Speech #920211324

Speaker. during this period of bankrupt economic policies and soaring unemployment. persistent efforts are being made to find the causes. real or imagined. for our present fiscal difficulties. All too frequently illinformed crusaders point accusing fingers at one group or institution as the root cause of these problems. One of the seemingly most popular groups to serve as the scapegoat for our current economic ills are the illegal aliens. Poorly paid. attempting to eke out an existence at hardly a marginal level. virtually living an underground experience out of fear of exposure and greatly exploited. these men and women have come to this country to seek some degree of economic security and stability for their families and themselves. They have become the victims of distorted and unproven claims and. as the momentum increases to ferret out and deport these hapless individuals. they are being humiliated and degraded. Particularly singled out in this campaign against illegal aliens are the Spanish speaking and. as I have commented in the past. the term "illegal alien" simply serves as a code word for Mexican Americans in the Southwest and other Latin Americans on the east coast. Unfounded and irresponsible charges are made that these persons are swelling the welfare rolls. are destroying our balance of payments by sending money to their families back home and are taking jobs away from lowincome citizens. Recently a wellwritten and perceptive article refuting these illconceived attacks appeared in the Nation. Written by a Columbia University School of Journalism studentClay Steinmanthis piece describes the manner in which the illegal aliens are being forced into the position of scapegoats for a number of current economic and social problems. especially unemployment and welfare increases. and how the halftruths and inneundos are being perpetuated by the press. Because of the ramifications of this issue on our countrys Spanishspeaking community and our relations with our Latin American neighbors I believe it is vital that these unsubstantiated claims and discriminatory attitudes be exposed. I commend Mr.