Immigration

Well, it's that time of the year again...the time when I freak out about bigotry and racism. What prompted my website and forum trolling this year was an NPR story on All Things Considered concerning Rep. Tom Tancredo, 6th district rep from Colorado. In the NPR story, he or someone working for him (I could of caught it wrong) mentioned that the immigrants need to "Learn the American language" and lose their previous cultures by "becoming part of the American culture and American dream."

While I won't even comment on an "American Language" which is just fantasy.... I dare anyone to define for me American culture or American dreams...and clearly that culture is based on "foreign" cultures, ie the culture of Western Europe that the immigrant populations first brought here. Many ways we talk of a civilization's culture is to look at it's devotion to Education and the fine Arts...it's Holidays and it's Religion. Is St. Patty's day "American" culture? Is Halloween? Is the passionate devotion to sport? All of these were brought across this country. Holidays, many of them, are imported. I mean, we have Turkey-Day and "Blow shit up and drink (cuz we're nationalisitc)-Day. Enough of holiday's....is there something uniquely American about Hollywood? (I might even answer yes to this...) or Broadway? Do most Americans appreciate the fine arts as a whole? What about Religion? As a Hodgepodge nation, I think we'd find it hard to articulate an 'American' understanding of faith and religious culture...a few good books can help illustrate the eclectic 'American' viewpoints. "Memoirs of the Spirit" comes to mind. What about education? We have huge education rates and a small illiteracy rate (officially) but is our education system one of great culture? We talk of Greek education as something to be proud of...but we refer to Athens, not Sparta when we think of this. Is the US more like Sparta? or Athens?
Leaving these questions behind, are immigrants (legal or illegal) avoiding these "cultural" pillars of American society? I dunno, most people seem to want to watch HBO and head to the Cinema. Most folks indeed tend to watch sports...and you'll be hard pressed NOT to find people celebrating Turkey and "Blow Shit up"-Days. It seems to me that immigrants cannot be seen as avoiding American culture...they just aren't conforming to standards of that culture. Instead of celebrating "Blow Shit Up"-Day with a couple cases of Bud or MGD...you might find them drinking some Tecate or TsingTao. While on Turkey-Day all us northern European types are eating Turkey, Potatos and Stuffing...I've sat at some wonderful tables of Pavo, habas y arroz. The mindset of celebrating friends, family and community is still relevant, even if there aren't any cranberries on the table...isn't it?

Despite this amazingly inadequate glimpse at the dicussion of whether or not immigrants are involved in the culture (if there is such a thing) of the American society - one thing is blatantly clear. Tom Tancredo and his various friends, www.tnrip.org, http://www.uscitizen-noway.org/, www.deportaliens.com, (not to mention the Klan, National Alience, WVA, etc...) aren't making this discussion. They are stating as a presupposition that such things as "American Culture" exists....all of which to hide culturally charged bigotry.

True, these folks are not at the surface, "Racist." They have no problem of Latinos who fit into the dominant social structures...they don't complain about Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, or Jennifer Lopez...they complain about the poor hardworking individual, who sees life better on the other side of the barbed wire fence protecting an inhospitable desert.

These Bigots disgust me. Their Bigotry is deeper seeded than one of Race...it's one based on circumstances beyond all our control - the circumstance of having been born privledged, or born not.

I'll leave this rant off with some song lyrics - the Adjusters "Our Town" and "TSKF"

So now we're a statistic in a rich man's speech
he says the solution is within our reach
if we close down the borders
and cut those bastards out
American-For Americans
that's what he says....

Don't wear those masks - I can see right through them!
Don't hide your faces...in sheets!
You say you're from the grassroots boy...well shit makes grass grow green.!

-joel