Gurza on Jewish, Latino Immigrants
* In “Rediscovering a Common Bond on Immigration” (Sept. 7), Agustin Gurza equates the tragic story of the 1939 denial of entrance to Jews aboard the St. Louis with the current denial of admission of Latino illegal aliens. That is quite a logical stretch.
Most illegal aliens flee their countries for economic reasons. Five billion people in the world have lower per capita incomes than Americans and could economically benefit by moving here. We must help true refugees who flee for their lives, such as those aboard the St. Louis. We cannot save billions of people from economic hardship.
LINDA H. THOM
Santa Barbara
*
Gurza is irresponsible when he states, “Besides, time has supposedly blurred the collective memories of a shared immigrant experience.” Is he inferring that, like the Jews, Mexicans “are desperately seeking a safe harbor, knowing that a return to their homeland would mean political persecution, perhaps even death”? In a more odious comparison, he quotes a chronology: “Nov. 15, 1938: Jewish children were expelled from German schools.” If this is meant to be an analogy to the aims of Prop. 187, it is indeed worthy of Hitler’s “big lie” and Gurza has established a new low in journalism.
ROGER E. GOULET
Los Angeles
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