Published June 1, 2007
Immigration isn't a front-burner issue for the Japanese American community, simply because immigration from Japan has virtually been non-existent since 1924. But the JACL should take a strong position on the current immigration proposal by the U.S. Senate because it targets Asian and Latino immigrants. In short, it's a not-too-subtle racist proposal cloaked in Machiavellian trappings.
The immigration policy in this country changed dramatically in the mid-1960s with the war in Vietnam and especially at the war's end and our 1975 refugee policy, which allowed refugees from war-torn countries of Southeast Asia to find a safe haven here in the U.S. Those policies also benefited those escaping the wars of Central America.
For almost three decades, this country's immigration policy, based largely on family unification, have benefited Asian and Latino immigrants as family preferences categories expanded to allow immigrants to bring their spouses, children, siblings, and grandparents to this country.
The 1990s brought a change in attitude about our immigration policy because of the significant growth of both the Latino and Asian populations. The 1990 Census showed Latinos out-numbering Blacks and an explosive growth by the Asian population, both raising the xenophobic alarm that there were too many immigrants of color - and especially "illegal" workers - in the United States.
It had become apparent to many on the right that our family reunification policy served to benefit Asians and Latinos more than it did immigrants from Europe and therefore needed to be changed. That brought about the stirrings of the political winds that have brought us to the intense debate about our immigration policy and the outcry about illegal workers.
The current Senate proposal, touted as a bipartisan compromise which was worked out with the Bush White House, virtually eliminates family reunification categories. The point system that favors those with higher education and professional skill levels may favor Asian immigrants but makes no sense without family reunification categories.
Besides, our employment needs in this country are for workers who can fill the types of jobs immigrants have traditionally filled. We already have an H-1B visa program, which was designed to allow professional worker categories. On the other side of that policy, there has been an ever-tightening move to keep unskilled workers out of the country with claims that they only become a drain on the economy.
Every piece of data on worker immigrants that doesn't come from the right wing shows that immigrant families contribute to the economy rather than become a burden to it. They pay taxes, contribute to Social Security, and bring growth to the local tax base. And yes, even undocumented immigrants contribute to the economy. Sure, many send money home to help support their families, but that's primarily because they're unable to bring their families here.
Immigrants have been a large part of the economic engine that has driven the growth of this nation, even when the majority of those immigrants have come from Asia and south of the border.
But therein lies the problem in the minds of many, and the current Senate proposal aims to do something about that by eliminating family reunification as a policy. Racist? You bet. They can argue as much as they want about provisions that provide for eventual legalization of undocumented workers, but the process is so arcane and prohibitive that it only serves to discourage undocumented workers from even attempting to gain citizenship. And what for? They won't be able to bring their families here anyway with the elimination of reunification categories.
So the bottom line of the Senate proposal is to curb the tide of Asian and Latino immigrants from settling in this country. A far cry from "Give me your tired and your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free." Those who came from Europe were greeted with those words; those from south of the border will be greeted by a wall, literally, and those from Asia will be welcomed only if they abandon hopes of bringing their families here eventually.
Xenophobia is a dangerous game we play in this country because it's always based on fear and greed and distrust, and it's ugly. It's mean-minded. We know all about that. We've been there.
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