Investment Not Resentment for Undocumented

By Gabriel Buelna

While Republicans want high walls and cameras and Democrats want amnesty, the final immigration reform will have to be a moderate approach that will likely include both heavy border security and legalization with fines. The debate currently roaring is focused on two extremes: Conservatives want to create as much pain as possible for immigrants and their families for “breaking the rules” and stepping to the “front of the line”; while liberals want a complete amnesty that might be a political impossibility. In part, the debate has stagnated with the same rhetoric on each side and neither side wanting to compromise. It’s time for a new approach.

As the Executive Director of a nonprofit in East Los Angeles that services an immigrant population, I see the realities of the undocumented. It is a known fact that immigrants in general face higher levels of poverty than the general population, but the realities of the undocumented go beyond abject poverty. Many toil in below minimum wage jobs, with employers sometimes threatening to call immigration or withhold pay. While some would argue this is the price for better wages and a better life, this price is too high.

In addition to living in substandard conditions in pursuit of the “American Dream”, undocumented children, families and adults lack connection with their communities for fear they might be found out. This fear deters them from connecting with many of the social institutions that could help them. While some join local social clubs, churches or unions, most do not. The fear of their status ties many to their homes and limits their ability to garner resources. Essentially, being undocumented leads to financial, social, and emotional isolation. Immigration reform has the potential to eliminate this isolation and create a genuine connection between immigrants and their communities. However, with the current proposed immigration reform, eliminating isolation could prove very difficult. The proposed reform, in its current form, serves to unduly tax undocumented immigrants who already spend too much time away from their families at jobs that are far below living wage.

As currently envisioned, individual immigrants and families would pay between $5,000 and $15,000 for legalization. Already earning less than any other group in the country, this amount will devastate many families. Income that might have been used to pay for medical care and housing would have to go to pay for legalization. Make no mistake, undocumented immigrants are willing to pay these proposed fines. Any undocumented immigrant will tell you that they would go hungry to save enough money to become legal residents. Many of these immigrants have risked life and limb to come to the United States, they will certainly spend great sums of money to stay. As a matter of public policy, however, our government should not gauge the validity of taxation merely by people’s willingness to pay it.

While the political reality is that immigrants will likely need to pay a price for legalization, what should this price look like? I propose that the current bill be amended to give the option to have this “fine” paid through community service. Such a system has greater potential to create investment, not resentment. The bill might include the creation of regional Immigrant Community Service Banks that would connect the undocumented population to pre-approved nonprofits. The Banks would work in conjunction with nonprofits to have undocumented immigrants work a specified number of hours doing a variety of activities that benefit the community. The Immigrant Community Service Banks would become a clearing house for immigrants needing to fulfill community service hours and for nonprofits in search of volunteers to assist in carrying out good in the community. The benefits of such collaboration would yield longer lasting and more tangible returns than any monetary fine imposed on this country’s undocumented population.

As citizens, we need to be aware that there is a population of 12 million people that have been isolated as the result of their undocumented status. These 12 million people consist of families with children ranging from infants to teenagers, female heads of households subsisting on single incomes, and undocumented children living in this country with relatives – hoping someday to be reunited with their parents. Creating systems where children, teenagers and those in extreme poverty would not have to be financially punished would not only demonstrate compassion, but could create a societal paradigm shift where immigrants are seen as vested members of the community worthy of respect and protection.

This country changed the lives of million with the legalization process of 1987. It gave a home to people like my wife who, because of the legalization process, was able to go to college. Today she holds a Masters degree in Social Work, is a licensed therapist, and helps head the Salvation Army Social Services Department, one of the largest social services providers in LA County. This opportunity might have been lost with today’s proposed reform; a loss not only to her personally, but certainly to our community- and if I may add - to myself because I met her in college. Let’s not shut the door on others who like her could only enhance our communities.

Finally, creating systems where immigrants could volunteer and develop a stake in their communities would be smart for a country looking to reestablish its credibility both domestically and internationally.

What do you think?

Gabriel Buelna, Ph.D., MSW is Executive Director of Plaza Community Center in East Los Angeles and a faculty member in the Chicana/o Studies Department at Cal State Northridge. You can visit his blog at http://gabrielbuelna.blogspot.com/

Pope Excommunicates Mexicans
By Gabriel Buelna

While Americans focused on misconduct by police during May Day events last week, the abortion debate erupted in Mexico, causing a roar throughout Latin America and the Vatican. Threatened by the legalization of first trimester abortions by the Mexico City assembly, Pope Benedict XVI sent a message that legalizing abortion of any kind will not be tolerated. Mexican bishops, led by the comments of the pope, threatened to excommunicate sympathizers. Not since the days of the Mexican revolution has a religious issue so seriously threatened the delicate balance between the Catholic Church and the Mexican government.

Mexico has long been a bastion of Catholicism complete with the traditional conservatism and obedience. The breaking of ranks in the form of Mexico City's pro-abortion legislation was not taken well by the Vatican. While the announcement was shocking to some, it should not have come as a surprise. The relationship between the Mexican State and the Catholic Church has been tenuous since the creation of the Mexican Constitution in 1917. For over 70 years, the clergy were stripped of real-estate, the right to vote and an array of laws intended to eliminate any role of the Church within Mexican society. Catholics even rebelled against the government in the bloody Cristero War of 1926 that lasted for three years and left 90,000 dead.

It was only in 1992 that Mexico restored its official relationship with the Church, granting legal status to all religious groups, providing limited property rights, and eliminating restrictions on the number of priests in the country. The Church experienced revitalization as the political power of Mexico's elite Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) began to wane. In hindsight, it's not surprising the Church decided to lash out at this point in history. Mexican President Felipe Calderon is the first modern president to publicly worship and show any type of public spirituality; thus, providing some political cover to the Church.

While the Mexican Catholic Church has regained some of its role in the country's public life, it should move forward with caution. The Mexico oftoday is not the Mexico of the 19th century, where the entire population lived in poverty, was illiterate, and no political pluralism existed. Mexico today has legalized civil unions in several states and voting rights are somewhat respected. As the confidence and awareness of individual rights develops in Mexico, the Church is mistaken to believe it can dictate it's will as it did in the past.

In a public letter to citizens, Mexican bishops have said doctors and nurses who perform abortions and politicians who supported the legalization would be excommunicated. With an estimated 200,000 illegal abortions and 100 deaths per year, the Church's strategy is destined to backfire. Elected officials, media and citizens throughout Mexico have begun to question the heavy hand of the Vatican as interfering in internal politics.

Abortion critics have stated legalizing abortion would lead to a moral decline throughout Mexico. The problem with this argument is that Mexico has seen tremendous moral decline in the last two decades not from changes in social laws, but from its economic deterioration that has led millions of families to dissolve and emigrate to the United States. Case in point, last week the Mexican government reported that since 2000, they have lost more Mexican citizens to emigration (577,000 a year), than to deaths (495,000 a year). To comment on moral decay in the face of these numbers shows a complete disconnection with reality.

While 88% of Mexico remains Catholic, membership worldwide continues to decline by one percent each year. Despite the fact that Latin America is home to half the world's Catholics, the outlook is not positive. In Brazil alone, the percentage of Catholics fell from 83% in 1991 to 67% in 2007. The debate over abortion in Mexico and eventually throughout Latin America can be a healthy discussion for the Church. Nobody expects the Catholic Church to accept abortion. Who would want to be part of a church that is so whimsical about its teachings? What Latin America demands is a Catholic Church willing to accept that its membership has different relationships with governments and that public health concerns are important.

This past weekend, my older daughter received her First Holy Communion. I am proud she is part of an institution that is doing good things throughout the world with its educational system, charities and ministries. What nobody likes is to be threatened with excommunication for disagreeing with the Church. If the goal is to reduce or eliminate abortions, the Church will need to create the social networks to reach the women who need help when they are faced with an unwanted pregnancy, whatever their choice might be in terms of abortion. The 200,000 Mexican women a year that receive illegal and dangerous abortions need to know that their Church can provide guidance and support without repercussions.

What do you think?

Gabriel Buelna, PhD, MSW is Executive Director of Plaza Community Center in East Los Angeles and a faculty member in the Chicana/o Studies Department at Cal State Northridge. You can visit his blog at http://gabrielbuelna.blogspot.com/

NOTE: If you are a member of the media and would like to re-print this article, please e-mail gbuelna@sbcglobal.net

Slim nears Gates on world-richest list

Carlos Slim nearing Bill Gates is not positive for Mexico in general and the Mexican people in particular. With phone bills some of the highest in the world, Carlos Slim has done more to cause poverty and immigration to the United States than any other institution within Mexico. His earnings are embarrassing and not positive news for Mexico.

What Mexico should do is breakup TELMEX and other monopolies and allow Mexican entrepreneurs and investors to flourish . This would create the millions of jobs Mexico needs for its citizens not to have to immigrate.

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