Us VS. Us

It is easy to say that illegal immigration is a touchy topic to many on both sides. But the image of illegal immigration carries past color or racial barriers. This issue has also place discrimination issues amongst members of the Latin culture.

Recently, a Chicago man, Eduardo Caraballo, faced deportation even after he was able to produce a state issued I.D. and a birth certificate. Caraballo, who was born in Puerto Rico a US. territory, was arrested as being a suspect in a stolen car case. Caraballo was detained even after his mother posted bail because law enforcement officials suspected he was an illegal immigrant. In a statement made by Caraballo in a NBC internview said, "-- just because of the way I look -- I have Mexican features". The comment though not intentionally derogatory brought to mind the question, are the Latino cultures divided by this illegal immigration issue?

Though many illegal immigrants coming into this country are of Mexican decent according to a 2009 Department of Home Land Security report there are other countries not only in Latin America but parts of Asia and Europe which rank in the top 10 countries where illegal immigrants originate from. Yet we have this preconceived notion of what an illegal immigrant looks like and as Mr. Caraballo mention, it is unfortunate that many categorize the features of an illegal as being Mexican.

The US. Census department categorizes any person of Spanish decent and of being foreign or native born in Latin America or origin as Latino. This means everything from south of the US. Mexican border to the tip of Chile, the Caribbean Islands to Spain, and the the Philippine's. We are all considered Latino yet we are divided amongst ourselves.


Though we may come from different national origins and distinctly different cultures we should not be divided but instead support our fellow Latino brother and sister. Just because we are the fastest growing demographic in the US. does not mean that people view us on the same social class level as other racial and ethnic groups. This is also true within our own demographic. No matter where we go there is a high probability a man or woman from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Chile, etc. will be viewed as lower class by other ethnic groups just because of the language they speak, their national origin, or physical look.

This rise of racial profiling spreads to all Latin American decedents and instead of being divided and thinking that though I may not look like the typical image of a illegal immigrant, you should ask yourself, how much longer will this type of racial profiling continue until it happens to me?

Unification not as a race but as a people is what is needed to stop this rising issue and to change the stereo typical image of Latin-American's as illegal immigrant's and the image of what a illegal immigrant looks like.