Immigration

Immigration. That word inspires many different thoughts and emotions in people; however, in today’s political climate the first thing that many people think of is illegal immigration and Mexico.

Texas and Texans have a special relationship with Mexico. There is a culture and history in Texas that has largely been influenced by Mexico and the Mexican heritage. This history extends to the very beginnings of Texas; in fact many of the people that fought and died at the Alamo where Texicans. The influence of Mexico created something completely unique to Texas, and the influences can be seen in the food, music, and art.

The immigration debate in this country has been shaped by those who use fear to convince people that when it comes to illegal immigration enforcement is the first and only option. Also, this debate has masked a culture of intolerance in a shroud of national security, and the belief that illegal immigration is an assault on the American way of life.

During the Texas State Democratic Convention I attended a caucus for the discussion of Immigration and the Economy. This caucus featured a presentation from the Texas Border Coalition, which focused on the statistics of immigration and the economy. Some of the statistics I learned about in this presentation where very interesting, and it focused the debate in a completely different way.

What is clear is that the current immigration policies are not working and that the American people are being fed a line of rhetoric that has nothing to do with the real issues of illegal immigration. Immigration has everything to do with economy and demographics, and little to do with terrorism and criminal activity.

More research and analysis to come…