Immigration

Immigration seems to be a hot topic these days. There is upheaval by the latinos (mostly Mexicans) in the USA and there are occasional anti-immigration moves in Europe as well. Immigrants, whether cross the borders or between different regions within one national border, is a natural phenomenon fuelled by economic needs. Cheap labours go to more developed countries for better pay. And in the USA, the immigration policies have shifted so much over the recent years, a few years ago when Bush just came to office he was talking about giving green cards to thousands of illegal Mexican workers in the USA and now they are taking a step back – a 600 mile wall might be built near the US/Mexico border.

I always have mixed feeling over immigration issues. I have lived overseas, so I understand fairly well the identity crisis for immigrants. I can’t imagine myself working under illegal status, but I do admire their courage. After all, people are stretching their limits for a better life should be respected. I have a lot of sympathy for them, but of course those illegal acts should not be encouraged, partly because there are always crimes and mobs involved in those illegal labour trafficking.

The economic benefits of those immigrant workers should not be undermined, unfortunately it could be in conflict with nationalism a lot of times. There is no easy solutions, if you open the door, they will come, both legal and illegal ones, if you close the door, they might still come driven by the prosperous of living in a land of opportunities. For people living in poverty, there is not much to lose really.

Maybe we should have a more liberal view about the world. Who is to say that Europe has to be “pure” Europeans’ Europe, and America should be dominated by the descents of Anglo Saxons. The globe is round, and people can move easily thanks to the modern air line industry which revolutionized our lives. People should be allowed to choose where they want to live as long as they are contributing to the society and community and help to build a more dynamic, open minded and diversified world.