During the early 1900's American anti immigration sentiment reached all time highs. The main targets Asians and Papists from Europe. Yet it was a era when desperately needed labor for both farms and industry. Poverty, political turmoil, oppression and social persecution drove the immigrants here, with dreams of finding a golden mountain and gold on the sidewalks. Instead they found slums, sweat shops, migrant farming jobs, oppression and social persecution. The media of the times painted images of criminal immigrants as a plague, opium abusing Asians with Fu Manchu crime conspiracies, the yellow peril, papist Irish drunk and raping white women, Italian and Spanish hoodlums wearing wide lapel suits with guns blazing as they robbed banks, trains, and waylaid travelers alone at night. Yet the clear majority of those arrested, convicted and prisoned for these crimes were 3rd and 4th generation white people. Black people weren't sent to prison, only chain gangs doing hard labor or lynched.
Today this nation welcomes lawful immigrants, with the right skills, by arbitrary quotas, sponsorships from citizens and institutional entities, and of course labor markets like health care, tech, taxi driving and so on. We excoriate illegal immigrants, especially if they are Central Americans, Mexicans, or other Spanish speaking people, while never or rarely mentioning the majority who are from Europe, specifically Ireland, Scandinavia and eastern Europe. People who overstay tourist or student visas, work in the underground economy in construction for contractors, au pairs and housemaids, prostitution, masons, even nurses and doctors. The doorman at a building up the block from my own, here from Denmark for more than 20 years, married with 4 kids in public school, came here as a tourist with a two week visa, and stayed. Never bothered by any government agency, paying taxes with a SS # he got with a simple mailed request, never committing any crimes, loved by the tenants he works with. Still he's here illegally. Should we send him back to Denmark? If so, what would we gain? My auto mechanic, who barely speaks English, came here as a student from Italy 30 years ago. Stayed, married, raised his kids, paid his taxes, does an honest job with never a complaint from anyone who enjoys his services. Should we deport him back to Italy since he is here illegally? What will we gain. The super of my building, constantly complaining about the mess tenant's dogs make in the elevator, keep the building I live in immaculate, doing tenant repairs immediately, keeping the boiler and heat system running top notch and consistently during winters, raised three children now college graduates and professionals. He also overstayed a student visa from Pakistan. He doesn't blow up buildings or people, just quietly lives his life. Should we send him packing back to Pakistan? What would we gain?
