That man was well intentioned, but misguided. His gesture was evidence of an attitude that has aggravated, rather than alleviated the immigration problem. Too many Americans, particularly those who control the schools, have abandoned the goal of assimilation -- the idea that Americans had a right to demand that immigrants learn our language, abide by our laws, adopt our customs and abandon loyalty to any other power. Exalting multiculturalism and multilingualism, and encouraging separatism on the part of minorities, liberals are in effect asking Americans not just to open their doors but to tear down the house.
This is not to suggest that illegal immigration would not be a problem if we assimilated immigrants better. Resentment toward illegals is to some extent unavoidable. They depress wages, increase crime and burden localities with health, housing and education costs. Above all, they have flouted the law. It is grossly unfair that thousands of would-be immigrants wait patiently in their countries for an opportunity to come to the U.S. and yet those who cut in front of the line get away with it.
Most galling to many Americans (both native born and naturalized) is the attitude of entitlement displayed by the illegals who thronged the streets in recent weeks. To stage a demonstration demanding anything when you are not in the country legally is an act of supreme chutzpah. (Chutzpah is a Yiddish word: A man murders his parents and then throws himself on the mercy of the court on the grounds that he is an orphan.) And why not? When immigrants arrive, they find school systems bending over backward to offer bilingual education, Mexican pride festivals and Spanish language options at the bank, supermarket and post office. Our intellectual climate tells them that separatism is the way to go.
This is not to suggest that Mexican immigrants abandon pride in their origins or forsake their cultural heritage, merely that they do what every other immigrant group has done -- integrate in public and save the mother tongue for the home. It would also be fitting for them to remember that gratitude is becoming; entitlement is not.
The fashion of multiculturalism has sparked exactly the opposite of what its propounders intended. Hostility to foreigners has increased because Americans have declining confidence that immigrants want to or can assimilate into the larger society.