Post by blackcrowheart on Apr 8, 2006 10:14:39 GMT -5
Immigration debate laden with irony for Indians
Immigration debate laden with irony for Indians
www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-giago4-5apr05,0,523634\
3.story?coll=all-opiniontop-hed
<http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-giago4-5apr05,0,52363\
43.story?coll=all-opiniontop-hed>
There was a cartoon floating around Indian country several years ago of
two Indian men crouched on a hill watching the Mayflower dropping anchor
at what is now Plymouth Rock.
In the cartoon one Indian is saying to the other, ''Do you think we
should start thinking about creating some immigration laws?''
Of course, the cartoon was funny then and is funny now. The Indians in
the cartoon were attired in the regalia of the Indians of the Northern
Plains, but I suppose that is how most Americans see Indians in general
— never mind that the Indians of the East Coast dressed in an
entirely different manner.
I would venture to say that no other segment of the American population
was affected by immigration as much as the American Indian. Lands
occupied for centuries by the indigenous people were opened up (stolen)
and a flood of settlers converged, wiping out the livelihood of the
people and forcibly removing many tribal groups to unwanted and
unproductive lands.
What caused the infamous Trail of Tears? It was the greed of the
immigrant settlers salivating over the rich farmlands and homes of the
Cherokee people. With the full support of the United States government,
thousands of happy and productive Indian families were uprooted from
their homelands and marched to Oklahoma Territory. Many of the elders
and young died on this death march. A lot of recent immigrants profited
from this callous takeover of Indian lands.
Since Sept. 11, the American people have been taking a second look at
the porous border between the United States and Mexico. Congress is
atwitter with grandiose ideas about how to stem the flow of illegal
immigrants. But the one factor looming largest in the newly hatched
schemes is greed. Farms and factories would have serious economic
problems if their source of cheap labor was suddenly cut off.
Latin American immigrants, legal and otherwise, have staged mass
protests in hopes of changing the minds of the lawmakers set upon
bringing new laws to curb illegal immigration. I find it a little ironic
that the protesters are flying American flags upside down while
vigorously waving the flag of Mexico.
I often wonder why so many thousands of people left their homelands in
Norway, Germany, Ireland, France and so many other countries to settle
in a land where the only obstacle to expansion and untold wealth was the
indigenous people. How many Americans are aware of the fact that
thousands of Indians were shipped to the West Indies as slaves? There
they died by the thousands and they also died by the thousands while
being used as slave labor in the newly formed Colonies. Unable to find
the cheap labor for the cotton fields of America and the sugar cane
fields of the West Indies, black Africans were rounded up by the
millions and brought to America as slave-immigrants.
America found it hard to classify Native Americans in those days. They
were not citizens of the United States and they were not immigrants.
What were they? They were an obstacle standing in the path of Manifest
Destiny. Their lands had to be taken illegally or purchased in order to
make room for the influx of immigrants.
If America is a shining beacon of hope for legal immigrants perhaps the
laws should be adjusted to make it a reality for the illegal immigrants.
They also see America as a place where dreams can be lived. Ironically,
most of the illegal immigrants are Indians, or Indios as they are known
in Mexico, and in Central and South America. Most of their ancestors did
not come over on the Mayflower or on the Spanish galleons. They were
indigenous to the Western Hemisphere.
I admit being surprised when I visited Spain and observed that the
people did not look like the indigenous people of the Americas and their
restaurants did not serve enchiladas and tacos. No, the brown people of
the Americas are Indios and their cuisine of hot chili peppers and
tortillas are indigenous foodstuffs. I still hear people say they are
going to a certain restaurant to eat ''Spanish food.'' What would the
cuisine of Italy be without a vegetable grown by the Indios called the
''tomato?'' For that matter all of the chocolate connoisseurs attending
the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, would not have had that succulent
treat if not for the indigenous people of the Americas.
If the citizens of Mexico and other Latin American countries want to
immigrate to America they should do it legally even though the first
immigrants faced no such provisions. If there were no jobs available,
they would not come. The first immigrants would not have come if there
was no land available.
It is written that many of the original immigrants came to this country
in search of freedom of religion. It is a sad chapter in our history
that although they found freedom of religion they chose to suppress and
destroy the religions of the indigenous people.
Many Indians look at that cartoon of the two Indians watching the
Mayflower drop anchor and wonder ''what if?''
Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, is president of the Native American
Journalists Foundation Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at
najournalists@rushmore.com <mailto:najournalists@rushmore.com> . This
column was distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
''Ironically, most of
the illegal immigrants are Indians, or Indios as they are known in
Mexico, and in
Central and South
America.''
Immigration debate laden with irony for Indians
www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-giago4-5apr05,0,523634\
3.story?coll=all-opiniontop-hed
<http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-giago4-5apr05,0,52363\
43.story?coll=all-opiniontop-hed>
There was a cartoon floating around Indian country several years ago of
two Indian men crouched on a hill watching the Mayflower dropping anchor
at what is now Plymouth Rock.
In the cartoon one Indian is saying to the other, ''Do you think we
should start thinking about creating some immigration laws?''
Of course, the cartoon was funny then and is funny now. The Indians in
the cartoon were attired in the regalia of the Indians of the Northern
Plains, but I suppose that is how most Americans see Indians in general
— never mind that the Indians of the East Coast dressed in an
entirely different manner.
I would venture to say that no other segment of the American population
was affected by immigration as much as the American Indian. Lands
occupied for centuries by the indigenous people were opened up (stolen)
and a flood of settlers converged, wiping out the livelihood of the
people and forcibly removing many tribal groups to unwanted and
unproductive lands.
What caused the infamous Trail of Tears? It was the greed of the
immigrant settlers salivating over the rich farmlands and homes of the
Cherokee people. With the full support of the United States government,
thousands of happy and productive Indian families were uprooted from
their homelands and marched to Oklahoma Territory. Many of the elders
and young died on this death march. A lot of recent immigrants profited
from this callous takeover of Indian lands.
Since Sept. 11, the American people have been taking a second look at
the porous border between the United States and Mexico. Congress is
atwitter with grandiose ideas about how to stem the flow of illegal
immigrants. But the one factor looming largest in the newly hatched
schemes is greed. Farms and factories would have serious economic
problems if their source of cheap labor was suddenly cut off.
Latin American immigrants, legal and otherwise, have staged mass
protests in hopes of changing the minds of the lawmakers set upon
bringing new laws to curb illegal immigration. I find it a little ironic
that the protesters are flying American flags upside down while
vigorously waving the flag of Mexico.
I often wonder why so many thousands of people left their homelands in
Norway, Germany, Ireland, France and so many other countries to settle
in a land where the only obstacle to expansion and untold wealth was the
indigenous people. How many Americans are aware of the fact that
thousands of Indians were shipped to the West Indies as slaves? There
they died by the thousands and they also died by the thousands while
being used as slave labor in the newly formed Colonies. Unable to find
the cheap labor for the cotton fields of America and the sugar cane
fields of the West Indies, black Africans were rounded up by the
millions and brought to America as slave-immigrants.
America found it hard to classify Native Americans in those days. They
were not citizens of the United States and they were not immigrants.
What were they? They were an obstacle standing in the path of Manifest
Destiny. Their lands had to be taken illegally or purchased in order to
make room for the influx of immigrants.
If America is a shining beacon of hope for legal immigrants perhaps the
laws should be adjusted to make it a reality for the illegal immigrants.
They also see America as a place where dreams can be lived. Ironically,
most of the illegal immigrants are Indians, or Indios as they are known
in Mexico, and in Central and South America. Most of their ancestors did
not come over on the Mayflower or on the Spanish galleons. They were
indigenous to the Western Hemisphere.
I admit being surprised when I visited Spain and observed that the
people did not look like the indigenous people of the Americas and their
restaurants did not serve enchiladas and tacos. No, the brown people of
the Americas are Indios and their cuisine of hot chili peppers and
tortillas are indigenous foodstuffs. I still hear people say they are
going to a certain restaurant to eat ''Spanish food.'' What would the
cuisine of Italy be without a vegetable grown by the Indios called the
''tomato?'' For that matter all of the chocolate connoisseurs attending
the Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, would not have had that succulent
treat if not for the indigenous people of the Americas.
If the citizens of Mexico and other Latin American countries want to
immigrate to America they should do it legally even though the first
immigrants faced no such provisions. If there were no jobs available,
they would not come. The first immigrants would not have come if there
was no land available.
It is written that many of the original immigrants came to this country
in search of freedom of religion. It is a sad chapter in our history
that although they found freedom of religion they chose to suppress and
destroy the religions of the indigenous people.
Many Indians look at that cartoon of the two Indians watching the
Mayflower drop anchor and wonder ''what if?''
Tim Giago, an Oglala Lakota, is president of the Native American
Journalists Foundation Inc. He can be reached via e-mail at
najournalists@rushmore.com <mailto:najournalists@rushmore.com> . This
column was distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
''Ironically, most of
the illegal immigrants are Indians, or Indios as they are known in
Mexico, and in
Central and South
America.''