Immigrants: Bears and Humans

Curious Situations
IMMIGRANTS:
BEARS AND HUMANS

The Immigrant Bears
The newspaper "The Press Register" of Mobile Alabama, 10,27,2007, published in its first page, with a full color picture, a news that got my attention: "The bears are arriving to the County of Baldwin and it seems that they want to settle down in the area founding a population of bears”. Clem Parnell, Official Expert, confirmed that he had seen in a peanut field a true bear mom with two small cubs. "After so many false alarms, the day I could see them finally arrived. I was very happy to see them"
Parnell and Daniel Powell, coordinator of the Alabama Black Bear Alliance, agreed that the female and the two cubs are immigrants that come from the north and their permanency in Baldwin depends in a large part of people that there inhabits. "I hope people understand the bears are not a danger. They are more afraid of us. We are the ones with the attack attitude and the guns. We do not want to take the chance of anything happening to make them move. They are in a safe area where no hunting takes place. There is plenty of food and enough open range for them with the public land where they can inhabit. I don't think we’ll ever have a problem, even as their population, hopefully grow”. (In other words, ¡Welcome the immigrant bears!)

The human immigrants
However, while the immigrant bears are welcome, it does not always occur the same with the human immigrants who came to these regions in search of work and housing. Constantly the newspapers publish news discouraging the immigrant’s presence in the region. Dr. Perry B. Nobleman, attorney at Law who offers Legal immigration services in the Catholic Hispanic Ministry of Mobile, affirms that in this matter it is necessary to distinguish between legal and illegal immigrants. The legal immigrants are, in general, welcomed, very well accepted, with positive attitudes toward them and their culture. They find easiness to assimilate into the American culture. (we can say in other words that they feel like the bears)

However, with the illegal immigrants is quite different. They work in a variety of employments, like construction, agriculture, restaurants, cleaning services and others, but, in general, they don’t get a just remuneration; and often the employers take advantage of their situation and exploit them. They do not enjoy the basic insurances like health, education, family, and do not feel dear and stimulated. Some authorities even in the highest spheres block any bill that can benefit those immigrants. They do not want them in the country, for the single fact that they are illegal. (Opposite to the bears’ situation.)

We know very well that the immigrants, in general, carry out a good work, appreciated and necessary for the society. They take many of the works that the natives do not want to assume, like nurseries, cleaning services and so many others. Paraphrasing Clem Parnell, we hope people understand the immigrants are not a danger. Although they are illegal, they represent a positive impulse for the society, from the labor and morality point of view. At the same time, the Government loses billion of dollars, as not perceiving the taxes that the illegal immigrants should pay. But, in spite of all this, the doors of the country remain close to them, and they feel like second-class citizens, and in many cases, they see their families broken when they are send to jail or deported. (Alternative that does not happen with the bears)

What we can do?
Before situations like these, extremely complicated, all the solutions could sound impossible or even ridiculous. Could be possible to think that one of the solutions could be that the Human Immigrants masquerade of Immigrant Bears?

Cordially
Javier San Martin S.J.
jsanmartin@shc.edu