Essay 534

After all the marches, what next?

By Mary Sanchez, an opinion-page columnist for The Kansas City Star: Tribune Media Services

April 14, 2006

So where are the other 31 million Latinos?

Recent weeks saw the largest outpouring of Latino activism ever in this country. Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix are among the cities reporting the immigration rallies were the largest their cities have ever seen.

But do the math.

Latinos are the nation’s largest ethnic group, at 40 million strong. The rallies drew thousands, hundreds of thousands in some cities. The events were largely gatherings of the people most desperately in need of comprehensive immigration reform--the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the country. About 8 million of them are thought to be Latino.

So the looming question of “What’s next?” should also include queries of how to engage more Hispanic U.S. citizens into the conversation. They are the best examples to reply to the questions raised by the rallies, however misinterpreted.

Already the outpouring of commentary includes attitudes like, “Why were they chanting in Spanish?” (Meaning: “These people will never learn English.”)

“They don’t want to become Americans! Look at all of those Mexican flags.” (Meaning: “These people will never fit my profile of a U.S. citizen.”)

And: “They just want to take from this country, demanding rights!” (Meaning: “I do not understand how much these immigrants and their families, even those here illegally, do and will contribute to the economy.”)

And my favorite often-articulated fallacy: “My ancestors came here legally. Why can’t these people!” (Meaning: The speaker probably does not understand the process to arrive legally and mistakenly thinks the system in place now also governed their European ancestors.)

Let me be the first to admit, I am not comfortable with protests. I don’t care what they are called--marches, rallies, etc. So when I heard Mexican-Americans and others say that they were hesitant to participate, I understood the sentiment.

But noteworthy also is that so many Latinos are expressing a desire to “stay separate” from the newer immigrants. One rally organizer said some Mexican-Americans had declined to participate noting, “The immigrants are making it harder on us.”

The idea is that images of Latinos marching might fuel a backlash against all Latinos, regardless of legality and U.S. citizenship. That is not a crazy fear. But it is easily deflected.

Engagement by a broader swath of the Latino population could go far toward deflecting some of the us-against-them language arising in reaction to the rallies. The truth is, a lot of “us” Latinos are connected by family history to “them,” who are the illegal immigrants.

Find out about and then talk about your own family history. How and when did they arrive? Most immigrants do not settle with perfected English skills, a middle-class existence. Learning English doesn’t happen overnight. But it does happen, usually within a generation. Understandably, people generations removed from their European ancestors often do not realize this.

Mexican people do want to become citizens. More Mexicans become U.S. citizens than immigrants from any other country—63,840 people in 2004. And Hispanic businesses have a growth rate three times the national average. Both statistics offer examples of what the immigrants of today can offer the U.S. tomorrow.

The marches were mobilized largely to speak against the bill passed by the House in December. This is the measure that looked to enforcement-only reforms, such as building a wall at the southern border.

But the future will call for much broader issues. Regardless of political position, there is a place for everyone in this conversation.

Comprehensive reform of our immigration policies will not happen overnight. It will take action from both political parties. There is no one quick fix, no easy answer. Security, reworking our visa system, figuring out what to do with those already here, organizing programs and funding to give newcomers the best chances to succeed in the U.S., all will be critical.

And long term.

Like it or not, in some circles anyone with a Hispanic surname will be lumped into some of the most vehement arguments against these new immigrant populations.

Hiding from that fact won’t change the impression.