Real Anti-Immigrant Bigotry

Posted by Gordon on May 11, 2010 at 9:30am
Real Anti-Immigrant Bigotry
FrontPageMagazine.com April 10, 2006


There’s a constant drone about the “Nation of Immigrants” America has always
proudly claimed to be, but now it’s being used as a slogan for those who
believe we should accept absolutely anybody - even if they have absolutely
no legal right to be here.

Yes, we are a nation of immigrants - all our ancestors came here from
someplace else - but the difference is they all came here legally and came
to be American citizens.

The illegal’s that come here for a job or for some other reason don’t come to
become American citizens.

In 1919 Theodore Roosevelt said it best: "In the first place we should
insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an
American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact
equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against
any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is
predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but
an American,”

“There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an
American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room
for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which
symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it
excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room
for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have
room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

As far as the kind of treatment illegal immigrants from Mexico deserve, let’
s treat them as Mexico treats all immigrants. According to the Center for
Security Policy’s J. Michael Waller, “Mexico deals harshly not only with
illegal immigrants. It treats even legal immigrants, naturalized citizens
and foreign investors in ways that would, by the standards of those who carp
about U.S. immigration policy, have to be called ‘racist’ and ‘xenophobic.’

“If you think these critics are mad about U.S. immigration policy now,
imagine how upset they would be if we adopted an approach far more radical
than the bill they rail against which was adopted last year by the House of
Representatives - namely, the way Mexico treats illegal aliens.”

For example, according to an official translation published by the
Organization of American States, the Mexican constitution includes the
following restrictions:

Article 11 guarantees federal protection against "undesirable aliens
resident in the country.” What is more, private individuals are authorized
to make citizen's arrests.

Article 16 states, "In cases of flagrante delicto, any person may arrest the
offender and his accomplices, turning them over without delay to the nearest
authorities.”

Article 27 states, "Only Mexicans by birth or naturalization and Mexican
companies have the right to acquire ownership of lands, waters, and their
appurtenances, or to obtain concessions for the exploitation of mines or of
waters.”

Equal employment rights are denied to immigrants, even legal ones.
Article 32: "Mexicans shall have priority over foreigners under equality of
circumstances for all classes of concessions and for all employment,
positions, or commissions of the Government in which the status of
citizenship is not indispensable.”

Jobs for which Mexican citizenship is considered "indispensable” include,
pursuant to Article 32, bans on foreigners, immigrants, and even naturalized
citizens of Mexico serving as military officers, Mexican-flagged ship and
airline crew, and chiefs of seaports and airports.

Pursuant to Article 33, "Foreigners may not in any way participate in the
political affairs of the country.”

According to Article 33, "the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive
power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to
abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of
previous legal action.”

Article 55 denies immigrants the right to become federal lawmakers. A
Mexican congressman or senator must be "a Mexican citizen by birth.”

Article 91 further stipulates that immigrants may never aspire to become
cabinet officers as they are required to be Mexican by birth. Article 95
says the same about Supreme Court justices.

In accordance with Article 130, immigrants - even legal ones - may not
become members of the clergy, either.