Ive never felt as strong about legalizing illegal immigrants as i have in the last couple years…why? Simply because of EDUCATION. I am 19 years old i go to CalState Northridge, the first to both graduate from high school and attend a college in both sides of my family and yet as huge as my grin grows as i say that its a bittersweet feeling. You know it really hurts to know that despite all these accomplishments at the end of the line i still ask myself….where am i going with this? Because i am an illegal immigrant i cannot get a job, i cannot drive, i cannot get financial aid and hundreds and thousands of scholarships, i cannot even submit a form for “a free ipod!!” you see in those scams. Although it might not be THAT BAD…it hurts. Yeah i can take a bus, and work the way my father is, but where in all that is the EDUCATION i worked so hard to be proud of?
Just last year in one of my english courses, i raised my hand to publicly declare that i am an illegal immigrant and the room went silent. I hesitated to go on…but with a shaky voice and sweaty ass hands i looked at my teacher and my fellow classmates and said that despite all the things ppl say about immigration, i am still a student in a classroom just like they were.

“Yes we do pay for taxes…at least i know my mom and dad do. The bank gives us a TIN(tax identification number) to identify us just like a SSN would. With that number we DO TAXES. I dont drive…but i sure as hell think its so much easier to give us licenses because think of how many illegal immigrants are out there in the streets driving illegally to their jobs because it is a necessity. OF COURSE that is dangerous…they didnt take driving classes! So why not give them at least the opportunity to drive safely just like the average american. Give us financial aid so we can have an opportunity to go to college without using the families savings and help out the community with safer streets and a youth that can dream for any type of education without knowing its impossible.”

I honestly thought that i was in my room thinking out loud because when i finished saying all that the room felt silent and i felt a sigh of relief to let ppl know that i was human too. The following day my teacher came up to me and said

“Thank you so MUCH for your words. Not only did we learn some new things but you brought us the reality that what we are arguing about is PEOPLE,so many students came up to me and told me to tell you THANK YOU. Thank you for letting us now the human side of illegal immigration…” and then she hugged me.yeah a hug…it was crazy! haha i walked out of the class with a =)

i would never think that saying my story would make people say thank you. Illegal immigration is not solely on the technicallity of what cheap labor does and doesnt and how we are getting poorer and crowded and cheated. I encourage people to hear the human side of immigration and know that we are out there…sure our votes might be imaginary and our legal status and identities are non-existent but our voices are as real as yours.

So now i gotta say THANK YOU for reading. I hope i made you feel like you wanna give me a hug too because hugs are great….and so are chinchillas

It was the immigrants who invited me to eat in their homes to teach me the meaning of hospitality.

My ancestors came to this continent, a new world, in 1647 without the benefit of any immigration policy that included permission from those who already lived here.

I enjoy cheap strawberries. But not all immigrants are agricultural workers. Some are graduates of Cal State Long Beach who came to this country as small children. Their parents, aunts and uncle started businesses and engaged capitalism to find success, home ownership and other pieces of the American experience. I hope we can find policies that treat people as people no mater where they are from and how long they have been here.

Hugo - you should know that in California, many water districs set prices so that agricultural users pay far less than residential users and far less than the true cost of water. How many billions of dollars that could have gone to schools, efficient industry promotion, housing, or other programs to help develop economic opportunites for people as opposed to subsidizing inefficient farming (alfalfa? dairy cows?) that benefit mainly a narrow concentration, create cost burdens on businesses that limit job opportunities, contribute to the illegal immigration issue, and create other environemental issues?

Oh, but hey, I forgot - you’re “also an environmentalist who loves the Golden State, and my passion for nature and my passion for people sometimes don’t mesh well.”

Gonz, you believe “There are plenty of options to do so for immigrants who want to become residents, or temporary workers who go through the proper channels to do so.” Many people don’t believe there are “plenty of options,” at least not feasible ones, and that’s why they’re trying to “reform” the laws. You can make it a matter of personal preference if it makes it easier for you to think about it, but I doubt you’ve ever had to try to deal with the fears and obstacles most of these “illegals” have.

And when their hosts wouldn’t let them go, God made a proper channel out.

There are plenty of options to do so for immigrants who want to become residents, or temporary workers who go through the proper channels to do so

Leviticus 18:33-34 “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

Absolutely. And native born lawbreakers I also think deserve jail, and what the law prescribes for their offense.

Leviticus 25:35 “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.”

Again, nothing in here indicates the “aliens” or “residents” are behaving unlawfully.

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”

Noting that the Hebrews were INVITED to live in Egypt, and walked in through proper channels.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15, 17 “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. … Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.”

Aliens living w/ green cards are “living in one of my towns.” I, in fact, oppose the practice of paying substandard wages to illegal aliens. It’s an abuse of them. Unfortunately their illegal and undocuneted status makes this possible.

Malachai 3:5 “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.”

Justice - cuts both ways. Is there a place where it says “Exempt the alien from your laws, and punish him not for his transgressions?” By all means. Cut them a final check for the work they have done prior to sending them back on the INS bus. I wouldn’t dream of defrauding them.

Leviticus 18:33-34 “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.”

Leviticus 25:35 “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-19 “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt.”

Deuteronomy 24:14-15, 17 “Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. … Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.”

Malachai 3:5 “So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the LORD Almighty.”

Yes, I am comparing them - they are all against the law. If we start excuseing them, i9t’s not a question anymore of whether we give amnesty for criminals, but which ones we give it to.

When I saw all these marches, and all the MEXICAN flags .. well, I’m not re-assured. Matter of fact, I’m even more against them now.

Now that’s a sentence I’m going to try and remember! Very amusing ;-)