Historically, it seems that many economic downturns have been accompanied by a good dose of anti-immigrant sentiment.

I ask that before you say, write, post, preach or think things for which you may some day be embarassed, that you take a short moment to pause about the reasons for and origins of immigration.

People migrate. Every continent except Antarctica had natural migration. From wherever the craddle of homo sapien is ever found to be, we have moved and dispersed. Humans are very adaptable. As immigrants come to the United States, no amount of hate, border security or legislation is likely to dislodge them. Yes, they can adapt…but we can too.

With immigration comes a great opportunity. If you sell or marke a good or service, consider learning a little of the immigrant’s language and use this to reach out. You may be enriched personally by the mental challenge and financially by an increase in revenue. You might even make a new friend.

Spanish is probably the most common immigrant language at present. Spanish is a beautiful language, and just a fun blast of a language to speak. Learn a little of it…and embrace the inevitable hispanicization of America. Try it Mikey, you might like it!

This post focuses on The Economist artice at page 39 of the Decembert 18, 2010 edition covering the time period 12/18/10-12/31/10, entitled "Field of Tears". Economist articles are written and published without author attribution. However, whoever wrote these articles "gets it" about what is going on demographically in North America.

The story is of Teresa Vega and Marco Lopez, a married couple from Oaxaca, Mexico. They came to the United States illegally in 2005 when their oldest son died after a flood contaminated their town. They had no money to hire a doctor, so they watched their two year old son die as he vomited, got diarrhoea and ran a high fever. They left a child behind with his grandfather (little Erminio), as that child was too small to make the journey. It has been nearly six years since either Ms. Vega or Mr. Lopez has seen Erminio.

Ms. Vega and Mr. Lopez failed three times before finally being able to cross the border on their fourth try. Ms. Vega endured the hardships of trying to cross notwithstanding her pregnancy.

On one try they were intercepted by bandits and stripped naked. Ms. Vega’s fear of rape was great, but with great relief, it never came to pass.

The hostile vastess of America provided its own challenge. 80% of America’s crop workers are Hispanic, and more than half are undocumented workers.

In contrast, however, Rob Williams director of the Migrant Farmworker Justice Project (which represents farmworkers in court) estimates that 90% of farmworkers are undocumented "illegal aliens".

It is not against the law in a criminal sense to be an illegal alien, so that term "illegal alien" is syntactically incorrect. It is a crime to cross the border illegally, but to be in the US without visa or "papers" is actually just a civil infraction, not a criminal act, according to The Economist.

Many Americans are convinced that undocumented workers take jobs that American nationals would otherwise perform.

To disprove this notion, the United Farmworkers Union ran a promotion called "Take Our Jobs".

Read the next blog post to read about "Take Our Jobs"….it will suprise you! I will post the "Take Our Jobs" blog post on Friday, June 3, 2011.

Local police are not supposed to enforce immigration laws (that is what all the fuss is about in Arizona, where a state law was enacted directing that local police had to enforce federal immigration law). The Arizona law has been at least partially suspended by a federal court order.

Nevertheless, for the Vegas/Lopez family, any brush with the law is potentially disasterous. Mr. Lopez was pulled over by local police while in his car and his car was impounded for lack of a drivers’ license. The fine was $1,580 and the car was impounded and seized. Mr. Lopez had to buy a replacement car for $1,500. These expenses set the family’s finances back by years, according to The Economist.

Mr. Lopez indicated to the corresponent that the mood in America has grown darker and more hostile this past year 2010.

Crop workers (documented and undocumented) earn so little that many farm workers, even as they spend their waking hours picking food for other people, can sometimes barely afford to eat. Grape picking pays about $8.00 per hour, and on a good day, one can earn $65.00, but there is child care of about $50.00 per day to consider for the Vegas/Lopez family.

Also, not every day is a work day as there is substantial "off time" between seasons.

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