Time to show a little self-respect...

I just came across this article on the Drudge Report and once again felt compelled to write: http://www.ktrh.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=121300&article=8719378

A summary of the situation:
Earlier this week, the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee heard testimony on the proposed Senate Bill 9, also known as the “Sanctuary Cities Bill”, which would allow local law enforcement to check a suspect’s immigration status. According to KTRH Radio in Houston, TX, during the hearing, a man named Antolin Aguirre testified against Senate Bill 9 on behalf of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition. At the beginning of his testimony, which was done completely in Spanish through an interpreter, Aguirre stated that he had resided in the United States since 1988. Yet, as he went on delivering his testimony, Senator Chris Harris (R-Texas) interrupted him:

“Did I understand him correctly that he has been here since 1988?" Harris asked. "Why aren’t you speaking in English then?"

Aguirre attempted to explain, in Spanish (big mistake), that this was the first hearing of this type that he had been a part of; he simply felt more comfortable speaking his native language while giving such important testimony. However, the damage had already been done.

I, for one, love to participate in mocking the assumed bigotry and inherent self-love of the typical Texan. In part this is because I have many great friends from Texas who are anything but bigots and thus I appreciate the irony of such a stereotype. Yet, for once, I am not seeing this statement by Senator Harris as an opportunity for humor. In fact, I see it as a pinch on the skin of those who support immigration, be they conservative, liberal or immigrants themselves. I personally feel as though every person should have the right to live wherever they want. However, in a nation as steadfast, enriching and (at least historically) wealthy as ours, I also feel there need to be boundaries. Not physical fences, George. But abstract limits to how far we are willing to go to enable people to employ their right to live wherever they wish without jeopardizing the security, efficiency and prosperity of our nation.

Think about it this way: Every student has an equal right to go to whatever university they want to. However, they have to work very hard in high school to get the grades to be eligible for the university. Then, they have to apply to the university and demonstrate their ability to be a contributing member of the campus community. Some don’t get accepted simply because they don’t have the drive, the passion, the curiosity and most importantly the capacity to be a contributing asset to the university. It’s not that the university doesn’t want the applicant to get an education. It’s not that they don’t want to see them blossom. It’s just that there are other applicants who, in their own way, have demonstrated that they will bring something to that university, be it funding, school spirit or intellectual innovation, that the rejected applicant is not capable of providing. The thing is though, the challenges for the accepted applicant don’t stop at admission. There is an expectation placed on the newly enrolled student that they will follow the code of conduct and honor code, participate in extra-curricular activities and meet the academic requirements to maintain their place at that school. Those who do not meet those expectations, who lie, cheat, steal or fail several classes, are asked to leave. Those who do meet the expectations are encouraged, educated and supported well beyond their years of enrollment at the university.

Conformity! You shout. Conformity and uniformity without distinction is what you claim! But no. To my knowledge, the United States does not have any accredited universities that insist that all students speak English at all hours of the day. Nor have I ever heard of a general university (as opposed to a religion-specific one) that tells students what religion they must believe in. Instead, there is an expectation that any student who enrolls at the university will be capable of communicating with their professors in the predominant language of that university. Following this wouldn’t be out of conformity. You don’t need to brainwash someone for them to understand that they can’t expect to perform well in a class or feel welcomed into a community when they cannot speak or comprehend the language that is being used. It would be out of respect for the professor and the university that have given them the opportunity to better themselves that they do what they can to immerse in and in turn contribute to and benefit from the opportunities that they themselves earned.

So what’s my point? The United States is nowhere near as selective as a university. In fact, we pride ourselves on our relatively open arms. However, isn’t it the hope of every American that our fellow citizens are committed to being an asset to our country? That all of us want to use our economic, intellectual, physical and cultural resources to better ourselves along with our standard of living and standing in the world? In addition, don’t we want to know that those people who are being welcomed into our country from abroad want to do that too? That they are ready to take on whatever challenges necessary to meet the expectations of our nation and contribute to it just as those people who were born here do? Well guess what. No offense to Antolin Aguirre, but he has been in the United States since before I was born. He moved here already knowing how to think and speak in a language that has many similarities to his native one. If I was capable of forming a solid enough fluency in the English language to write this blog entry in my 22 years on this planet, how was he not capable of learning enough English to speak to our government on behalf of his fellow immigrants in 23? Either he was living in complete isolation from American civilization or he was doing exactly what I feared. Reaping all that he could from our nation without fully immersing in it and thus defying the expectation that we have for all citizens of our country: to carry your weight.

I am no bigot. I am no racist. But I am someone who is passionate about our country, who wants to see it grow and expects my fellow Americans to work with me toward achieving greatness for our name. If Mr. Aguirre wants both himself and his fellow immigrants to be accepted into our country, both legally and socially, then they need to show a little respect. We’re the type of university that gives people a chance to prove themselves when they walk in the door on the first day. We’re the type of university that is flexible and willing to give people time to show how they can contribute to our community. But 23 years?

I don’t want to think that this particular exchange at the Senate hearing is indicative of anything other than one man’s inability (or unwillingness) to fully immerse in American culture and become at least conversational in our native language. Yet, that being said, I sincerely hope the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition is looking to replace their designated spokesman.