We count the hovering Helicopters. Five. Six. There is the seventh. All cast their watchful eye, trying to count the sea of humanity in the streets below in downtown Chicago. Illegal aliens have come out. Some of their legal friends too. All have chosen not to work on May 1st, to demonstrate their contribution to America’s everyday life. Sunit points out a banner that quotes Gandhi: You must be the change you wish to see. Respect, as Cardinal Francis George rightly points out, is why we are all here, together.
Chicago witnessed the largest demonstration in its history. Deputy Supt. of Police Charles Williams estimated 400,000 people participated in the rally. Organizers claimed half million or more. But today was a day when numbers didn’t matter. What was significant was the act of coming out, by people who weren’t seen, who had chosen to hide and who had just worked and served quietly.
Immigration debate is a hot political wedge issue. It has already been framed in legalistic terms, as a citizenship and national security issue that American nation has to deal with. But it is more complicated and actually has the potential to engender a new debate that could prove to be as influential and significant as the Civil rights moverment.
I have been following the political manouvering on this issue for a while. Politicians and media seem to be intent on making either a legalistic argument that is bent on providing / denying some legal status or an instrumentalist argument, which seeks to demonstrate the value of these illegal aliens to the economy. Unfortunately only the Christian Churches and organizations point out how we all seem to deny dignity of illegal aliens. As I listen to politicians and pundits, I can not help but wonder how frequently we deny the humanity of many, whom we see everyday and who make our lives comfortable.
This ought to be a moment of reflection for America, to think about its present and future. That, however, cannot be only in legalistic terms. America needs to ask itself how it wants to treat its janitors, fruit pickers, nannies, mechanics, construction workers and such, regardless of their status, citizens, legal or illegal aliens. Today’s demonstration has to be about asking that question.
In the days to come, let us talk more on the contours of this debate.
Aside: I will post some photos of the rally tomorrow.
Aside 2: Well, let me just steal Sepoy’s photos for now.
4 Comments
The question of dignity is why I’m starting to see this in terms of dehumanization, and, subsequently, wondering about echoes of the US’s history with slavery, in which an economic benefit depended on the dehumanization of the source of labor to the degree that the very possibility of a democratic republic could only be accomplished with an underclass that still had no rights (see American Slavery, American Freedom).
This may be a very threatening position to take, but it’s one that’s starting to gel.
I donot think anyone is opposed to Immigration but Illegal immigration .And the opposition comes to the rampant migration of workers from mexico as a single largest source of unskilled workers.There are lots of them waiting in line from different poor african countries and phillipines. It is unjust for a free entry when many are waiting for years .And to ask for Amnesty is the heights when people who enter legally are waiting for many years just for work authorization.
Well the country do need immigrants but through some legal channels is certainly welcome.
This is the same migration we saw when neighbouring Tamil guys started pouring into bangalore .Now we see lots of Local cutural invasion and see kannada diminishing within the borders of Bangalore.
The same kind of Migration we see from bangaladesh wherein the WB government is using that for Vote bank.All in name of dirty politics.
Sorry I changed the permalink to that post. Try This.
Someday a call for separate Homeland for spanish speaking community is not far away.
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