At the end of 2006, John Rocker, the controversial former major league baseball pitcher known for his racist remarks years before, created a campaign to promote foreigners to assimilate in our country. His reasons and intentions may seem understandable and even agreeable however many argue that his message--Speak English--stems from a racist standpoint and those who argue against him have continued to label Rocker as a racist bigot. But how do most of us truly view immigrants who choose not to adapt to our American culture and customs?
“When in Rome, do as the Romans,” says Rocker on a televised Fox news interview. “When people vote with their feet--move into my country--just please assimilate yourself to my customs and my culture.”
Fair enough statement. It is important that we do all that we can to contribute and to promote diversity so that we can avoid building walls within our nation and to avoid making other ethnic groups feel withdrawn. As a multicultural society, there is the necessity for dialogue because there needs to be a way for all of us to communicate with each other in order to coexist. If we can’t have this communication, then our society will crumble from our own ignorance; without diversity, society will be filled with nests ostracizing each other because of the lack of acceptance for each other’s cultures and customs, thus, creating separatism and re-segregation.
A correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, Jo Tuckman, recently joined in on a very unique tour in the Mexican village of El Alberto, where she and many others spent the night at the US/Mexico border to feel what it’s like to be in the shoes of an illegal immigrant. When they reached the borderline, they scurried into a tight huddle behind bushes and rocks from being seen by the border patrol. They sat for a dreadful moment together, eyeing the flashing red and blue lights and each other, thinking this may be the coming of their demise. When the border patrol took off on vehicle, the group got up and continued on. Strangely, the video shows a simulated arrest of a man illegally crossing the border, being put down by armed guards and interrogated on the spot while handcuffed. 