I was listening to MPR talk about the effects of the nationwide boycott today as I drove up to Chipotle – and found it closed! Apparently they closed about 15 of their stores today to support all their workers who were planning to join the boycott today to challenge immigration policy. It was amusing to see that, YES, this issue affects me personally – exactly the point of the whole thing!
Then, as I was reflecting on it all, I realized that, in a way, it’s about my own daughter! We don’t think about her immigrant status that much because MN law protects minors in state custody who are brought here illegally through no fault of their own, so she was never at any risk of deportation. Still, it took us 4 years to navigate Homeland Security & get her a green card. Imagine what people without resources go through!
Here’s what I don’t get: why was it OK for all of our ancestors to come here illegally, but it’s not OK for people today? How many Americans can honestly say that all their ancestors were WANTED here when they came? Not many! I doubt Native people were too thrilled when my English ancestors sailed up, and I don’t think my German Quaker ancestors were so well received by the English Americans! Not sure how it was for the Swedes, but that group was pretty low on the social hierarchy in MN around the time my people came to the Midwest, so I doubt they were too popular.
Given all that, how on earth can I complain about other people coming here “illegally”? What’s legal is arbitrary, anyway – Congress can change the laws anytime. The bigger question is why people feel the need to keep anyone out...
What would happen if we just let anyone come who wanted to?
I doubt the country would crumble.
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