Immigration Position Paper free essay sample

A Time for Reform amp; Reevaluation By Ricardo Cerna Devry University / January 2012 / English 112 Immigration reform is the old yet new revitalized hot topic being discussed in the media which will not seem to fade away from the spot light despite its drawbacks. The reality of that ongoing debate is that this country, and the State of California in particular, was founded by immigrants fleeing an oppressive government, yet this same country and state now oppress immigrants fleeing from similar situations trying to reestablish new lives within its borders. We cannot forget where we originated from and the foundation this great nation and state was built upon. In this age of progressive thinkers, it is time to tackle the elephant in the room. Though Americans might not agree 100% or be on board with the idea of rethinking the way most California natives view the immigration topic, the reality is that there are potential economic benefits of grand proportions to mending the immigration system. We will write a custom essay sample on Immigration Position Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is very common to hear political analysts and community leaders and organizers discuss the immigration debate on the nightly news broadcast. It is a topic that has gained momentum since the election of our nation’s first black president. Let’s not forget this was part of the president’s campaign promise during his first term in office. This discussion is not fading; it has been reenergized since the president’s reelection of 2012. As a minority and an immigrant, I too feel that the time has come for California to reevaluate how it can benefit from making â€Å"illegal aliens† no longer so called â€Å"illegal aliens†. Being that I am labeled a minority by statistics, mass media, and social elite, it is easy to perceive my position as bias and well obviously it is a logical perception. However my position and views are not based on my ethnicity, they are based on common sense, the tremendous potential financial stability and growth that such reform can generate for such an economically fragile state, and sometimes doing the right thing is just that. Allowing so called â€Å"illegal aliens† to reside legally in this nation and California in particular would be a benefit to our state’s financial infrastructure. It is estimated that in California alone there is an estimated 3 million illegal immigrants residing illegally (us immigration support, n. d. 2012). Think of the tax revenue that these subjects could contribute to the State in social security, federal amp; state tax, and Medicare alone. When everyday productive â€Å"illegal aliens†, or citizens contribute to these programs they generate income coming into the states’ coffers. Just image if hypothetically this same 3 million â€Å"illegal aliens† were contributing 15-25% in t ax revenue of their income to these coffers which ultimately do pay for social services, civil servant salaries, road and infrastructure maintenance, transportation and most important education. If this tax base was in fact allowed to legally work and be taxed like the rest of the country and state there would be no state employees on furlough days creating a back log in public services, closure of social programs for the elderly and impoverished, dilapidated and outdated highway systems in need of drastic maintenance. In addition if these funds were available there would not be a state run education system that in all reality under educates our children due to financial woes. The California State University system would not be so underfunded that it clearly makes obtaining higher education virtually impossible for the average college student without the need to get in devastating financial debt. This newly acquired tax revenue could fund all these programs which in all reality are diminishing due to lack of funding. Imagine being raised in this country since the age of 1 or 2, growing up in this nation and the State of California in particular. As a child you attend school, eventually grow up, and move on to getting a college degree, say for example in nursing, economics, criminal justice or even attend law school. Believe it or not immigrants do this. Only to realize when you obtain your educational goals that even though with such a degree and training, due to the fact that a person with such educational background was not born in this country and is legally considered an â€Å"illegal alien†, he or she will not be allowed to put into place their education and training. That same graduate of a prestigious law school or with a license in nursing or medicine will never be allowed to put into practice their trade due to a simple piece of paper that they are unable to obtain for no fault of their own. It is not this person’s fault that as an infant their parents brought them â€Å"illegally† to this great nation and state in pursuit of a better life. How is this different than when this nation’s forefathers fled from across the pond in pursuit of freedom and a better ife for ones’ family? Well, for years and until November of 2012, with the passing of â€Å"The DREAM ACT (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors)†, this was the reality for thousands of students. For anyone not aware of the DREAM Act, it is basically defined as â€Å"The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, also called the DREAM Act, it is a bill last introduced into Congress on March 26, 2009. Its purpose is to give undoc umented students a chance at becoming permanent residents. The bill provides students with a path to citizenship regardless of the status passed on to them by their undocumented parents. A previous version of the bill states that if a student entered the U. S. 5 years before the passage of the legislature and was under the age of 16 when they entered the U. S. , they would be eligible for a 6-year conditional residency status after completing an associate degree or two years of military service. If at the end of the 6-year period the individual has demonstrated good moral character, he or she could then apply for U. S. itizenship†, (DREAM, n. d. ,2012). Its’ a small but, significant step for reforming an immigration system which in all reality is broken. Just image the endless potential for this nation and California as an individual economy to grow with such bright, talented and progressive minds. A melting pot of educated minds from all across the board ethnic backgrounds working in conjunction to better our world due to a bet ter understanding of empathy for those less fortunate and in need of guidance and role models, that is what this batch of immigrants do and can do for this nation and state. When one thinks of immigrants, lets’ face it what one envisions is the man or woman working in California restaurant kitchens, the maids in middle class neighborhoods, baby sitters, gardeners mowing lawns. L. A mayor Antonio Villaraigoza famously put it during a speech: â€Å"Today we say to America: We’ve come here to work: We clean toilets. We clean your hotels. We build your houses. We take care of your children. We want you to help us take care of our children as well† (Malkin,M. , the-toilet-brush-campaign,04/15/06). Believe it or not, this countries’ history is fully notable immigrants which have enriched our history. People like Albert Einstein from Germany (Science), Charlie Chaplain from Austria (Entertainment amp; Arts), David D. Ho M. D. from Taiwan (leading AIDS researcher), and Levi Strauss from Germany. Last I knew wearing Levis’ is as American as apple pie. Lets’ not forget Dennis Chavez of New Mexico whom was the first Hispanic senator to serve a full term from 1935-1962. As well as Antonio Coello Novell whom served as U. S. Surgeon General from 1990-1993 and 2005s’ U. S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez. In addition a current notable product of immigrants is 2009 U. S. Supreme Court Justice the Honorable Justice Sonia Sotomayor. They too come from parents whom at some point may have worked in restaurant kitchens, as maids, baby sitters, and gardeners. I love it when I hear the minority opposed to immigration reform complain about how â€Å"illegal aliens† are taking our jobs. Last time I checked growing up, I had not aspirations of growing up to work in a restaurant kitchen, become a janitor, baby sit someone’s kids, or mow a lawn. Don’t get me wrong these are honorable and humble positions that are needed but the reality is that for some immigrants this is what they are limited to due to various reasons. I have worked in restaurants after serving in the military and being honorably discharged while working on reaching my career goals. It is hard work that goes underpaid and underappreciated. In all reality I don’t’ see how â€Å"they are taking our jobs†. If as an individual born in this great nation you aspire to hold one of these mentioned jobs which stereotypically are held by immigrants, great for that person but, I can assure you there is no competition and you can achieve your limited goals. Another common gripe by the minority is that â€Å"illegal aliens† are depleting our social services to the point that these same services are going bankrupt and becoming obsolete. It’s a valid point. A feasible solution is to allow these individuals to work and contribute in the form of taxable income. The reality is â€Å"illegal aliens† are here and are not leaving anytime soon so why not allow them the same freedom an opportunities to thrive and contribute to this country amp; states’ rich history which our forefathers built this great nation amp; state on. It’s amazing how we as a country amp; state allow foreign exchange students to come learn and thrive in our universities on limited immigration visas. We teach and enrich young great minds and when they accomplished their goals and their immigration visas expire we ship them back to their country of origin to grow their foreign economy and empower their nation. Where is the logic in that? There is no logic in that concept. Its’ a concept that is designed to set us back, it is a failure. It’s time we as a country and state use common sense and logic to ealize that we are cheating ourselves as a nation and a state whom is discriminating against that same foundation we were designed upon. Financially it just makes sense to create and tap into this taxable income base, especially in a time of financial uncertainty. Our nation was built by immigrants’, it is hypocritical and goes against our founding fathers moral fiber to turn our back on the very foundation t his country was built upon. And finally, morally it is simply wrong. The way our system is designed, it is not uncommon to separate families via deportation practices. How can we justify separating a father, mother, brother, child from their family simply based on that fact that they are labeled an â€Å"illegal alien† by a piece of paper. It’s not right. Sometimes doing the right thing is not popular, but it is the right thing to do. Though many are against immigration reform, it is very conceivable that it is a matter of time before we redesign or immigration system in order to survive as a leading nation amongst the global economy we now live in.