate David Albo, R-Springfield in an interview with The Examiner just three weeks before my classmates from La Escuela Bolivia and I went to Richmond on Latino Lobby Day on February 6 to oppose several of the anti-immigration bills the Commonwealth is trying to pass. While I admire Delegate Albo's willingness to compromise (something many of the Republican Virginia delegates are hesitant to do), I still find fault in his solution. That is not to say that I approve all pro-immigration bills and believe that every person who tries to come to the United States should be allowed to stay, but I do think illegal immigrants should be given a chance in this country.

Obviously, the issue of immigration is highly complex on pragmatic, economic, social, moral, and emotional levels, but that doesn't mean innocent, hard-working people should be thrown out of this country. It's difficult enough for them to arrive here in the first place and getting their documents in order is even more complicated. Some immigrants have to wait years before they can acquire their documents and since day-to-day life is generally more stable than it is in most Latin American countries, it is safer and more practical for them to wait here while the government processes their papers. If you have ever worked for the government---whether on a county, state, or even federal level---you understand how long it can take just to get paid sometimes. Imagine how long it would take for the government to process a stack of your all your important documents, and also keep in mind that there are a few thousand other people in line ahead of you. Certainly not everyone who comes to this country is a criminal; most Latin American immigrants are honest, down-to-earth people with a strong work ethic because those were values instilled in them as children. Unfortunately, these are ethics that are not especially emphasized in this country, where the masses place the dollar on the altar before ethical prototypes, like, oh, say Moses, Jesus Christ, Buddha, and the prophet Mohammed.

On the note of ethical prototypes, tt has been said many times before and it will be said again: this is a nation built upon the sacrifices of immigrants. So why not honor those who have molded our country into the beautiful nation it is today? Immigrants contribute to the United States culturally and economically, introducing new perspectives and taking on jobs that would otherwise be empty. This is one of the reasons why the Commonwealth is examining the issue so closely and trying to find a sound compromise---or at least it would appear that way. Several of the bills the General House of Assembly is currently proposing are blatantly anti-immigration, and unfortunately, there are more of these bills than one in support of immigrants. One bill proposes denying charities, such as churches and homeless shelters, state money to help illegal immigrants in need. If this bill is passed, even doctors will be required to ask whether or not a patient is documented before that person can be treated. Another bill would essentially give Virginia police the same rights as Feds, allowing them to deport undocumented people for misdemeanors (i.e., stealing a pack of gum from the corner drugstore). In-state college tuition would be denied to undocumented students who have lived in this country for three years and graduated from a Virginia high school under another bill. In other words, no astounding GPA, strong SAT score, or plethora of extracurricular activities can save a student from this misfortune if s/he is here illegally.

But these are all arguments that have been before. What was unique about my experience at Latino Lobby Day was that I had the opportunity to participate in politics first-hand---I was not a passive observer, reading the newspaper or watching the evening news. Although I was not in agreement with the several of the Virginia delegate aids my group spoke with (we did not have the chance to speak to any actual delegates because they were all in a meeting at the time we arrived), it was enlightening to listen to their viewpoints. I still do not agree with many of the points they made because they seemed to be based on emotional responses rather than logical responses to the increasing Latin American immigrant population in this country. It was interesting to hear the aids' reasoning for advocating certain anti-immigrant bills, even if at times their beliefs came off as ignorant. At least now I better understand from their perspective why they support these bills. The most common argument I heard was the Commonwealth's effort to conform to federal law. Nonetheless, listening to their reasoning further cemented my wish for some of the delegates to overcome any of their prejudices and learn to examine facts rather than pressuring bills to be passed based on their biases alone. Immigrants should have a powerful place in this country because they are so integral to our culture and economy.

I was also thankful to meet the Attorney General of Virginia, Bob McDonnell. His comment that granting Virginia police the same power as Feds in being allowed to deport undocumented immigrants for committing misdemeanors would not lead to racial profiling confirmed my belief that there will always be men and women who lack compassion and common sense. He even went so far as to declare that racial profiling does not exist (or at least not in Virginia) because he has "trust" in Virginia law enforcement. For a state with a city named Lynchburg, his claim is still hard for me to swallow. While it made me angry to hear him say this, it later made me somewhat sympathetic for him. How can I not have pity on a person who sees the world purely in black and white?

On a more positive note, my classmates and I from La Escuela Bolivia did have the opportunity to meet Governor Tim Kaine and took a picture with him. He, at least, seems to understand where the Latino community is coming from. Time shall tell if the rest of Virginia agrees.