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  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2002-12-08_Vol67_No18_12

january 8 - 21, 2003 o inion The following is a letter submitted by Reverend Gilda Barbara Bassas- Madrazo. This letter was written at the request of one of our readers who did not agree with our editorial stance on illegal immigration, published in the last issue, B assas-Madrazo is a Cuban immigrant. She lives in Whittier and works with local immigrant workers, WCnewsmagazine publishestletters from our readers % We db. not edit for content or grammar„NVe edit only for. length. Letus know„what you think. Send yourcommentsto- us: "Is American Citizenship Worthless?" Advocate Responds To Opinion They say to write well that you need to write something that you know about. Well, this fact was lost on students from WNC [WCnewsmagazine] who obviously fell through the cracks of the public school system, who now attend a major university. When I first learned about the article written I was upset that such false statements were actually published but, once I read it I was furious to see that an institute of higher learning would actually print something that was ... so full of blatant discrimination, reprehensible bigotry and dehumanizing hatred . While it took ...[WCnewsmagazine] students to write such repugnance, it will take one Cuban immigrant and three phone calls to get the truth ... I wanted to offer the facts to back up my words. Something These ... students will not be able to do. The Article I'm talking about refers to undocumented immigrants and the Earned Legalization, which has been in legislation for over two years, but your article purposely targeted Mexicans... .. You question the value of citizenship and compare it to taking a test for a driver's license. Well, if it was only that simple, but while it is simple when you get to that point Citizenship is only a test away; Earned Legalization does not give you citizenship in America. What it does is give you permanent residence status in the USA: a green card. You cannot apply for citizenship unless you have been a permanent resident alien for 5 years and have no criminal record ... Immigrants flock to other countries to get away from abusive government, that is just a fact of life ... Lets not forget that the terrorists of 9-11 were on a list of known terrorist and the government knew they were here and did nothing about it. Now lets talk of educating the immigrant children. Well ... they are supposed to attend school just like anyone else ... in about the tenth day of the new school year there is a head count, which tells ... how much money is allotted to that school ... how many teachers are ... to be hired ... creating jobs for American teachers. There is extra money allotted for each student that does not speak English ... a job for someone that would not be hired otherwise. Having that immigrant child ... provides more money to that school ... to educate everyone there. I would think any student that goes to Collage would understand, at least in part, the economics and politics of the educational system. You also wrote about how immigrant families are provided social services. Well only the ones who were born in this country, who are American citizens, are allowed to get benefits. They are Americans and their families contribute to the economy because, stating your obvious stupidity on the matter, there too these immigrants not only pay taxes in their payroll, but because they are illegal in the past they have not been able to file tax returns. Now because of the federal tax id number ITIN they will for the first time be able to file tax returns. I'm helping a young man right now that in the year 2000 they took in almost 5000 in just state and federal taxes, not to mention social security and Medicare taxes. The amount of money that these immigrants have donated to federal and state taxes is probably in the billions. Lets see you said 3.5 million are in this country well then if they just gave one dollar each Hmmmm how much does that make? I'm sure that without the donation being made by illegal Mexicans to federal taxes you would not be able to enjoy that earned income tax credit ... Most immigrants that are here from Mexico do not even plan on staying ... they pay social security and Medicare taxes they will never use ... They are here ... to earn enough money to get a head start in their own country just as many Americans take job assignments over seas to make large amounts of money to bring home. And it's not only what is paid in payroll taxes, but help the local economy when they buy ... all which have taxes paid to the local economy. What are you talking about cheap labor? Those simple hard working people you talk of with such contempt work harder then anyone I'm sure you'll ever know. When they are out in the fields they are paid via piece work ... and some earn up to 1000 dollars a week. But if a few Mexicans ... make you blush, why are you not complaining of the thousands of nurses ... brought in from Canada, and within a months time ... have papers for themselves ... their spouses and children. Now, they complain because the process is changing and it will take ... 6 months, separating them from their families ... Mexican families are separated for years ... I myself have tried to get into the nursing program ...in Orlando Florida, . Greensboro NC and ... Sylva NC. Not only are you at the mercy of the person who decides who gets in or not ... sometimes the waiting list is up to 3 years of which many choose other professions. Yet these high paying jobs are being given to Canadians. Perhaps it is there white complexions ... ability to speak English that makes it more acceptable? Here's another thought, I was told by one of the men who pay these immigrants for the work they do, who is white by the way, that he couldn't get the local people to work these fields. Those ... in the past often complained or quite soon after because they felt the jobs were been taken by hard working Mexicans and their families who did the job faster and more efficient. I was also told that instead of improving their work ... they chose to complain and then quit .. it isn't the Mexican immigrants intrusion upon the work force that is the problem but the white Americans laziness to do a job to the best of his or her abilities no matter what the task. But then it only mirrors the attitude of many Americans from the past that live with the common credo "Unless you look and speak as I do you are not my equal." Immigrants have contributed to this country not only in the past few centuries but in the present day ... But since you have shown your ignorance let me ask you this question. Do you know who Rosario Marin is? Well, I won't torment you she is the treasurer of the United States of America and an immigrant born in Mexico City, Mexico. ... So next time you ... spend money ... you'll find her signature on the newer bills. When you feel that awful knot in your stomach formed from the realization that a Mexican immigrant signed that bill ... examine your conscience. ewsma azine Ignorance is the predecessor of all evils. Ignorance creates hatred and breeds prejudice. Ignorance has no place in the mind of a student whose only goal should be to learn, not judge without getting the facts first. Now you have called people criminals without knowing who they are and what they have gone through in their life and claim that 1000 terrorist passed by the Mexican boarder in one short month. If they cannot manage to get 1000 Mexicans through, how can a thousand terrorists get through? Besides that, the terrorists from 9/11 were reported to have come across the Canadian boarder. And what check point's do you speak off? There are no checkpoints over the Rio Grande. They are routinely guarded by border patrol. The only Checkpoints available are a luxury only afforded to the American tourist. I was living in California in my youth and traveled through those borders many times with friends. Have you been across those borders? Mexicans crossing those borders do so by walking sometime up to 15 days with little to no food or water. ... But I guess you wouldn't know about that kind of hardship would you? Do you know or can even imagine the kind of desire or desperation it takes in a human being to want to endure such hardship? And for what? A chance to make money for your family to be able to eat while being spat on and ridiculed by people who are supposed to be citizens of the greatest country in the world. It's so sad to see young people who are filled with such ignorance and hatred. Of course we all forget that Jesus Christ himself was not a white man. Any student or scholar worth his or her salt would know that it would be impossible for a white Caucasian male with blue eyes and straight hair to be born iri that region. Even the bible states that his skin was like bronze and his hair like wool. Does this description make you recoil? Is it difficult for you to except anything but a pale truth? . You talk about, that if you are in another country, their laws should try you, I completely agree with. But when you are talking about false social security cards as appose to stealing someone's credit your talking apples and oranges. If I moved tomorrow to Canada, I could work without a problem and after six months I would be able to become legal. The Mexicans who come here to work and support their families doesn't actually steal any ones social security intentionally. There are American citizens that create these false numbers for the Mexicans ...That... number exists somewhere in the system and ... monies earned by the Mexican who uses it is then paid, upon retirement ... but not necessarily the Mexican who used it. Furthermore, these imports as you call them, if you know anything of American history: Texas, New Mexico, Utah, California and up the coast into Washington was Mexico. And when the west was stolen from Mexico, as the land the university sits on was stolen from the Cherokee; unless the writer ... is a full blooded native American, those a part ... are immigrants or at least a decedent of an immigrant who was not invited here. There was no visa issued ... we are all trespassers on a land that was stolen. But your article ... reinforces me belief that this country was built on just that: immigrants. Is that not why the statue of liberty sits in the harbor? It is so incredible to me that anyone in an institute of higher learning would actually write such a misinformed, misleading, and unfounded letter ... Or that any editor would actually publish it without checking the facts and offering a counter ... I will now comment on your closing remarks: "as our illustrious leader said you're either with us or against us". Well if you would use your computers for something other then the chat rooms and porno sites you would find out that George W. Bush (who was born in Mexico) has made enemies ... all over the world. We are now portrayed as a hateful, greedy, warmonger nation ... Bush has little to no real empathy for those who lost loved ones on 9-11. He has shown he only cares to make ... WAR. Your own Darkness in the article shows that humans are easily swayed by hatred and easily fooled by ignorance as well. Bush has ridden the wave of fear, hatred and prejudice ... during a time when we were all in pain and very angry ... Bush clings to this war because it is all he has to keep his power. If he had to prove his worth on his own merit by taking care of our sick, elderly, and the rising numbers in homeless families and slowly declining economy, he would find himself a jester in a court of fools. Patriotism is good but blind patriotism is foolish and I am not a fool but I am a patriot. As one man once said... "Patriotism Is the Virtue of the Vicious" Sir Oscar Wilde. It is the ever-present arrogance of some Americans who believe that there is no other way but their way, which stops the flow of knowledge ... This country is so bent on separating people that even in forms when you check race there is: white not Hispanic, black not Hispanic then Hispanic. Well there is only one race in this world: The human Race... I close in saying; go ahead and deport them all. As you say; close the boarders ... I think that not only should you deport the immigrants but their families who were born here. I think you should deport all immigrants and descendents of immigrants ... you would have to pack a bag also! Okay so go ahead! Just deport the Mexicans; let's send all the brown skinned Mexicans that make you blush. And after about a month when the factories are bear and the fields are full of rotted produce maybe, just maybe, if you say your sorry, as many times as Trent Lott has done, maybe they will come back. I find it so disturbing that in the year 2002 that young people still think this way, but as we turn around and turn everyone away; I think that Americans, too, should be locked out of other countries.. I have nothing more to say except: I hope someday that we all will learn to take down those barriers and learn to live together, but I don't think it will be here and I don't think it will be in my lifetime. Especially having seen the sins of the past to be reborn ... Sincerely, Rev. Gilda Barbara Bassas-Madrazo LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. wc@wcu.edu

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 2002-12-08
• Extent
  • Dimension: 14" x 11.5"
  • Pages: 20
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
  • Western Carolina University -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_2002-12-08_Vol67_No18
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library