You know, if all these nativist types really had the courage of their convictions, they'd swear off eating anything but corn, squash and beans. Those are about the only foods indigenous to North America. Every other item you find on an American menu was introduced from somewhere else. Tacos and burritos are obvious, as are curries and chow mein. But don't you dare eat a hamburger, a sandwich, or even chicken; none of those originated here. All those dishes were (gasp!) immigrants!
In conjunction with today's "Day without Immigrants," then, I propose we serve only creamed corn, puréed squash and beans (not Portuguese or refried, either!) to all those who don't quite understand the nature of immigration to this country.
Posted by Linkmeister at May 1, 2006 12:23 PM | TrackBackBison is indigenous to North America, so there would have been meat in their diet back then.
Of course their isn't much bison left to feed this country.
Posted by: helen at May 1, 2006 06:00 PMWell, not that I want to side with the xenophobes, but there is a difference betweeen legal and illegal immigration. What we're really seeing is demonstrations in favor of continued ability to break the law.
Personally, I am in favor of a) easing restrictions on/smoothing the process of LEGAL immigration, to allow those who want to come here to work and contribute to our country to do so; and b) a meaningful crackdown on those who hire illegal aliens (you can't really punish people for going where the work is... you have to go after the rich WASPY types who hire 'em).
It is possible to support immigrants and oppose illegal immigration. That sometimes gets lost in the heated rhetoric on both sides.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at May 1, 2006 07:10 PMMudge, I think there's a solution, but getting to it is not necessarily in the interest of the ruling Party at the moment. One more wedge issue, that's what they want.
The horror stories I've heard about it taking years and years to get through immigration (from Europeans, for God's sake!) imply that it ought to be a simpler process. But I suspect that, like most other government agencies these days, INS or whatever it's called now has been hammered by budget cuts and thus understaffed, so that seems unlikely.
I agree that going after the companies which hire these people is the only way to slow the flow down. I made that case here.
Posted by: Linkmeister at May 1, 2006 08:46 PM