The United States of America: the melting pot where people of different regions and cultures mix together and blend into a scrumptious delicacy.
This melting pot has recently been renamed the salad bowl, insinuating a mix of people that maintain their own identity and contribute a unique spice that gives the salad a satisfying flavor.
Sometimes though, our desire for food is tainted by one unwanted ingredient: illegal immigrants.
“Who deserves to be a U.S. citizen?” questions Elizabeth Cohen in her article titled “Should illegal immigrants become citizens? Let’s ask the founding fathers.”
The founders’ answer was simple: “People who immigrated and spent years building lives in this country deserved citizenship,” states Cohen.
Answering this question is not as simple today. This recycled debate is constantly being fought. Since the beginning of our history, we have dealt with the issue of immigration. Everyone wants to live the American Dream.
But do Americans want everyone? When the pilgrims came here, they took the land from the Native Americans. Our country’s foundation is based on immigration: people coming into this land and integrating their beliefs with those of the inhabitants.
Interestingly, the immigration issue began in 1805 when the Supreme Court was faced with the first case over citizenship, according to Cohen. Since then, there has been much discrimination toward immigrants and debate over whether or not people should be allowed to live in the United States. Some of the most identifiable cases include the Irish, Asians, Africans, and now Hispanics.
Cohen refers to the court’s attempt to create a “temporal formula: time + residence + good moral character = citizenship.” Yet, there are still a significant number of people living in America who qualify to be citizens and have not gained full citizenship.
With four boys under the age of seven, my grandfather (tito) came to the United States with a work permit, visas for his family. At 6 years old, my dad, along with his three brothers and both parents, legally crossed the border to the United States from Mexico. If there is any proper way to immigrate, that is it.
Cohen refers to the idea that the “probationary period would ensure that immigrants shed the ‘prejudices’ of their former regimes, exhibit ‘that zest for pure republicanism which is necessary in order to taste its beneficence’ and acquire civic knowledge that would make them good citizens.
My dad has not received full citizenship. He went to college in the Unit- ed States. He began his own business in the United States. He has worked hard every day. But becoming a citizen is a complicated and lengthy process. Now, tell me he doesn’t deserve to live here because he is an immigrant from Mexico. If he doesn’t, then who does?
Mexicans are so geographically close, yet so politically far from becoming a part of the United States. The desire for a better life can result in family separation because of the political obstacles.
Often, the father leaves Mexico to work in the United States. He then sends whatever money he can back home to his wife and children. Many people debate that these immigrants are removing resources from the country that should be saved for citizens.
How many United States citizens would willingly work in the ceaseless fields under the blazing California sun, often getting paid less than minimum wage and picking fruits and vegetables for the rest of us to enjoy? When we can find enough Americans to replace the efficient and hard-working Mexicans, then we can discuss getting rid of these so-called foreigners who “solely take from our economy and provide nothing in return.”
I am a zesty necessity in this flavorful salad bowl that we call the United States of America. Tortillas, chips and salsa are staples in my daily life. Most of my family speaks Spanish, and Catholicism is at the center of our beliefs. Each of these family values is ingrained in my Mexican heritage. It is somewhat more complex when I factor in my mom’s Irish heritage. This mixing of cultures is the epitome of America.
“Over time, people who are liv- ing somewhere are transformed into citizens by that experience,” says Cohen. While that might be true, it can be argued that in the United States, part of being transformed means keeping our past alive, making our country diverse.
Cohen’s article also claims that “denying … naturalization or selling legal status only to people who can afford high fees and legal expenses doesn’t make our border-control and immigration laws stronger. It makes them unfair.” While it is important to know who makes up our country, we must decide how we will do so. That decision will impact every individual and every family trying to gain access to the United States, as well as those already here.
I take pride in both of my cultures. Yes, I am an American. I am also Mexican.
I am a descendant of immigrants, and that is what makes me American.
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