Immigration, Immigration “Reform,” and the Restructuring of Mexican American Politics

1. Immigration, Immigration “Reform,” and the Restructuring of Mexican American Politics Mexican Americans and Politics Lecture 16 March 7, 2006

2. Organizational Matters • No class on Thursday, March 9 • Essay 2 – returned today • Midterm – returned next Tuesday • Essay 3 – due next Tuesday, March 14 • You may turn in the essay anytime next week – by 5 pm Friday, March 17 and I will count it as on time • Final quiz – Thursday, March 16 • It should take about 15 minutes

3. Immigration “Reform:”Historical Perspectives • Periods of Congressional “reform” • 1798 – Alien and Sedition Acts • 1850s – the “Know Nothings” • 1880s – Chinese exclusion • 1880s-1910s – Excluding categories of immigrants and narrowing naturalization • 1910s-1920s – Literacy tests and National Origin Quotas • 1965 – Ended national origin quotas • 1986 – Employer sanctions and legalization • 1990s – Limiting rights of immigrants and more rapid exclusion

4. What do These Periods of “Reform” Have in Common? • Generally, they narrowed, rather than expanded immigration opportunities • Exceptions – 1850s (no change), 1965 (ended National Origin quotas), and, possibly, 1986 • Responded to period of mass organizing and state efforts to change (restrict) immigration • Ongoing tension in American politics – Economic and ethnic interests seeking immigrants and cultural conservatives and organized labor fearing the changes they bring • “Reform” generally took a number of years because of competing societal interests

5. Reform in Current Era: Focus – Unauthorized Immigrants • 1986 (Immigration Reform and Control Act) • Legalization • Employer sanctions • 1990s / 2000s • Expanded border enforcement • 1996 (Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act) • Expanded deportation of legal immigrants • 2001 (Patriot Act) • Indefinite detention of immigrants • Modern era – no cap on legal immigration

6. Expansion of Federal Immigrant/ Immigration Regulation • Yet, call for more control • Why? • Surge in both legal and unauthorized migration • Wide-spread perception that federal regulation/controls are ineffective • Diversity of immigrants (origins and destinations) • Fears of economic consequences of immigrants (lowering wage rates) and immigration (using benefits) • Similar concerns – and demands for federal action – have appeared in previous phases of “reform”

8. Class Activity Let’s assume for a minute that some “reform” is needed and that “reform” means reform – a comprehensive solution to the problem What parts of our our current immigration policy needs to be changed and why? What will have to be part of a comprehensive solution? In other words, what will have to be part of a compromise immigration bill?

9. What’s Being Proposed? 1 • Bush proposal (2004) • Guest workers • House bill (passed 2005) • Fence • Unauthorized status a felony • Employer penalties • Authorizes use of the military to enforce immigration law • No guest worker program • No legalization

10. What’s Being Proposed? 2 (Senate) • All call for added enforcement and some guest worker authorization • Specter (R-PA) • Permanent work visitor (“blue card”) • Cornyn (R-TX) / Kyl (R-AZ) • Short guest worker period (2 yrs), with return in between renewals • Current undocumented must return to home country get guest worker visa • Kennedy (D-MA) / McCain (R-AZ) • Longer guest worker period (3 yrs) / can apply from U.S. • Opportunity to legalize

11. Can Compromise Be Reached? • Eventually, yes • Concerns in the electorate will keep the issue on the table • Some new members of Congress will owe their elections to popular immigration concerns • This year? – Seems unlikely • Senate Judiciary Committee needs to develop a consensus position • Key is Senator Cornyn (R-TX) • Then, it must compromise with House • Senate less restrictive than House (more sympathetic to business/ethnic lobby position) • Hard and harder

12. Immigration “Reform” and Mexican American Politics • Mexican American community divided (patterns we’ve seen throughout course) • Sensitivity to needs of immigrants/family members • Concern about competition for jobs, housing, and other services and about majority stereotypes • Perhaps of more concern • Little Mexican American/Latino voice in the debate • Mexican American/Latino organizations not mobilizing on immigration issues • Mexican American/Latino legislators not key players in Congressional debates

13. Consequences are Quite Large for the Community • Positive – Legalization • Engine of empowerment and electoral growth • Provides added protections for U.S.-born family members • Negative – Legally recognized temporary status • The longer it continues, the more it creates a legal underclass that becomes central to the economy (and shifts the position of capital in immigration debates) • The more it is likely to divide Mexican America/Latino communities internally

14. For Next Class • When do Mexican Americans (and other Latinos) join in multi-racial coalitions? • Why?