This man feels like an ‘insect’ living in America

The immigration debate dominating the presidential campaign has been pretty frustrating for this Pulitzer prize-winning reporter.

“The number one question I get asked when I travel across the country, is: why don’t you just make yourself legal?” he explained.

Jose Antonio Vargas is the author of “Define American: My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant.” Because his mom sent him here from the Philippines when he was 12, he could be deported at any time.

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So he’s traveled the country talking to liberals, conservatives, tea partiers — anybody willing to discuss immigration. He’s convinced that nothing will change until there’s some agreement on the facts. For example, polls show 63 percent of Americans see immigrants like him as a burden on the economy. And yet undocumented workers in this country have paid more federal tax money than Donald Trump has, he said.

As for taking jobs from Americans?

“Without undocumented labor, states like Texas and California would collapse,” he said.

Polls also show 70 percent of Americans also see immigrants like him as a threat to American culture, which is nothing new in this country. It happened with the Italians and the Germans and Irish.

“The difference, though, is the Italians, Germans, and Irish could become this thing called white. And Asians and Latinos will not,” he said.

So he knows it’ll take a while. What he’s asking is that those of us who do have papers don’t de-humanize those who don’t.

“We’re providing the labor that you don’t want to do. While we do that can you not call us like we’re insects off of your backs?” he asked.

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