July 5, 2010

horseback-illegal-immigrants_85030.jpg
(With dismal regularity: The Roundup)


Continuing our survey of Immigration and attempts at Immigration reform, here's a documentary produced for NPR's All Things Considered in 1973. Titled "The Desperate Journey", it traces the steps most illegals take in getting across the border to the U.S., what happens, who takes advantage of the situation and what was happening in 1973 to reform it. Peter Rodino, who was co-author on a number of bills dealing with Immigration reform (including an early incarnation of the Simpson-Mazzoli Bill initially called the Simpson-Rodino Bill in 1986) is interviewed on what the then-current problems were and what was being done to change it.

It makes for interesting listening, especially when you consider the climate they were talking about was 1973 and not 2010. You begin to realize nothing has changed much. There has always been the threat of vigilante violence and "get tough" policies - but as history has shown, they haven't worked nor are they very likely to work in the future.

And the problem goes on.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon