My grandparents were lucky. They came at the right time. In 1897 two immigrants entered the U.S. and in 1905 two more — my four grandparents. Thanks to their fortuitous timing, I’m an American.
They came when all immigrants were welcome, including people with few skills, little money or no literacy. They had no paperwork. They just got on a boat with very few belongings and headed for the United States.
My grandparents passed through Ellis Island without a glitch, as did most immigrants at that time, which were a lot. In 1907, for example, more than 1,000,000 immigrants passed through Ellis Island. Historians say it only took a few hours for each to be processed.
My grandparents, like all other immigrants at that time, were undocumented. They had no documents because they weren’t required to have documents. Had they tried to come today, without documents, they would have been turned away. Had they been turned away—first, my maternal grandparents in 1897 and then my paternal grandparents in 1905 – I would probably be a citizen of the Czech Republic.
Soon after my paternal grandparents came over, my grandmother Anna gave birth to my father, Frank. If the constitution were to be changed, as is recommended by some people today, and had that proposed change been in effect in 1909 when my father was born, he would not have been by birth an American citizen.
I realize times have changed. The population of the United States in 1900, according to the census then, was 76 million. Today, the U.S. population is 340 million.
My grandparents were part of a wave of immigrants between 1880 and 1924 who were welcomed into the United States. Not that my grandparents, like other immigrants then, were welcomed by all U.S. citizens. They, and others from Czechoslovakia, especially the Czech province of Bohemia, were disparagingly called “bohunks” by many. In the same way Italian immigrants were called “wops” and Irish immigrants were called “micks.”
The antipathy my grandparents faced as immigrants was nothing new. As far back as 1844 a U.S. political party emerged called the Know Nothing Party, which was critical and suspicious of immigrants — specifically Catholic immigrants. The Know Nothings were Protestants who thought Cathlics were a danger to the United States. As a Catholic, back then, I would have been considered dangerous.
Immigration has been part of the United States of America before there was a United States. Those who founded Jamestown in 1607 were immigrants, as were those who came on the Mayflower and landed in 1620.
Most immigrants come to America to escape—especially to escape from tyranny, persecution or poverty. They come in search of a life that promises freedom, prosperity and security, the same reasons most immigrants come to the United States today.
Since all Americans (with the exception of Native Americans) are immigrants, it may be surprising that over the years so many Americans dislike immigrants. For more than 400 years, the issue of immigration has been debated, often contentiously.
It is not surprising, however, that it’s hard to reach consensus about a policy dealing with immigration and immigrants, since there are so many elements involved and so many perspectives. It doesn’t do much good, for example, to encourage or allow immigrants into the country if there is no infrastructure for them and no places for them to settle peacefully.
And then there’s the issue of how an immigrant can enter the U.S. legally. It’s complicated and complex and involves such elements as visas and green cards. It takes a long time, often years. It also has many loopholes that only attorneys can figure out.
Since I’ve lived in Los Banos, I’ve come to know many immigrants from many different countries, including India, Ukraine, Spain, Vietnam, Nigeria, Mexico, France, Brazil, England, Italy, Peru, Ireland and Portugal. From my experience they have all been hardworking, congenial people.
I have never asked any of these immigrants if they are documented or undocumented, or as some would say legal or illegal. It doesn’t matter to me.
I know, from doing a little reading, that undocumented immigrants contribute to the economy of this country. In California, for example, it is estimated there are 900,000 farm workers in California. Some estimates say that half of these are undocumented. They enable California farms to be the economic leader in feeding the country.
Many undocumented workers also contribute to the United States’ tax base. They don’t have social security numbers, but they do have Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs). According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy website, undocumented immigrants in the United States paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes in 2022.
I know of a pastor in Los Banos who asks his congregation to pray for a policy toward immigration and immigrants that is both just and compassionate. So far, I have seen no one of any political party present such a policy that is comprehensive and includes all the many components and complexities of the issue.
I have no problem with Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel apprehending undocumented individuals who have committed serious, violent crimes. They are indeed criminals. But I take exception to people like White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who recently said that all undocumented immigrants are criminals, because they “illegally broke our nation’s laws.” That would also make me a criminal, because I once was given a ticket for “illegally breaking the law” of speed limits.
I’d like to see a comprehensive policy on immigration and immigrants that is just and compassionate because I have no solution. I’m stumped. But I do agree with the words of Dominique Pire, a Dominican priest who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1958 for his work with helping thousands of immigrants (refugees) in Europe after World War II.
“Let us learn, then, for once and for all,” Pire wrote, “to see a human brother or sister in each person. Let us learn, once and for all, to assess individuals at their true value, a value which is always infinite.”
John Spevak’s email is john.spevak@gmail.com.
