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Business Owners to Become I.N.S. Agents? Republicans Seek Job-Killing Regulation of Business

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By Bill Cavala
A veteran of over 30 years in Sacramento

“Illegal” immigration. The word “illegal” used to stop most voters in their tracks. When a public official argued we should provide health care to the children of undocumented immigrants (so that their kids didn’t become a source of infection), the opposition always began with the cry that we should not reward “illegal” behavior.

The behavior decried did not have anything to do with crimes against persons or property. Undocumented immigrants are not dishonest people by nature. They are hardworking people by nature, prepared to accept work at the bottom of the ladder to provide opportunity for their children.

In some sense, this attitude defines America. We have always been a cultural and ethnic polyglot. The common idiom has always been opportunity. If not equal opportunity, then usually a better opportunity than that available in the birth land. Typically, not a better opportunity for the first generation, but for the children and grandchildren.

Millions of immigrants, most from Mexico, have sought that opportunity here – “illegally”.

It’s “illegal” because our immigration laws established – in the 1920’s – limits on total immigration and quotas on immigrants from specific countries. Western Europeans were more welcome than others. This system was established – largely through the support of the Ku Klux Klan – in the wake of a wave of isolationist and nativist reaction to the First World War, to the devastation of the “Spanish” influenza pandemic of 1918-19, and to the success of the suffrage movement that resulted in a vast influx of voters influenced by the Protestant institutions of the period.

Limits on Immigration, the administrations of Harding and Coolidge, and the Volstead Act were the great achievements of this period.

It is not longer “illegal” to drink. It remains “illegal” to come to America in violation of quotas established by the reactionary white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant government of the day.

Over the years, millions of people have violated our immigration laws. Three million are estimated to reside here in California. Reside here for decades.

Now, G.O.P. zealots want harsh enforcement of laws against hiring undocumented persons. This from a Political Party which carries the flag of the CMA and the Chamber against job-killing “regulation”.

In Greenfield, California – a farm town of 15,000 in the Agricultural section of Monterey County – most of the people are farm workers or the children of farm workers. 87% are of Spanish descent – Mexican-Americans. Virtually all of these people can trace their descent back to a person who violated America’s immigration laws.

Early last spring, as Congress debated some harsh additions to our immigration laws, 1800 people took part in a march against the Republican Congressional plan. That was over 10% of the population. The march was organized by a group of high school students. Many of them had been brought into the United States by parents without documents when they were babies. Like most, they had been forbidden to speak anything but English in their homes. One student I spoke with didn’t speak a word of Spanish – he came here as a baby.

There are generations like this student. Raised from an early age in America. Schooled here. Culturally as American as any third-generation Italian, Armenian or Portugese. Yet unable to apply for citizenship without endangering his parents and/or grandparents. And, if the GOP had their way, unable to find work here as small business owners are forced to become agents of the INS. We should send him “back” to a Mexico he’s never known, with neither friends, family nor language to support him.

Well, that won’t happen. What will happen is that the business owners of Greenfield will join their workers as lawbreakers. “Illegal” aliens and “Illegal” business owners.

Bill Cavala was Deputy Director of the Assembly Speaker’s Office of Member Services where he worked for over 30 years.

He attended undergraduate and graduate school in the 1960’s and received a doctorate in political science at UC Berkeley. He taught political science at UC Berkeley during the 1970's while he worked part-time for the State Assembly.

Cavala left teaching at UC Berkeley and went to work for Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1981 until his tenure as Speaker ended in 1995, and he has worked for his five successors as Speaker up to and including Speaker Fabian Nunez.

Mr. Cavala manages election campaigns for Democratic candidates.

Posted on August 27, 2007

Comments

Very good article. I agree.

Posted by: Lisa at August 27, 2007 12:40 PM

There is a petition today to stop in its tracks more cheap, foreign national workers and thereby cutting down on criminal elements across the country. Many illegal aliens have criminal records back home, but still manage to steal in to America. Be aware that many guest workers and illegal aliens if they are unable to find work TURN TO CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES. OUR PRISONS ARE FULL OF FOREIGN NATIONALS. According to 'Immigration Counters' their are 344,000 at a cost of $1,449.308.067. That's billions of Dollars. In the United States right now there are 656.000 fugtives running around on our streets. This is just the tip of the proverbial iceburg.
Sign this petition now! We already allow every year 1 million legal immigrants. Why must we support the world? Why must the middle class subsidize big business who violate the "RULE OF LAW." Hundreds of thousands of employers exploit these poor people in the name of greed and profit.
Stop this travesty, because the next job that disappears maybe yours?
In one day 37,147 citizens have signed the petition!
SIGN THE PETITION!
YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION IS SAFE
SIGN THE PETITION
http://www.reformus.org/

Posted by: Daves at August 27, 2007 12:56 PM

The previous comment is absolutely correct. I know from personal family experience.

One of my uncles came to America in the 1920s. He snuck into the US illegally from Cuba. He came illegally because the WASP Establishment that passed the immigration restrictions also didn't want any more *!#$%
Jews from Red Russia.

And since he had a criminal background - he shot a Bolshevik Commissar during a poker game - yes, he did join the criminal element over here. At least we all assumed he did, since he palled around in Hollywood with Bugsy Siegel and later made a living as a high-roller, playing Baccarat in Vegas.

And you know the worst thing about it? He and all the rest of our family, even the respectable, legal ones, have always been - DEMOCRATS!

Keep 'em out! Waste 'em at the border! Or what will ever become of the Compassionate Conservatives of the Republican Party? Geesh, they might even have to find a little compassion just to get elected.

Posted by: Smith at August 27, 2007 06:38 PM

AS it is now, in a democracy those voted into power govern. When the majority of elected officials made law they had legal right. You may not like that law and bring in race but sorry the laws made then under our constitution and not thrown out by the supreme court stood, even if now you say they were unjust and racist.

Over time they have changed due to demands of the newly elected, and will continue to evolve like they should. However to cry foul for what happen is your right to show your ignorance of our system. Using terms like WASP again stoops to name calling with no thought. By the way I'm not white anglo saxon.

to be continued see next comment!

Posted by: buzzo at August 28, 2007 03:53 AM

At this momment in our countries history changes have created a stable society that feels it is self sustainig and should pick who can come to our shores and improve society without overcoming and destroying our society. There is no need of labor such as was during the industrial or major expansions of territory. Our resources can only support a finite amount of citizens.

To those who think anyone who wants to sneak in and take advantage of us to better them selves have big hearts and no reasoning power. Let these people work and build their countries like our forefathers have with their sweat and lives. I heard the minister that provided sanctuary to Elvira (sp) he had no idea that a society has to live by all laws not just the ones he thinks are

Posted by: buzzo at August 28, 2007 04:09 AM

are unjust. If I was in charged the man would be arrested for aiding and abetting a felon. A priest or minister should not receive amnesty, he is a citizen just like the rest of us, except he choose not to work for a living. As far as Elvira she should go to jail for child neglect.

I am in favor of a guest worker pprogram one not leading to automatic citizenship but we cannot give citizenship to anyone who has broken our laws for any reason......once a lawbreaker always will be one when push comes to shove.

Posted by: buzzo at August 28, 2007 04:20 AM

Well why not allow the whole world to come here? There must be at least another 20 million Mexicans who want to come here. I'm sure there are at least 30-40 million hardworking Chinese who would love to come here. I bet we could get at least 20 million from India as well. Just hard working humans who want to work hard in America. Of course unrestricted immigration and another 70-100 million people may change our lives in the USA and I would venture it wouldn't be for the better. Obviously America cannot and will not be the dumping ground for the world's poor. We cannot continue to be the most prosperous nation on earth if we allow unrestricted immigration.

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