Monday, September 13, 2004

 

Don’t blame Mexican immigrants for 9/11 or terrorism

 

By Carlos Luken

 

Ever since the September 11, 2001, calamity U.S. authorities have spared no effort to try to give the American people the solace and tranquility they should have.

 

As was done immediately after the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government was quick to respond and it showed profound leadership as it rallied its citizens to bravely face tragedy.

 

Although the two attacks were different in circumstances and in nature, historians point out several similarities. Both shook the very fiber of Americanism, because both came from unexpected sources at unexpected times. And on both occasions the nation was roused from a complacent calm, savagely awakened to a new reality while facing a new adversary on a totally new front.

 

Then as now, swift and necessary action was at times clouded by ignorance. Because of the new enemy’s strange race, and a total lack of knowledge of his or her purpose — and most importantly customs and traditions, popular myths were nourished predicting further savagery and doom. Strategy led to kill or be killed polarizations, and these understandably paved the road to Manzanar and other War Relocation Centers.

 

A clearly visible culprit and cause was unmistakable seen during the attack on Hawaii. It may even have been understandable that citizens of Japanese ancestry were subsequently singled out and, as history would report ad infinitum, striped of their basic human rights and disgraced with persecution and captivity in concentration camps graciously labeled detention centers.

 

Fortunately prudence triumphed, and as the years passed the many American “Manzanares” were championed for who they really were, examples of what should not have been had clearer heads prevailed.

 

As this historical scene from more than half a century past melds with modern day, we may now be facing a more absurd insensitive reaction than those Manzanar days of shame. Through some strange reasoning, authorities are singling out Latin American immigration as a conduit for Middle-Eastern terrorism.

 

Then as now, there were and are two undeniable facts. One, there was an appalling surprise attack that killed many Americans; and two, there is a complex immigration issue. Both are irrefutable yet unrelated truths.

 

By using one to sustain efforts to suppress the other, government is duplicating the Manzanar misfortune. Only this time it is doing so with full knowledge of the lack of connection between the two.

 

Terrorist groups are well financed and highly motivated organizations. Their links into U.S. society may be nationalistic, religious or family. As was the case with the 9/11 terrorists, most had been in the U.S. legally for a long period of time. Their data was certainly a matter of record in somebody’s files, and if traced surely their U.S. arrivals would be found to have occurred thru permitted channels.

 

It seems silly to even consider that a terrorist organization like Al Qaeda, which by all evidence is well funded and organized, would contract the services of a pollero organization. Those smuggling gangs, for all intents and purposes serve volume illegal immigration were risks of capture or death are high, and where anonymity can be easily compromised by accompanying witnesses.

 

While terrorists may be animals they are not stupid. It would seem to me that a lone or small group of terrorists wanting to enter the U.S. would do so safely and in first class. That is by contracting the sanctuary of other criminal organizations, like drug traffickers who have modern transportation, trusted routes, well funded logistical support, safe houses and police protection. Even more important, those felons cannot run the risk of being caught with their particular cargo.

 

It is possible, although highly unlikely, that illegal immigration from Mexico could provide a safe and competent conduit for terrorist infiltration. I would acknowledge that stopping just one of the savages would be worthwhile, but as has been proven terrorists will use other routes and means of entry, some legal or even diplomatic.

 

In my opinion the current terrorist frenzy is again clouding minds, by confusing two highly visible yet unrelated issues — immigration and homeland security. As well, some may find justification for rash actions by recklessly merging both issues and thus enlarging a scapegoat menace.

 

U.S. authorities would do well to understand the difference of a demographic and economic topic proportionate to a national security issue. And it may be time, while there still is time, to look to the past and remember the Manzanar blunder — or perhaps one of Murphy’s famous laws: observing in retrospect is an exact science.

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Carlos Luken (a www.mexidata.info columnist), a Mexicali, Baja California, based businessman, is the principal in I.L.C. Corporate Real Estate, a project development firm, and I.L.C. Corporate Services, a consulting practice that provides business management, consultancy and lobbying services to global corporations and government agencies. He can be reached via e-mail at ilcmex@yahoo.com.