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Immigration Forum did spark
heated debate — for good reason
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There were some outrageous comments made by some of the panel last week at the "Speak Up" Forum. Canyon County Commissioner Robert Vasquez topped the list.
As a participant, Vasquez talked about how the pro-immigration representatives wanted to keep us subjugated as farm laborers. He attempted to scare us into thinking illegal immigrants were competing with us for jobs and scholarships. He told us we were all Caucasian, and tried to enlighten us on how there was no such thing as a "Hispanic." He described what it was to be an American, and counted out millions with his narrow-minded description.
When one young girl stood up and addressed Vasquez about the apparent hypocrisy in declaring that we should not be looking for any special rights or privileges, and then encouraging his daughter to apply for Hispanic scholarships, he threateningly told her to stay out of his family’s business. What should have made me angry or sad in his comments gave me an overwhelming sense of hope.
Commissioner Vasquez is creating an army with his self-hating, racist, polarizing views. An army of young Mexicans, and yes Hispanics, who will try that much harder to overcome obstacles, and become doctors, lawyers, business-owners, executives, CEOs, and even politicians that will one day silence his rhetoric and take his power away.
Vasquez will not understand this until the day he, and others, are cut out completely from the immigration conversation and decision-making. That day will come, as the fastest growing segment of the population, you can bet the farm on it.
Idaho reminds me of California before the days of the civil rights movements with Cesar Chavez, before other civil rights leaders like Reies Lopez Tijerina (the Tiger), Jose Angel Gutierrez, or groups like the Brown Berets. Mexicans in Idaho should get more aggressive in asserting themselves. OELA is a fantastic organization, but a MECHA group would stir the passion even more. We don’t just want human rights, or civil rights, we want everything that was taken from us.
Juan Martinez of Applied Technology brought tears to my eyes when he spoke, "Don’t ever be ashamed of what you are, because you are descendants of kings, poets, great warriors…" His words left me with an unparalleled sense of pride in my culture, language, and history.
Vasquez needs to know that Mexicans in Idaho will never support the sentiment that illegal immigrants take away from them, because guess what, these people are their grandmothers who make them warm posole con puerco after church on Sundays. These people are their cousins who work along side them in the fields or the construction yards, these people are sometimes their parents who would sooner die than leave their children. Most Mexican-Americans, including myself growing up, understand the hushed secrecy of living with family members that do not have papers.
After Vasquez told us that Marty Orr and the rest of panel have no aspirations for us other than labor work, Martinez spoke up and imparted that being a farmworker is not shameful, that it is one of the most noble and honest ways to make a living.
Vasquez spewed that were it not for illegal immigration, the other panelists would not have a job. Vasquez was wrong, were it not for vilifying illegal immigration, he would not have been elected.
Moreover, were it not for illegal immigrants, we would not have food on our tables. Were it not for illegal immigrants, we would have 40,000 less servicemen in the military fighting our wars. Were it not for illegal immigrants, our economy would crumble, and service industries would be sent into a tailspin. Were it not for illegal immigrants, most of us would not be here.
Jim Angresano, an economics professor at Albertson College was reluctantly on the anti-immigration side of the panel. Angresano called for a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the illegal immigrant presence in Idaho. I agree. There is no report in existence that weighs the costs and benefits. I wonder why that is.
As much as these Idaho politicians rail against illegal immigration, one would think there might be a study proposed. I can only think of one reason that has not happened. There is a net benefit in allowing illegal immigration, and no politician wants the rug pulled out from underneath their anti-immigration platforms. They do not want to anger Idaho business owners by sweeping raids, or other deportation tactics.
For now, they can skew the information, skew the formulas in which they crunch the numbers, they can isolate examples, but none of that holds any meaning for those searching for the truth.
For Mexicans in Idaho, and students on campus, our fight is not over. Rise up… take on these dirty politicians, take on the media, take on these citizens who scapegoat you. Do not be silent. In the words of Chavez:
"Students must have initiative; they should not be mere imitators. They must learn to think and act for themselves – and be free."
Aubrey Salazar
Columnist