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I am not a fear monger

Contributed by: Erin Di Paolo on 7/31/2006

I am not a fearmonger. And I strongly object to being called one by Bill Johnson in his column that ran in the Rocky Mountain News on May 3. Because I am a law-abiding citizen who pays her taxes and obeys the law of the land and because I think others should do the same, I (and others like me) have been labeled by Mr. Johnson, though he has never met us. The last time I looked in the dictionary, the word illegal meant "not legal." Perhaps Mr. Johnson's dictionary contains a different definition. Or, perhaps he has a newer version than mine.

At any rate, I have never, at any time, referred to illegal immigrants as slavering, economy-killing hordes. I do, however, see them as lawbreaking individuals because they are. I have no objection to people coming to the United States from other countries, provided they take the proper legal steps. My sister-in-law, Nancy, emigrated here - legally - from Mexico several years ago. And my mother-in-law, Maria, did the same 45 years ago, only she emigrated from Italy. Both women learned English and adapted to society in the United States; they did not expect the United States to adapt to their lifestyle. Both became productive, legal, members of our society. I respect and honor them for doing things the proper way, though I am sure at times it was difficult and challenging.

I use to work at a school with a high Hispanic population. Some of the students there really struggled with English and my heart went out to them because they tried so hard to learn. I so admired them for going to school every day and embracing our language and culture, however foreign they may be. I loved these kids and felt great empathy for them as they struggled through school. They were doing the very best they could, sometimes working even harder than kids that were born here and have all the advantages that citizenship has to offer.

Two years ago I worked with a Hispanic girl in the first grade who spoke little to no English. I was so frustrated because, as a tutor, I was supposed to teach her how to read. But I could not even communicate with her, on any level. I would watch her in class, saying nothing while the other children were learning their sounds and starting to read. She had a few friends that were bi-lingual that translated for her. But, I thought, there is no way this child is ever going to learn anything if she does not learn English. It was one of the most frustrating things I have ever had to watch. I was often angry when I thought of her parents and why they were not doing everything in their power to make sure that their daughter was getting everything she needed in order to thrive. Fortunately, with much work, she now speaks some English and did a great deal better this past school year. But she could have easily slipped through the cracks. And it would have been tragic.

Yes, America is a land of immigrants, as Mr. Johnson's column said. All of us, at one time or another, had ancestors that came here in search of a better life. But they did so legally and through the proper channels. They did not sneak into this country, in the middle of the night, so as to not get caught. They did not enter this country in a cowardly fashion, but with much strength and courage. I recently visited Ellis Island in New York City and was overcome with emotion as I looked at pictures of people who left eveyrthing that was familiar to them to find the American Dream. What courage and intestinal fortitude they must have had!

I love my country and I love the fact that it's a melting pot. But it is a privilege to live here - it is not a right. If I wanted to go to Mexico and live, certain things would be expected of me. We must be consistent. Let all who long to work hard and be free come to the United States. But let's insist they come legally.


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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
Submitted By: Brendan Leonard
posted on 8/28/2006 @ 12:02:27 PM
Rated Story
Erin, you should write Sound Off pieces more often.
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Submitted By: Holly Kaiser
posted on 8/4/2006 @ 7:23:45 PM
Rated Story
Hi Erin, this is Anita, I totally agree with you. In my job, I call nationwide. It is very frustrating when I call a Hispanic household and They say do you speak spanish, no I speak English because I live in America. Mr Bill Johnson is an Idiot. Just my opinion.
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Showing 1-2 of 2 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Erin Di Paolo

Denver , CO

Erin Di Paolo has posted 61 stories and 6 comments since joining on 3/18/2006. Erin Di Paolo 's average story rating is 4.81.
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