The many faces and facets of immigration
Re “Amnesty for whom?” editorial, April 2
Shame on The Times for blaming American consumers for complicity in illegal immigration. With your logic, I should drug test my plumber to ensure compliance with narcotics laws or audit my dentist to ensure compliance with tax laws. But I do not have the time, resources, expertise or authority to enforce all the laws of the land. And I am certainly not an immigration agent. If I am not mistaken, we have a government that is supposed to do that. Our beef is not even with illegal immigrants themselves; it is with our government’s failure to enforce its own laws. Employers may be able to verify if their employees hold legitimate Social Security numbers (and they should), but homeowners and consumers have no such resource.
GARY THORNTON
Montebello
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Re “The love left behind,” Current, April 2
Finally someone addresses the immigration problem at the source. As long as Latin American countries have corrupt governments and little interest in creating stable environments, their citizens will continue to pour north and it won’t matter what control measures here are attempted.
If we can start a war in the Middle East to promote democracy and spend billions on it, why aren’t we putting equal effort in promoting economic assistance and relief in our neighboring countries through diplomacy? I understand that low-skilled workers are needed, but as the undocumented achieve permanent status, they will move up the ladder and create a never-ending need at the bottom.
MARTY WILSON
Whittier
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Xiao-huang Yin highlights a critical yet often ignored point in our current immigration debates -- the Asian presence (Current, April 2).
Although Asians account for more than 10% of California’s population, and 13% of them are illegal immigrants, they are rarely mentioned in media reports on immigration issues. It’s time to include them in the debates and understand that immigration involves not only Mexicans but also Asians and others. Only in this way can we can find a balanced solution to the issue.
HAIMING LIU
Orange
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When the Senate finally agrees on a comprehensive immigration bill, no doubt the part about building a fence along the border will be adopted. Let’s see, a fence to be built from scratch along a long and meandering frontier featuring rough terrain, an unforgiving sun and back-breaking, low-wage labor -- I wonder who would be willing to undertake such a thankless, albeit herculean task?
MIKE SARABIA
Monterey Park