Immigration reform has long been a political platform for both major parties in the U.S. It is a frequent topic of debate, discussion, and opposition. As with every political issue, discussing immigration can be polarizing. Some people are hugely in favor of a political reform that would allow undocumented immigrants to efficiently and effectively become citizens. Others consider the constant influx of immigrants a problem which is destroying the U.S. economy.
I have always been in favor of immigration reform and recognize the necessity of it in a country that was founded by immigrants and is largely made up of them. Recently, I heard a poem by Alysia Harris called “When I Look at You Without Speaking I Am Drawing a Map.” It talked about how she changed her opinion about immigration after she met her Salvadorian friend. One of the lines in the poem that really struck me was this – “Let’s make politics less about politics and make politics more about people.”
It is easy to get caught up in issues without remembering the real world effects every political decision we vote on has. It is even harder to remember not only the general effects of a decision, but the individual ones. You can look at how instituting immigration reform can bring in more revenue due to the taxing benefits of issuing a social security card to process tax returns. And you can even say that immigration is ruining Southern California’s economy (as I was once told by a fellow Domer), because they are “taking” American jobs.
This isn’t about how I feel about immigration, but rather how we should all feel. Jeb Bush once said, “Illegal immigration is not a felony, but rather an act of love.” I too stand by this statement. So many parents and grandparents cross the border in order to provide for better and brighter futures for their families. People immigrate to the United States fleeing economic strife, violence, and abuse.
This is more about the individuals who at this moment, when you read this, are attempting to cross the border in hopes of a better tomorrow. This is for the numerous individuals who won’t make it tonight or ever. This is about the unnamed crosses of all the unclaimed bodies bordering California’s Mexico Border.
This is about the children held in detention centers who hope to one day see their family, about the families that are separated, and about the people who drown in the Rio Grande. It isn’t about how you feel about immigration; no, it’s about the people who die of dehydration and are assaulted and raped on their journey to the United States. This is about the countless people who leave their homelands with hopes of one day returning, but never do. This isn’t about politics, it’s about people – it’s about human rights.
These things affect the United States, the people who live here, and our fellow Domers. We need to stop looking at immigration as a foreign problem but rather as a dangerous sacrifice undertaken by our fellow humans. We need to stop dehumanizing undocumented immigrants by calling them “illegal aliens.” It’s a difficult undertaking to humanize a problem especially since for so many, immigration is not an issue they deal with daily. Despite the difficulty of this task it must be done to propel not only change within ourselves, but within our government. Our fellow human beings die alone and hungry just south of our border. They die hopeful and scorched by the sun.
As individuals, we are receptive to emotions and in order to truly care about a problem, we must humanize it. Next time you think of immigration, don’t just think of a nameless conglomeration of immigrants, but rather the stories that they each hold and the map they paint of their struggles in life. Think of them staying awake for days while walking aimlessly in a desert. Think of your own ancestors that once immigrated to the United States and the struggles they faced here. We should care, because this matters. People matter. Children matter. I’m not promoting my ideas on how to fix the broken immigration system, but rather proposing that you look at the issue differently.
At Notre Dame and as Catholics, we have the mission to view every human with dignity and love. This extends to every individual we will ever think of or encounter in our life, regardless of what language they speak and what they look like. Even if you don’t consider yourself Catholic, but just a person who respects human life and dignity, remember that immigrants who die attempting to reach the United States are not different than us, but the same. We are all born into certain life situations and I, personally, cannot fathom how difficult a situation must be for people to immigrate to a foreign country knowing that death is very likely. It’s time to practice what we preach and consider immigration not only a political issue, but a human issue. No Mas Muertes. No More Deaths.