I launched DevraDoWrite one year ago today, so happy anniversay to me.
On that day I learned a little about the derrivation of “mayday” as a cry for help as well as the history of May Day. May 1, 1886, American workers gathered to demand a more reasonable eight-hour workday, and today, 120 years later, immigrant workers are gathering and marching for what they perceive to be their rights. I say “perceive” because there is much disagreement even among “supporters.” Even I disagree with myself on some parts of this. I believe that if you want to live here and work here then you should learn the language and obey the laws. I do not believe that my money should be spent on creating a bi-lingual alternative to everything from classrooms to voting instructions. I think immigrants should enter the country legally and pay taxes like everyone else.
Of course, here the issues get murky and I suspect that it’s American business greed and politics that is at the root. First of all, it is admittedly hard to keep a straight face while writing “pay taxes like everyone else” when I well know that the rich get richer by leaping through those great big tax loopoholes designed just for them. Second, and perhaps more important, there must be a reason why immigrants risk life and limb to get here illegally; if the legal alternative was feasible don’t you think they’d prefer it? Why would someone stow away or dodge bullets while hopping a fence? Desparation implies no alternatives. And why is it so hard to get in legally? I can only surmise that it suits the employers to have leverage over their illegal workers, forcing them to work for less and without benefits.
Here’s an excerpt from “Illegal workers: good for U.S. economy,” an article on CNNMoney.com
A crackdown in illegal immigration in 2004 caused a shortage of workers needed to bring in the lettuce crop in the Western United States, said Powell, which he said caused a $1 billion loss for the industry as many growers had to leave their fields unharvested.
“To hire Americans to do it, they would have had to raise wages so far, it wouldn’t have been worth it for them,” said Powell at the Independent Institute. “It caused less of a loss to leave the crop to rot.”
As for complaints that many critics of immigration cite – demand for social and government services by immigrants – most economists believe that is outweighed by the increased economic activity, even if some specific school districts or public hospitals struggle with the costs associated serving the immigrant community.
So today the immigrants cry out for help as they celebrate May Day with their own demands. If they want to do as we do here, in English, them we must do unto them as we would have others do unto us.