Illegal Immigration: L.A. Is the Doorstep

In the Oct. 2 installment of “Enrique’s Journey,” the following appeared: “Chiapas is fed up with Central American immigrants, says Hugo Angeles Cruz, a professor and migration expert at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur in Tapachula.”

I have news for him. Southern California is pretty fed up with it too. While The Times’ article goes to great lengths to explain the impoverished plight of illegal immigrants, the fact remains that they are, indeed, illegal immigrants. I realize that is a concept that is rather difficult for many to grasp in these bleeding-heart-liberal politically correct times.

If you want to know why housing in Southern California is unaffordable for most of us, and why finite resources of everything ranging from clean drinking water, electricity, food, gasoline and education are in short supply and/or more expensive, perhaps at least some of the blame can be placed at the doorstep of illegal immigration. It also explains why sections of downtown Los Angeles look more like Tapachula, and one can now hear roosters crowing from City Hall. Oh yeah, right. I forgot. It’s all part of the wonderfulness of “cultural diversity.”

Chiapas being fed up with Central American immigrants has to be, without a doubt, the ultimate irony. Obviously, there are those who feel Mexico shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of illegal immigration. After all, that’s the exclusive franchise of the United States, isn’t it?

David Arthur

Colton

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I have been so deeply moved and impressed by Sonia Nazario’s series on Enrique, the young Honduran emigrant struggling through terrible obstacles. As a sixth-generation Californian, a small and hateful part of me wants to shut down the borders and preserve our staggering wealth for a few. The bigger and better part of me knows that justice demands that we radically rethink our immigration policy so that we can welcome into our lands the millions of Enriques.

But we cannot merely throw open our borders. We must rethink our lifestyles, the maintenance of which is the root cause of so much of the poverty of countries like Honduras. Then and only then will the forces be reduced that drive so many to come here at such terrible cost.

Hugo Schwyzer

Pasadena

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Enrique’s is a sad story that would have never taken place if the federal and state governments had enforced the immigration laws so that his mother wasn’t here in the first place. On illegal immigration, The Times has tried to make us the enemy, instead of the irresponsible lawbreakers.

John R. Carter

Woodland Hills