As we already discussed here , GOP presidential contender Bobby Jindal already has a huge double standard when it comes to the issue of birthright citizenship, and was willing to give Donald Trump a pass for the use of the term "anchor baby" when asked about it on Fox a week ago or so.
He didn't make matters any better with his appearance on ABC's This Week. Jindal can't seem to decide whether giving immigrants birthright citizenship is a good idea, or a bad one, since he claims to want those who come here to "want to be Americans" but would also be happy to allow them to remain permanent outsiders in our society along with their children who are born here: Bobby Jindal Claims Immigration Policy Is Not About Border Security, But About 'Values':
GOP presidential hopeful and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal suggested on Sunday that to stem illegal immigration, the solution is not to pursue stronger border security but rather to force immigrants to “adopt our values.”
Jindal, the son of Indian immigrants, claimed that his parents “raised their children to be Americans,” and said that the real issue with immigrants, particularly undocumented immigrants, is that they “should want to be Americans.”
“Yes, we need to secure our border. Stop talking about it. I think we need to insist that folks who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up our sleeves and get to work,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Host Martha Raddatz quickly stopped him.
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean by ‘adopt our values’? What values don’t immigrants have that you believe Americans have?” she asked Jindal.
Jindal responded by alleging that immigrants in Europe do not try to integrate into their country’s cultures, although part of the problem is that many European countries do not have birthright citizenship, which limits the rights of immigrants and their descendants.
“What I worry about is you look to Europe, the contrast is -- you’ve got second-, third-generation immigrants that don’t consider themselves part of those societies, those cultures. We in our country shouldn’t be giving freedoms to people who want to undermine the freedom for other people,” he said.
“If they want to come here, they should want to be Americans,” he added.
[...]
The GOP presidential candidate frequently makes claims like these on the campaign trail, for example, telling voters that “we need to get rid of hyphenated Americans.” However, immigration scholars say that his views on immigrant assimilation are antiquated and no longer reflect the values of most immigrants, who embrace “hyphenated identities” -- adopting American values and culture but also preserving and celebrating the heritage of their ancestors.
On Sunday, Jindal also shrugged off concerns that other members of the GOP field are alienating minority voters with their nativist rhetoric on immigration.
Full transcript via ABC:
RADDATZ: I want to turn to immigration. I know your parents were legal immigrants, but growing up a child of Indian parents, you had to have experienced being an immigrant, unlike some of the other candidates, most of the other candidates. Is there any part of you, when you hear things being said, derogatory things, being said about immigrants, that troubled you as a child of immigrants?
JINDAL: Martha, I think a couple of things. Look, as a child of immigrants, my parents have never taken this country for granted. Every single day they are grateful to live in the greatest country in the history of the world. And I think this election is largely about the idea -- the idea of America is slipping away in front of us.
When it comes to immigration policy, what I’ve experienced and seen is that a smart immigration policy makes our country stronger; a dumb one makes us weaker. We’ve got a dumb one today. Yes, we need to secure our border. Stop talking about. I think we need to insist that folks who come here come here legally, learn English, adopt our values, roll up our sleeves and get to work.
As the son of immigrants, what I’ve seen with my parents --
(CROSSTALK)
RADDATZ: Wait -- I’m sorry, but what do you mean by adopt our values? What values don’t immigrants have that you believe Americans have?
JINDAL: Look, what I worry about is you look to Europe, the contrast is -- you’ve got second, third generation immigrants that don’t consider themselves part of those societies, those cultures. We in our country shouldn’t be giving freedoms to people who want to undermine the freedom for other people. I think we need to move away from hyphenated Americans. We’re not African-Americans or Asian-Americans, Indian-Americans, rich or poor Americans: we’re all Americans.
And the reason this is so important: immigration without integration is not immigration; it’s invasion. My parents are proud of their Indian heritage, but they came here to be Americans and they love this country. They wanted to raise their children as Americans.
We don’t make people come here. If they want to come here, they should want to be Americans. Millions of people across this world want to come here. A smart immigration policy allows people to come here legally that make our country stronger. That’s just common sense.
