By C.N. Le
In my first post, I would like to discuss an issue in which I have both an academic and a personal interest: the question of who qualifies to be an "American." The question is of particular interest to me because I am a Vietnamese refugee. I came to the U.S. at the age of five and since then have traveled down the winding road of assimilation, ethnic identity, and social segregation.
A recent article in the Christian
Science Monitor caught my attention. In many locales around the country, there is a small but growing movement to extend the right to vote to non-citizen immigrants. Of course, one of the basic benefits of being a U.S. citizen is the privilege of being able to vote in elections. Perhaps not surprisingly, these proposals have evoked strong opinions on both sides.
Supporters argue that non-citizens are long-term residents who care about the same kinds of local issues that all citizens do: good schools, safe streets, reliable trash collection. Many pay taxes. Some are US military veterans. "They’re living there, they have their kids in school, they’re working, they’re contributing to the local economy," says Kathleen Coll, a cultural anthropologist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif. "They’re full, complete local citizens [who are] affected by local policies."
Some advocates want to limit voting rights to legal immigrants who intend to become citizens but haven’t completed the process. Because naturalization takes on average eight years, the Migration Policy Institute reports, parents could see their 10-year-old graduate from high school before they have a say in the public school system.
But enfranchising non-citizens would unfairly dilute the strength of citizens’ votes, says one critic, Steve Cameron, director of research at the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies. For opponents, the practice is just another step in accommodating unnecessary –and sometimes unlawful — immigrants.
The debate around the merits of immigration — legal and illegal– is still raging in this country. As I’ve posted on several times on my personal blog, I strongly support the rights of both legal and illegal immigrants. Academic research has shown quite convincingly that legal immigrants contribute significant benefits to American society, culture, and economy.
When it comes to measuring the societal impact of illegal immigrants, the data is more of a mixed bag. While valid empirical evidence exists on both sides, the prevailing academic consensus is that taken as a whole, the presence of illegal immigrants results in more benefits than costs for American society. However, there are two very important caveats.
First, such benefits are most evident at the national level. However, states such as California, Texas, and Arizona, as well as large cities that contain the largest numbers of illegal immigrants usually have to bear a disproportionate share of the significant costs involved with illegal immigration (costs that include.social services, medical care, and education). The second caveat is that illegal immigrants may also have a slight negative effect on the wages of low-skilled workers, as they are generally willing to work for less money than native-born Americans will.
Nonetheless, taken as a whole, the bulk of the sociological and economic research argues that illegal immigration produces more benefits to American society than costs. The overwhelmingly positive impact of legal immigrants forms the basis for my strong support for the economic, legal, and voting rights of immigrants.
As the Christian Science Monitor article argues, the most important factor in deciding who gets to vote should be whether a person contributes to the cultural, political, and economic strength of the country, not whether a person happens to have been born inside the U.S. If someone who avoids paying taxes, has no sense of civic duty, and engages in criminal activity, but happens to be born in the U.S. has a right to vote, shouldn’t a non-citizen legal immigrant who pays taxes, obeys the law, and is actively involved in his or her community have that right?
To paraphrase the great Martin Luther King, Jr., what should matter is not the country in which you were born, but your deeds and actions while living in that country.
I feel that if a person (legal or illegal) has : 1. been in this country for an lengthy amount of time such as 4-8 yrs. and is 2. awaiting citizenship (having applied), has not committed any felonies/misdemenors,3. has contributed in taxes and in societies related to the well being of our country, with strict proof of such contribution—-that person should be allowed to vote. This by no means is stated with intentions of taking away from the natural born U.S. citizens that do exercise their rights to vote. I feel that as long as they have made reasonable attempt to function as a U.S. citizen and are “clean status” they should be able to voice their opinions.
I believe that only citizens should be allowed to vote, considering the decisions made are affecting those who ARE citizens. If a person who isn’t a citizen wants to vote, they should take the legal steps in order for them to become eligible. If there was a certain bill that involved changing taxes or something of that nature, it would affect tax-paying citizens. So it should be in their power to choose what is best for the people.
No, it unbalances the scale. People who are running for election could pay non-citizens to come vote for him or her and then leave while not being affected by whatever policies could be set into place. Not that anyone’s vote matters anyway.
I do believe that anyone who is in the process of becoming a US citizen, as well as obeying the laws and paying their taxes, should be allowed to vote. Obviously the average illegal immigrant and the immigrant that is not trying to become a citizen should not be allowed to vote, but if there were some type of recognition of a step-up or advancement in the process of citizenship after a year or two of doing all the things that are required then I think to be able to vote would only be fair.
I feel that if you are a US citizen then you should be allowed to vote, no matter your race, religion, or ethnic background. I believe each and everyone of us who are tax paying, law abiding Citizens of the US have and should practice our right to votes because it is a privilege that everyone can not have. In saying this I do believe that if you come to our country then you should take the right steps to become able to vote in the US. Do you think that if we went to another country and wanted to vote they would allow us to if we are not citizens of there country?
Voting like many others things in this great country is a PRIVILAGE not a right. If people would like the privilege to say what happens in this country then they need to become a LEGAL citizen. I understand the path is long and takes up to eight years but after they receive their citizenship they will not have to fight this battle ever again.
I agree with the Christian magazine to a certain extent. Non citizens who contribute to society, obey the law, and and are affected by public policy should have the right to vote. Although, I believe there should be some dwell time or a shorter process implemented to assimilate them to our culture and show their productiveness. The naturalization process is alright to become a citizen, but a person should not have to wait that long to vote.
The United States history is a product of not a single race or nationality but of a mix of nationalities coming together as one to form a nation of understanding, individuality, and freedom. I feel as though in todays society people tend to try to conform citizens of the United States as a single nationality instead of the amazing ‘mixing pot’ it actually grows from. I feel that if an individual contributes to society and the nation, as in paying taxes, working, abiding to the laws and contributing rather than leeching of off the nation, that person should be allowed to vote.
I believe only a US citizen should be allowed to vote. why should someone who is here illegally be given the right to possibly change the way our government is run? Since the American Revolution people have fought and died to protect our democracy. I believe that voting is a privledge for American citizens alone.
I feel that non citizens should have the right to vote. I feel this way because if they are living in the United States and they are living according to the rules that are governed by the state and we all know they must abide and adhere to the same rules that we as citizens have to. So if they should have to live by those rules I feel that they should have that right to vote.
Guys. please give me some idea or advise how i will make this right…
My name is Joel, i came here in United States month of May 2004 as a immigrant (petition of my stepfather) . after like few months, i wen’t to the DMV and get my California I.D . i fill up the form and this person on the DMV told me to fill it up the back of the form also. which is for VOTER’S. and i did it, “i don’t speak or understand english at all by that time. before the voting day come, i receive this letter which is BALLOT to vote. My stepfather is a british, he told me OK vote this person do this, do that because i don’t know anything…you know!!! i vote here in united states for like 2-3 times i can’t even remeber since when i came BUT I’m Not a U.S CITIZEN. after that, someone told me i shouldn’t vote because its illegal and againts the law.
My Question is, HOW CAN I MAKE THIS TERRIBLE MISTAKE TO MAKE IT RIGHT??? PLEASE GIVE ME SOME IDEA. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WANT TO MAKE THIS THING RIGHT A SOON AS POSSIBLE. Thanks and hope to hear from you a soon as possible! Joel
I am kind of torn between yes and no with this question. On one hand I do not believe that non citizens should have the right to vote. It only seems fair that citizens who actually pay their taxes have the say so on the future of our country. Now on the other hand I do see where some non citizens would like to have the right to vote. As said in the article above it takes years to be able to become an actual citizen. An average of eight years is a long time to wait to become a citizen and some can become impatient. After reading the article I am leaning more toward no that non citizens should not be able to vote. I believe that it is important that a voter be an actual citizen of the United States and a tax payer to be able to have a say for our future.
Justin isnot a citizen, yet he pays taxes and contributes to American society. He believes since he contributes monetarily, he should be allowed the priviledge to vote.
In my professional setting, I am required to oversee the administration of state testing. I have access to all assessments. I must make sure ethically that administrators do not read, share, or discuss the material once they are exposed to the content. I make sure they do not administer their own content assessments orally. If they did, they would have access to all the questions and could teach to the test.
I agree with what the article was saying. I just think that non-citizens shouldnt be able to vote because they are not legal yet so they shouldn’t have the right to vote. If they non-citzens become citzens then by all means treat them as they are and let them have a say so in what goes on.
voting is a must for every citizen in the U.S because everybodys opinion counts weather some people like the fact that they are a different race other than american or not. I cannot really relate to this because when i was younger my mother had a minimum wage job decent and humble but she would tell me stories that when she moved before i was born she would work a places that would pay her less than minimum wage and that made me both angry and sad to know how people exploid non resident of the U.S
After reading this article I feel non-citizens should have the right to vote. MLK states that it should not matter where you are born but your actions and contributions should. So if you are not an American citizen yet contribute to the economy and cause no problems then your opinion should matter. If you come to the US and cause nothing but trouble and break the laws I can see why you would not be allowed to vote. The problem is how do we determine who contributes to the economy and who dosen’t
Dr. Pih,
Justins role conflict in this article is the rights on voting. He is not a US citizen but has earned his right in voting but simply cannot because he is titled as an “Alien.” I expirence with role conflict is that I too am an immigrant. I do have legal rights to be here because of permanent residency but I agree with Justin’s explanation about paying taxes, obeying laws, etc. because we as non citizens have many problems besides not being able to vote but getting jobs, getting into schools, and much more. I do not believe everyone who comes into America should have the right to vote but, a number of people who have showed their dedication to the country.
Justin’s experience in role conflict is his inability to vote because he is not a U.S Citizen. As a Vietnamese refugee who has struggled with assimilation, ethnic identity, and social segregation; he feels that he deserves the right to vote because he contributes to the culture, society, economics, and even the political issues of the States. A role conflict I had to face when I was younger was the struggle to identify myself as a person born in the U.S and as a person born from two immigrant Salvadorean parents. I was really naive as a kid, not knowing what to say to teachers or adults who might have casually asked me where I or my parents were from. I didn’t know what was the right thing to say because I started to view myself different from my parents in legal status. I dealt with this problem by just being straightforward with my answer. “I’m from here, and my parents came from El Salvador.” As I got older I learned that saying “I’m an American” applies not just to people from the U.S, but also Central and South AMERICA. So I’m simply an American, and so are my parents.
Dr. Pih
The Beutiful people
Technically, human’s beauty is determined by our media. Take Television, internet, and our social media as an examples. It is easy to observe from our society that people are very sensitive about their beauty. However, It gives question to the society ‘what is beutiful is good?, According to the article, we are tend to find people’s beauty through our eyes, In other words, we make an judegements by way they look.
Justin is not a U.S. citizen. He faces role conflict because he has earned the right to vote but he cannot because he is considered and alien. Justin feels he has the right to vote because he is a contributing member of society. I have faced role conflict when I was the coach of my little cousins team. On one hand I wanted to be the loving and fun cousin but on the other I had to treat her how I would treat the other team members.
Great article some spot on comments, keep up the good work, i have bookmarked your website.