Immigration Reform: Saving American Politics

Immigration reform has the potential to save American politics.

Both the debate going on in America regarding immigration, and the reform bill itself are re-energizing U.S. politics in a transformative manner.

In the past year, thousands of people who have never been involved in politics have taken to the streets to demand for immigration reform. Restaurants closed, streets were blocked off, and businesses shortened their hours, all so that people in America could have their voices heard. Similarly, even anti-immigrant groups are strongly engaging themselves in the democratic process: going to the streets, writing their congressmen, and uniting together.



Everyone is affected.

For the past five years, the Iraq War has dominated our political minds. The war has depleted our economy, divided our nation (and our world), and created an atmosphere of cynicism. Although the beginning of the war saw many protests, these marches were largely ignored by politicians as a bunch of anti-war hippies who were looking to re-create the Vietnam era. Now, the Iraq War has become an inevitable disaster with no foreseeable end in sight.

That said, it would be easy to give up on American democracy today. But thank god for immigration reform.

I had the chance to hear Illinois Governor Blagojevich at a rally to mostly Hispanic immigrants this past weekend. At the rally, I had the same feeling I had in Pretoria, South Africa where I attended an event for National Women’s Day which turned into a grand celebration of freedom. Ditto the event in Santiago, Chile which honored the end of Chilean dictatorship. This rally reminded me of being in the midst of a youthful democracy.

Young democracies have the passion, hope and optimism that bring people out to the polls and choose inspiring candidates. Although they may not have the adequate institutions that a long-lived democracy has, it has the key to any democratic society: wide-spread, mass participation.

If the immigration reform does in fact pass, an estimated 12 million immigrants will join the U.S. political process. Not to mention all of the already documented immigrants who will be further encouraged to get involved in the political process. Not to mention all of the anti-immigrant activists who have been given a new cause to fight against. Not to mention various other minority groups that can ride some of this political steam.

At Governor Blagojevich’s rally, the Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights brought their Mobile Action Campaign, which focuses on bringing electoral politics to the immigrant community of Illinois. The ICIRR sets up computers at mass political events, and encourages participants to write their congressmen and legislators. The ICIRR assists with all of the logistics. For most of these people, it is the first time they have ever had any influence in U.S. politics.

People care again.

But immigrants are not the only ones who have been re-inspired to get involved in American democracy. Even my Grandma cares. She recently emailed me, “This whole undocumented immigrant situation is sad. Everyone's ancestors were immigrants, documented & un. They should leave these people alone. Who should I write to? With what comments?” Seriously, my grandma wants to get involved!

But immigration reform also affects our institutionalized democracy. Our policy makers in Washington are directly affected. My friend who works for a Senator in Washington, told me that her phones were ringing off the hook when the immigration reform deal was announced. For the next few days.

Senator John McCain, who hasn’t raised a vote in the Senate in weeks, escaped the presidential campaign to announce the reform. For the first time yet, presidential candidates have actually had to take a stand for their beliefs on immigration, issuing statements, amendments, and potential votes that may even set them apart from candidates in their own party. This has not happened with the Iraq War, health care, or other social issues.

Immigration reform has the potential to bring a whole new kind of politics not only to Washington, but to America as a whole. It will bring a young new group of people energized in the political process, and it can help align the institutions in Washington with what is happening on the ground.

Al Gore writes in his soon-to-be-released book that “reason, logic and truth seem to play a sharply diminished role in the way America now makes important decisions” and that the country’s public discourse has become “less focused and clear, less reasoned.” As Michiko Kakutani assesses Gore’s book, she writes that “he diagnose [s] the ailing condition of America as a participatory democracy — low voter turnout, rampant voter cynicism, an often ill-informed electorate, political campaigns dominated by 30-second television ads, and an increasingly conglomerate-controlled media landscape.”

The immigration reform debate and potential legislation is already changing this.

I’ve been trying to think of ways to “American Idol-icize” U.S. politics—make politics as entertaining, widespread, and accessible as the TV show (more people vote for American Idol than they do for the United States presidency). The immigration debate and subsequent legislation may do just that.