Help Wanted: Bold Leadership on Immigration

Friday , March 30, 2007

By Israel Ortega

If there’s one thing Americans agree on, it’s that the United States is a nation of immigrants. Virtually everyone came from somewhere at some time. Even more important, though, is the fact that, after they arrived, they became Americans.

Sure, some people hyphenate. One can be African-American, Chinese-American or Italian-American, but there’s an “American” in there somewhere. This country was built by immigrants who understood they were indeed building something valuable. They assimilated to their new land.

In a matter of weeks, federal lawmakers plan to renew their efforts to send a much-needed piece of immigration reform legislation to President Bush’s desk. However, it’s not yet clear whether this Congress and this administration will be willing to face down some of the powerful interest groups that aim to exploit immigration for political advantage. Our leaders must show courage if our country is going to welcome a new generation of immigrants and turn them into Americans.
One reason lawmakers failed to pass a bill last year is that radical-left Hispanic interest groups and coalitions geared up for a series of protests. These ended up backfiring.

Instead of galvanizing support for their cause, liberal Hispanic interest groups sparked outrage among many Americans. Last year’s nationwide immigration marches made an indelible impression on the minds of many and enhanced the fear that the current immigration wave is imposing another culture and language on our country.

By waving foreign flags in our major cities and shouting incendiary language, protesters gave anti-immigration forces plenty of ammunition. When all was said and done, we were left without a new immigration law, without adequate border enforcement and without a consensus on how to move forward.

Sadly, although our country has shown tremendous resilience in transforming new arrivals into proud patriots, liberal Hispanic interest groups pose a serious threat to this process with their words and actions. They encourage the promotion of Spanish in our public schools and resist the teaching of American culture and heritage. But that’s a false choice. As a first generation Hispanic-American immigrant, I’m living proof that it is possible to love one’s heritage and also become a patriotic American.

Comprehensive immigration reform will never become a reality unless Hispanic-American interest groups are willing to set aside the agitating language they used in last spring’s marches and extend a hand of good faith to unite rather than divide our country.

A good way to begin would be by promoting patriotic assimilation. That will mean teaching newcomers to understand and appreciate American civics, American history and the English language. As Ed Feulner, president of The Heritage Foundation, recently wrote, “It is time for a new approach, one that unites all Americans instead of dividing them, and one that stops putting the children of immigrants at an economic disadvantage” — a disadvantage caused by an ignorance of English, the language of international commerce.

The United States can’t afford to promote the creation of a group of second-class citizens who receive government-funded Spanish-speaking programs and services that serve only to further suppress economic progress among recent arrivals.

As the contentious debate nears, we should underscore the importance of ensuring that all freedom-loving people who come to the U.S. legally should be able to become Americans, regardless of race and creed.

Hispanic-Americans find themselves at an important crossroads of our country’s history, similar to the German and the Irish of the mid-19th century, who were confronted with the choice of gradually assimilating to the United States or hanging on to the allegiances of the old country.

Rather than politicize the debate, Hispanic leaders should seize the opportunity to reaffirm the virtues of equality, freedom and the pursuit of happiness. They’re living in the greatest country on the face of the earth. It’s time to help make it even better.

Israel Ortega is a media relations associate at The Heritage Foundation.

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Don't expect positive leadership on immigration control or border security from Gringo Jorge.

Tune in tomorrow some time for Tancredo's official announcement. We can only hope in two years he will "darken the doorstep of the White House".

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WHOA ! Just hold on there. I would not be to quick to agree with what the bottom line in this little article is saying. Read between the lines. The author of this article is for passing the "Comprehensive Immigration reform " bill that is due to go before Bush. (assuming it makes it that far, which I hope it does not"

You can read the breakdown of this bill on grassfire.org. It is nothing more than AMNESTY ! We do not want this one to pass ! It is inadequate. Lets all do our research ! Screw Israel Ortega and all liberal democrats like him !

Here is the link to the AMNESTY BILL brealdown.

http://www.firesociety.com/article/11979

lol Sherlock I love your badge.....undocumented...

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Yes it is bedrock and they keep trying to change its face but think no one actually reads the contents. We have limits on immigration in this country for a reason. Its not healthy and its not safe to overload a country like this. We dont need more "comprehensive" immigration reform. We need the law enforcers to do their stinkin jobs. Stop making excuses and if you cant and dont have the money, ask for it openly to congress in front of the country so the country is aware of where the problem is comming from. Just telling people you dont have the money makes you look like the idiot. On the other hand it would seem both parties are busy stalling and dragging this to wear down the system and think they will get this "comprehensive" garbage passed. Ill scream my head off before that happens and wake up everyone in Washington.

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I think that we will need someone besides a politician to porvide that bold leadership.  Politicians only want to stay in power at the expense ot the average citizen.

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Mule:  I think Tancredo lives to provide leadership on the immigration issue.  It's the main reason he's running for Prez--to force the issue,  that no one will toucn, to be addressed.

JAB said: Comprehensive immigration reform will never become a reality unless Hispanic-American interest groups are willing to set aside the agitating language they used in last spring’s marches and extend a hand of good faith to unite rather than divide our country.

It's too late .. these "invaders" have stepped on American toes once too often.  They're no longer welcome here by Americans.  Now, the only "uniting" that Americans find appropriate for these people is REuniting them with their OWN country at the EXPENSE of their OWN country!

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There is a solution to this that would benifit American citizen's as well as the country of Mexico and all the illegal's here. As much as I hate war I firmly support the men and women who fight for us. I think we should demand that American armed forces be deployed (before this amnesty go's further) our forces should protect and escort all illegal Mexican's and their anchor babies back to Mexico and stay there until a government can be elected that will give the Mexican citizen's the same rights and freedoms that American citizen's have. The other benifit to this would be that OUR military would then be in charge of the border on Mexico's side.  Even if our troops have to stay there say five years it would be worth it.                                        

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What I want is more than bold leadership on immigration.  I also want NAFTA rolled back, the trans-american highway stopped and tariffs placed on goods from China.  I also want the government to stop giving incentives to companies who are off-shoring and outs-sourcing.  I also think companies who have more than a certain percent of their business off-shores should have a special tax such that their incentives become negative for going off-shore.  Any foreign company that doesn't want to pay the tariff can set up a factory here in the states.  Next, I want the President to give back our time-and-a-half pay that he took away.  Who cares about a nonexistent tax cut when you've just lost half your yearly salary because your employer no longer has to pay your time and a half?

I totaly agree mrijam. But all the issues can not be resolved at one time unfortunately. The biggest issue at the moment seem's to me to be the illegal's from Mexico. I just learned of a web site from one of the other discussions here wehirealiens.com it is a site dedicated to exposing employers in America who hire illegals. and they have a simple search engine to locate any known employers any where in the USA. I found two in my state.  

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