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PDF versionWhat if the immigrants we reject are Jesus, Mary and Joseph?
by Mario T. García on Dec. 19, 2011
Last week, I was in Santa Fe, N.M., and experienced a couple of things that made me reflect on the continuing concern over immigration to this country.
First, I attended the annual Las Posadas performance at the downtown Santa Fe plaza. This is the reenactment of the story of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem before Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus.
They were seeking posada, or shelter. Unfortunately, every inn they approached turned them away telling them that there was no posada available. Consequently, they had to find shelter in a barn. The play reminded me of our current immigrants, especially from Mexico and Central America, who enter without documents, but, like Mary and Joseph, seek posada in their cases from lack of economic opportunities for their families in their home countries.
However, and regretfully, like the innkeepers, we also deny them posada. Yet the Christmas season should remind us of how Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus also represented migrants and refugees who were rejected like today's immigrants.
The Christmas story should make us refocus. We are all children of God, and Jesus became Mman to save all of us, including immigrants. What if those we turn away today include Mary, Joseph and Jesus?
The other thing that reminded me of the plight of today's immigrants is a wonderful French/Spanish film titled "The Women on the Sixth Floor" that I saw in Santa Fe. It is a story set in the early 1960s in Paris and involves six Spanish female immigrants who leave their country and their families in order to find work, primarily domestic work, in France.
But like today's Latino immigrants, even though they find jobs, they are heavily exploited and treated with disdain and prejudice. At the same time, these are proud women who stand up for themselves, even against their employers, and who bond together as a community.
This film puts a human face to immigrants and reminds us of the humanity of people who, through no fault of their own, must leave their homes and families to provide for their loved ones. We forget this humanity when we rail against "illegal aliens" and treat them as faceless "criminals" in recent anti-immigrant legislation in states like Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and others.
Yet these people of God are not inanimate statistics; they are human beings. To me, as I tell my students, immigration, especially undocumented immigration, is not just an economic or legal issue; it is a moral issue. These are our fellow human beings in need, and we need to respond to them in a human way. As Christians and as Catholics, no human should be alien to us. We should always ask ourselves, "What if my mother or father or some other family member was undocumented?" Would we take such a legalistic and hostile view of these immigrants? Of course we wouldn't, and this should also be our moral response to the plight of other immigrants.
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Let's reflect on this during Christmas with the hope that we can come to a moral and Jesus-like approach to the issue of immigration.
What if the illegal aliens we
What if the illegal aliens we reject are Herod or the soldiers who crucified Jesus?
And if immigration is a "moral" issue, then you're presumably saying that the U.S. should have open borders for anyone and everyone in the world who wants to come here. And that we should provide all the benefits for them that we do for our own citizens even though it beggars us and requires our own families to go without.
If immigration is a "moral issue", then isn't the treatment of illegal aliens in their own countries even more of a moral issue? Should not one's parents or brothers be expected to care for their family member without sending him out to beg from others?
In 1986 there were about 5
In 1986 there were about 5 million illegal aliens in the US; the Amnesty Bill granted amnesty & citizenship to about half of them.
Illegal immigration surged afterwards, with the expectation by many that there would be a repeat amnesty legislation.
Today there are an estimated 12-15 million illegal aliens. Obviously amnesty programs did not stifle illegal immigration, they increased it. I would support a program that grants illegals already in the States a path to amnesty and citizenship, but only after the borders are secured and there are no additional illegals allowed.
Playing on emotions by putting a human face on illegal immigration is a cheap trick. Any crime can have a human face: drug dealers have kids; organized crime has tight family bonds; prostitutes just want to make some money and have a life; none of this makes me want to legalize or support crime. And despite what you say, crossing borders is illegal, against the law and an insult to our national sovreignty.
In 25 years illegal immigration has more than doubled. In another 25 years I do not want to be reading how immigration has doubled again (25-30 million?). Until Mr Garcia can explain how this can be prevented, he has little to add to the discussion other than playing on your natural sympathy for women and children. Perhaps he could help to develop an answer to those trying to legally immigrate to the USA, only to be told that there is no room for them because the ones who came in illegally took their place.
Follow Jesus, the
Follow Jesus, the immigrant.
Open the gates
Receive the stranger at the gate.
Open the prisons
Declare the liberation of the captive.
Grant the alien sanctuary
Follow Jesus
clothe the naked
house the homeless
heal the sick
feed the hungry
simple
just do it
love thy enemy
Excuse me Mario, these are
Excuse me Mario, these are not anti-immigration laws, these laws are intended to protect the rights of legal citizens (Black, Latino, Asian, White, European etc.).
We are a country of immigrants Mario, but people should come legally (as they have for nearly two centuries), and the Church, of all institutions, should respect our laws and teach others to respect our laws!
Andrew K
Dear Mario - Good idea. I
Dear Mario - Good idea. I just invited everyone in Africa to move here for the holidays. How many folks shall I send over to your place? They just might be Jesus and Mary, you know....(Joseph is probably too old to make the trip anymore.) What world do you live in? - Casey.
My guess is that Egypt highly
My guess is that Egypt highly valued Joseph's talents as a carpenter and that JMJ were hardly illegal aliens. At the time, Egypt was a "Mecca" for peoples from all over the Mediterranean and had welcome and unwelcome visits from the SPQR folks.
Here is an interesting
Here is an interesting article about the drop in unemployment in Alabama last month, which is being attributed to the new immigration laws.
http://dailycaller.com/2011/12/18/alabama-jobless-rate-falls-amid-immigr...
But who's going to do all of
But who's going to do all of that yard work, construction, dish washing, house painting and other dirty jobs that most good Amurrikens don't want to do because they don't pay Big Bux? And if they do start to pay Big Bux, do you really think that people will hire those people and company?
Think WalMart economics. Their cheap garbage is only affordable because it is made by sweatshop labor.
The point of the article from
The point of the article from Alabama is that there are Americans who will do dirty jobs; they expect to get paid at least a minimum wage and be protected from exploitation.
Yes, I expect that absent illegal aliens who work for less than minimum wage and have no legal protection from exploitation, employers will hire Americans who are here legally.
Why is that a hard concept for you?
Immigration laws are always
Immigration laws are always an issue that opens up bitter arguments in different directions. All countries have immigration laws, but most countries are not as big economic and political powerful as the USA, even with the bad economy. The one who has more, has more moral obligations than those who do not, to feed the hungry if they are already in our territory. It is a political "hot potato" for any political party, true. However, this country began with immigrants leaving Europe. I wonder which immigrant laws did they follow...
In fact, we are all immigrants, except the native Americans, who lost the most with the European immigration.
Today immigrants, mostly those from Mexico and Central America, are coming to territories that once were their land, lost to the USA in wars. Shouldn't we think historically about conquests of land, and the consequences for the people left outside? Yes, I know, I'm naive, or "stupid" by suggesting that approach. The complexity of this subject demands from us all to think in our moral values as a country, even if we can't agree in seeing the undocummented as the Holy Family. Politics does not cancel out the call for compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters already here. Visas are still easier to get for "brain immigrants" from any part of the world.
Raquel - In response to your
Raquel - In response to your comment "Today immigrants, mostly those from Mexico and Central America, are coming to territories that once were their land, lost to the USA in wars..." I would say that it is important to look clearly at the past and not color it with incorrect information. Of the territories of which you speak what is now the US Southwest was originally controlled by Spain. It was taken by force by Mexico a mere 23 years before the area was sold to the USA at the end of the Mexican-American War. And the people living in Texas left Mexico after a bloody revolution, not a war with the USA. Texas existed as an independent country for almost a decade before becoming a part of the USA.
Ever hear of the Coahuiltecan and Karankawa? Both were Native American Nations who inhabited south Texas before the arrival of those who became the rulers of what is now Mexico. Those rulers presided over the destruction of these Native American Nations. These Native American Nations are now considered extinct. Meanwhile today 88% of those who call themselves "Mexicans and their descendents" are either partially or wholly descended from peoples who came from outside of the Americas, primarily from Europe. It is a sad irony that the descendants of those same rulers who destroyed the Coahuiltecan, Karankawa now claim them as brothers. But I guess that it is easy to claim entitlement to their historic lands since they are no longer around to complain.
It was no different in the US Southwest. When the USA purchased the area from Mexico there were less than 12,000 non-Native Americans living there (Mexicans, Europeans, European-Americans, etc.). The vast majority of the area was populated by Native Americans with no real relation to Native Americans living in what is present day Mexico. Recent genetic studies back this up. Incentives meant to encourage Mexicans to move into this area were a dismal failure as few from Mexico wanted to go there. They considered the area a useless wasteland. In 1849 this changed when Americans discovered gold in California. Suddenly people from Mexico changed their view and attached a value to the area. Isn’t it amazing what greed will do?
Also, as part of the treaty acquisition each any every person living in what is now the US Southwest was given the choice to become US Citizens or to move to Mexico. Most chose to become US Citizens. If you consider the people living on the land as the people owning the land, the only people in Mexico who could say that they have a claim to any land in the US Southwest left that land by choice. Whereas of the people who owned the land and stayed; their descendents still live in that land today.
Also, you might find it interesting to note that during the only battle of the Mexican-American War that Santa Anna was winning, just when he was on the verge of wiping out one of two American armies in Mexico, he and his troops had to quit the fight and return to Mexico City. They had to put down a revolution against the Mexican government. Apparently many Mexican Citizens regarded their own government as more of a problem than the USA forces that were invading their country.
For a very long time a small group of people in Mexico and Central American has been oppressing the general population. Lately, Illegal Immigration has been used as an encouragement for ambitious people to get out of town rather than stay and reform the local government. Supporting the idea that the U.S. border somehow "crossed" people living in Mexico and Central American is not just factually incorrect; it also seems to support those who would oppress others to the point where they have to leave their own country and as an excuse to hide the oppression, rationalize it through some sense of false entitlement.
Norski: Wow! Are you history
Norski:
Wow! Are you history professor? Thank you for the lesson.
However, politics, defense or desire for ownership, and power greed in both sides of the wars actors are important factors. I don't quite get from your long history lecture if you understood my point. Spaniards conqueros were also involved in the killing and exploitation of Native indigenous people all over the Americas, as were the europeans from this side of the border, not just in the USA Southwest, but in South American territories too. It wasn't my intention to establish blame, which is spread all over the map, but to suggest the complex problematic of immigration, in Texas, in the Southwest, and further down as the Americas were conquered. Certainly, development and underdevelopment of the different Central and Latin American countries establish big economic differences, which we are not going to solve in this discussion, which began centuries ago. I repeat, WE are all immigrants, except the Native indigenous people of the Americas. It would be nice if all politians, of any color, remember this truth, and respect the dignity of all peoples, when the deal with the laws.
The image of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus in a manger in foreign territory, is a good metaphor to remind us to be humble and compassionate. History tells events. It is not a gospel to sanctioned human virtues or behavior.
Thank you, anyway for defending your position. It doesn't change mine.
THE END.
This is interesting to read
This is interesting to read the comments from people who are caught up in the emotion of the immigration debate but really don't understand the history.
Have you ever heard of six-flags over Texas? No, it's not an amusement park! The Texas territory was once ruled by several different nations (Spain, The Spanish Crown of Castile, France, Mexico, Mexico Republic). The vast majority of settlers in the territory were Mexican ranchers. They chose to become part of the Northern States because they wanted to be a free people. This sparked the Mexican-American war. It was not a war of conquest! What ever gave you that idea? You people who want to re-write history because of some emotional political agenda had better understand what you are saying before you make a fool out of yourself.
Andrew K
What if the news was not
What if the news was not biased and influenced by religion?
Thank you, Dr. Garcia, for
Thank you, Dr. Garcia, for this post. It's something I've been pondering throughout Advent. If you have a moment, feel free to check out my modern retelling of the story of Jesus' birth within the context of immigration. I hope you'll find something meaningful there. Peace.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/davidhenson/2011/12/jesusbornofanillegalimm...
Did Jesus and his family
Did Jesus and his family really in fact illegally enter Bethlehem, or Egypt for that matter, as this Author contends? Since Nazareth, Bethlehem and Egypt were all part of the Roman Empire it would seem not. No more than someone moving from Oklahoma to California would be considered an Illegal Immigrant in California.
I am not aware of any place in the Bible where God says go forth and commit crimes - identity theft, fraud, illegal entry. Nor does the Bible say that the ends justify the means. But in the same book of the Bible where welcoming the stranger first appears, the following verses also appear:
Leviticus 19:11 – “Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.”
Leviticus 19:15 – “Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.”
Leviticus 19:17 – “Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in his guilt.”
The acts of those who immigrate to and remain in the USA illegally are defined as sins by the Bible, including identity fraud and theft, coveting what a neighbor has, bearing false witness, and telling lies without remorse or repentance. Why is this person campaigning for everyone to ignore these sins rather than walking amongst the flock asking those who sin to sin no more?
Matthew 5:17-20 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” I should think that this alone should give Christians who want to support the Illegal Activity that surrounds illegal immigration pause.
Luke 20:45-47 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Hey Mario, I think you are
Hey Mario,
I think you are making an interesting point here. Although I can also understand concerns people have about an excess of an immigration in the U.S.
However for all of those concerned, keep in mind that immigration is mostly an economic phenomenon and it corrects itself as the economy in places like Mexico, improves.
In fact, there are studies that show that because of the recession in the US and economic improvements in Mexico, illegal immigration into the US has dropped by 30% in the past five years. I mean, it's not easy to be an immigrant and to be separated from your family people who come to the US do it out of NECESSITY not out of choice or out of some desire to screw Americans over...so no reason to get hardcore on immigrants in my opinion, besides these people in many cases are doing the work that US residents don't want to do, such as picking apples, being nannies and cleaning dishes in restaurants.
Finally Mario, wanted to let you know we included some of your comments in an article we did on this issue on UNIVISION NEWS...
http://univisionnews.tumblr.com/
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