Immigration issues split Latinos

Some say immigrants add to societal problems while others offer support

The politics of immigration created divisions in the United States, and the Hispanic community is not immune.

A study released this year by the Pew Hispanic Center found that Hispanics have mixed views on immigration. The study found almost 40% of Hispanics said that Hispanic immigrants “often end up on welfare.”

In comparison, 37% of whites and 33% of blacks said the same thing.

Likewise, 34% of Hispanics believed that immigrants from Latin America “significantly increase crime,” in both cases equaling or surpassing the number of whites who shared the same view.

Take Ivan Figueredo, a paramedic in New York City born to Cuban parents. He earned $93,000 last year. Based on his personal experience, he takes a dim view of the recent immigrants from Latin America.

“They spend all their money on cars and clothes and just stupid crap,” he said.

On the other side are Hispanics — many immigrants themselves — who identify with la raza and who have shown their support for immigrants.

In Oakland Park, a hub for Fort Lauderdale Latinos, Rodolfo Molino, 24, an immigrant from Chiapas, Mexico, says he sees how immigration is putting stress on the Latino community.

“It could divide the community because a lot of people think that the people are coming over taking our jobs here, ”said Molina, who has lived in the United States for seven years.

But the reality is that many immigrants are trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, he said.

Bethsaida George, 24, a student representative on the NAHJ board, immigrated to Brooklyn from the Dominican Republic when she was 14.

“Immigrants are holding this country together,” she said. “The people who say, ‘Oh, we should just send ’em all back’ just haven’t done the math.”

But right now, the math that matters is congressional.

In December, the House passed HR 4437 by a 239-182 vote. The immigration bill would make it a felony not just to be an undocumented immigrant, but also to aid undocumented people. It set off protests nationwide.

In May, the Senate passed a more moderate version of the bill, granting undocumented immigrants a road to citizenship. The differences must be hammered out in a conference committee before the bill can be sent to the president.

The White House has been leaning on Congress to moderate its harsh tone and provide a path to citizenship for undocumented workers. Republicans are split on the issue and some — many suggest that President Bush is in this camp — fear that the party may lose the Hispanic vote for a generation.

But Latinos such as Figueredo challenge that theory because it assumes a political homogeneity within the Hispanic population.

“The community is not a monolithic entity on this issue,” says Deborah Meyers, an analyst with the Migration Policy Institute. “Cubans are more onservative than the rest of the community. … They are entitled to many more benefits than other nationalities. As soon as they set foot on U.S. soil, they are on the road to legal status.”

And Cubans aren’t the only ones, according to Professor Rodolfo O. De La Garza of Columbia University.

In fact, he says the Hispanic consensus is that immigrants should be spared from abuse once they arrive. Everything else depends on other factors.

“The more education you have and the more wealthy you are, the more you benefit from cheap labor,” he said.

For his part, Figueredo recently bought a house in Pennsylvania. He said he doesn’t want his son to grow up in an immigrant neighborhood.

“Too much nonsense,” he grumbles.

Contact Matt Mireles at MattMireles@gmail.com. Staff writer Jessica Chavez contributed.