Priests of the Sacred Heart/US Province

Thy Kingdom Come
  • Home
  • Blog
  • JPR Commission
  • Issues
  • Use Your Voice!
  • Fr. Dehon
  • Catholic Social Teaching
    • Basic Principles of Catholic Social Teaching
    • Old Testament Foundations
    • New Testament Foundations
    • CST Quiz
  • Social Ministry Resources
  • Links to Other Sites
  • A Day Without Immigrants
  • Dakota Access Pipeline/Standing Rock Protest
  • What is "Sanctuary?"
  • Migration Education Resources for Parishes
  • Bible Today Article on Migration
  • Immigration Archives
  • CCMR Blog
  • CCMR Public Statement
  • JPR Public Letter
  • Bob Bossie SCJ Blogpage
  • 2020 Klingler Award : Fr. Michael O'Brien and Sacred Heart Parish, Canton, MS
  • 2020 Klinger Award: Frank Wittouck, SCJ

SO IT SEEMS TO ME:  An Occasional Reflection by Bob Bossie, SCJ

12/11/2017

2 Comments

 
Welcoming the immigrant: It’s Not Just Charity -- It’s Justice

Many persons rightfully argue that we should welcome immigrants because it is the Christian, human or charitable thing to do. In fact, Christians call it a corporal work of mercy. But this position misses an essential point: It is our responsibility in justice to support and accept them. Please let me explain.

Many immigrants come to the U.S. from Mexico or Central America. They give up their whole way of life and leave their families, homes and neighbors because conditions there are impossible due to policies beyond their control.  For example, for years poor Mexican families eked out a living on small family farms. They lived off of the nourishment they enjoyed from the corn they grew while selling their surplus on the open Mexican market so they could have some money to buy other essentials.  

In 1994, the U.S., Mexican and Canadian government signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) which, basically, created open borders between these three countries. As a result, the huge, corporate corn-producers in the U.S. exported their grain to Mexico tariff free. This drove down the price of corn in Mexico. Furthermore, these U.S. producers benefit from U.S. government farm-subsidies which allow U.S. producers to sell their corn in Mexico at an even lower price and still reap profit.  Thus, Mexican subsistence farmers were unable to compete in their local markets and lost their ability to sell their surplus corn at a fair price. Many fled to their cities to seek work to little or no avail. Finally, in desperation, they made the long, arduous and very dangerous journey to the U.S. seeking a better way of life.

Another example may be found in the migration from Central America to the U.S. of tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors. The U.S. response, under Obama it might be noted, was to put them in prisons and deport them.  But why did they come here?  Many are fleeing the highly armed gangs which formed following the end of the U.S. backed “dirty wars” of the 1970-90s. During that period, the U.S. supported ruthless dictators in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, flooded those countries with U.S. weapons, and destroyed society in general. The resulting chaos created a vacuum which is now filled by large, violent gangs who are well-armed with those very same U.S. weapons.  In fact, these countries are three of the ten most violent countries in the world.  Many young persons in those countries now flee these conditions and come to the U.S.

Escaping these unsafe and unlivable conditions as well as seeking a better way of life are often referred to as the “push–pull” causes of immigration. Rather than disparage these refugees, our sisters and brothers, it’s time we acknowledge the responsibility of the U.S. and other western powers for their plight, welcome them to our country and work to change the policies that drive them here in the first place.

Welcoming the immigrant is both an act of charity and justice.

Or so it seems to me.

2 Comments
https://www.toppaperwritingservice.com/review-paperhelp-org/ link
10/8/2020 03:54:09 am

There is a lot of history here, and that is just what we all need. I know that there are just tons of people here who no idea what it means to talk about history. If you are not a person who talks about history that much, then you will have a hard time with life. I seriously believe that it is only a matter of time before we get things done, though. We have to keep working and improving.

Reply
Bob Bossie
10/8/2020 08:19:28 am

Thank you for your feedback. You are ever so right about history as the old saying goes: those who ignore history are destined to repeat it. Peace

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    October 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    March 2017
    November 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    August 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    September 2014

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All

Proudly powered by Weebly