a read a good post on a couple of blogs about various issues but at the time i didn't feel like commenting on it on my blog. what more can i add to it? they were so eloquently written. especially if it is not something i've personally experienced. but as i read more posts on the topic, i feel like i can use my voice to help make theirs louder. even if mine is a low traffic blog, i may be able to help spread more awareness or at least point others to interesting reading.

one of the blogs that i've been reading is hypen, which is geared towards asian americans. it's like we're asian, we're american, now let's talk about something interesting, not simply because it relates to asians and americans but because it interests us. i think that is quite hard to do actually. if it interests you, then it's not always going to be about the little niche you've decided to blog about, however i can respect that mission statement.

anyway, we're a land of immigrants and the immigrant debate these days seems to be all about mexico. let's build a wall. let's keep them out. i find it ridiculous in many ways. i think we should be open-armed to all as the statue of liberty symbolizes but for some reason, the government puts immigration quotas on various ethnic groups whenever they think there are too many. if one is illegal, then those people are doing the jobs that are so shitty that no one else would and them so you can't argue for long that the illegals have taken your job. various facets of our economy would collapse with illegal AKA slave labor.

the other thing for me is that you can't build a wall because the land border is not how everyone enters the country. air is a major way. the other thing though is a lot of people come to a country legally, but for some reason or another visas expire and are not renewed and next thing you know parts of your family or your entire family is now in the illegal category. people you've grown up with and gone to school with suddenly find themselves unable to go to get a decent job or take out a loan to get a higher education because they are now illegal. they live in fear of being deported to a country they don't even remember. they might not even speak the language. i can't say for certain that any of my friends fall into that category because who discusses visas among friends? even if most of your friends are first or second generation and you've spent many conversations talking about immigrant generational issues. anyway, please check out these two excellent articles: one that sums it up, many dreams of higher education deferred, and another that's more of a case study, how my college degree got me a job at pizza hut. perhaps it will make you think a little bit about immigration issues. i know it made me grateful i am not in such a situation.