Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Jennie L. Ilustre
An Asian American advocacy leader said the much-needed national debate on the urgent issue of immigration reform has received a boost from Pope Francis, who made a historic visit to the U.S. last month, and from Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate in the race for the 2016 presidential elections.
Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC) Executive Director Arnedo S. Valera welcomed both developments. MHC is based in the nation’s capital.
Larry Sabato, a highly respected pundit, said government officials in Washington are incapable of following the pope’s appeal to Congress last September 24 to be more welcoming to immigrants, according to a report by Reuters news agency. But Sabato thinks the pope had more impact on average Americans, adding “that is where there might be an impact.”
Recently, public opinion on controversial issues in the country, such as gay marriage and the marijuana drug, has made earthshaking shifts that have resulted in changing the law of the land. For years, Americans have been sharply divided on the issue of the undocumented. A recent survey by the Pew Research Center show public opinion is shifting on immigration.
A Pew Research Center survey – conducted before the pope’s visit – show that 72%, or seven out of ten American adults, say that undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. who meet certain requirements should be allowed to stay legally.
MHC leader Valera pointed out at last month’s induction of the Alexandria Asian American Lions Club: “Recently, we have been inundated by ‘Trumpisms’ – outrageous declarations from Mr. Donald Trump, who says he wants to be the next president. Well, perhaps we should thank him, don’t you think? Single-handedly, he has brought back the immigration issue into the national consciousness and the headlines. In this national debate, he has reenergized both pro-immigrant and anti-immigrant groups.”
Trump has drawn the ire of Hispanic Americans, as well as Asian American civil rights advocacy groups, when he said that among the undocumented who cross the U.S. border from the Latino countries are “rapists.” He has proposed building a border wall, to be paid for by the Mexican immigrants, and seizing the remittance sent from the U.S. to Mexico.
Pope Francis, the leader of the world’s Catholics, made his first-ever visit to the U.S. on September 22-27. On September 24, the pope talked about immigration, income inequality, climate change and promoted dialogue instead of war. He urged the U.S. Congress to be more welcoming to immigrants because “Legislative activity is always based on care for the people.” He also reminded the lawmakers that they are descended from immigrants “who helped build America.”
By Jennie L. Ilustre
MHC leader Valera lauded the pope’s message, particularly on immigration. “Pope Francis is a great champion of migrants and immigrants everywhere–his will be a powerful voice in resolving this urgent issue of our time. One man can, indeed, make a difference.”
Valera urged Congress “to pass comprehensive immigration reform.” In June 2013, Senate passed a large-scale immigration reform bill. The House of Representatives, however, opposed it, describing it as amnesty. Senate has not re-introduced the comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
“We need serious immigration reforms that embrace the principles of family unity, economic opportunity, equality and humanity,” Valera stressed at the Alexandria Asian American Lions Club: induction. “These are the deep and enduring American core values that have made this country great.”
Pope Francis, whose parents migrated from Italy to Argentina, is the first Hispanic pope in history. He has been a champion of migrants across the globe. He has made numerous international appeals to help migrants fleeing to Europe over the worsening armed conflict in Syria, calling it the worst migrant and refugee crisis since World War II. The pope began his remarks at the welcome ceremony at the White House on September 23 by saying, “As a son of immigrants…”
Most of the nation’s 11 million undocumented immigrants are Hispanics. About 1.3 million are Asian Americans. The undocumented are those who entered the country without legal authority, or have overstayed their visas. Last year, thousands of undocumented Hispanics from Central America entered the U.S. border, many of them children and minors fleeing from violent groups in the Latin countries.
Public opinion
Reuters reported that Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, thinks Pope Francis had more impact on average Americans, adding “that is where there might be an impact.” A survey after the pope’s visit would be interesting.
A Pew Research Center survey – conducted before the pope’s visit – show that 72% of American adults say that undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. who meet certain requirements should be allowed to stay legally. The figure is almost the same among U.S. Catholics (73 percent).
The survey, conducted last May, showed that majority of Hispanic Catholics (90%, or nine in ten) say that undocumented immigrants who meet certain requirements should be able to stay in the country legally, including half (56%) who say these immigrants should be able to apply for citizenship. Among white Catholics, six out of ten (65%) support any kind of legal status for undocumented immigrants.
Over half of the nation’s Catholics (55%) say immigrants strengthen the country. Half of all black Protestants say that immigrants strengthen the country, as do 43% of white mainline Protestants. Two-thirds of white evangelicals say immigrants are a burden on society.
The survey noted that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say undocumented immigrants should be allowed to stay legally. Hispanics are more likely than whites and blacks to hold the same view.
Reactions
The pope received criticisms from the conservatives for being political during his visit, according to Vox. Vox reported the day after the pope’s speech to Congress that “Shepard Smith of Fox News has the perfect response to Pope Francis’s conservative critics.” It added that German Lopez, in an updated report, pointed out: “But the pope’s defenders argue he’s really just making a stand for moral issues. Fox News’s Shepard Smith put it quite eloquently in the video… from Media Matters:”
“I think that we are in a weird place in the world when the following things are considered political. Five things, I’m going to tick them off. These are the five things that were on (the pope) and our president’s agenda. Caring for the marginalized and the poor. That’s now political. Advancing economic opportunity for all. Political? Serving as good stewards of the environment. Protecting religious minorities and promoting religious freedom globally. Welcoming (and) integrating immigrants and refugees globally. And that’s political?
“I mean, I don’t know what we expect to hear from an organization’s leader like the pope of the Catholic Church other than protect those who need help, bring in refugees who have no place because of war and violence and terrorism. These seem like universal truths that we should be good to others who have less than we do, that we should give shelter to those who don’t have it…
For years, Senator Mazie K. Hirono has been a sponsor and co-sponsor of immigration reform legislation in the U.S. Congress. She has always stressed that she is “an immigrant who came to the United States with my mother at a young age.”
“Pope Francis’ address to a joint meeting of Congress was a reminder to us, the American people, that our country was founded as a place where families can fulfill their dreams if we fight for the common good,” she said in a statement released after the pope addressed the legislative body.
She added: “His call for compassion, to follow the Golden Rule, and his acknowledgement that we are a nation of immigrants, while also acknowledging the injustices suffered by the first peoples of this country, particularly resonated with me.”
Asked for his reaction to the speech, National Chair JT S. Mallonga of the National Federation of Filipino Americans (NaFFAA), based in the nation’s capital, emailed on September 24: “The message of care and compassion conveyed by the pope, particularly as they relate to immigrants, is very encouraging. He said that we should not be fearful of foreigners ‘because most of us were once foreigners.’”
“As a son of migrants himself,” Mallonga added from New York, “the pope reminded members of Congress and all the highest officials gathered at the joint session, that we are all ‘descendants of immigrants’ and therefore must be welcoming of those who come to this ‘land of dreams’ to pursue a better life for their families. “
He stressed: “We hope our political leaders will take the pope’s message to heart, set aside their differences and pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill soon. This legislation will go a long way in uniting and strengthening families, which is essential, as the Pope aptly puts it, to ‘the building of this country.’”
