Immigration Position Paper
Immigration: A Time for Reform & 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. 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 “illegal aliens” no longer so called “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
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. 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 “illegal aliens” no longer so called “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
References: 1. DC (2013). Immigration Reform: How Republicans may gain more than Democrats after all. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2013/0214/Immigration-reform-how-Republicans-may-gain-more-than-Democrats-after-all 2. WWW.Whitehouse (2013). Fixing the Immigration System for the 21st Century Economy. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/fixing-immigration-system-america-s-21st-century-economy 3. Boise (2013). Immigration: From the surging number of Central Americans crossing the border to visas available only to wealthy foreigners. Retrieved from http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-best-in-depth-reporting-on-immigration/Content?oid=2819357 4. ABC News. (2013). The note: Will Immigration Reform mean more Hispanic republicans. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/will-immigration-reform-mean-more-hispanic-republicans/ 5. Malkin, M. (2006). Michelle Malkin: The Toilet Brush Campaign. Retrieved from http://michellemalkin.com/2006/04/15/the-toilet-brush-campaign/ 6. About.Com, MacFadyen,J. (2013), Retrieved from http:/immigration.about.com/od/immigrationlawandpolicy/f/DREAM_Defined.htm 7. 2013, Retrieved from http://www.usimmigrationsupport.org/california-immigration.html