Readers Write: Immigration Debate

Over the last few weeks I have written a series of pieces advocating compassionate immigration reform that includes earned citizenship for this country's 11 million to 12 million undocumented immigrants. The first article, "Sí, Se Puede!" described the enthusiasm of the burgeoning movement for immigrants' rights. "Immigration Debate Creates Strange Bedfellows" looked at the strange political alliances created by the fracas, and finally, "Defining the Melting Pot" recounted the huge April 10 rally in New York.

The passion of the debate following these articles took me by surprise. Immigration had obviously struck a nerve with readers, inspiring responses to all three articles that were full of both venom and vigor. Illegal immigration quickly became one of the most hotly debated topics on AlterNet's pages and inspired everything from thoughts on economic history and international policy to conspiracy theories, accusations of racism and name-calling.

The majority of commentators voiced opposition to legalization for undocumented immigrants, and scolded me personally and AlterNet at large for supporting such a proposition. Metahope asked, "Alternet, why are you supporting illegal immigrants rights over the rights of American citizens?" Metahope, like many others, viewed undocumented immigrants as a major threat, saying that "illegal immigrant scabs are destroying unions in Brooklyn, N.Y., and all over the United States They work hard at undermining our economic security … They don't deserve our largesse … They are lower than saboteurs, they are infestations."

Many agreed, though in less harsh terms, that illegal immigration is a threat to blue-collar citizens. Clocksmith wrote, "I am tired of hearing that illegal immigrants do the jobs that Americans won't do. If these jobs paid a fair and decent wage, Americans would do them." Clocksmith summed up the most consistent argument against illegal immigration (and immigration in general) -- the belief that immigrants "keep wages depressed for the rest of us" and make life more difficult for American workers. Other readers armed themselves with sarcasm to get that point across. Zooeyhall penned an imaginary letter to Joe Sixpack, the all-American citizen who is competing for jobs with legal and illegal immigrants:

Dear Joe:

Really sorry to hear you lost that programming job to that H1B visa guy from India. But hey, every cloud has a silver lining. At least you know that you're doing your part to make America a truly multicultural Nirvana. Also sorry to hear that your son Joey won't be working that summer job this year with that lawn care company. It would really have helped out in your situtation. But just remember: Those Guatemalan immigrants the company hired are part of the poor oppressed masses, and it is our duty to welcome them with open arms! And we all know that Joey is part of the pampered white lower middle class …

The resentment was palpable in many readers' comments -- many accused pro-immigrant readers of being elitist. In turn, pro-immigrant readers accused those who disagreed of xenophobia and racism.

When Gma1 complained that he "heard one of the marchers for illegal immigrants speaking in Mexican" on CNN and accused immigrants of refusing to assimilate, pro-immigrant readers were quick to chastise and ridicule the comment. "Mexican people speak Spanish," responded Merly. "I can't think of anything more ignorant than not knowing that the people in the country next to you speak SPANISH."

Another reader's argument against immigration was swathed in a much thicker layer of prejudice. This reader, who identified herself only as gb, emailed me with this rationale for her anti-immigrant stance:

"I had a very bad experience with an illegal Mexican that lived across the street from me. He stole, lied, beat his wife or girlfriend, didn't work, laid around, and she shoveled the snow on the drive. One day in the eight years he lived here, I saw him mowing the lawn. I couldn't believe it!! I TOOK A PICTURE!!!!

My 80-year-old aunt had some Mexicans paint her house. My husband and I had to do it over. When we got to her house, these people had varnished over all the dirt on the woodwork. Never cleaning anything off. We had to take off all the varnish and do it over. So don't tell me how hard these people work.They do as little as possible."

Those against immigration weren't the only ones accused of racism, though. Medstudgeek felt that citizens who support illegal immigrants were insensitive to the repercussions on black American workers: "Notice that civil rights *leaders* are supporting immigration while ordinary blacks frequently oppose it. Why? Because, for sociological reasons, young black men always go to the bottom of the employment pile. Immigrants take spots ahead of them. The only way to help black people out of poverty is to create a scarcity of labor."