Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Reasons for illegal immigration simple, yet complicated

Sam Lucero
participated in a border immersion experience in El Paso, Texas, hosted by Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

and reported in our Catholic Herald. He interviews
West Cosgrove, a Maryknoll lay missioner and coordinator of the El Paso border immersion experience called Friends Across Borders...

You might recall that in his column in the same issue, Archbishop Dolan says Mexican immigrants want to move to the U.S. as his Irish ancestors did. Mr. Cosgrove says they don't.
Most of the undocumented immigrants come to the United States for work, explained Cosgrove.

“They used to come and go more frequently. People would work for three months, six months, and make more than enough to live on for a year,” he said. “Then they would take that money home and use it to build one cinderblock room and come back the next year.

“If you think about it, we would all do the same."

According to Archbishop Dolan, we need comprehensive immigration reform because Mexicans want to move here permanently, and according to Mr. Cosgrove we need it because they don't. Cosgrove asks,
"Would you rather completely leave your family, culture, and friends forever, or come and go?"

Depends if I'm just here for the money or if I'm part of huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

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