One of the most often misused words in the United States is “Mexican.” For many it can mean someone of Mexican descent, or a Mexican-American. But what it really means and how it should be used is someone who holds Mexican citizenship. Hyphenated Americans are all American citizens regardless of their country of origin, or ethnicity. Because many tend to forget this reality, much of the national debates on language – Spanish – and the misuse of taxpayer resources tends to blame the wrong people, i.e. Mexican citizens.
My piece on Carlson Tucker’s monologue on diversification elicited much pushback, as I expected it to. But I soon realized a common theme, “it’s the fault of the Mexicans.” “Mexicans do this, Mexicans cause the problem” was the recurring argument. To those that I engaged with about the post, I asked a simple question, “are they Mexican citizens,” to which the reply was silence. I persisted, are we discussing Mexican-Americans, or Hispanics of Mexican descent, or is the argument about Mexican citizens.
This is an important distinction that led the argument down a path many did not expect.
Whether the reader is against the misuse of taxpayer funds in schools or in the healthcare industry or is overwhelmed by Spanish speakers or another culture it all boils down to one simple fact no one wants to acknowledge, much less admit.
Only U.S. citizens can make changes to the system.
As a Mexican citizen, living legally in the United States, I can rile against Donald Trump or complain about the immigration system, but I can do nothing about it.
I can’t vote, so my words, or complaints, are just that.
Digest that for a moment and let’s look at specific examples.
Many complain about the pressure on the taxpayers to fund benefits such as healthcare. Invariably they blame immigrants as the cause of the burden. Let’s forget, for a moment, that many of the benefits that voters complain as abused by immigrants are benefits that are not supposed to be available to immigrants under the existing laws of the country. Even if there is some abuse by the immigrant population, remember, an immigrant is a foreign citizen, it cannot account for all the abuse.
Take the school systems, for example. Many complain that immigrants overwhelm the school systems across the country resulting in higher taxes. I disagree, but let’s put that aside for the moment. The laws and the regulations governing how school districts use taxpayer monies are made by U.S. citizens, not immigrants. An immigrant cannot make laws in the country.
Some voters and politicians have realized this, and thus, the debates have expanded to include the argument about chain migration, arguing that citizen children of immigrants vote in processes that puts pressure upon the U.S. voters. But here is the problem with that argument, only a U.S. citizen can make laws.
And, therein lies the elephant in the room with the arguments over the abuse of taxpayer funds, sanctuary cities or even the prevalence of the Spanish language in some communities, the situation was created and is kept by U.S. citizen voters, not immigrants.
As is usual when such a clear argument is laid out, there will be those that will argue that immigrants illegally vote, trying to nullify the point of this post. But again, even it voter fraud was such a problem, it all comes down to the U.S. citizens that allow it to happen, via incompetence or governance.
So now, you can stop blaming the Mexican citizens and all other immigrants living in your communities for the problems you perceive and place the blame where it really belongs, the U.S. citizens that make laws in this country.