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 Editorials | February 2007 
Anti-Immigrant Fanaticism and Xenophobic Boobs
 Patrick Corcoran - MexiData.info
President George W. Bush has planned a March visit to Mexico, during which his rhetoric will likely soar in describing the close connection between the two nations, and the need for a comprehensive immigration accord. Unfortunately, the language from his fellow Republicans doesn’t soar so much as sink into the gutter, and it is likely to descend even lower as Congress takes up immigration reform in the next couple of months.
There is no question that one needn’t be a xenophobe to think that the United States should do something to stem the tide of illegal immigration. There are eloquent and effective arguments for stricter border controls that don’t paint Mexico as a nation of criminals. After all, if the world’s richest nation can’t control its borders, then no state has a chance of fulfilling its end of the social contract.
But why do so many comments from the anti-immigration right sound like slams against Mexicans?
A fountain of such remarks is Congressman Tom Tancredo (Republican, Colorado). Angered by a Bank of America program to issue credit cards to undocumented residents in the United States, the gentleman from Colorado recently equated illegal immigrants to terrorists, and not for the first time. The plan in question is rather benign, but that is beside the point. It was simply another chance to hop on a soapbox and denounce immigration and, by association, Mexico, so Tancredo willingly obliged.
Tancredo, whose commitment to fighting immigration is roughly analogous to Senator Joe McCarthy’s to communism, is far from alone in his zeal. A short rundown of 2007’s early highlights in anti-immigration fanaticism:
· Employing an unmistakably martial vocabulary, Rep. Steve King (R, Iowa) encouraged a “policy of attrition” against illegal immigrants.
·Influential Republican activist Paul Weyrich somehow termed bilingualism “the worst kind of racism imaginable.”
· State Senators in Tennessee and Arizona, perhaps inspired by Representative King’s militant rhetoric, called for more aggressive rules of engagement for troops deployed along the border, which would likely lead to more unnecessary deaths of Mexican migrants. National Guard commanders, deferring to common sense, responded that we are not at war with Mexico, so such a change is unnecessary.
· Delegate Jack Reid introduced a bill into the Virginia General Assembly that would make it a felony to knowingly assist an illegal immigrant.
It bears mention that not all Republicans are of the inflammatory, blame-Mexico-first ilk (the president not least among them), nor are all Democrats particularly enlightened. The race for the Democratic presidential nomination seems to be taking a populist turn, and taking shots at illegal immigration could turn into the political rhetoric de jour for some pols.
But no matter which side of the aisle they come from, such attacks represent a strategic error for anyone who wants a secure border.
Comments from prominent Americans have an enormous impact in Mexico, a fact that largely goes unnoticed north of the border. When an editorial from the New York Times or the Washington Post deals with Mexico, it is a front-page story in Mexico City. Likewise, when Tancredo shoots off his mouth Mexicans of all political stripes take notice (and offense). Comments such as those above further inflame a perpetually testy diplomatic relationship.
There is no unilateral solution to our immigration problem. We need Mexican authorities to help crack down on people-smuggling coyotes and to otherwise discourage the mass exodus. Even if we erected a wall spanning the entire length of the border, the most determined of immigrants would make their way to the United States, whether through tunnels, by overstaying student or tourist visas, or coming through Canada.
The point isn’t that we need to avoid hurting Mexicans’ feelings. The Mexican government needs to do more to generate jobs, increase per capita income, and reduce the appeal of emigration. American politicians can, from time to time, politely remind them of that responsibility, but alienating the very people whose help we need most is asinine.
There will be no secure, functional border without Mexico’s cooperation. Why, then, if it really wants a secure border, does the anti-immigration movement insist on behaving like a bunch of xenophobic boobs?
Patrick Corcoran, a MexiData.info guest columnist, is a writer who resides in Torreón, Coahuila. He can be reached at corcoran25@hotmail.com. |
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