By Yaroslava Camacho
Recent inflammatory comments made by U.S. presidential hopeful Donald Trump, wherein he referred to undocumented Mexican immigrants as "rapists” and “criminals", garnered outrage from Latino groups, media outlets, and corporations with (now severed) ties to the Trump Empire. Unfortunately, while Trump’s statements are offensive and unsubstantiated by facts, they are representative of the type of skewed public opinion that can influence the immigration dialogue, and ultimately, immigration policy.
I know. I was once an undocumented immigrant.
When I was six years old, my parents and I moved from a small city in Northern Mexico to Arizona. Like the approximately 40% of undocumented immigrants in the U.S., we entered the country legally but overstayed our tourist visas.
I spent the next 15 years working hard in school and eventually gaining admission to one of the nation’s best universities, all while hiding my immigration status from almost everyone I knew, living in constant fear that someone would find out and would turn me or my parents over to immigration authorities. As a legal permanent resident, I am still apprehensive about sharing my background as I dread the unqualified opinions strangers might form about my parents, their character, or my worth.
Knowing my background, most people would probably be surprised to find out that my parents are both highly-educated individuals with Master’s degrees. Our circumstance simply required them to work in positions below their skill and experience levels to make a better life for me and my brother. My mother, in particular, has been the ultimate model of hard-work and sacrifice throughout my life.
As Project Manager at the Mexican Cultural Center and as an Auxiliary Employee at the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia, I have the opportunity to serve the Mexican immigrant community, documented and undocumented, in the city. I have worked with artists, musicians, vendors and community leaders in preparation for events such as Mexican Week and the popular Mexican Independence Day Festival. Although my work planning large cultural celebrations to dispel stereotypes and bridge cultural divides might seem irrelevant to this discussion, I often marvel at the Mexican community’s determination, strength, and resilience as a direct result of those experiences.
As for Trump’s comments, it would be naive to say that no Mexican immigrant in the U.S. has ever committed a crime, but research indicates that the overwhelming majority of undocumented immigrants are not the felons and traffickers he has so vehemently described. In fact, an inverse relationship between immigration and crime levels exists; as immigration increases, crime decreases.
Nevertheless, despite the lack of empirical evidence to prove the “criminality” of immigrants, current immigration policy is more often than not driven by fear and hyperbole. In recent years, new classes of “felonies” have been created specifically for immigrants, minor offenses can be punished by deportation, and immigration policies have only become harsher, not more practical.
To avoid future derogatory comments likely to alienate minority voters, would-be political leaders in the U.S. should better understand the facts regarding Mexican immigration —particularly relevant for the eventual GOP presidential candidate, who will need a minimum of 47% of the Latino vote—and develop a humane and rational plan for comprehensive immigration reform.
Fear and discriminatory generalizations should no longer have a place in the immigration dialogue. It is time for the nation’s rhetoric and policies to reflect the true state of affairs.
Yaroslava Camacho graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2014 and currently works at the Mexican Consulate in Philadelphia.
