Vaya a Casa
5/3/2006
The United States has long been the melting pot of the world. Immigrants have been emigrating here for centuries to seek better lives for themselves. The most recent wave of immigrants has largely been of Hispanic decent.
Many things have caused peaks in the volume of immigrants. From famines to world wars, people have long seen the U.S. as a place of hope and promise. As the U.S. evolved and expanded west, more and more immigrants continued to arrive. With such a detailed history of foreign emigration it might be surprising that the Hispanic influx has caused such a National stir.
There have always been stereotypes and prejudices about each new group that arrives here. People will be quick to say that the Hispanics earn depressed wages and do jobs that most Americans do not want to do. In most cases they are looking to make a better life for themselves and their families much like the immigrants that came before them.
The Hispanic influence on the American society has become more and more evident. Public signs are often displayed in English and Spanish, automated customer support information and driver’s license tests are offered in both languages, and even mass media outlets have been created to cater to the Spanish speaking population. There have been gripes along the way but overall these changes have raised limited attention.
The recent protests that took place across the country by illegal immigrants and their supporters to show their economic clout could very well have backfired on them. It helped to bring several issues to the national spotlight. Who pays for the social services they use such as health care, education, and even the new driver’s license forms written in Spanish? Their claim that they have a right to be here angered many Americans. How can they claim the rights bestowed on all Americans when they are not even Americans?
Many protesters held up signs saying they love the United States and to give them a chance. If the illegal immigrants that protested love the U.S. to much why don’t they voluntarily contribute to the tax base that helps maintain our society? Why didn’t they enter the country legally? Why should honest taxpayers be forced to cover for the services that the illegal immigrants take advantage of?
No other group of immigrants has been so reluctant to assimilate into the American society. No one is asking them to give up their culture, but don’t expect the Unites States to adopt a second national language because they are reluctant to learn English. If they want to come to the U.S. to try to live the “American Dream” they need to do two things. First they need to do it legally which includes paying the same taxes that every other citizen pays. Secondly, they need to adapt to our society and not expect the opposite to happen.
If they don’t like it - vaya a casa (“go home” for the non-Spanish speaking readers).
Why? Just Because!