#NeverTrump, Imaginary Borderlines, and Privilege

As those close to me know, I am an avid politico who spends a great deal of time following the presidential debates. I find myself really interested in how candidates discuss social issues in this country and honestly I am not impressed. I have seen candidates say some hurtful, ignorant things about the state of our societal climate, essentially turning their backs on the struggles of everyday people; the struggles of minorities and the poor. In continuing what we have discussed in class and particularly the Latino Threat, I thought the political discussions of immigration and specifically illegal immigration, are not only hateful, but continue the cycle of oppression. The rhetoric surrounding illegal immigration has been disgusting as well. Words such as "illegal alien" do nothing but other a group of people into nonhuman categories.

 

I have never understood borders. These imaginary lines that where a country or state begins and ends. That within these borders there are rules and regulations that everyone must follow....borders that say who can and cannot be a citizen. The power to decide who can and cannot come in has been a foundation of power for centuries. The ability to deny someone access to opportunity, keeps the power in the hands of a few and makes life harder for those who are continuously forced to look from the outside in; institutional oppression at its most public point. We do not need a wall to protect a border that means nothing. We need action. #NeverTrump

Recently I watched a video with students at a Texas college campus who were asked general questions about US History. What was mind-boggling was that many of these students had no idea how to answer questions such as who won the Civil War or who was the current Vice-President of the United States, etc. I scrolled down to the comments and a man who just received citizenship expressed his disappointment in the lack of understanding or care these American's had for their own history. He discussed how foreigners hoping to become citizens had to know all of this information plus more while Americans born here were not required to. For someone to become a citizen of this country, they must pass an exam that tests knowledge of varying events in US history. They not only have to pass this intense exam (for some they must pass with English as their second language), but also jump through multiple hurdles, and wait years to even be considered for citizenship. I was embarrassed to watch this video after reading his comments, I saw it as a unfair that we are afforded the privilege of being an American because we are born on this soil - unearned and sometimes even unseen...basically the definition of privilege. It is a disgrace to our country that our own citizens could not even pass a citizenship test. Is that the threat we need to be aware of? Be afraid of the threat those who work harder and are more motivated to be here because they had to put in the effort to be here than our mediocre selves? What does it mean when we try to exclude those who will be an asset to our country?

This is why I am taken aback seeing future leaders of this country denounce those who are trying to become citizens. Not everyone here wants to be illegal, but there is no path to citizenship that allows for them to actually have the opportunity to become a citizen and those who constantly try to enact legislation in Congress are continuously shut down. We hear those disgusted with illegal immigration through fits for years, but never actually do anything to fix it. What are they so scared of?

As President Obama's term ends, I hope the next candidate will carry the torch for social progress in America. Within my lifetime I hope to see immigration reform and more respect for those who actively seek to go through the process to become legal citizens.

Could you pass the Citizenship Test? Try here: http://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=could-you-pass-the-united-states-citizenship-test&q=1