Immigration. It’s a hot issue in Congress and in politics as we wrestle with whether to open, close, leak or dike our borders from immigrants. Of course, the reason people risk life and limb to come here is for work and economic opportunity. Regardless of where you stand on the immigration issue, the fact is that a lot of people, especially Hispanic people, now live and work in this country. Because they bring different languages, food, customs, and culture with them, there is bound to be conflict. In this show, we will talk about these conflicts and what can be done about them to keep peace in our communities.
Many of the conflicts that arise in our communities stem from misunderstandings about very different cultural practices. In addition, sometimes we fail to realize that the new people in our community working at the low end jobs come from poverty and may be undereducated or illiterate even in their own countries. Is there any wonder they are confused and frustrated by the complexity of modern society.
Conflicts over jobs, school, resources, rules and regulations all occur every day in every community with immigrant populations. We talk about the need to reach out to these people rathter than ostracizing them. If we want to stop gang violence, for example, wse need to embrace the children, respect them and include them. Gangs form from kids feeling isolated and alienated. So our attitudes towards our new immigrant neighbors affect our lives and communities very directly.
The best defense is a good offense. No matter what happens on the political scene, stopping immigration leakage along our borders is economically and physically impossible. We can expect immigration to continue for many years. At the community level, regardless of how we feel about undocumented people, opening our hearts, extending ourselves to understand and respect them, and including them in our community is the only way to create lasting community peace and harmony.
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