Fencing

After returning from 4 1/2 days in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ, I feel refreshed, relaxed, and ready to take on the mundane tasks of finishing up my final semester of undergraduate studies. The golf, sun, food, family, hiking, and resort were all amazing parts of the trip, but while I was on holiday something else struck my interest while out in the desert. In the surrounding Phoenix area there are many immigrants who work in the tourist industry whether it be at restaurants, the airport, resorts, or as transportation drivers. People who are from outside Arizona filled the majority of these jobs, and most are from outside of the United States. Being a border state, Arizona is also closely tied with the immigration debate, and Phoenix was the site of one of the largest protests that took place earlier this month. Within Arizona an ultra-right border patrol exists which call themselves "Minutemen" who are fierce proponents of stricter border policies. Minutemen border watch leaders have issued an ultimatum to Bush stating that if the government does not begin construction of a wall along the Arizona-Mexico border, than the Minutemen will begin constructing a wall themselves through private means. Now beyond all of the logistical problems of such a far-fetched idea such as building along federal land, and private property, paying for such a project, and so on, this has to be the most ridiculous idea I have heard in quite some time. Browsing the minutemen website it is clear to see that this is a far right, paranoid, shortsighted, and ignorant group of "full-blooded Americans" (whatever that means). While I am no proponent of illegal entry into the U.S. (or any country for that matter) it is ridiculous to think that building a fence hundreds of miles long will significantly aid in preventing immigrants from entering the U.S. In my contact with a number of legal immigrants this past week it was clear to me that they provide a benefit to our nation in many ways, socially, economically, culturally, and so on. Taking a cab from Sky Harbor Airport to the Camelback Inn I was able to dialogue with a Sudanese Muslim who came to the States in 1992 to build a better life for him and his family. His day job was networking with IT services, but he drove a cab on the weekends to make extra money for his family still living in Sudan. He shared with me many stories about growing up in Sudan, playing soccer against Hakim Olajuwan before he came to the U.S. as a NBA star, his own family, and crazy antics he has seen during his "cabbie" experience. While at the Camelback Inn, it was clear to see that many of the workers were immigrants from Latin America, Europe, and the Caribbean. What was common about each of these people was that they were hard-workers, very friendly, and could speak both their native tongue and English. They were happy to be living and working in America, and they added a very valuable cultural and social aspect to the American southwest. Personally I think it is great to have "foreigner" come to America (legally of course) to come study, work, and live out their own version of the American dream. Just as I think it is beneficial and enjoyable for Americans to work, study, and live abroad, these experiences can only enhance and unite humanity in a world which is too divisive and partitioned as it is.