Putting a Face to the U.S. Immigration Controversy
VALLEY FORGE, Penn., May 12, 2011 — Today, there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, a figure President Obama shared in his May 10 immigration speech in El Paso. During this speech, the President acknowledged the impact of our current system on immigrant families, particularly the children. These families, living in the shadows, are the focus of the new bilingual resource Listen to the Children: Conversations with Immigrant Families/Escuchemos a los ninos: Conversaciones con familias inmigrantes by author Elizabeth Conde-Frazier.
“I don’t believe the United States of America should be in the business of separating families,” stated the President. And he noted, “We should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents.” In Listen to the Children, Conde-Frazier invites the reader to eavesdrop on fictionalized conversations between immigrant parents, their children, and their caregivers in an effort to explain those actions. She addresses:
- How and why adults make the decision to emigrate from their homeland
- How the separation affects children
- What challenges eventual reunification of the family brings
Chapters on the effect of legal status, raids, and educational challenges offer insight into the realities faced by immigrant families as they attempt to make their way forward in a new land. A practical resource for immigrant parents and caregivers, Listen to the Children will also serve as a useful tool for educators, pastors, social workers, community groups, legislators, and others.
Editor’s Note:
The reason the children are impacted is that the parents evaluated a risk-reward scenario. They could stay in Mexico and try to survive in a centrally-governed, progressive-dream of a government – or they could head north.
Heading north provides possible rewards of better pay and a safer society. When you enter it illegally you take the risk that you will be arrested and punished. America is a nation of laws.
If they decide to actually have children born in the United States, they are making a conscious decision. They are taking a calculated risk. Americans should not feel guilty, we didn’t make the choice.
“I don’t believe the United States of America should be in the business of separating families,” stated the President. And he noted, “We should stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents.”
If the families would obey the laws of our land, Mr. President, this would not be an issue!
The United States SHOULD ENFORCE the laws of the land, and this issue would have been stopped a LONG time ago! It’s not just Obama… it’s all Presidents in the past who refused to address this issue and resolve it.
We need to make it EASIER to become a United States citizen. We ARE the Land of Opportunity! By making it so hard to become a LEGAL immigrant you pigeon-hole people. Help them to become LEGAL citizens and they become CONTRIBUTING members of our society, NOT dependent on the governement! But this will never happen because it does not fit into a political agenda!
By playing politics with this issue we have sacrificed any semblance of security at our borders that we had.
the Mexicans have their own country. if they have a problem with how their Country is run, then they need to take that up with the Mexican Government and not the United States. America needs to take care of itself first.
Still want God has unite no man should separate. Even in the bible times family is very important. Apparently, the comments made has no family values whatsoever. Mr Obama is talking about family not about a country or anything like that. These are human beings like you that has needs. Got it fool…….