26 Feb 2006
Marisol Seibold
The argument is routinely made that the illegals come here to increase their standard of living, and those of their families in Mexico, where money sent by relatives in the US is now said to be a bigger source of national income than oil.
However, the "standard of living" argument is condescending and short-sighted. By allowing alien workers in, whether in law or merely in practice, we do two things:
The first is that we enable Mexico to limp along without addressing the corruption, institutionalized racism, and flawed policies that keep so much of the nation impoverished. In the long run, this does nothing to improve the situation inside Mexico, whereas such improvement would tangibly and permanently raise the "standard of living" for Mexicans living in Mexico. That country is on "welfare," and will not get off of it on its own initiative-- there's no incentive as long as the status quo works for the people in power.
Secondly, allowing the illegal worker in the US under the "standard of living" excuse, actually installs a permanent ceiling on what their standard of living will be. Poorly educated in their native land, and not speaking English, there is no way to rise above the menial jobs that they come into the US to do, and the best hope for a standard of living will sit somewhere just above "miserable."
Build the wall, and name it in Tancredo's honor. The US and Mexico will both be better for it in the long run.