Who are the real illegals?

January 19, 2016
Jim Griffin

Jim Griffin

OPINION by JIM GRIFFIN

There’s been a massive amount of talk and blathering lately about so-called “illegal” immigrants, undocumented aliens, “anchor babies” and so on thanks to Donald Trump and the rest of the ultra right wing chorus of ignorant, hate filled harpies. What’s the truth? Who and what are really “illegal?”

The truth is that right here in California, as well as Nevada, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas, the real “illegals” are anyone who is not of Mexican heritage — Anglos like myself and most of you.

How outrageous and ridiculous, right? Wrong. The truth is that in 1846 the United States Government, deep into its “manifest destiny” crusade (the idea that the United States had some kind of God given right to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific – – no matter who else was already there), set up a phony confrontation with Mexican forces over a small strip of disputed land.

This was whipped up, under a careful and devious plan, to be (look like — in the press) an unprovoked attack on “peaceful” American forces. So an “illegal” war was declared on Mexico — the Mexican American War.

The United States “won” and forced at gunpoint a “treaty” with Mexico that ceded the above territories in 1847. All of a sudden people who had one minute been citizens of their own country, Mexico, became “aliens” without legal status in what were now new territories of the United States. Much repression, many expulsions and land seizures, and much forced “returning to Mexico” took place against the Mexican citizens in what had been Northern Mexico.

An Imperial land grab, a theft, pure and simple. And don’t even try to say it was “OK” because the United States did it and then complain when Russia or somebody else does it today.

Think of all the natural resources in those now western states. Think what an economic and cultural blow this all was to Mexico, how destabilizing.

Think of all the historic ramifications. Add to this the many manipulative and rigged “trade” set ups that subsidized American agriculture and ruined millions of Mexican small farmers (corn farmers especially), driving them into big Mexican cities looking for non-existent jobs, and you have an idea why so many Mexicans are desperate to come over the border to find work, mostly extremely hard manual labor paying little.

They are lured here by greedy ranchers, agribusinesses and factory/industry owners who brazenly break the law to do so but are almost never prosecuted, and certainly not beaten, threatened, and thrown into holding cages like the would be workers are when caught by U.S. border agents. Then too is the fact that the application process for legal work visas into the United States is amazingly slow, cumbersome — and very expensive for these extremely poor people.

Of course, after almost 169 years it would be a massive effort to undo the institutionalized injustice of stealing half of a neighbor country. But a settlement of some decent kind should and could be made between Mexico and the United States — if the political will was there.

In the meantime, at the very least, we must arrive at a just and non repressive system of expedited work visas, including legal residency with full legal rights and workers’ rights, along with various paths to U.S. citizenship and a system of pooled social security systems for both Americans living and working in Mexico and Mexicans living and working in the United States.

Most importantly, we must end the discrimination, racism, and dehumanizing stereotypes against Latinos and Latinas — especially the label “illegal.”

So the next time the racist, ultra nationalist, big lie artists start spewing their poison about “illegals”, think about the above history and about who and what are and were really “illegal.”

Do you have legal papers for being in what should still be Northern Mexico? I don’t, and neither do you. Sobering, no?


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Maybe it’s time to start allowing Mexican Casinos in our lower States so that we can make restitution, afford Mexican children better education and cultural recognition. Sure, we are the illegals so how about we pay illegal status tax so that Trump can afford the new wall that will keep us for sneaking into Baja Mexico? Forget it, I’m sticking to Ted Cruz is a foreigner.


Some truth here, but… who cares? Humans have been crossing imaginary lines since there were imaginary lines, with or without permission. We’ve also been continuously guilty of killing rivals for their resources, that’s human nature, unfortunately.


The “illegals” issue is nothing but a distraction. The only reason people think it matters is because the media have told them it does, over and over until they believe. Try talking to people about issues that actually effect their daily lives- exponential growth, fiat money, the gradual erosion of constitutional rights, the Big Pharma drug cartel, etc…. blank stares and willful ignorance.


Yeah, all your problems are cuz of “those brown people”. Shades of 1932…


The author seems to have no real understanding of life in Alta California during this period. By 1847 the Mission Period (which began in 1769) was over. The Republic of Mexico had gained its independence from Spain only 27 years before in 1820.


While that independence was a big deal in Mexico City and nearby environs, it meant absolutely nothing here in Alta California other than a touch of government corruption. Alta California was the boondocks. The Republic of Mexico exercised no real control over Alta California other than collecting taxes of course.


What’s sad is those who suggest indigenous people would have fared better if Alta California had remained under Mexican control. Utter nonsense.


Survival of the fittest?


So what group did the “Mexicans” take the land from before we “took” it from them?? Where does it end?? What about Alaska, the Louisiana purchase and other land deals the US has struck to build this country?? If “Mexicans” are so proud and love their country so much why do they risk life and limb to come here?? If we hadn’t taken the west and made something out of it where would Mexicans go??

When you have horses, steel, better technology and way better immune systems you tend to win over people that don’t!!


“…When you have horses, steel, better technology and way better immune systems you tend to win over people that don’t!!”


You need to study how the US took over Alta California. There were no huge battles. There was no great war. Mexico was doing next to nothing with Alta California. It exercise little control over the region. It had a tiny population here.


The US didn’t take Alta California due to “horses, steel, better technology and way better immune systems.” The US took Alta California largely due to Mexico’s apathy on the matter.


Racist much? The Spanish imported horses to Mexico.


“If we hadn’t taken the west and made something out of it where would Mexicans go??”

That’s some white pride race bs right there.


Its not “white pride” its just a fact.. that’s all.. and when I was talking about horses I WAS talking about the Spanish because they are considered Caucasian(white) btw!


” I WAS talking about the Spanish because they are considered Caucasian(white) btw!”


Yes, white just like some Mexicans, just like me.


So what exactly is your point then??


Maybe I should’ve not used the word “we” as in “taking the west”.. but if it hadn’t happened.. and the west was still part of mexico.. what would it look like?? Probably a lot like mexico looks today!! Corrupt and dirty.. I mean they don’t even have clean water for gods sake!!


“what would it look like??”

Nobody knows,people guess.


Plenty of clean water in Mexico, plenty of dirty too.

“gods sake!!” Yes that is a big part of the problem in Mexico.


My ancestors on my Dads side immigrated from Alsace Lorraine.. that piece of land has been fought over, occupied, and has been parts of many other countries at various times in history.. my ancestors fled it because of religious reasons…but you don’t see my crying about it today!! I don’t like many things that have happened in history .. but theres not much I can do about it today.. and Im not apologizing for what white people did 2-3-4-5- or 6 hundred years ago!! Before Europeans came to the new world.. they were killing their own people.. then when they came over here all of a sudden its “racism” when they kill natives…. it had NOTHING to do with skin color.. to them these people were just in the way…. sad to say!!


They wouldn’t have a border to sneak over.


I did not know that Mexicans popped right out of the ground as you have tried to fool us into believing, everybody came from some where at some time period. And who ever had the strongest powers prevailed.


After the conquest of the Aztec empire, the Spanish re-administered the land and expanded their own empire beyond the former boundaries of the Aztec, adding more territory to the Mexican sphere of influence which remained under the Spanish Crown for 300 years.

https://goo.gl/rNZCE6


Sobering, no. Totally false, yes.


So you think it was okay for the Spanish conquistadors and Mexican explorers and settlers to take over “Northern Mexico” by force, killing the Native Americans living here peacefully and claiming their land? That’s okay, but a legal treaty (after Mexico had lost the war) in which the US PAID Mexico for the land settlement was criminal?


You are totally uninformed. You can’t just make up your own “history” to fit your political agenda.


exactly !!


No “Spanish conquistadors and Mexican explorers” killed American Indians in the process of the US claiming Alta California. Many died due to disease during the earlier Mission Period but that’s an entirely different topic.


The “conquering” of Alta California cannot be compared to Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec Empire hundreds of years before, yet many people struggle to make the comparison.


You are wrong. Read up on your EARLY California history and the massacres that took place along the Northern California coast (ever been to the Humboldt County Historical Museum?). Then there are massacres documented in every state in the area Mexico claimed.


I’m not comparing anything to Cortes’ conquest of the Aztec Empire.


Jim, your typical hate filled rant ignores the Legal Treaty and History of the west.

But it helps feed the “white privileged rage” that the liberals love to push.


Thanks for reminding us why Liberalism is Dangerous.


liberals like victims that way they can grab power, steal money and redistribute to themselves and then the remaining crumbs to the victims.


What Bullshit, crime and abuse is not limited to “liberals” , but blaming the libs for CONsertive crime has been the goto action for many generations.


At this point anyone who go’s on about “liberals” exposes themselves as haters.


sorry hater….


Wow, Rich. You seriously used “legal treaty” and “history of the west” in the same sentence. There were a lot of Native Americans who did not fare too well under all those “legal” treaties. We should not confuse what is deemed “legal” with “justice”….not the same thing at all.


Glad you liked it….

Legal and Justice….don’t ever confuse those two.


Rich in MB says:”But it helps feed the “white privileged rage” that the liberals love to push.”


As opposed to your tea party rage hate on everyone except you, yeh that so much better.


If “Liberalism is Dangerous.” then tea partyism is sadistically suicidal. After all they don’t believe in science, freedom or common sense.


Rich your Hate, is the hate you see around you, not others. That is why you keep bringing it up over and over to keep it fresh, so you can play the blame game.


Sorry Kettle….but we will let your negative thumb down numbers speak for themselves. Your liberal hate is growing tiresome, and I see no need to respond to a hater with such a negative thumbs down rating, the voting has validated my views.


Spilt Milk? it is true but it is over. As well as me mate ricky c making off with me Julie. No reparations coming or necessary.


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