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Will the Senate and American people put an end to Sensenbrenner’s “final solution.”?

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com

   May 10, 2006

 

  

 

     The Senate announced they had reached a consensus and would now send “negotiators” to Congress to modify Rep. Sensenbrenner’s House bill that due to its extreme and draconian spirit in persecuting the $6-a-day-immigrant-worker in search of a $6-an-hour-job was the main cause for several million people to march in protest throughout the U.S.

 

Sensenbrenner’s legislation is a new element supported by a band of extreme nativists sitting in Congress who have their own “final solution” to illegal immigration – stop immigration at all costs from non-white skinned countries. To these nativists it is not about labor needs in sectors of US business; it is not about US businesses breaking laws and faith with US citizens through illegal hiring practices. It is simply about not letting brown faced immigrants in to the country and to squelch the growing power of brown US citizens.

 

The debates on immigration both legal and illegal are not new as can be seen from articles I wrote in years past and that today could be published as new. A review of their key elements may be of interest.

 

Nine years ago, March 1997, writing for the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine an article titled, Illegal Immigration, Truth, Lies and the Profit Motive (http://www.sandiegometro.com/1997/mar/connection.html), some excerpts read:

 

“Providing jobs to illegal immigrants is against federal law. Yet whenever that fact comes up, it is simply dismissed with the statement, "We have no way of telling an illegal from a legal." Suspicion is, of course, never aroused, even with the need for a translator when it comes to the hard questions, such as, "What's your name?"”

 

“Politicians, while appearing tough to the American people, protect major political contributors who profit from the labor of the illegal immigrants... So this vocal group attacking the evils of illegal immigration protects, for profit, those hiring the very people they promise to keep out.”

 

“Hidden from the public is that there is a legal way for foreign agricultural workers to temporarily enter the U.S. It's called the H2A temporary and seasonal in nature agricultural worker visa… But it's the U.S. agricultural employer, his agent or association that needs to apply.”

 

“In the entire U.S., a total of 1,438 H2A visa petitions were issued in the first seven months of 1996, according to the INS. This is a mere pittance considering there are more than 11,000 agricultural enterprises in California alone, and greater than 144,000 throughout the country.’

“Having a legal method to acquire needed labor, why would agricultural enterprises choose to break the law? Could it be because H2A applicants must comply with a series of requirements, one of which reads: "... this does not relieve the employer from providing to H2A workers at least the same level of minimum benefits, wages and working conditions which must be offered to U.S. workers?"

 

“Other employers, in industries that can prove there is a shortage of U.S. workers, have similar INS mechanisms for legally bringing in alien workers. There is simply no excuse for breaking the law by hiring illegal immigrants, other than it's easier and cheaper and therefore more profitable.’

“So, citizens, throw stones at illegal immigrants, vote for propositions and candidates reflecting popular anger, light up the border, police airports, attend meetings, urge more laws, more border patrol, call out the National Guard and more.”

 

The September 1999, article for the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine titled, Legalize Guest Workers, Talk about amnesty for undocumented immigrants is the wrong way to solve agriculture's labor problems (http://www.sandiegometro.com/1999/sep/connection.html) some excerpts read:

 

“Agriculture's need for migrant foreign workers remains a dilemma to our elected representatives in Congress. To win elections, they've found it necessary to be seen as opposed to illegal immigration, calling for severe crackdowns at the border, building fences, lighting the border and posting military guards, while accepting major financial contributions from agricultural entities that are the major employers of illegal immigrants.”

 

“… Voters want illegal immigration stopped, and stopped now. Politicians know they went too far: What would happen if those workers were stopped from crossing the border? Who would step in and take over?’
“Congress, behind closed doors, already is discussing providing amnesty to agricultural workers illegally working in the United States…”    

“The problem is that Congress is trying to serve two masters: agricultural political contributors and U.S. taxpayers. And just as the 1996 immigration reform act proved a loser for taxpayers, I expect the same from what Congress is now privately considering.”

 

“Were the U.S. and Mexico to enter into an agreement that would allow temporary immigration in an orderly and predetermined method, Mexico would surely, as it did during the Bracero program, have agreement clauses guaranteeing sanitary living conditions, health benefits, and safe transportation and working conditions…. These would be cost factors to the agricultural sectors, the underlying reason the Bracero program was canceled in 1963. It becomes cheaper not to have an agreement.”

 

“What's wrong with making a straightforward business deal? People need jobs; this country has temporary jobs available. Work out a deal, that is fair to taxpayers, employers and workers.”

 

“It hinges on Congress deciding which master it will serve: monied special interests or taxpayers. I sure don't like our odds.”

So here we are in 2006, and nothing’s changed. Politicians elected and wannabe elected continue to use the $6-a-day-worker in search of the $6-an-hour-job as the scapegoat in their attempt to continue serving two masters.

 

But the nativist serve only one master – racism – and that blinds all else. Watch Sensenbrenner fight reform, you'll see what I mean.

_______________________________________________

Patrick Osio, Jr is Editor of HispanicVista (www.hispanicvista.com). Contact at: POsioJr@hispanicvista.com

 

(The opinions expressed by Patrick Osio, Jr. are solely his and do not necessarily reflect those of HispanicVista.com, editorial board of advisors or it’s contributing writers.)

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.