We once went to an Immigration Reform rally as we believe the laws need to be changed. I consider myself a "worldly" person, but some lady on the opposite side yelled "Take your ANCHOR BABIES and go back to Mexico!"
My husband and I had to ask a friend of ours. "Um, what are anchor babies?" (in my mind I was picturing a poor baby born with a birth defect shaped like an anchor). He explained what this bigoted, racist term was. Almost always, the term in directed to those of Mexican origin who came to the country illegally, then bore a child. Because the child was born in USA, the child could not be deported. So, those opposed to any Immigration Reform began to call these children born in USA "anchor babies".....meaning that once the undocumented woman had an American-born child they could not be deported. This simply isn't true!! One of the most famous cases was that of Mexican-born Elivira Arellano who was scheduled by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to be deported, for being an undocumented person. She didn't want to leave her son, Saul, to be raised by himself....after all, he was only 8 years old. Legally, Saul could not be deported since he was a U.S. citizen....but his mother COULD (and WAS!!). That is why I find people who throw that term around "anchor babies" don't understand that having a child born in USA does not keep the parent from being deported.
Yes, Elvira could "invite" her son to accompany her to Mexico when she was being deported (and by the way, Mexico doesn't necessarily HAVE to accept him just because his mother is a Mexican citizen).....but his being a U.S. citizen doesn't have any influence at all on her status. So not only is the phrase quite racist, but it also is untrue.
Elvira had to leave her son with a Human Rights worker. She could call him, but she would never be able to come visit him in USA. After a few years Saul was put on a plane by his guardian to Mexico so he could be with his Mum.... (by the way - that's the OTHER part of it....when Elvira was deported she had only a few seconds to say goodbye to Saul and told him to stay with the Human Rights Worker).......there is no legality in any of this. There were no papers signed to give guardianship - she had seconds and turned him over to a woman she scarcely knew. Luckily, the woman took good care of him, but she had no papers that made her a "legal guardian". When undocumented aliens (parents of children born here) are deported - sometimes they only have a few seconds or minutes to choose a "guardian" for their child or baby - neighbour, friend, etc. Imagine having to leave your child with a total stranger. So how do these children act as "anchors"?? Instead they are in tears as they see their mothers or fathers being taken away as if they were terrorists or hardened criminals. The children are "forgotten" in all of this. These cases separate families.
After 9-11 there was "terrorist fever" in USA and all people could think of was that we must "protect our borders". But it was then used as a blanket bill to arrest and deport as many Mexicans as possible - apple pickers, tomato pickers, grape pickers, cotton pickers.....oh yeah, these are true "terrorists"!!!.....if not deported they might "terrorize us" by throwing tomatoes, apples and grapes at all of us!!
Sadly - Immigration Reform is a black and white issue - there is no grey area here. People are either vehemently opposed to any reform at all, or in favour of it. It is a topic most politicians avoid like the plague (especially close to election time!).
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