Immigration Isn’t a Game

Within our own backyard, one of the most outlandish and unbelievable events was being planned by the on campus Young Conservatives of Texas political group. The “Catch an Illegal Immigrant” game that was proposed on campus by the Young Conservatives of Texas caught quite a bit of controversy from the students and faculty at the University of Texas. The game entailed finding various people around campus labeled “Illegal immigrants” and bringing them back to the group in exchange for a $25 gift card. When I had heard about the event, I did a double take as I had to read everything again. There could be nothing more controversial or demeaning than what was described in the event page. When I looked through the comments, one particular comment stuck out to me – a human being can not be illegal. Calling another person illegal is completely out of line with the truth but from a decency standpoint is not the way to describe a person. The term they should be using instead of illegal immigrants is undocumented workers. Undocumented workers live a second class lifestyle around the country, there is a constant fear of deportation or having a family broken up. The most insensitive part of the whole thing was their treatment of people’s lives as some sort of game. The response from the rest of the university mirrored much of the same sentiment.  

The backlash went from a few angry comments to a school wide protest very quickly. Longhorns were unafraid to stand up for what they believed in. Actual undocumented longhorns themselves spoke without any fear to students around campus. Two of the more obvious sentiments about the whole thing were that the planning behind the event was very poorly thought out and the event itself was more of a demonstration to get the attention of as many people as possible rather than something to taken literally. When all said and done, even associated republican candidates distanced themselves from the event. Specifically, Greg Abbott, who Lorenzo Garcia had worked for in the past, would not comment about the event. There was no joking matter about the topic as controversial as immigration.  

In the aftermath of the school wide protest, the event ended up being canceled. The pressure came from the students all the way to the top, namely Bill Powers, and outside of the university news had spread all throughout the country about YCT’s event. Everyone including conservative media outlets like Fox reported on the matter and jumped on the disrespectful nature of YCT’s idea. The University board of regents chairman and chancellor even issued their own statement deriding the approach of the organization.  I think it would have been a huge mistake to go through with the event, the decision to cancel was the only sensible decision the YCT had made all week. The tension and pressure was building up, but retaliation would be sure to come if something like this were to happen.  Lorenzo Garcia wanted to talk. After getting the attention of the entire nation, would he be able to follow up?  

   

The Unnoticed Trend

Everyone always talks about the increase in the unskilled labor market as one of the effects of immigration in the US. However, one story that has been overlooked and under appreciated over this time period. A large number of high-skilled Latin Americans have immigrated into the country as well. According to reports, as many as 30 million Latin Americans have entered the country with advanced degrees since 1996 and an additional 10 million have entered since then. This effect has been taking place for a very long time from a wide variety of countries from around the world, but recently several South American countries have been exporting the most workers. This trend has coincided with the growth of the middle class. Countries such as Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Chile have seen a growing middle class, and the allure of the American dream inspires many to chase their dreams to another country. Most of these highly skilled workers end up in very prestigious American companies, especially those in Silicon Valley. California has remained a favorite for many of these workers because the state already has a large Spanish population and there is still a decent job market for those skilled workers. It still remains the same that jobs have always been the primary motivation for coming into the country with the potential of rising to the top. Areas in Europe have had high amounts of unemployment with Spain being one of the worst. Unemployment has hit 26% in the country and is even higher for the younger generation looking for jobs.   

Some have described this phenomena as the “brain drain” of developing countries, where individuals with technical skills and knowledge leave the country leaving a serious challenge for the growth and development of many struggling countries. Nations in the Caribbean have seen the worst of this effect with upwards of 90 percent of skilled workers fleeing the country for opportunities abroad. Globalization and technological improvements have only made it easier to travel and to acquire more knowledge. The US has intentionally made it very easy to study in the US as a student. Once many of these young men and women have moved into the country there is all the more reason to stay and very little reason to move out.     

It is hard to come up with any solution for the socioeconomic type issue from “brain drain”. At the same time the US appears to be a beneficiary of this trend. However, I do think it is an issue that everyone in the world should care about. Taking this trend and extrapolating it out over a long time span and a great deal of potential output could go away for the countries that need it the most. Every now and then I hear stories about immigrants that come to the US and make money but end up sending money back home. This mitigates the effects of the brain drain, but it is not a remedy to the problem. Only time will tell the outcome of the phenomena.    

Fixing America’s Healthcare System

Universal health care has been a dream for many Americans for a very long time. All of that changed when Obama signed the affordable care act into law on March 23, 2010 and was upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012.

While the US is still in the implementation phase of Obamacare, the future of the program as well as the future of healthcare in the US seems as though it will depend on one major factor: Hispanic enrollment. Right now the primary targets for Obamacare, as well as the largest beneficiaries of the program, are the millions of uninsured Americans. In 2012, there were an estimated 50 million uninsured Americans, but out of this group, approximately 1/3 were Hispanic. There are a variety of reasons for this unfortunate statistic. In the US Hispanics have accepted more contractor positions, work in more demanding environments or are simply taken advantage of. However, after all this time the US finally has the chance to fix this social injustice and bring healthcare to everyone.   

For any system of universal healthcare, the premiums are determined by the number of enrollees. The idea is that the more people enroll, the more costs are subsidized by everyone. However, what this means is that for Obamacare premiums to be affordable in the future, Hispanics must be encouraged to enroll. Fortunately for us, Hispanics currently stand to gain the most by enrolling in Obamacare. They are the most uninsured group in the US, but they are also the youngest group and stand to gain most of the benefits. First, it is risky to live without health insurance in the US because non insured costs are extremely unaffordable, but along with that, many Hispanics in the US work in physically demanding jobs. Currently, there are few options for an uninsured American who suffers a work-related injury. Secondly, young enrollees are essential for the program to succeed. The general idea is that younger participants require less medical expenses than older people. The more young people that enroll, the cheaper the premiums will be. Given these two reasons, it is expected that Hispanics will be the most targeted group to enroll in Obamacare, and they are the group most likely to join.

Access to healthcare is a basic human right in this day and age. Every country in the world has some form of universal healthcare regardless of their national wealth. America has been at the forefront of revolutionary ideas for a long time, but one thing I thought we have always missed out on is universal healthcare. It may take some time before Hispanics become the largest group in the US, but they are needed right now for our future to be secure.   

 

 

 

The Unifying Rally

Amidst a government shutdown, thousands of people descended upon Washington to bring forth an important issue – immigration. The immigration reform rally was held on Capitol Hill earlier this week where politicians, lobbyists, and workers gathered to fight for the rights of millions of undocumented workers. The participants of the movement rallied behind the slogan “The Time Is Now!” which is symbolic in its own way as it comes in the middle of one of the most divisive and uncoordinated times in American History. The government has stopped running, the country is on the brink of default, political parties are sabotaging each other, and the commander in chief has been powerless to control the country. America needs to get itself together. There has never been a more appropriate time than now.

But beneath the politics, a rare and unifying event is taking place. The immigration rally has been unprecedented in bridging the gap between America. For one event, you are able to see Republicans and Democrats, the rich and the poor, immigrants and non immigrants fight on the same side. As congressmen feel the pressure of being out of work for the first time, there has been an increase in the level of sympathy and support for the life of the undocumented worker.

Many immigrants who have fought to be in the US have the toughest jobs, working long hours to support their families here or back home. At the forefront of the cause, Luis Gutierrez emphasizes the hardship of being an immigrant, “Our communities and our families do not have the luxury to rest or relax” It is not just the physical sacrifice that makes life as an immigrant so hard, it is the emotional experience that many face. Over one thousand people as deported each day, and for those who are already struggling to keep their lives together, deportation marks the end of a dream. When the reality of what many of these immigrants go through sets in, it is easy to see why so many people are fired up. Historically, the immigration has been too controversial a topic for either political party to take a stance, and this has led to neither side convincingly appealing to Latino voters. Perhaps people were not looking at the issue from the right standpoint, because for those who joined in on the rally any question surrounding immigration is completely drowned out by the topic of human rights, which American congressmen Frank Sharry conveys below.

“There are 11 million reasons why I’ve decided to get arrested today. In today’s America 11 million people work hard, sacrifice for their families and make this country stronger, but are denied the opportunity to live freely and contribute fully.”

There is no reason that immigrants should be treated as poorly as they are today. Although America has been slow to unify under the cause, it has always come through. The government will one day be back, the default crisis will one day be lifted, and immigration will one day be accepted. The time is now.

Reflections on a Special Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the US from September 15^th to October 15^th. In honor of this special month, I’d like to take a moment to reflect upon the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced our country.

This month, I had the opportunity to attend a Hispanic Heritage festival. As I joined the celebration with Hispanics from around the community, the overall theme revolved around one central idea: being a part of the American “melting pot”.

“We’re the new community, the new mix, the new melting pot.”

Being from Texas, I’ve always felt I have the opportunity to experience a special part of the melting pot, as Texas has a rich Latino background and history. If you go far back enough, Texas was first discovered by Spanish conquistadors. Spain first negotiated settlement agreements with the US to colonize the land. Control of the state shifted to Mexico when they won their independence from Spain in 1821. Mexicans and Americans then began to shape the identity of Texas together and Texas was able to become its own little melting pot. Today I feel as though Texas has its own unique culture filled with the best of both worlds. It has the a rich Hispanic culture and a strong foundation from the rest of the states. The Hispanic influence was there in the beginning and it never left.

One of the most inspiration speeches I heard over the past year was during the keynote address for the Democratic National Convention. The speaker was Julian Castro, the major from my home city of San Antonio as well as the first Latino to ever deliver the signature address for the Democratic National Convention. As I listened to the speech, I was moved by the story of the Latino mayor. His grandmother had come to the US in search of the American Dream. In order to support her family, she began working as a maid and then as a cook and then a babysitter, all so that her daughter (Castro’s mother) could grow up in America and pursue the American Dream. She was never able to own a home her entire life, as she was only able to clean the homes of others so she could afford to rent her own. She bore the hardship of the entire family to provide an opportunity for her daughter to succeed as well as instill the values of hard work and perseverance. The sacrifices that she made paid off when her daughter became the first person in their family to graduate from college. In honor of her family, Castro’s mother became a political activist to fight for civil rights for her son as well as the rights of all minorities. For the rest of the night, Castro talked about the values of family and community, reiterating the idea of the “melting pot”. We are all in this together. America would not be what it is today had it never become the melting pot of the world and today I am proud to be a part of that melting pot.

A Shift in the Political Sea

A Shift in the Political Sea

For the first time, a Mexican American has been elected to the city council in New York City, which marks a breakthrough for minorities in political positions. Carlos Menchaca, a native of El Paso Texas, accomplished this feat by winning the Brooklyn City Council Seat on September 12, 2013. While Latinos have held political positions in New York before, this election was especially meaningful because Menchaca is the first Mexican American to hold this particular position. In the past, the population of Mexican Americans in New York was low. The Latino community had reached upwards of two million people in New York, but the vast majority of that population consisted of Puerto Ricans and only a small percentage of that group (less than 10%) was Mexican. In fact, Menchaca’s three-term incumbent in this election was Puerto Rican. Menchaca was able to win support for his campaign by focusing on the Hispanic community and promoting immigration reform for all minorities in New York. As a minority myself, I can’t help but feel inspired when I see another minority in office trying to change the nation for the betterment of other minorities. In his campaign, I admired his care for the people that motivated him to act, I could see his passion for what he was doing and his disdain for a government that was slow to get back to the people. He is proof that change is coming and he makes me want to be a part of the wave that will sweep the nation.

Menchaca’s victory represents the shift in the population in New York where Mexicans have quickly become the fastest-growing Hispanic group within the last few years. The increase in Latino population is not just isolated to New York, this trend has expanded across the US and has really taken off over the last 30 years. According the Census Bureau, the population of Hispanics in the US was 14.6 million in 1980, this number has jumped up to 50 million as of 2010. This growth is only expected to increase as minorities are expected to become the majority in the US as early as 2040. As perposterous as that idea sounds, the winds of change have been pushing this notion for some time, births for racial and ethnic minorities already account for more than half of all births in the US and large metropolitan areas have been showing large Hispanic growth over the past few years. Whether we want it or not, America is changing, and there is no turning back. Menchaca is only the forerunner for many more minority victories to come.

A look at Hispanic population change over the last 30 years

When I look back at the history of the United States, progress has really shaped the way the nation within the last century. Prior to the civil rights movement in the 1950s, if you ever asked whether black man would ever become president in your lifetime people would laugh. It took some time, but our nation was able to overcome a history of oppressing minorities. Another notable victory in the city council election is the fact that Menchaca is openly gay, a win for LGBT activists who have been on a roll since the overturning of Defense on Marriage Act (DOMA) within the last few months . Today, I look back at the amount of change that has swept through the US and the unifying theme that I always come back to is: you can’t stop progress. One day there will be a Hispanic president and one day there will be an Asian president. It will all happen, you just have to give it time.