Continuing our coverage of the debate over the Arizona immigration law from the Mexican perspective, Carlos Fernandez-Vega of Mexico’s La Jornada opines that while Arizona’s new immigration law is ‘abominable,’ Mexico’s underemployed population is caught between a U.S. government that refuses to address comprehensive immigration reform and a Mexican government unwilling or unable to properly represent its own nationals, whether they reside at home or in a foreign land.
For La Jornada, Carlos Fernandez-Vega writes in part:
The abominable anti-immigrant law SB 1070, signed last Friday by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, comes on top of the already long list of actions taken against Mexicans who work in the United States. But it also confirms what’s already common knowledge: our leaders make promises and never keep their word; here and there, language about being “pro-immigrant” is bandied about for the purpose of capturing votes, but at the moment of truth, after having obtained a coveted post, no one remembers. To recall only the most recent examples, the same can be said of Obama and Calderón – and its our poor countrymen that find themselves caught between two fires.
During his presidential campaign, Obama promised to “diligently” push an immigration law that would benefit the parties involved. Two years later he has categorically failed, despite how the so-called Hispanic vote contributed to his victory. The same happened with Calderón, who, his sluggish reaction notwithstanding, promised during his campaign, to:
“Insist on a migration agreement that honors the protection of human rights as well as recognizing the contribution of migrant labor to the host country’s economy; increases bilateral cooperation by analyzing a number of options on the issue of migration, trade and security and promotes an immigration pact based on programs for providing temporary employment; redoubles efforts to guarantee protection for and recognition of the rights of migrants abroad and improves consular services, transforming Consulates into real advocates of our communities abroad.”
Four years later, almost no one even remembers. In their time, Fox and Bush, Zedillo and Clinton – and Salinas and Clinton – sang precisely the same tune; and one could keep counting backwards and add the names of Congress people, senators and political parties.
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