Sunday, January 23, 2011
Friday, July 23, 2010
The American dream has a price
The immigration agenda hasn’t been a priority for an endless number of developed countries. The United States of America seems to not be the exception to the rule. There’s no doubt that the arrival of the newcomers, mainly in the beginning of the 20th century and post 1965 has drawn the demographical map the United States is today. The new settlers have been the source of the economic, social and political growth of a nation that has been receiving them since colonial times. It has been the subject of discussion in each political platform, a subtle lure any candidate running for the White House will resort in order to collect votes. Nonetheless, failure to properly address this issue throughout decades or even centuries has led the nation into turmoil.
As of July 29th, SB 1070 will take effect. This is a law signed by the Arizona governor that, according to Human Rights and Latino organizations, will lead to racial profiling and the harassment of authorized visitors, immigrants or citizens who don’t carry the proper documentation. The local authorities will enforce it whenever they have enough evidence or suspicion that a person is in the country illegally; causing friction between the state and the federal government since it’s the latter’s job to regulate such matters.
Now, the attacks the Arizona government is facing go beyond this dispute between federal laws and state laws. The problem is rooted in the illegal immigration the Grand Canyon State cannot control. Should the current Arizona authorities stand still and wait for a solution that will probably take longer than expected? Are all aliens illegal? The answer seems to be: No. The state of Arizona has taking matters to the next level due to a lack of a way out to the problem. The alarming factor seems to be two-sided. Other states are willing to implement the same law; and a considerable amount of people, who have applied for their working visas or residencies, are still waiting for answers the government won’t provide. Some of those waiting lists can be traced back to 1994.
On the other hand, those living outside the law are not the only ones to blame for breaking it. One can get a social security number for a few dollars that opens doors in the labor market that would be otherwise closed. Construction and landscaping companies find in these outlaws a lower cost labor promoting and encouraging these practices. Employers who unlawfully hire illegal immigrants should be penalized and fined. This would discourage those looking for a job without the proper documentation and bosses from hiring them. Although people wouldn’t migrate if they didn’t have to, searching for new horizons means a better life for them and in most cases for the ones left behind.
However, there seems to be a bigger issue. The US-Mexican border is being threatened by a war carried on by drug cartels, kidnappers, trafficing of children and murders. A national ID carried by every citizen will probably cool things down; also bringing a sense of safety and security. Is this discriminatory? Absolutely not. Any person will have to show it upon request. Argentina, for example, has its own National Identity Document (DNI). “It is a small book, about half the size of a passport, and includes vital information about your identity, including a unique number that identifies you. This DNI number is the rough equivalent of the social security number in the United States”(*). These changes in homeland security policies will bring an obvious increase in state budget, but the addition of human resources and technology are imperative for the implementation of the law. It should be seen as an investment rather than an expense. Will SB 1070 be effective? That will be something we will have to wait for. In the mean time, few won’t deny that the American dream has rules that apparently no one is ready or willing to follow yet.
(*) ARCA
Argentina Residency & Citizenship Advisors
July 21, 2010
http://www.argentinaresidency.com/faqs/about-argentina-information.htm
As of July 29th, SB 1070 will take effect. This is a law signed by the Arizona governor that, according to Human Rights and Latino organizations, will lead to racial profiling and the harassment of authorized visitors, immigrants or citizens who don’t carry the proper documentation. The local authorities will enforce it whenever they have enough evidence or suspicion that a person is in the country illegally; causing friction between the state and the federal government since it’s the latter’s job to regulate such matters.
Now, the attacks the Arizona government is facing go beyond this dispute between federal laws and state laws. The problem is rooted in the illegal immigration the Grand Canyon State cannot control. Should the current Arizona authorities stand still and wait for a solution that will probably take longer than expected? Are all aliens illegal? The answer seems to be: No. The state of Arizona has taking matters to the next level due to a lack of a way out to the problem. The alarming factor seems to be two-sided. Other states are willing to implement the same law; and a considerable amount of people, who have applied for their working visas or residencies, are still waiting for answers the government won’t provide. Some of those waiting lists can be traced back to 1994.
On the other hand, those living outside the law are not the only ones to blame for breaking it. One can get a social security number for a few dollars that opens doors in the labor market that would be otherwise closed. Construction and landscaping companies find in these outlaws a lower cost labor promoting and encouraging these practices. Employers who unlawfully hire illegal immigrants should be penalized and fined. This would discourage those looking for a job without the proper documentation and bosses from hiring them. Although people wouldn’t migrate if they didn’t have to, searching for new horizons means a better life for them and in most cases for the ones left behind.
However, there seems to be a bigger issue. The US-Mexican border is being threatened by a war carried on by drug cartels, kidnappers, trafficing of children and murders. A national ID carried by every citizen will probably cool things down; also bringing a sense of safety and security. Is this discriminatory? Absolutely not. Any person will have to show it upon request. Argentina, for example, has its own National Identity Document (DNI). “It is a small book, about half the size of a passport, and includes vital information about your identity, including a unique number that identifies you. This DNI number is the rough equivalent of the social security number in the United States”(*). These changes in homeland security policies will bring an obvious increase in state budget, but the addition of human resources and technology are imperative for the implementation of the law. It should be seen as an investment rather than an expense. Will SB 1070 be effective? That will be something we will have to wait for. In the mean time, few won’t deny that the American dream has rules that apparently no one is ready or willing to follow yet.
(*) ARCA
Argentina Residency & Citizenship Advisors
July 21, 2010
http://www.argentinaresidency.com/faqs/about-argentina-information.htm
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
When no one is around
Every time my mind detaches from the ordinary activities, I can’t help but thinking about my brother Horacio. I learned a few weeks ago he is my half brother. Learning about it was shocking but I knew right there that nothing was going to change our brotherhood. My mom was also worried for what my older brother or even my sister would think about her. Truth is we cannot judge her for her mistakes; we have our own ghost to deal with.
However, there is something that has been bugging me for a while. If you asked me what my brother likes or dislikes are I wouldn’t have a straight answer. Sad as it may sound, I don’t even know what his favorite food is, the music he listens to or what type of car he likes, if there is one. I can’t believe something like this had to happen for me to realize he was not part of my life. I know during his adolescence my older brother became his role model, but I don’t recall a time when I have tried to spend some quality time with him.
After finding out the truth, we had a short conversation. I felt horrible because I realized his heart has been hardened so many times that he can’t or he doesn’t want to pursue happiness any more. I wish he could see life the way I see it now. We both walked the same path. We both had to go through the same pain. I just want him to see that I couldn’t have made it without God.
My only hope is that he is able to see the same too.
However, there is something that has been bugging me for a while. If you asked me what my brother likes or dislikes are I wouldn’t have a straight answer. Sad as it may sound, I don’t even know what his favorite food is, the music he listens to or what type of car he likes, if there is one. I can’t believe something like this had to happen for me to realize he was not part of my life. I know during his adolescence my older brother became his role model, but I don’t recall a time when I have tried to spend some quality time with him.
After finding out the truth, we had a short conversation. I felt horrible because I realized his heart has been hardened so many times that he can’t or he doesn’t want to pursue happiness any more. I wish he could see life the way I see it now. We both walked the same path. We both had to go through the same pain. I just want him to see that I couldn’t have made it without God.
My only hope is that he is able to see the same too.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Stationed in Vietman
I just finished reading “ Dear America Letters Home from Vietman”. My heart is torn. My first reaction after closing the book was to thank them for what they did for me…for us. The first letters were too painful for me to deal with and so I decided to read no more than a couple of them per week. During this time I felt I was closed to each one of these soldiers. Every word, every line, every letter had a voice that perhaps was unheard not by family or friends but for the world.
Through those words I sensed, I heard, I felt…I suffered. Every page was loaded with fear, passion, hatred, hope… resignation. I pictured them in their barracks, their tents, their ambushes, their trenches and their moments of solitude. Moments used to escape, at least for a few minutes from the horror around them and transport themselves back home. George O., John C., Hector R., James R., Sharon L., among thousands of others were my father, my brother, my son, my uncle, my sister, my friend, or me myself. I got to know them for what they were. I guess war portraits you for what you really are. Men scared and sometimes horrified for what they were witnessing but also men with courage and convinced of what they were fighting for.
I know there is so much history in the lives of the one who survived, but I was wondering what is the untold story behind the ones who never made it home. For they had dreams, ambitions, desires, hopes. They were men, young guys and even kids. Was it worthy? I don’t know much about politics but the world they left us is a free world or at least it seems to be. Borrowing some words from Rodney B.: “…the war we are fighting in South Vietnam is a war against communist aggression, which is an ever-present threat to the free world today.” I wonder if I had been ready to live in a world oppressed by a dictator, a tyrant, or ruled by some kind of religious lunatic or by someone telling me how to live my life in order to worship them. My answer is: No. And I will never be.
Through those words I sensed, I heard, I felt…I suffered. Every page was loaded with fear, passion, hatred, hope… resignation. I pictured them in their barracks, their tents, their ambushes, their trenches and their moments of solitude. Moments used to escape, at least for a few minutes from the horror around them and transport themselves back home. George O., John C., Hector R., James R., Sharon L., among thousands of others were my father, my brother, my son, my uncle, my sister, my friend, or me myself. I got to know them for what they were. I guess war portraits you for what you really are. Men scared and sometimes horrified for what they were witnessing but also men with courage and convinced of what they were fighting for.
I know there is so much history in the lives of the one who survived, but I was wondering what is the untold story behind the ones who never made it home. For they had dreams, ambitions, desires, hopes. They were men, young guys and even kids. Was it worthy? I don’t know much about politics but the world they left us is a free world or at least it seems to be. Borrowing some words from Rodney B.: “…the war we are fighting in South Vietnam is a war against communist aggression, which is an ever-present threat to the free world today.” I wonder if I had been ready to live in a world oppressed by a dictator, a tyrant, or ruled by some kind of religious lunatic or by someone telling me how to live my life in order to worship them. My answer is: No. And I will never be.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
A love-hate relationship.
Gosh, I am so bad at keeping my blog updated. I haven't written anything since last year, and that was Sep 2008 a month after I got back from the States. I will blame it on Facebook. Why? Well, I spend most of my time checking my friend's status there. Or simply checking on their pictures what is a form of keeping posted with their lives.
To my surprise, statistics have recently shown that Facebook is not a good alley for students since those ones not spending time surfing the social network get better grades than the ones who are frequently users. There was another interesting finding. As Facebook users, we are slow at processing emotions and admiration. After reading a hundred of times that one of our contacts is having a crappy day, we lose the capacity for feeling sympathy for that person. I am not saying that Facebook is the cause of our failures in life, but apparently there is something going on.
So many times I have tried to cancel my account but then I don't do it. I have this idea that If I do, I will be disconnect from the rest of the world. Now, my question is: do I need Facebook to keep in touch with my friends? If the answer is yes, well then I suck as a friend. This is as if facebook was my personal secretary and I don't care about anything. She will tell me what's next or remind me of an event coming up. If I truly cared about people, I wouldn't need a social network to be informed of theirs lives. I would mail/call/text/email/fax/smoke sign them to know how they are doing. I have a friend who is not part of this virtual friendship. She keeps me posted with her life regularly. I got emails and pictures of her daughter and we chat once in a while. So that proves me that there is a world outside facebook.
Anyway, I don't want this entry to be a love-hate relationship since I find this website a decent place to store my pictures.
From now on, I will try to do my best to go back to my blog and talk about what's in my mind.
Wait a second...did you realize how many times I used the word Facebook on this entry: 8 freaking times! HILarious!
To my surprise, statistics have recently shown that Facebook is not a good alley for students since those ones not spending time surfing the social network get better grades than the ones who are frequently users. There was another interesting finding. As Facebook users, we are slow at processing emotions and admiration. After reading a hundred of times that one of our contacts is having a crappy day, we lose the capacity for feeling sympathy for that person. I am not saying that Facebook is the cause of our failures in life, but apparently there is something going on.
So many times I have tried to cancel my account but then I don't do it. I have this idea that If I do, I will be disconnect from the rest of the world. Now, my question is: do I need Facebook to keep in touch with my friends? If the answer is yes, well then I suck as a friend. This is as if facebook was my personal secretary and I don't care about anything. She will tell me what's next or remind me of an event coming up. If I truly cared about people, I wouldn't need a social network to be informed of theirs lives. I would mail/call/text/email/fax/smoke sign them to know how they are doing. I have a friend who is not part of this virtual friendship. She keeps me posted with her life regularly. I got emails and pictures of her daughter and we chat once in a while. So that proves me that there is a world outside facebook.
Anyway, I don't want this entry to be a love-hate relationship since I find this website a decent place to store my pictures.
From now on, I will try to do my best to go back to my blog and talk about what's in my mind.
Wait a second...did you realize how many times I used the word Facebook on this entry: 8 freaking times! HILarious!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
God's timing!
I am sitting in my living room waiting for my sister, who is visiting me for the weekend, and in the mean time I decided to check on my last entry on this blog.
I realized it has been awhile since I dropped some lines.
To start off, I must say that this year has been the greatest year of my whole life. Even when I was sick like crap! Last time around this blog, I posted a couple of videos and a few random comments about Niles and Jorrel. Two guys from the States working for different NGOs we, at FSD, have partnership with. After that, life was running pretty much as expected till I was invited by my friend Brian to share with him one of the greatest moments in his life. His wedding! It was such an honor for me and needless to say I was a bit shocked at first. Obviously, I said I would love to, but the only thing that could ruin this moment in time was me applying for the American tourist VISA and get rejected. My VISA was denied once, so I was a little concerned about it, however, God works in mysterious ways…HE made it and I got it! I was so excited after the interview that the first thing I did once approved was calling my mom. It was hilarious because she picked up the phone and then I was not able to say a word but to cry like a small baby. She was so confused and almost scared….until I finally explained the situation to her and she began crying with me. That situation brought me back to my first final test in College. Applying for a US VISA is like a final test. You study a lot but if what you say is not what the teacher is expecting then you are screwed.
I was happy but it took me a lot of time to digest what had happened and where I was going.
Unfortunately, I got sick a month prior to my departure. I was diagnosed hepatitis! I won’t go thru the first stages of the illness, but I cannot put into words my frustration. I decided to go back home so my family would take care of me. I was not allow to walk, just to stay in bed and beating myself up trying to find out how the heck I caught it. Bottom line is six days before leaving for the States (that would be August 4th), I ran some blood tests and I was totally clean. Believe me when I say God works in mysterious ways. I still have my doubts I had hepatitis. I don’t think it is possible to recover only in 25 days, but I won’t question God’s decisions. So, the day arrived. I took my plane on August 4th to Miami and from there to Atlanta and then….
I will write about my trip to the States in my next entry…but I was four days ago until I realized that my all time dream had came true…
I realized it has been awhile since I dropped some lines.
To start off, I must say that this year has been the greatest year of my whole life. Even when I was sick like crap! Last time around this blog, I posted a couple of videos and a few random comments about Niles and Jorrel. Two guys from the States working for different NGOs we, at FSD, have partnership with. After that, life was running pretty much as expected till I was invited by my friend Brian to share with him one of the greatest moments in his life. His wedding! It was such an honor for me and needless to say I was a bit shocked at first. Obviously, I said I would love to, but the only thing that could ruin this moment in time was me applying for the American tourist VISA and get rejected. My VISA was denied once, so I was a little concerned about it, however, God works in mysterious ways…HE made it and I got it! I was so excited after the interview that the first thing I did once approved was calling my mom. It was hilarious because she picked up the phone and then I was not able to say a word but to cry like a small baby. She was so confused and almost scared….until I finally explained the situation to her and she began crying with me. That situation brought me back to my first final test in College. Applying for a US VISA is like a final test. You study a lot but if what you say is not what the teacher is expecting then you are screwed.
I was happy but it took me a lot of time to digest what had happened and where I was going.
Unfortunately, I got sick a month prior to my departure. I was diagnosed hepatitis! I won’t go thru the first stages of the illness, but I cannot put into words my frustration. I decided to go back home so my family would take care of me. I was not allow to walk, just to stay in bed and beating myself up trying to find out how the heck I caught it. Bottom line is six days before leaving for the States (that would be August 4th), I ran some blood tests and I was totally clean. Believe me when I say God works in mysterious ways. I still have my doubts I had hepatitis. I don’t think it is possible to recover only in 25 days, but I won’t question God’s decisions. So, the day arrived. I took my plane on August 4th to Miami and from there to Atlanta and then….
I will write about my trip to the States in my next entry…but I was four days ago until I realized that my all time dream had came true…
Friday, July 04, 2008
coming up next...
ok,so last night I was talking to a friend of mine and he made me notice that I have neglected my blog for a while.
I don't have much time now, but I will post pretty soon. There are a couple of things in my head right now
i would love to say them out loud. Stay tune!
enjoy life!
I don't have much time now, but I will post pretty soon. There are a couple of things in my head right now
i would love to say them out loud. Stay tune!
enjoy life!
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