# The Anxiety of Being Mexican American



## EphemeralStick (Jun 22, 2018)

I've been thinking a lot about the political climate in the US lately, which is something I try not to do. Still, as a Latinx it's impossible to ignore what is happening to immigrants in this country. I think about what separates my family from theirs, the obvious difference being mine has citizenship. That being said, my family wouldn't be here, I wouldn't even be alive, if my grandfather and his brothers didn't crossover illegally.

They were lucky. The times were different back then, the three of them worked their asses of doing manual labor to send money back to their families in Mexico. My grandfather left not long after my father was born, he left his family behind in the hope that he could create a better life for them all and he succeeded. Eventually he made his way to Chicago where he found work in one of the factories. Back then Chicago was trying to pull immigrants into the city so the factory where my grandfather work sponsored him in order for him and his brothers to gain citizenship and bring their families over, my dad being just five years old at the time.

My mother's mother had a similar story. Except hers was much darker. She was married off as a teenager to a man who kept her in a locked room with no windows. A man who abused her and did terrible things to her. Eventually her mother was able smuggle her out and they used all the money her family had to send her to the US because anywhere else she could've gone he would've found her. She too eventually made her way to Chicago and was able to receive legal resident status, but only after leaving everyone else behind.

I can't help but think about how many of those who have been detained have stories similar to those of my grandparents. It fills me with an anxiety, with an anger, knowing that all that separates my family from them is about 50 years. Every night I lay awake plagued with the thought that what is happening to so many families could have easily happened to mine. That my five year old father could've been taken away from his mother. That my grandmother could've been sent back to the hell that was her first husband. It's an anxiety that can't be quelled, no one can tell me that it's going to be okay, that my family will be okay. Because all it would take is for one ignorant prick to make a falsified phone call and my family could be utterly destroyed.

It's a terrifying time to be a First Generation Mexican American, because no one knows how far this is really gonna go.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

If they are here legally that one phone call holds no weight. If they are not they need to learn how to obey our rules and laws in this country. Why should our citizens get torn from their families and be sent to prison but its wrong for your family to get the same treatment. Just curious to your logic behind this. You break the law there is punishment. Dont like it leave. Not like America is holding you hostage saying you cant leave. Yall so worried about what exactly.


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## VikingAdventurer (Aug 20, 2018)

Packitup said:


> ... If they are not they need to learn how to obey our rules and laws in this country.



I grew up doing construction & manual labor in Southern California. The majority of my coworkers were Latinx. I met a significant number of individuals who came here originally without citizenship, but I never met a single one who purposely wanted to remain an Undocumented Worker their whole life. The only way to even GET citizenship is to already be living here or born here, and work visas run out too quickly. All of these people I met were Law-Abiding, Tax-Paying, Family-Oriented, Well-Intentioned people. Hell, they obeyed more laws than I ever did.



Packitup said:


> ... Why should our citizens get torn from their families and be sent to prison but its wrong for your family to get the same treatment. Just curious to your logic behind this. You break the law there is punishment.



This doesn't even make any kind of sense. Not only that, but this very statement positively OOZES privilege, a superiority complex, and ignorance. How many generations has YOUR family been here? I know that my own family were immigrants as well, and whereas @EphemeralStick estimates 50 years, mine is only about 70 or 80. Only one generation further back.

As for the prison thing, my thoughts on that would be an entire thread in and of itself. These people aren't "committing crimes", they are trying to make a better life for their families by either fleeing a literal war zone, or coming to a place where they know that employment is plentiful, and they are willing to work their asses off to get and keep said employment.



Packitup said:


> ... Don't like it leave. Not like America is holding you hostage saying you cant leave. Y'all so worried about what exactly.



Once again, a lot of these people are fleeing literal WAR ZONES, or cities that are run by drug cartels, which has the same effect on the "civilians" in those areas.

Also, this country is literally holding peoples' children hostage in detainment camps, or haven't you seen the news in the past 4 months?

As far as what he could be worried about, I don't presume to speak FOR him, but I have spoken WITH him at length on this very issue. There are people who are being and have been deported and forcefully sent BACK to those war zones, who are the spouses of Military Veterans. Even ones who supported trump.

Would you like to know why I'm so vocal about these issues? You have Martin Niemoller to thank for that. He wrote the following words, and even though the EXACT terms and groups may not apply to this specific situation, swap out a few words, and it should be what EVERY person should be "worried about":


_First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist._

_Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—_ 
_Because I was not a Trade Unionist._

_Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—_ 
_Because I was not a Jew._

_Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me._


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

My family are immigran5s as well legal ones tgat came over here legal because they are documneted imigrants. Ive got pictures of my great grandma where she has her brand number on her arm. My moms side is irish and my dads dad is literally a cerokke i was somewhat raised on his reservation in saint george georgia i speak from what i know and none of my immigrant rrlatives were illegals. They came here legally. It only makes no sense to you because one have a one sided agenda.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

If we as americans have to obey the rules and laws why dont they have to and i dont want to hear any sob stories cause we all have one. My ancestors have one but if they came here illegally which they didnt cause they are documented send them back cause you dont have to live here gain citizenship. You freaking apply for it.


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## Bedheadred (Aug 20, 2018)

Packitup said:


> If we as americans have to obey the rules and laws why dont they have to and i dont want to hear any sob stories cause we all have one. My ancestors have one but if they came here illegally which they didnt cause they are documented send them back cause you dont have to live here gain citizenship. You freaking apply for it.



Jesus christ dude just stop, you have no idea how privileged and ignorant you sound. Fuck the laws, if you are seriously advocating that people deserve to suffer and starve in another country because they can't come to this country legally then you're a terrible person. Do you even know what's going on in the world right now? Children are being torn away from their parents because they came here illegally, do you have no problem with that? Do you think that's okay because "they are just doing their jobs?"


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

Whys it such a big deal now its been going on for years aint nobody said nothing about it until trump jumped in office where were the two of yall two three four years ago. Privilege????? I work for mine. Ive got the same privilege that everybody else has. So yes if you came here illegally you got co sequences to suffer with. Try better next time.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

They have the privilege to come here legally and most choose not too.


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## Mongo (Aug 20, 2018)

Packitup said:


> They have the privilege to come here legally and most choose not too.



You do realize you're posting in a forum filled with people who view a lot of laws as arbitrary and unethical because a lot of laws infringe on the way we live?

Why are you even here if your just going to argue about people obeying laws?


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## Bedheadred (Aug 20, 2018)

Mongo said:


> Why are you even here if your just going to argue about people obeying laws?



This. A lot of the traveling community does so because they disagree with the way society forces people to live, and have become or always were anarchists, socialists, and communists. People who don't believe in obeying unjust laws or that borders need to be enforced with imprisonment. 

Do you actually travel, or spend time with or have friends that travel? Do you have friends that are in the US or another country illegally? Please try to expand your views and realize that the Earth is everyone's home, and no one should be punished for trying to better their way of life.


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## VikingAdventurer (Aug 20, 2018)

Packitup said:


> ... Privilege????? I work for mine. I've got the same privilege that everybody else has...



OH. A _thousand _apologies, your majesty. You _must _be right. How could I have ever been so blind as to not see EXACTLY how hard you had to work to be born white.

I think you might have the wrong idea about this community. Have you tried attending a "unite the right" rally? You just might fit in quite well there.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

Cause i have my own reasons and just cause you disagree with something doesnt mean you're right. I just posted my opinon. No i dont have friends that are illegals cause my friends that are here are here legallym yes i do travel. Probably more then yall do tbh since my job consist of me working in different states all the time. You're right nobody should be punished for legally trying to make a better life. There are ppenty of dealers out here doing exactly just that and guess what they go to jail for doing something that is illegal. I cant just walts through mexico or canada or swim across the ocean and run around russia and africa. Do you know why. They have laws stating i cant. My ass will go to jail so I obey them. Simple as that when i went to Australia i didnt do it illegally i got a passport my vaccines for leaving the country and then i went once i was allowed stayed my welcome and left. Guess what i didnt get kicked out cause i obeyed the laws they have for coming into their country. It wasnt an argument till you bitches started crying.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

If you are at work and you dont follow directions what happens? you get sent home. Same concept.


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## Packitup (Aug 20, 2018)

Damn i didnt know being born white gave you an advantage over people. Maybe i should stop working so hard to keep my job. What a dumbass.


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## VikingAdventurer (Aug 20, 2018)

Well, I live at my work, and I'm my own boss, sooo...

DAMMIT! NOW I HAVE TO WRITE ME UP. I'LL DOCK MY PAY FOR THIS ONE, MARK MY WORDS!

[USERGROUP=17]@Staff[/USERGROUP], possible troll alert?


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## MolotovMocktail (Aug 20, 2018)

Packitup said:


> Damn i didnt know being born white gave you an advantage over people. Maybe i should stop working so hard to keep my job. What a dumbass.



I can't tell if you're trolling or not but you're definitely flaming people so for that we've issued a warning.

Other folks have been responding to your posts in a polite manner and if you can't have a conversation without name-calling, we will show you the door.

While you wait out the 30 days you've been muted for, I suggest you read (or even just skim through the numbered points) this article and think about whether any of those points may apply to you.

Additionally you may want to look through some of the political literature on StP and familiarize yourself with some ideas that didn't come from Fox News.


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## Matt Derrick (Aug 20, 2018)

reading this thread i can't help but picture it in D&D terms, and it's like watching a political debate between a paladin (lawful good) and a member of the thieves guild (chaotic good).

i just don't think that paladin is ever going to 'get it'.


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## japanarchist (Aug 20, 2018)

Mongo said:


> You do realize you're posting in a forum filled with people who view a lot of laws as arbitrary and unethical because a lot of laws infringe on the way we live?



In addition to all laws being arbitrary, they are also reactionary, bureaucratic, selectively enforced and made by those in power to subjugate those who aren't. Fuck all laws, from the US to *timbuctoo! *


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## VikingAdventurer (Aug 21, 2018)

Matt Derrick said:


> ... It's like watching a political debate between a paladin (lawful good) and a member of the thieves guild (chaotic good).



... Am...

... Am **I** the chaotic good member of the thieves guild?

::cat::

EDIT:

@MolotovMocktail , that was a MOST EXCELLENT article. Thank you for sharing it with us. I myself only recently discovered/realized the existence of my own privilege regarding my skin color, so I've been trying to find ways of using it to HELP rather than OPPRESS.

Joining this thread was, hopefully, ONE of those ways.


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## The Hiker (Aug 21, 2018)

This is a fucking dumpster fire, but I hope it gives this guy some new perspective


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## roughdraft (Aug 21, 2018)

MolotovMocktail said:


> this article



while I don't agree with all the rhetoric on either side of this discussion, i gotta give you props for this article. it's very thorough without any bombasticism...gonna be passing it along


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