Should This Strong-Willed Mother of 6 Be in the U.S.?
Re “A Mother With a Will as Strong as Her Love,” by Steve Lopez, April 25: So this is what an illegal immigrant family in Los Angeles really looks like. I suspect there are many more Latina mothers like Sylvia, not “working the system” but working to give her children a future. And I know there are many young Latinos like Sylvia’s teenage children, each aspiring to higher education and high-paying careers while already paying taxes on their part-time student jobs.
This is exactly the kind of immigrant we have always welcomed, but now they come from Mexico, El Salvador and Guatemala instead of Germany, Austria and Poland.
Mark Alexander
Lynn Kessler
Sherman Oaks
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Would you please spare us such articles. Why does Lopez bestow kudos and exaltation on a woman who is illegally in the United States and who has six children by assorted men? With her fortitude as well as her apparent ability for go-getting, she probably would have made it in Mexico too.
Is it Lopez’s purpose to make us see immigration -- make that illegal immigration -- in a favorable light, or is he encouraging other immigrants to give clandestine border crossings a try because, after all, chances are very good that they will receive trophies, awards, plaques and honors for good citizenship?
Irmgard Chapsky
Rancho Palos Verdes
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Re “U.S. Bid to Deport Man Is Rejected,” April 24: Sean O’Cealleagh, Maria Suarez, Rosario Munoz. Three immigration cases where all were eligible for deportation if laws were strictly followed. All were involved in the killing of other people. All were considered victims of injustice. One man, two women. One Irishman, two Mexicans. One white, two brown. One was allowed to stay in the country in the interest of justice, two weren’t. Guess who.
Hector Santos
Los Angeles
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Re “Broken Immigration Policy,” editorial, April 23: The editorial poignantly and accurately depicts “barefoot and no doubt frightened men, women and children” -- illegal immigrants -- as victims of our failed policies. You suggest this misery will somehow be lifted when we legalize “job-related” illegal immigration -- and by preventing our local authorities from enforcing federal immigration laws. Is The Times oblivious to the fact that the tragedy of 9/11 would have been prevented if the FBI, the INS and local law enforcement had coordinated their efforts? You conclude that another amnesty program will somehow improve the deteriorating conditions of our low-wage workers.
The 1986 federal amnesty program for 3 million illegal immigrants didn’t solve the problem but instead has since created 6 million more illegal immigrants and penalized the millions of law-abiding foreigners who have applied to come to this country legally. Another amnesty program will just encourage millions more destitute people from across the world to illegally enter this country and wait for the next amnesty program. Moreover, high rates of legal and illegal immigration have seriously depressed wages and job opportunities for minority Americans in addition to damaging our environment, schools, social resources and natural resources.
Jeff Miller
Rolling Hills