Immigrants in My Driveway
There are some immigrants in my driveway right now. They're cutting stone and material to finally rock our fireplace, a project we've been trying to get done for months. We hired another company, but grew frustrated with delays and excuses. We called a friend of ours in the construction business, and he told us, "call Hector. He's my number one mason." They were supposed to be here at 8 this morning, but when I came back from the track at 7:45 they were already here.
I don't know their stories. I don't know their immigration status. I don't know their background or education level or whether they're from a rural area or the city. I don't know how good their English is, though they seemed relieved when I greeted them in Spanish and we have only communicated in their native tongue since. I don't know what brought them here, and I don't know who or what they may have left behind.
The demonization of immigrants is one of the saddest aspects of our current politics. I work closely with men and women from Mexico and Latin America, as they do the bulk of the (backbreaking) work at the track. As a whole, they have treated me with nothing but respect and they keep me safe every day. They get up before dawn and they work into the night, providing impossibly good care to the horses assigned to them. Their horsemanship skills often make me jealous, and I've learned so much from them despite being around horses all my life.
I know immigration, particularly illegal immigration, is a touchy subject. I know all the talking points and buzzwords and slogans. But when we discuss these issues, we often lose our humanity and compassion and decency, and we often lose our history. I doubt my great-grandparents had a lot of skills when they arrived from Turkey, and yet their son went on to become a world class surgeon and a war hero. I know my Scotch-Irish people didn't read or write much as they made their way west, sharecropping and seeking land of their own. I know my German people were good farmers, but I don't know much else about their skills.
The recent comments from Gen. Kelly, in which he stated that the majority" of illegal immigrants "don’t integrate well" and "don’t have skills" are disappointing, but not surprising. I’ve grown used to this rhetoric, and I know it’s probably politically expedient. But it’s also short-sighted and naive and removes the understanding of our history I know he has.
The truth is, we could have taken concrete steps to address some of the fundamental problems in our immigration system long ago. There was even a good first step piece of bipartisan legislation passed overwhelmingly in the Senate a few years ago, but it failed to even get a vote in the House due to pressure from hardliners and those unwilling to compromise. Instead we've retreated to our separate ideological corners and stopped having serious conversations about what needs to be done.
It's a shame that we demonize people. It's a shame that we don't stop to listen to their stories. It's a shame that we don't talk to one another anymore or try to exchange real ideas with respect and decorum. It's a shame that we chant "build the wall" without giving any rational thought to what that really means (and costs). It's a shame that demagoguery and fiery anti-immigrant language has reappeared in our politics as it has for centuries.
I don't know where it goes. I don't know what will happen to these men and their families if they're not documented. I don't know what will happen to the DACA recipients or even how all this will affect legal immigration. But this morning I'm sure grateful for the skills and the kindness of these men and they excellent job they're doing as I write this.
May we all take a breath this morning and do our small part to step back and realize what's gotten us here, and what each of us can do about it. God bless.
