Friday, October 15, 2010

Civil Rights in Immigration

Coming from West Texas, throughout my life I have seen firsthand another aspect of civil rights struggle, and that would be the influx of Hispanic immigrants into the United States, mainly in my neck of the woods, West Texas. While on the surface immigration does not seem to be a civil rights issue, it has become somewhat of a civil rights issue. There have been many times when I have heard people talk about Hispanics as if they were not people, but just a problem to be dealt with, and I must say it is quite troubling to hear people talk this way about other people. They often do not receive the respect that they deserve. Often this is due to a common assumption by some people that all Hispanics that they encounter are illegal immigrants and breaking the law. However often times this is not the case. While there most definitely are those who have broken the law and come across the border illegally, there still are those who did the process legally and with respect for the law. There are some people out there however who will still judge Hispanics simply by the color of their skin, and not by the content of their character as the great and wise Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said in his famous speech in Washington. They regard all Hispanics as illegals and use it as an excuse to disrespect them. Even if someone is an illegal immigrant however, they should still be treated with the same amount of respect that somebody would expect to receive from somebody else. The reason they came here is so that they can make a living and provide for their family, they are not here to cause trouble. They leave everything that they owned back in their home countries for a better life and they are met by some who treat them as if they are simply another problem. Some politicians do not help this problem at all. Often times they regard and speak of immigrants and nothing more than another political problem on the long list of political and social problems that plague the country. Hopefully through tolerance and understanding we can all come to appreciate and respect each other and our rights and feelings. The civil rights movement did indeed make substantial progress in this area, but there is still more work to be done.

1 comment:

  1. I definitely agree that Hispanics in this country are not treated equally from a social standpoint. While Hispanic citizens are held in the same regard as everyone else by law, on the social and overall racist side of things there seems to be a vast disparity. By looking at the different strategies for equality that African Americans used during the civil rights movement the Hispanic community can progress in our society. The Patio six is a great example of how Hispanics can fight against racist stereotypes.

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