Immigration

This word causes alot of discomfort for people on both sides of the issue. Many wonder whether there is a point to calling something illegal if we are to tolerate it. Others look for a drastic action to fix what they consider a "problem". Some are appaled at recent mass deportations. I took photos at the English Language Institute's graduation ceremony at the University of Utah last month. I still don't have a definite opinion on the issue but after attending this program and thinking about the recent deportations I feel that sitting on the fence could eventually be detrimental to some families who have members with out U.S. citizenship. These students became certified in not only convorsational english, but business and career english as well. Completion of this course earned them acceptance into the University of Utah. Most of the students graduating were Latin, from Mexico, Columbia, and Argentina among others. If I am allowed to make a generalization regarding Latin peoples, I would say they are not afraid to show their emotion. I stayed for the entire ceremony and watched their faces. They seemed so proud and hopeful of the future. After talking with some after the ceremony, they had reasons to be optimistic. Some already had good jobs and careers lined up, and ambition among those not so far along was not lacking. Their families came to show support and I watched them all congratulate eachother. A daughter of one of the graduates, moved the tassle from one side of her mothers cap to the other to signify graduation. One of the speakers used the word assimilate, I don't know if that is the best word, although the effort that is synonymous with this word is where the importance lies. I only spent an evening with them, watching more than talking and after hearing about the deportations in Hyrum I thought of the proud families of some of the students and had a few conflicted feelings. Deporting those already here might not be the best idea. I don't associate these students with illegal immigrants just because they happen to speak spanish, rather because they are new to this country and language. I don't have a solution for this issue but feel that it requires closer examination as long as effort exists, even if someone calls it assimilation.