Mexicans Didn't Immigrate To America - We've Always Been Here - Latinos Ready to Vote

Well if they have any Spanish heritage they kinda did...

It never ceases to amaze me how we pick and choose our perspectives regarding the past. Spain conquered the indigenous people's of Central and Southern America...who had earlier conquered their neighbors...who for centuries prior, had conquered still others. I won't seek to excuse our own crimes committed in the name of "Manifest Destiny"...but pragmatically, the present owes little to the past if we're going to debate immigration or border security.

One need not "hate" another culture to fear threats to their own. It's all too easy to broadly speak of "racism" or "xenophobia", when the truth is far more complex and uncomfortable. We witnessed part of that truth not too many weeks ago in Pensacola, and more still in the small Mexican town of Janos this past December. Border security isn't about subjugating culture...it's about protecting lives.

True enough, there are very real "racists"; people who along many degrees, and even more varied motivations, fear or disdain what they do not recognize or understand. However, we cannot paint with so broad a brush that we become blind to the fact that danger has no "cultural identity". I studied Chinese culture in the past, and find much of it fascinating...however, I would not want to visit certain regions of China today,or permit certain Chinese nationals access to our country without precautions-for what should be obvious reasons. In the same sense, I no more want Hispanic people or their culture excluded...despite my hopes for borders and protocols aimed at preserving the security all of us deserve.

What Mr Garza points out is correct, a good portion of the South West including Texas was settled by the Spanish and of course Mexicans before that became part of the United States. Of course they are citizens of the US by birth and not an issue. Those that also followed and came over in legal status and became citizens of course the same applies. No matter where a person cam from if they were born here or naturalized they have an absolute right to vote, they are citizens ! Anyone that doesn't meet that criteria of being a citizen and actually became a citizen has NO right to vote at all under any circumstances. There may well be others to follow that will become citizens and like all of us be Americans first. Its good to hang onto Your heritage, be proud of it, You should never forget that but always remember once You become a citizen You are an American First and foremost !