Rum, Romanism and Rebellion

Being that I am of mixed Polish and Mexican heritage, I get twice as much e-mail. No, really.

I’m on a list of Polish-Americans. For the most part, it is an exchange of recipies and cultural news but there has also been concern about the decline of American Polonia as white urban ethnics abandon the cities for the suburbs.

There were a few posts about Polish-Americans marching with Mexican-Americans in Chicago (my greatness inspired them), and that led to a deluge (Potop? Yes, I’ve seen that movie) of posts from people angry about illegal immigration, and angry at illegal immigrants. It always comes down to “my family came legally,” which isn’t true if their Polish ancestors came in the decades after the passage of the 1924 immigration act.

Arguments against illegal immigration seem to be all over the internet these days, even on BigSoccer. I guess I’d pay more attention to their “this isn’t about race” claims if they didn’t decend into rants about “wetbacks.” The irony I find on the Polish-American list is the handwringing over illegal immigrants speaking Spanish, while at the same time bemoaning things like closing of Polish language newspapers and radio stations.

One poster, calling herself Panna Cynthia, got a bit tired of the anti-immigration talk becomming anti-immigrant on the list and posted the following. Her reference to “DP Camps” is to the Displaced Persons camps where refugees were put after World War II.

I’ve enjoyed the Polish political information that has recently been posted to this list. I wasn’t going to say anything about the recent posts regarding the immigrant marches, but then I recalled that story about how no one spoke up for the other people and when they came to take me away and there was no one left to speak. I know that this is going to draw brickbats, but so be it.

The organization of the immigrant marches was prompted by a Congressional bill that would have made it a felony to assist an illegal alien. As originally written, if you gave the illegal immigrant food or water it could have been a felony. That bill was subsequently rewritten when it was realized how severe the punishment would have been for even minor acts of goodwill. But the impetus for the immigrants to be heard was started. There is nothing like that initial taste of free speech and the right to assemble to fill one’s heart and spirit.

I’m not an historian, but I believe that the American Revolution, the Boston Tea Party, the underground railroad, and Solidarność, to name a few, were all illegal in their time. It is important for a civil society to obey laws. It is also important to take a look at those laws from time to time.

My ancestors, of course, came from Poland. They came before WWII, so did not have to suffer in a DP camp.

Wouldn’t it have been nice if those that had to suffer all those years in DP camps could have been brought to this country sooner? Why did it take so long? Was it possibly the concern of Americans that they didn’t want all those poor, uneducated, non-English speaking people here? My ancestors came in the early part of the 20th century. They did not immediately learn the language and assimilate. They had radio and newspapers, but these were Polish language as were their families, neighbors and the priests and nuns.

My mother was born in this country and didn’t learn any English until she went to school. Parts of the south side of Chicago were like little Polish villages. Sound familiar? In 1911 or so that someone testifying before a Congressional committee trying to keep down the number of people legally allowed to immigrate from Eastern Europe said that those people shouldn’t be allowed in because the Slavic languages are so different from English that they would never learn English and therefore never assimilate. They were talking about my grandparents. From recent comments I think some of the Slavic descendants have assimilated far too well. They now sound just like the Americans who were trying to keep our ancestors out.

Living in Chicago and being active in the Polish community I often interact with immigrants from both Mexico and Poland. Some of the “legal” Polish immigrants are here on student visas. I guess you could say they are “studying business” since what they are doing is learning trades, working and sending money home to Poland.

In all the reports of yesterday’s march in Chicago not one person “demanded” to be made a citizen. What I heard were people who wanted to be heard, to tell their story of hard work and suffering, why they want to work in America, to say that other than not coming into America through legal channels they are law abiding, work and pay taxes. That there must be something we can do so that they aren’t “illegal”.

Basically, they want to be “legal” aliens. I think California and other southwestern and southern states bear a hugely uneven burden of illegal immigration from Mexico. But I’m sure there must be a way to relieve that burden. If we don’t start talking, that solution will never be found.

Another thing that we are seeing in Chicago is a huge increase in the number of legal aliens who were too busy putting food on the table and a roof over their heads to think about something as trivial as politics now realizing that they can make a difference. They are registering for citizenship and to vote in droves.

My Polish ancestors were dirt poor and came to this country because they were hungry - dla chlebem. They suffered to get into this country and then suffered discrimination when they got here. Stories of their suffering breaks my heart. The plight of immigrants hasn’t changed since the Israelites fled Egypt.

(Remember how they whined and complained about their condition to Moses for 40 years!)

Knowing my ancestors’ sufferings how can I not at least listen to these immigrants.

I don’t know the solution of how to strengthen our borders to keep America safer for those who feel threatened, but I’m willing to listen and discuss it.

I don’t know the answers to address the immigrant issues. But I think that I am not honoring the sacrifices of our country’s founding fathers and my ancestors, that I am not honoring my faith, honoring Solidarność, unless I listen to those who are asking to be heard and seeking a better way.

I’ll duck now since I know what’s coming.

Pozdrawiam.