Let's get together

I travel a lot. And when I travel I try to visit schools because I am a Spanish teacher here in Atlanta and want to compare teaching methods. Five years ago I was visiting Buenos Aires and arranged to visit a Catholic school. I wanted to go to an English classroom to compare the way the class is taught. But the principal would only let me go to a social studies classroom. What can I talk to them about, I thought? So I talked about one of the bigger social issues here in the USA: illegal immigration by people from Latin America, mostly Mexico.

The odd thing was the well-to-do boys in the class said they had the same issue in their country. Peruvians and Bolivians enter illegally to work in the clothing manufacturing sweatshops of Buenos Aires. On a trip to Spain later that year, I saw a rubber inner tube raft left on the beach near Almeria (likely by a Morrocan coming to pick olives illegally.)

Eastern Europeans also enter Germany and other western countries illegally in seach of work.
In other words this is an issue for every wealthy country and the poor countries that surround them. People need money so they cross illegally.

This is something about which all countries, wealthy and poor, need to dialogue. I am not blind to many of the destructive things the USA has done in Latin America. As we talk we must be open about those things. We must also be open about the corruption that occurs on both sides of the border. But the bottom line is we need to fix this problem now. It is no fun fearing every cop car that passes. It's no fun crossing the desert without food or water in the middle of the night after overpaying a coyote for what little guidance and protection he gives. It is no fun fearing being separated from your children.

This earth has plenty for everyone. But we need to get together and sort this out.