Jose Antonio Vargas' story was a really touching and passionate piece of journalism. I'm sure certain conservatives are incensed by his idea of a "real American." Frankly, I feel conflicted about his story. His family did break the law, but Vargas had been in the country for four years before he even realized that he was here illegally. So, if there is anyone to quote, unquote blame, it would be his parents or grandparents who purposefully broke the law.
Immigration reform has been a hot button issue in America because of its many flaws. If immigrants are productive members of society, and contributing members to the communities in which they live, I believe they deserve a chance to stay. I really like his quote, "Actions are illegal, never people." It speaks to the underlying issue with immigration reform where American law makers and citizens attack the issue with an underlying racial prejudice rather than the morality of being undocumented. Nevertheless, I applaud Vargas for telling his story. He used his platform as an esteemed journalist to help others plagued by be undocumented. That show true character and good use of conscience.
I really enjoyed how Vargas used his journalistic title to tell his own story. Journalists' seek that one hit feature or breaking news, and Vargas stood in as his own. His story was pretty amazing, and I think there will be more to come that follow his choice to report on himself.
ReplyDeleteI also liked his quote that "actions are illegal, never people". Vargas could have gone on keeping his secret that he was in the country illegally, but instead used it to shed light on the issues of immigration reform. Although it's necessary for us to have an immigration policy, the one we have in place is far from perfect and people like Vargas can easily fall through the cracks.
ReplyDeleteVargas' story is really very inspiring. I can't say if the immigrant policy is right or wrong, but for people like Vargas, their situations are really hard.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, Vargas is a journalist, he can write down his experience. There are still many undocumented immigrants, they are still in a difficult situation. "Actions are illegal, never people" is really a good conclusion for this.
I also like that quote. I think the sentiment behind it and the basic ideas can be generalized to apply to things beyond law as well and it is important to keep in mind whenever dealing with controversial/sensitive topics or even with people in general.
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