I am a history teacher.  There is no denying that fact.  My degree is in political science.  If you break out in a rash or have difficulty breathing when exposed to a history lecture, look away from this window slowly and click on something else. 

This morning I heard someone say that Mexicans are taking over our country.  It’s an old argument, only it used to be the Chinese.  Same song, different verse.  Chinese immigrants basically built the American railroad from the Mississippi to the west coast.  Some railroad companies had as much as 90% of their workforce made up of Chinese immigrants.  The argument back then, get this, was that Chinamen were taking American jobs.  No they weren’t.  Chinese immigrants then, freed African slaves in the 1860’s, and now Mexican immigrants today take jobs that white Americans WILL NOT DO.  They are often underpaid, work without benefits, and are simply unaware in most cases what workers’ rights are.  Many common laborers work for years without knowing things like working more than 40 hours in a week entitles workers to over-time pay;  Or else since they are working illegally they have no basis for gaining their rights. 

Illegal immigration may put a strain on an overworked INS, or allow government programs to benefit non-taxpayers.  But be honest: they are not taking over and they are not stealing anyone’s job.  And I am just about SICK AND TIRED of hearing white American bigots complaining about pressing “1” to get announcements in English.  In the first place, you know what I did?  Learned Spanish!  They’ve been offering it in high schools for years.  But let’s not even go there.  The next time you’re tempted to say something stupid like “We should vote English the official language,” or “They should just stay in their own country,” look in the mirror again to see if you’re still a Native American Indian.  Don’t forget we of European ancestry pretty much stole North and South America, murdered the indigenous population, then built our economy on the backs of African slave labor.  When Mexicans start herding us onto reservations and forcing us to speak their language, then I’ll listen to you complain.  It would actual serve us just about right, but I’ll listen.