The imaginary link between immigration and immorality:
The imaginary link between immigration and immorality
04/18/2012 By Leave a Comment
My mother came to America from El Salvador. My paternal grandparents came from Europe. Each one immigrated legally, which is the essence of the American experience – huddled masses yearning to be free and all that.However, in the eyes of many Americans, my mother and grandparents were selfish and immoral. After all, whenever a debate starts up aboutimmigration, it’s just a matter of time before someone says, “They need to stay and fix their own countries instead of coming here.”
The implication is that people have an ethical obligation to remain in their homelands rather than try to improve their own lives. Of course, none of the Americans saying this have ancestors who took that advice. As soon as Ireland ran a little low on potatoes, for example, lots of people said “see ya” rather than stick around for the sake of rescuing Belfast.
In fact, the United States would not exist if everybody stayed home to fix his or her own nation.This place would be nothing but Native Americans, lost Canadians and a stray Mexican or two. So, why would anyone make this argument, which is so easily refuted by pointing to their own familial history? The reason is simple: many people want to establish a connection
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As a Colombian-American raising two children with a gringo husband, I’ve come to appreciate that we come from vastly different backgrounds. American and Latino families tend to have different expectations and traditions when it comes to raising children. We tend to be loud, gregarious and tight-knit, which can be overwhelming. Given that fact, it’s important… [Continue Reading]