Immigration Reform, From the Other Side. Part 2

I recently started writing about immigration from the perspective of a family trying to comply: ours.  If you've not read the first article, I'd recomend reading it before this one: http://john.connollyclan.com/2012/07/immigration-reform-from-other-side-part.html

After people are aware that Pam has had some difficulties with her immigration journey, going back to when we were first married several years ago, the next question they usually ask is, "so you're done now, she's a citizen?"  After we tell them no, she's very close to that, but not there yet, they inevitably follow up with, "why doesn't she just do it?"  This is the question that I think is stuck in so many American's heads: "Why don't immigrants just 'do it', and get their paperwork in order."  If only people knew how many days, nights, and weeks we have cried out in anguish wanting to do just that!

On Healthcare for Immigrants

"What are you supposed to do with a bleeding Mexican?" 
From Sorkin's, Newsroom, aired 15 July, 2012

Immigration Reform, From the Other Side. Part 1

More and more people, especially conservative friends, seem to be comfortable sharing their extreme views on immigration in the United States.  Every few days, a friend will share a joke, social media posting, or simple remark about immigration, that makes it perfectly clear that they have their minds made up, and feel no qualms about broadcasting their borderline-racist position.  For many, immigration is the lone issue where they have no filter, no limits, and no compunction for the people whose fates they are debating.

As the spouse of a non-United States citizen, you would think I would be enraged, but I'm simply not.  Most political cartoons, trite sayings, and misinformed bits of policy that people share, are so far off the mark in terms of the real immigration problem in our nation, that they don't even rise to the level of "debatable."  When a friend shares one of these, I enjoy the opportunity to engage them and describe our family's experience, and have so far not had a single person who didn't come away with a more informed opinion.