My position on immigration reform is representative of my experiences with immigrants and the working classes. In my professional, life I have worked with immigrants and the working classes in California, Texas, and now in New England — as a case worker and an educator. These interactions have shaped my understanding of immigrants and educated me about labor in this country.
The experiences of my professional life add to my personal experiences with immigrants since both of my parents are Costa Rican. They both love their home country and the United States. They have had the privilege of visiting our extended family in Costa Rica and returning safely to work. What makes their productivity different from the work of an immigrant who has not had similar privileges in obtaining documentation?
So, as I write about what I think about immigration reform in the U.S., I wonder if we as a nation have been in touch with the real people behind the stereotypes and faces of the lower class work force here. I ask, when we think about immigration reform, do we focus our attention on the quality of life for all of us or do we oversimplify this topic and mainly express anxieties about securing national borders and excluding productive workers.
I challenge readers to treat immigration reform as an integral part of our global economic network. While we continue to push initiatives forward on the federal, state, and local level, let me ask you to approach the topic of immigration reform as part of other reforms — such as health care reform, green energy reform, and worker's rights and living wages reform. Why don't we sincerely try to refrain from excluding immigrants from a system they contribute to?
Therefore, I argue for a comprehensive and progressive immigration reform bill that supports all workers. I argue that federal and local governments should respect the findings and position of organizations which have devoted time and effort in securing the quality of all workers — such as the AFL-CIO stance on labor law reform and the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights Article 6 statement on the rights of all persons; "Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law." Immigrants contribute immensely to our economy (Aviva Chomsky's 2007 book offers reliable statistics). Yet, the working conditions, legal status, and wages of immigrants (and some of us, too) do not uphold living wage standards.
As we are challenged to maintain and protect our social services, I realize that the contribution of labor by immigrants is valid and real and should not be under attack as our local and federal governments try to cut our social services in the name of economic progress. We should hold the elected accountable for protecting our quality of life and economic stability. Hence, I question the culture of outsourcing, corporate high-profit/cheap labor business models, and anyone who oversimplifies labor reform and scapegoats the working classes as we wrestle with concrete economic, health care and labor reform.
Lisette Espinoza is an instructor in English at Northern Essex Community College.
