As we remember all the fallen soldiers on this memorial day, let us not forget all those who have died to fight for a country that has denied them citizenship and has tried to deport their families.
After September 11, 2001, President George W Bush signed a July 2002 executive order that made undocumented people join the armed forces and be eligible for expedited US citizenship. Because of this, many people enlisted. Among these include undocumented Guatemalan, Lance Corporal José Gutiérrez, who was the second solider to die in Iraq; Mexicans José Angel Garibay, a 21-year-old corporal who died in Nasiriya, and Private Francisco Martínez, who drowned when his tank fell in to the Euphrates River.
These men are a very small representation of the approximate 65,000 immigrant soldiers who have or are currently fighting in the Iraq War. (2008) Yet, our government and Americans many times forget these women and men who left everything behind to serve in the armed forces. As these men and women fight in Iraq, the government is very busy trying to deport their family members; parents, wives, grandparents, you name it. At the same time, many American xenophobes are busy trying to kick immigrants out of this country.
Here are a few words to the US government and to our xenophobic Americans:
To the government: Stop terrorizing families, particularly those who have family members serving in our armed forces. Our undocumented members of the armed forces are doing what they promised they would do. Now keep your part and grant them and their family members legalization.
To Americans: Let us not forget our immigrant personal who have fought in the war, especially those who are in place of us. While many of us sit back in our country, there are thousands of undocumented people giving their lives, serving all over the world. Stop causing havoc in our cities and trying to put fear in the lives of so many Americans. Immigrants want to be Americans, they are showing this, particularly those who are fighting in the Iraq War.
To Conclude, please watch this spoken word by Paul Flores.
Last week in San Bernardino, I passed through a similar checkpoint. I was ok because I had not drank and I had my driver's license accounted for. But for so many people, that was not the case.
Many, coming home from a long day of work, the grocery store, or church, were asked to provide a license.
"No lo tengo señor." (I dont have it sir) This was the response of so many people. Because they did not have a license, they are ordered off the car, given a citation and impounded the car for 30 days.
For many, this was their only transportation to work. To many this was the only transportation to get to church, do errands, take their kids to school. But on this day, that changed. Not only were their car taken from them (roughly $1000 to get out of the inpound after 30days) but they have to now pay a fine for driving without a license.
Your first question might be, "Jonathan, how do you know this?" Simple, I have had this happen to close family members.
Let me start by saying, I understand what the police department is trying to do, protect our citizens from drunk driving. Against DRUNK DRIVING, not innocent people who are coming home from work.
Can we stop? Can we stop making people feel harrassed. These people are only here to make a living. All they want is to provide for their families.
On a different note, (related to driver's licenses, but not checkpoints) I know of this lady who drives an ice cream truck. Everyday, she wakes up, fills her truck with ice cream and sells to provide for her children. She is a single mother because her husband got recently deported to his home country. But one day, as she began her route, she was pulled over by police in San Bernardino. Herself, being undocumented, did not have a driver's license. THe officer confiscated the ice cream truck from her.
Why? This lady was not being a criminal? This lady was not being reckless. All she was doing was trying to provide for her children. She was not asking for charity. She was not asking for government support.
It is time that we look at our policies. We must stop making immigrants criminals. They are not criminals. they are hard working parents, students, sons and daughters. They are working people of the United States. Stop hurting people more than we already are. Lets give them the opportunity to go to work, pick up their children and support their families.
