My Mexican American Family

In a previous post on illegal immigration, I referred to my wife's family and how they represented a classic example of how legal immigration and assimilation work. I would like to go into a little more detail.

Let me begin by stating that I am an Anglo who is married to a legal Mexican immigrant. I oppose illegal immigration though I understand the reasons why poor Mexicans come to the US. I am entirely in favor of legal immigration as long as people follow the law, contribute, and assimilate into American society.

My father-in-law came to this country to work when we had a legal system to allow Mexican workers to enter the US and work. He initially left his wife and 5 daughters in Mexico, but eventually brought them legally into the US in the 1960s. They all eventually became American citizens. My father-in-law learned English, but as he has aged and lost some of his facilities, his English has worsened. My mother-in-law never learned to speak English. The reason was because she was a classic Mexican housewife and mother who stayed at home and raised her family. I suppose I was one of the first "gringos" she met. (She has since passed on.)

The five daughters (with the exception of my wife)married other Mexican men and had children. Today, all of these children are grown. They are American citizens, speak English and Spanish (English first), and now have their own kids. As is natural, English is now the language of the our 3rd-4th generations though most are bi-lingual. When we have our family get togethers, the language used depends on the generation and age of the speakers. The important thing is that the family is assimilated though Spanish and the old country (Mexico) are still a part of their identities. Several have attended and graduated from college. They have entered a variety of professions. Intermarriage is now coming into the family. When I married 32 years ago, I was the first non-Mexican to enter the family. I am no longer alone in that regard, and I am betting that more non-Mexican family members are on the way.

It is all a natural process, and should be remembered by those who are opposed to any and all immigration. The majority of our immigrants come here for the best of reasons and make a positive contribution. In many ways, we can use the new blood and appreciation for America that most immigrants bring.

I do feel, however, that this process of assimilation I described is vital if we are to avoid becoming Balkanized into separate and competing tribes. The problem we face with illegal immigration is that assimilation cannot hope to keep up with the flow of thousands of new people arriving every day. First of all, those who come here illegally are from the poorest and most uneducated segment of Mexican society. Obviously, they will enter American society at the lowest economic scale. So does that make the US a racist country if some survey shows that Hispanics are behind other Americans in educational and economic terms? Not in my view.

To sum it all up, consider this: In the three or four generations it took for my adopted family to become assimilated into American life, thousands more have arrived illegally on a daily basis, having to start the entire process from the very bottom of the ladder. In the long run, this will not be in the best interests of our society. Immigration into our country must be done on a legal basis that will best ensure assimilation into American society.