Thread: Navarrette: Can you make it past my last name?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/24/navarrette/

Navarrette: Can you make it past my last name?
By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN


SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- Some longtime readers insist they have detected a leftward drift whenever I write about illegal immigration. They're wrong.

But I can see how they might get that impression in a political climate that is increasingly all or nothing, with little room for nuance.

In a nation divided into red and blue states, there's no room for those of us who crave more colors. In the immigration debate, I've tried to do three things:

One is to deplore the degree to which the debate is driven by the dark impulse of racism. What concerns many Americans about illegal immigration is the sense that it speeds up the Latinization of the United States -- where Anglo-Saxon culture is replaced by Latin culture, where English gives way to Spanish, and where we Americans become strangers in our own land.

Two, I highlight the hypocrisy of Americans complaining about illegal immigrants while enjoying the cheap labor. It's as if there are two contradictory signs on the U.S.-Mexico border, "Keep Out" and "Help Wanted." President Bush was right that there are jobs that Americans won't do, and Americans gladly offer those jobs to the same illegal immigrants they supposedly want to expel.

The third is to point out flaws with so-called solutions to curb illegal immigration. From denying U.S. citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants; to making local police officers enforce federal immigration law; to approving Hazelton, Pennsylvania-type bans on renting to illegal immigrants -- many of these ideas are examples of the cure being worse than the disease.

I'm just trying to keep folks honest. But I also have to be honest with myself. It wasn't so long ago that another batch of readers insisted I was too conservative.

I've lectured groups of Hispanic immigrants about the importance of coming to the United States legally, learning English, assimilating into American culture, becoming U.S. citizens, and engaging in political and civic life.

Like many U.S.-born Hispanics, I support stronger border enforcement in the form of more border patrol agents and harsher penalties for employers of illegal immigrants.

According to the 2006 National Survey of Latinos, conducted recently by the Pew Hispanic Center, 53 percent of native-born Hispanics support increasing the number of border patrol agents. Just 41 percent oppose it.

I also oppose a blanket, unearned amnesty where illegal immigrants are given legal status without lifting a finger. Government shouldn't do for individuals, en masse, what they should do for themselves -- in this case, take steps to become legal.

Judging from the more than 500 e-mails I receive each week in response to my columns, some readers will be shocked to hear me say this. In fact, judging from their comments, it's clear that many never make it past my Spanish surname.

Once they realize that I'm Hispanic, they unfairly leap to the conclusion that I support open borders and condone illegal immigration so that -- as one reader put it -- I can bring in "more of (my) relatives." Another reader said it was obvious that "you support the Mexican invasion because you're Mexican."

Speaking of racism ...

Ruben Navarrette is an editorial board member of The San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. You can read more of his columns at http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/navarrette/.

One is to deplore the degree to which the debate is driven by the dark impulse of racism. What concerns many Americans about illegal immigration is the sense that it speeds up the Latinization of the United States -- where Anglo-Saxon culture is replaced by Latin culture, where English gives way to Spanish, and where we Americans become strangers in our own land.

Racism? You are a dangerous man. You mean we should willingly accept the displacement of our culture and way of life? You are suggesting a type of genocide Mr Navarrette.

Two, I highlight the hypocrisy of Americans complaining about illegal immigrants while enjoying the cheap labor. It's as if there are two contradictory signs on the U.S.-Mexico border, "Keep Out" and "Help Wanted." President Bush was right that there are jobs that Americans won't do, and Americans gladly offer those jobs to the same illegal immigrants they supposedly want to expel.

The only hypocrisy I see right now is from you and all of your open border supporters. The don't enforce the law type. The let's sue and hide behind our in-ept government but don't enforce immigration laws type. Can't imagine any bigger hypocrites then that.

The third is to point out flaws with so-called solutions to curb illegal immigration. From denying U.S. citizenship to the U.S.-born children of illegal immigrants; to making local police officers enforce federal immigration law; to approving Hazelton, Pennsylvania-type bans on renting to illegal immigrants -- many of these ideas are examples of the cure being worse than the disease.

Just Americans doing what we do best. Standing up to a harmful government and it's willing accomplices by taking back our country. No flaws in that Mr Navarette. And you are right about disease. What we have right now is a cancer and left untreated will devour any and everything that was ever American including America itself.

I've lectured groups of Hispanic immigrants about the importance of coming to the United States legally

But as you can see I really don't mean it.

Mr Navarrette are you sure you are an American?

I had some answers for this clown while reading. See it's taken care of. Well done Altura

I have to endure this guy's columns in our paper regularly. I think he enjoys this issue. I saw him bring up his name during an interview also about how people assume he is bias based on that. But what do you expect? He writes for the only major newspaper in San Diego, The Union Tribune. This city loves illegal immigration, well, a lot of people.

Same discussion here: http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?nam...wtopic&t=38841

Didn't know if you'd seen it.

Well done Altura

It's something about this board. It is inspiring. I have never been around a more dedicated, more passionate and patroic bunch of Americans.

Originally Posted by Ladydrake

Same discussion here: http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?nam...wtopic&t=38841

Didn't know if you'd seen it.

Sorry I didn't see it but then again it's also in another area of the forum. Looks like redwhiteandbluelatino only bothered to post the link and no text for the article, and didn't clearly label the discussion either. We ask forum members to include the text and the link to the articles they post for archive purposes. It also helps make it easier to find when using the forum search engine. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. I'll go edit the post.

One is to deplore the degree to which the debate is driven by the dark impulse of racism. What concerns many Americans about illegal immigration is the sense that it speeds up the Latinization of the United States -- where Anglo-Saxon culture is replaced by Latin culture, where English gives way to Spanish, and where we Americans become strangers in our own land.

It is American culture, NOT Anglo-Saxon culture Mr. Navarrette! We have the Rosa Parks and the Michelle Malkins to prove it.

Who is the racist?

You know, has anyone actually looked up "Anglo-Saxon"?

From Merriam-Webster Online:

Etymology: New Latin Anglo-Saxones, plural, alteration of Medieval Latin Angli Saxones, from Latin Angli Angles + Late Latin Saxones Saxons
1 : a member of the Germanic peoples conquering England in the fifth century A.D. and forming the ruling class until the Norman conquest -- compare ANGLE, JUTE, SAXON
2 a : ENGLISHMAN; specifically : a person descended from the Anglo-Saxons b : a white gentile of an English-speaking nation
3 : OLD ENGLISH 1
4 : direct plain English; especially : English using words considered crude or vulgar

Then found the term "Anglo-American" (same source)

1 : an inhabitant of the United States of English origin or descent
2 : a North American whose native language is English and especially whose culture or ethnic background is of European origin

Didn't intend to get off topic. Just I curious about "Anglo-Saxon" culture, so I looked it up and thought what I found was interesting and wanted to share the info.

(Still need to find that thread about law enforcement having authority to enforce laws ...)

(edit) Found it! Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act(INA) is what I was referring to. Below is the thread about it.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?nam...hlight=#187488