Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream - Blog #1

Well, I have just completed my first reading of the first 3 chapters of the book "Antonio's Gun and Delfino's Dream." All I can say is "WOW!" This is an amazing book.

My teacher has asked us to answer the following questions:
1. What is your position of the current state of immigration?
2. Do you have any suggestions for immigration reform?

But, first I have to answer the questions reading this story made me ask.
1. How can I relate this story to my own?
2. How does this help me relate to my immigrant / migrant students?

I will answer my questions in the short form.
1. I can relate to these situations being a young person and looking for more with my life. Just as the case of Delfino in Chapter 1 I left my country to find more for myself and for my family. I wanted to learn and find a good job for myself.
I can also relate to Chapter 3 and the town of South Gate. When I was living abroad in Austria, I was there during a large parlamental election. Because of my visa situation, I could have registered and voted as an Austrian. But, I found myself feeling, as I imagine, like many of the immigrant residents of South Gate, I asked myself "Who am I to vote in their election?" I was also asked by the people of my village if I would vote and told that maybe it was not my place to form an opinion about Austrian politics as I had not been raised in their political system, nor did I truely understand their political system. I understood their concerns, and I truely felt that I could not make a judgement on their party politics with a less but fluent understanding of their langauge. I imagine this may have been how many of the residents of the town of South Gate. They did not understand the system or who to vote for. I can understand how they progressed from non-registered voters to fully understanding the American system and wanting to change their current political situation. I found this story particularly fascinating.

2. I feel that to understand where my students are coming from I must open my ears and close my mouth. I have to listen to their stories and listen to their actions. From reading these first three chapters I have gained the understanding that my students though they may be mainly from 1 region of the world will have already had very different life situations in their short 12 years, and I have to be open to hear their situations and see where they are coming from.

Now, to the questions my teacher posed.

1. I feel that the current state of immigration is in shambles. People seem to either be on one side of the fence of the other. People either accept immigration or want to build a wall to guard against people illegally entering the United States.

I feel that my family came here to find a better life, why can't other people do the same. I feel that immigration is happening because people have no other way to support themselves and their families and leave their homes because of necessity. I believe that if someone is so desperate to make their lives better that they will leave their homes and families, sneak into another country in the trunk of a car or pay a coyote to walk them across the desert, come and live in America afraid of police finding them and working for a small wage, then more power to them. There is obviously a need in their lives to do so and I can understand that. I believe that there must be something that we can do for people so they do not have to leave their country and family to make a life for themselves.

2. I believe that immigration reform needs to first happen in the minds of people who do not believe immigrants should come to America. I believe that we as a first world nation need to be more compassionate towards people who have less than us. We need to understand that most people are crossing the border to make their lives better, not to ruin the America we know. I believe if we become more compassionate towards the people of Mexico and help Mexico's economy recover from the many economic problems it has had. I also believe we do need to have some sort of documentation and taxation system for immigrants. We need to give immigrants a chance to come to our country and make a new life for themselves, but also to contribute back to the place where they are working.

I hope at some point there is positive immigration reform that helps all the parties involved, Mexico, the United States of America, and it's peoples.

SI SE PEUDE..

And if you read this and have not read this book, pick it up, it represents a part of our world to which we are not normally exposed.