What Should Come First?



What Should Come First?  One of the big problems I have with the ongoing immigration reform debate is the same problem I have with our first black president; it is the context which some people place the argument within.

For immigration reform to be meaningful and productive, it must begin with the premise that we are Americans first.  For Obama’s performance evaluation to be fair, he must be considered President first.  We all have a heritage to which we can honorably pay homage, be it German, Mexican, African, or Irish.  The only group I will give a legitimate pass to on this one to is the Native Americans and that is an entirely different post. 

To me, the entire point of immigration is changing one’s country of residence because you more accurately agree with what the new country stands for; the principles that underlie its operation.  If that be the case, then the proper priority of allegiance is to those principles and not to your place of birth.  It is right and proper to take pride and to celebrate where we each came from; how our families and their friends formed and the unique trials that we each survived is part of  the glue that bonds us together in a special way.  To change one’s residence from one country to another and then work to make that country more like the one we left is a contradiction in terms.  Immigrants should embrace their new country, while working within its existing framework to make it better for all its occupants.  Respect and honor your heritage, but be an American first.

Likewise for our President, it is truly significant that he is our first president of color.  While obviously not solving all of the racial issues that continue to simmer in this country, it tears down another wall of precedent and clearly demonstrates progress in a tangible way towards a nation of equality for all.  Many times, when we examine his words and his actions, we might think that President Obama thinks of himself primarily as our first black president.  It is hard to argue with the fact that racial relations in this nation have not improved under his watch and a portion of that must be attributed to his leadership and the attitudes he fosters.  Not only has his operation model driven a wedge between the two national parties and helped lead us into a bitter and partisan environment, but his actions and comments regarding race have also led to a further polarization between the extremes on both sides of the issue.  Be our President first; be our first black president secondly.