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Technorati"Operation Wetback": Illegal Immigration's Golden-Crisp Myth
Three weeks ago I wrote about Dwight Eisenhower's 1959 "peace and friendship" tour through several Asian countries, a trip characterized by an outpouring of warmth from millions in countries where Americans aren't as welcome anymore— Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, even India. A caller termed the piece "disingenuous" for not mentioning that Eisenhower was reviled in Mexico, because Eisenhower was the last president to solve the illegal immigration problem.
The caller, who didn't give his name in the recorded message he left but seemed precisely informed, described how Eisenhower approved an operation that had 1,000 federal agents rounding up thousands of illegal immigrants in California and Arizona and deporting them deep into Mexico beginning in 1954. Two ships, the Emancipation and the Mercurio, even took them hundreds of miles down the coast. Within months, up to a million illegals had left, most of them supposedly on their own for fear of being rounded up. The voice on the phone called it "Operation Wetback," and said the best thing the United States could do now was repeat it and throw every last one of "them" back across the border. I thought the caller was kidding. Could this country ever have officially called something "Operation Wetback"?
Stupid question, considering the country's racist heritage. A quick online check immediately produced the articles the caller must've been referencing, including a 2006 column in the Christian Science Monitor by that paper's former managing editor, John Dillin, recalling "Operation Wetback" and those two ships admiringly. It was as if I was reading a transcript of the caller's message.
The story has a ring of simplicity well suited to this age of one-dimensional solutions framed by force. The reality of "Operation Wetback" wasn't so simple. Eisenhower's sweep was effective because it was mass deportation on the Soviet model, not because it was admirable, let alone fair or, in thousands of cases, legal. Mexicans were especially targeted whether they were legal immigrants or not. Children of Mexican parents, who were American citizens for having been born on American soil, were deported, too. We just learned that Americans by the thousands (and their children) are being denied Medicaid benefits because they can't produce proof of citizenship under a new law designed to target illegal immigrants. Imagine how many Mexicans were wrongly targeted for deportation in the mid-1950s.
On March 9, 1955, Immigration Commissioner Joseph Swing triumphantly declared mission accomplished to a House subcommittee: "The wetback situation will be definitely under control," he said, with just 300 illegal migrants caught daily, down from 3,000. The figures are as suspect as the government's precise tallies of people leaving voluntarily (45,953 in Texas alone by July 1954) — as if illegals were going up to border posts to record their departure and say farewell. More likely, they did what they do today. When enforcement intensifies in one sector, they move to another.
The government's deportation methods were beyond suspect. A congressional investigation described the Mercurio as a "hell ship" where abuse of deportees may have been rampant. According to a United Press report from August 1956, "The Justice Department permitted the Immigration Service to crowd 500 Mexicans aboard a ship that normally carried seventy to ninety persons." The Mercurio's two lifeboats had a total capacity of 48. Less than a week after the House Government Committee investigation was made public, Mexicans mutinied aboard the ship after 40 people jumped overboard and seven drowned in an attempt to reach shore. Deportations by ship were halted. Airlifts replaced that method until the late 1950s, but even Stalinist sweeps can't be sustained forever. "Operation Wetbacks" ended in the sunset of Eisenhower's presidency.
Forgotten in that bullying decade and since was the Truman commission on illegal immigration that came closest to solving the issue, but at a price: Better wages for migrant laborers and strictly regulated working conditions. Federal agents wouldn't be raiding workplaces to check on the legality of workers, but to verify employers' documentation of fair pay and the kind of working conditions Americans would not consider beneath them. Employers' advantage of hiring illegal immigrants would vanish. No demand, no need for supply. The recommendations never became law. The West's big farmers defeated them, because that, in the end, is who enables illegal immigration — the employers who profit from it and the consumers who demand it by way of low-cost food, nannies, maids, fern-cutters.
"Illegals" are the most despised, most abused, most punished and most condemned for the problem. But they're the least to blame and the worthiest of praise. They're busboys to American extravagance.
© 2007 Daytona Beach News-Journal
27 Comments so far
Show AllThere is really only one issue to this argument: illegal, illegal, illegal.
illegal: not according to, or authorizing by law.
Why is that so hard for the bleeding hearts to understand?
I love it when the morons blame everyone but the person committing the illegal act. I just know I have fallen down the rabbit hole.
Pierre Tristam
IT MUST BE GREAT SAILING WHERE YOU'RE WRITING THIS FROM...PLENTY OF HOT AIR!!!
GET REAL...THAT GREAT WHOOSHING SOUND YOU HEAR IS THE LIFEBLOOD GETTING SUCKED OUT OF AMERICA HEADED SOUTH OF THE BORDER!
Interesting that there are so many bleeding heart liberals with an opinion on this subject. The verifiable facts are:
Does anyone have a problem understanding the term ILLEGAL? It is usually connected to some type of CRIME!
When aliens came into this country...LEGALLY, from Europe(and most of Asia) they learned the language,our customs, our history, and took a test and pledged Allegiance to this country!! This led to Citizenship and Legal status in this , thier adopted country. They then went to work and earned a legal income, paid taxes and became part of mainstream America.
Yes, there were criminals then...there will always be. But to what degree or percentage?
Todays ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT....and let's be blunt here...is for the most part, Mexican.
They come here ILLEGALLY. They will not learn our language. We have constantly bent to placate them and THIER culture...."press 1 to speak in English" We have given them welfare, ADC, free education(or rather attempted to educate them at taxpayer expense!)and allowed thier Illegal offspring to be citizens, simply because they were born here(at our expense!) Instead of they having to learn English, we are having to learn Spanish (job preference if you can speak Spanish!) we have set aside days in OUR calendar to celebrate thier holidays..they stage protests waving thier county's flags(that's the country they left to come here uninvited, I may add!) they trash our neighborhoods, engage in gang culture,deal drugs,steal,etc.,etc., and we then have to foot the bill when they're apprehended and put in jail!!
Is this insanity or what? I am totally aware that there are good people from Mexico here...legally or otherwise, but the flagrant ones who break our laws and sponge off our generousity have given them all a black eye!
Is there a solution? You bet!!! If they're here illegally...SEND THEM BACK WHERE THEY CAME FROM! If they are willing to learn the language and our customs and get a legitimate job, pay taxes,etc., and will take the test, pledge allegiance to our country...in other words...Become a real citizen...then I say let them stay. freeloading days should end...we have citizens here who are struggling to make ends meet, and to paraphrase an age-old axiom...." Take care of your own first..then see if you can help others"
Think about it!!
I've seen some great replys on here, but this one says everything I wanted to say. Excellent post.
I live in Southeast Texas. We are inundated with illegals here. They do trash our town and drain our wallets. We have to hear announcements in the stores in Spanish. Everything is written in English and Spanish. A person almost has to speak Spanish to get a job. Anglos go to Houston to shop because the clothing stores cater to the Mexican population. I'm a 55 year old woman. I don't want to dress like a Mexican disco diva. I also get sick of seeing the Mexican flag flown everywhere. If they are so proud of their own country, why are they here? Why don't they learn English? If I go to Mexico, they aren't going to speak English to accomodate me.
In my profession, I see that the majority of offenders in our domestic violence cases, are illegal immigrant men beating their wives and children. My tax dollars are paying for that too.
I think one of the main things that everyone seems to overlook, is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of terrorists coming across the border posing as Mexicans. They learn Spanish and assimilate into the Mexican population. This country was attacked from within on 9-11. It most likely will be again, by these "ILLEGAL" terrorist immigrants. People better wake up. This is not the same country, or world, that our founding fathers knew.
I think our founding fathers would heed this thought to all Americans:
"It is certainly unlawful to make inroads upon others...and take away their liberty by no better right than superior force."
-John Witherspoon, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
For the most part, these wise men viewed slavery as evil. What is slavery but nothing more than the denial of pursuit of happiness? And what should we call this attitude that many have come to have against illegal aliens trying only to pursue happiness? Here is what a founding father said about "our territory":
"As Congress is now to legislate for our extensive territory lately acquired, I pray to Heaven that they ...[c]urse not the inhabitants of those regions, and of the United States in general, with a permission to introduce bondage [slavery]."
-John Dickinson, Signer of the Constitution and Governor of Pennsylvania
Any American who has ill-will toward their fellow man is NOT in keeping witht he thought of our founding fathers. Here is what another founding father said:
"Christianity, by introducing into Europe the truest principles of humanity, universal benevolence, and brotherly love, had happily abolished civil slavery. Let us who profess the same religion practice its precepts... by agreeing to this duty."
-Richard Henry Lee, President of Continental Congress and Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Please, do not denigrate our founding fathers intentions until you know what they are, for they are in opposition to anyone's discriminating point of view that nurtures the hating of people that do not talk or look like you.
Its too bad that the ileagle aliens demand so much of our attention. If people are worried about deporting the parents of children born in this country, just think of their reaction to simply deporting the parents and leave the children here. Golly, people try to do something nice and get their heads bit off.
What part of "Illegal" do we not understand?
Calling an Illegal Alien an Undocumented Worker is like calling a Drug Dealer an Unliscensed Pharmacist.
I agree, but that only applies to the hardworking people who go to work everyday and pay their bills and their taxes.
Why are their so many people in our country who think we should harbor individuals from other countries and give them an education? Maybe we should take all of the people who favor ILLEGAL immigrants and have them pay the bills for their education, medical, housing, and food?
Also, people want to say that America was a nation formed of immigrants, and that is true. The difference is that back then people came to this country and worked their fingers to the bone to to get what they had. Now we have immigrants coming to this country and getting EVERYTHING for free!!!!
Well put, pelfrr4062. I might add that those who came to this country back then also had to meet a quota. My mother-in-law came to this country and wanted her sisters to come but unfortunately the quota was met and they never did come to this country!! As far as the parents who now cry that they would be deported but their children would stay in this country....GUESS WHAT! YOU KNEW THAT WHEN YOU CAME TO THIS COUNTRY AND HAD THOSE CHILDREN...SO TAKE THEM WITH YOU WHEN YOU LEAVE.
Some questions on this subject seem to have been ignored in the article and in the posts.
1> Why should America be the ONLY country on the planet that SHOULD NOT enforce its borders?
2> Why does 20 million people that have NO legal right to be here HAVE a right to my paycheck? Over 1/3 of emergency rooms in California have closed in bankruptcy because illegals used them as a day at the doctors office and never paid a dime. People that have not seen it for themselves don't believe the disaster that is California schools. Classroom after classroom without a single english speaking student. Why should my paycheck attempt to educate the third world countries when such a poor job of educating Americans is being done.
3> In California alone 1 billion dollars a year is being spent on illegal aliens incarceration because of their crimminal activivty. No, that's not a typo, 1 "B"billion dollars a year. No, that's not a typo, EVERY year and its increasing every year.
4> Why are there third and fourth generation Mexican families in California that have not a single english speaking person among them?
This could go on for a very long post but is plenty to get at least a few people thinking. Hopefully.
I've worked with illegal immigrants in the past, when I was a busyboy/dishwasher. So American citizens work as busyboys and janitors and dishwashers too!
But I paid my taxes and for my health benefits with every paycheck, worked my way through school and now work as a programmer for a fortune 100 company.
These people get a free ride on taxes and heathcare.
And while I have nothing against anyperson of any ethnic background (I am a African-American), I believe that this is an English speaking country, founded on Biblical principles.
Some of these illegals bring drugs and violence across the border - just ask my friend that was car-jacked last year in the city of Laredo, TX - and she is Mexican-American.
They are sapping the resouces of this country in more ways than one!
I say we close the border and deport all illegal aliens out!
For anybody that does not know, Arnold (Shwartzenagar?) the Govener for California said he will sign a bill to allow illegal aliens to become American sitizens ONLY if the person can pass the test to become a sitizen. The test that he speaks of (for those of you who dont know) is a test of Math, History, Reading and Writing, common every day problen solving like "what would you do if....?" and the test is in English. I think that this would be a good answer. Mind you I do not have a grudge aginst another race. I never have either. I do have a problem with.... calling a business for information and hearing that I have to "press 1 to listen in english". Or walinking into a store and asking "where can I find...?" and the person stares at me as if I am a visitor from out side the USA and after a few minutes this person gets on the intercom and another person shows up and answers my question. I truley am agrivated when these illegals "march for rights"? What the hell is this? What I learned in school was "YOU NEED TO BE A CITISEN TO HAVE RIGHTS! The sad part of the last statment is the Gov. is listening to them and NOT supporting the AMERICAN WAY! I am a white, english speaking well educated American. I have never cryed "It is because i'm white, is'nt it". Nore have I found a woman to breed with for the soal purpose of WELLFARE. If anybody has a right to hold a grudge it is I. I was involved in an auto accident. I was helping a friend on the side of the road in front of his house. A Mexican man came around the corner and drove his car right in to me, his car bounced off of my friends car w/me on the hood. After he grive 125ish feet I roled off his car as he spead away. I went into a coma for 5 days. I lost my sence of smell, lost (the last 6 weeks of high school) the prom. I broke both legs and a head troma. My spelling is not as it was. My decision making has cost me $12.500.00 in 3 months. The law cought him about 3-5 years lator. He was charged with Attempted vehicular man slaughter, Hit and run, driving under the influance of a controled substance, D.W.I., driving with no insurance. He (Juan Guadalupie Santana) has some priors. Two of them are Abusing his wife and Molesting his children.
The state of California, LA.CO. gave him 2 years in a L.A. county jail. But I an okay with that. God has a plan.
Thank you for your time and reading my text.
All the above is true to the best of my knowlage, so help me God.
Todd
"Certainly they should be … but illegal immigration, and the sorrow it causes for the migrants, is a problem created in large part by the actions of rich nations exacerbating the horrendous conditions in these persons' home countries. Until that's stopped, and reversed by replacing exploitation with truly beneficial development, folks will always leave for what they hope is a better deal elsewhere for themselves and their families."
Unlikely, couldn't agree with you more. Nafta needs to be reversed if not reformed to include worker's and farmer's rights. Or redo it with all affected parties at the table.
Whyzowl is right. Racism is counterproductive to all of this and just gives ammo to the other side. It's not their fault. Most of the people coming over are simply people who want to work and provide for their families and aren't interested in undermining America, as if Dubbya and Co aren't already doing a pretty good on that end. They wouldn't be coming here if they didn't feel that they had to. I'm sure there are gangs, but have we forgotten about the Irish, Italian, and Jewish Mafias? Every culture has an underbelly, and Mexico is no exception. And I'm sure there are a lot of immigrants who come here to simply take advantage of the system and don't respect this country. It's a shame because the bad apples like those just help fuel the racism and xenophobia. In fact, I think it's one reason why we really need to address this issue and fix it. We could be in for some sort of civil war of we aren't careful. And wouldn't the elites just love to watch us poor schmoes all battle it out while they sit in their ivory towers sipping Cognac?
I'm not a "huggy kissy" type of liberal either. I just want to go after the real villians. Fighting the illegals and others who are also disenfranchised just plays into the hands of the wealthy and powerful.
Folks you really need to live in one of these cities and all the huggy kissy face liberalism would drain from your souls as fast as the mountain of garbage these third world illegals are throwing out car wndows to remind themselves of where they came from.
_____________________
The US federal government should be flooding financial assistance to all of the "gateway communities" along the border to help them deal with the dark side of immigration. The fact that it isn't is just another sign of the failure of the Amerikan capitalist system.
By the way, your white supremacist racism is not helpful. You'll have to drop it in order to see what's really going on. It's not the victim's fault.
Speaking as a resident of Mexico for the last 12 years, I need to add some facts to the previous posts. The first is that NAFTA has a lot more to do with the northward migration than anything else. It is true that Bush's Buddies in Mexico, Fox and Calderon and the rest of the PAN oligarchy, are taking advantage of the working class down here, but not to the extent that NAFTA (TLC) is causing hardship. If NAFTA could be rectified, then a lot of the illegal migration would cease because people here would not be driven off their land by US subsidised agriculture products.
But also, there is a pull from the US because of the availability of US menial jobs that most Americans would never do for the pay that they get. To a Mexican, $9.00/hr with no benefits in a slaughterhouse is pretty good, but few US citizens would accept that pittance for the work necessary. The obvious solution, as has been suggested, is to put some backbone in the Labor Department to see to it that laws and regulations regarding working conditions are obeyed in spirit as well as legally. Then US citizens would be willing to do the work. To argue that our unemployment rate is low is a fallacy because of the way it is calculated. The employment rate is also at a very low level. How can that be? It is because too many people are not even looking for work so they aren't counted in the unemployment statistics. Given the chance, these people would reappear in the looking for work category.
pfbram April 7th, 2007 12:03 am
"How is it that fictitious individuals (corporations) ended up with more rights than real individuals?"
In 1886 the Supreme Court held that, "under the Constitution, a private corporation was a natural person". This of course not only entitled corporations to all the privileges of a human being, it also entitled them to all the tax write-offs and legislation-buying privileges that individual citizens don't have.
And let's not forget that corporations, a/k/a natural persons, are insulated from law suits. Instead of going after the so-called "natural person's" assets as would happen to an individual under these circumstances, prosecutors are going after the individuals who run the corporation; the same individuals who are human beings and by birth natural persons.
The double standard has worked well to give corporations an opportunity to undermine equality in public debate!
Can a journalist out there PLEASE link this topic to outsourcing/offshoring practices of modern Western globalized corporations? It seems to be a form of global serfdom of sorts today. It'll illegal for a worker to willy-nilly leave his country and come to work on US soil -- but perfectly fine for a US country to relocate to Mexico (or India -- think IT sector). This suggests a fundamental asymmetry of rights. That is, the big corporations enjoy freer movement, ability to outsource their labor -- whereas workers are largely rooted in place, no ability to "outsource" their cost of living, real estate, mortgage, etc. unless they physically relocate -- and significant barriers exist. How is it that fictitious individuals (corporations) ended up with more rights than real individuals?
iwarrior April 6th, 2007 1:11 am
"I agree with kivals. The Mexican government wants all of their disenfranchised people to leave so that they don't cause problems and challenge their little oligarchy down there."
Ain't that the truth!
Just think how powerful the corporate elite are in every country around the world. The problem is that the corporate-run government of the United States has chosen to take-on ALL illegal immigrants at the expense of its own citizens.
Spineless bastards!
For those of you who do not live in Los Angeles or Phoenix you will never know how deep the probelm is. Illegals are everywhere. It is out of control, with what appears to presently be no end in sight. Operation wet back continues. East of Phoenix is Williams Gateway Airport. Two 747's loaded with illegals go back to what ever sorrid latin american country they came from,weekly. To the tune of 16000 illegals a year. Everywhere your turn illegals and their third world culture are here. NPR did an article in which the figures given about hispanic gangs is ten fold what it was in the 80' in LA. The police officals said bascially they are loosing the fight. Go to LA and drive to see the miles of gang grafftti territory staked out. Welcome to the capital of Mexifornia.
Folks you really need to live in one of these cities and all the huggy kissy face liberalism would drain from your souls as fast as the mountain of garbage these third world illegals are throwing out car wndows to remind themselves of where they came from.
Bush and the rest of the phonies,McCain,Obama,Hillary or Mitt the hipocrate will do nothing. The republicans need the illegals to grease the corporate wheel profits and the democrats need them for votes. One reader put it succintly :the US is the safety value for Mexico's government,and I add, to deal with the result of Catholic churchs refusal to join the modern era.
Can't agree with the Tristam's endorsement of the Truman admin's "solution" ... if indeed working conditions and pay would have been improved.
Certainly they should be ... but illegal immigration, and the sorrow it causes for the migrants, is a problem created in large part by the actions of rich nations exacerbating the horrendous conditions in these persons' home countries. Until that's stopped, and reversed by replacing exploitation with truly beneficial development, folks will always leave for what they hope is a better deal elsewhere for themselves and their families.
That's statin' the bleedin', literally, obvious.
http://unlikelysource.greatestjournal.com
"Do what your conscience demands and your courage allows, and never be satisfied with the limits of either"
"Forgotten in that bullying decade and since was the Truman commission on illegal immigration that came closest to solving the issue, but at a price: Better wages for migrant laborers and strictly regulated working conditions. Federal agents wouldn't be raiding workplaces to check on the legality of workers, but to verify employers' documentation of fair pay and the kind of working conditions Americans would not consider beneath them. Employers' advantage of hiring illegal immigrants would vanish. No demand, no need for supply. The recommendations never became law."
That's the solution, and that is what comprehensive immigration reform is about. Look closer at the issue and what is included in the Kennedy/McCain bill.
Aggressively going after the employers is part of the solution. But eliminating NAFTA and trying to end the Third World poverty that our government creates is a factor also. If there wasn't so much economic inequality in the world, not everyone would want to risk life, limb, and imprisonment just to come here and do menial work for peanuts.
I agree with kivals. The Mexican goverment wants all of their disenfranchised people to leave so that they don't cause problems and challenge their little oligarchy down there.
Maybe someone of prominence could rally some supporters and a press cadre; walk up to an obvious place at the border and say " WE ARE ALL AMERICANS,I SAY TO YOU, MR BUSH ...TEAR DOWN THAT WALL!!!! That got a lot of milege for JFK and Ronald Raygun in Berlin.
Kivals, your suspicions are correct. We ARE enabling corrupt and venal governments in Mexico and Central America by letting them export their desperately poor workers to the U.S., where we have a labor surplus and their presence is causing wage deflation and unemployment among Americans and legal immigrants. This is predatory capitalism at its worst.
Will any Democratic candidate have the courage to take on the illegal employers? Well, I've been to the websites of all of them, and most echo the corporate line, "comprehensive immigration reform," meaning 12-14 million undocumented workers get a path to citizenship. John Edwards' website doesn't mention immigration, but I caught him on C-Span yesterday and he's right on board with the Kennedy bill. (So much for his concern for the poor.) That left Dennis Kucinich, the only candidate in favor of single-payer universal health insurance (Medicare for All). While his site has some really good ideas for revitalizing family-wage employment in the U.S., he never mentions the illegal immigration problem. I've emailed him to find out where he stands, because he's my last hope for a true progressive to lead the country.
I would feel much better about more open immigration or more lax enforcement if Bush's fascist friends south of the border did not count on using emigration to the US as a safety valve to relieve pressure on them to make reforms. Are those who tolerate illegal immigration inadvertently enabling Latin American fascists, e.g. Fox in the past and now Calderon in Mexico? If Bush is for more open immigration and more lax enforcement, you know that policy has to be fundamentally flawed. Being for the opposite of what Bush supports is usually a good idea.
I know it is fashionable to say the solution is penalizing employers and not the immigrants, which is all fine and dandy. I admit I could be mistaken, but it seems unlikely that penalties on only employers would ever be enforced to the extent that they would put much of a dent in the problem.
"Illegals" are the most despised, most abused, most punished and most condemned for the problem. But they're the least to blame and the worthiest of praise. They're busboys to American extravagance."
........ And slaves to corporate shareholder greed.