Speech #980219194

These people have throughout the years contributed to the wealth of ethnic culture in the United States in general and the Southwest in particular. Despite their economic and cultural contributions. Mexican immigrants faced severe dislocation during the Great Depression. No longer needing their labor and callous to their needs. Southwestern employers dispensed with much Mexican labor and supported the mass deportations of Mexicans from the United States. Almost half a million Mexicans were either deported or repatriated to Mexico during the 1930s. As in earlier recessions. a pattern emerged that argued for cheap Mexican labor during periods of economic growth and its deportation during periods of depression. MexicanAmerican children of immigrant parents. for example. were illegally deported during the 1930s. Mr. Chairman. members of the committee. I would like to suggest that the following five points be given careful consideration in the debate on this immigration bill in general and in the discussion of legalization in particular: First. no discussion of immigration. especially from Mexico. should avoid the particular history of the Southwest or a region once a part of Mexico. This fact is inherent in a long tradition of migration patterns from Mexico to the Southwest and has produced a unique and special relationship between Mexico and the United States. Mexican immigration to the Southwest as well as elsewhere to the United States has deep roots and no piece of legislation will automatically curtail it. Second. no discussion of the immigration issue should avoid the historical economic relations between the United States and Mexico and the fact that there has been an uneven and unequal economic development between the two nations. The United States. both by its need for cheap labor in Southwestern industries and by its investment and trade relationships with Mexico has helped produce a massive dislocation of rural Mexicans and their migration to the United States. Immigration from Mexico has never been just Mexicos problem. the United States must assume strong responsibility for having created this migration. Immigration restrictions being discussed today are only dealing with the symptoms of a more fundamental issue rooted in the economic relationship between the United States and Mexico. Third. it is imperative to always keep in mind in the current debate that Mexican immigrant workers have been historically major contributors to the wealth of the United States rather than liabilities. Mexican immigrant workers have been and continue to be central to the prosperity of the Southwest. This contribution must be acknowledged and the United States must assume a moral responsibility for those who have offered so much to this country. Fourth. since the current discussion involves the possibility of an accelerated contractlabor system between the United States and Mexico. it should be noted that past contractlabor agreements. especially the bracero program. not only led to widespread abuses and exploitation of Mexican contract laborers. but also intensified rather than reduced the flow of undocumented workers. Hence. a discussion of combining immigration restrictions with a laborcontract system is not only contradictory. but more than likely selfdefeating. Fifth. contrary to some impressions. Hispanics in the United States have not been late to the concern over immigration. Neither for ethnic nor emotional reasons have most MexicanAmericans. for example. ever favored an open border. For years. MexicanAmericans. through organizations such as LULAC. have favored immigration controls that are protected. equitable. and that do not violate the human and civil rights of both Mexican nationals and MexicanAmericans. Immigration from countries such as Mexico is not just an economic issue. it is also a human issue and must be dealt with in a humane and moral fashion. Legalization presents a solution to many of the problems faced by these people of the Southwest as well as Hispanics in general. The arguments in favor of a generous legalization program. without the encumbrances contained in the proposed amendments. are numberous indeed and include the following: The legitimate claim to an indigenous presence.