(Name-mce) ListServ Dialogue

[Sabine E. Teaver]

Being from Europe originally, I am always amazed how our so-called free-trade
agreement NAFTA involves the free movement of services, finances, and goods but
deliberately excludes the free movement of labor (certainly, the Europeans are
trying, too, to limit the free movement of labor, I will certainly admit).
However, it seems we want to have the cake and eat it, too. When NAFTA and the
subsequent influx of heavily subsidized corn, wheat etc. makes subsistent
farming impossible in Mexico and other countries, why would we be surprised
that those whose livelihood we destroyed would attempt to come to the U.S. and
try to make a living here?

As in many cases, one of my favorite quotes from Bertrand Russell applies also
to the immigration "issue:"  

“The degree of one’s emotions varies inversely with one’s knowledge of the
facts – the less you know, the hotter you get.”

I guess the U.S. Americans who know that it is impossible "to get here legally
if they just wanted to" (immigrants are typically much better informed about
what is and is not possible in our #$%^&* immigration system) and who know
about the adverse (to put it mildly) effects of NAFTA are in the minority.  For
me, the easiest way to make an impact is to try and educate people about the
facts (although some seem to act like "never let the facts get in the way of a
personal opinion"), to vote, and to frequent the many Mexican American
businesses in the parts of our town that have been shunned by White businesses
for years. And every one of these actions is very satisfying to me because I
love to teach, I enjoy voting, and I generally get better and faster service in
a Mexican establishment than I would get a WalMart (not to mention that the
Mexican businesses are much, much closer to my home and I save gas frequenting
them). 




Give a dad a fish, and he will eat it. Teach a dad to fish, and he will drink
beer on the dock. (Shoebox Cards)
 

Sabine E. Teaver                                                  
Division of Educational Studies
Suite 240
Emory University
1784 North Decatur Road
Atlanta, GA 30322
Phone: 404-727-0622 (Emory)
Fax: 404-727-4990 (Emory)
Phone/Fax: 770-965-9565 (home)



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