Our undocumented immigrants make America a better place
SAN DIEGO -- I've come to know Jose Antonio Vargas as a good man and a fine writer who provides -- in various media -- an essential voice in the immigration debate.
That beats the caricature of Vargas drawn by right-wing nativists as "the most famous illegal in America."
These are the kind of folks who lose sleep over the thought of taco trucks popping up on every street corner.
Or since Vargas is Filipino-American, maybe what the fear-mongers are really worried about is the trucks could be carrying lechon (roasted pig) or pancit palabok (meat & noodle dish).
Either way, unlike those Americans who get fired up about a subject they don't understand, this 37-year-old journalist, filmmaker and storyteller knows what he's talking about.
All of which makes me feel bad for having said, a few years ago, that Vargas should be deported.
Nothing personal. That law-and-order impulse is hard for me to overlook, as the son of a retired cop.
I was also pushing back against elitism. If you're in the country illegally and apprehended, and if you're a gardener, nanny, housekeeper or farmworker, you'll likely be deported.
I've checked. There is no exemption for Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters who have worked at The Washington Post, produced documentaries and been on the cover of Time magazine.
Vargas isn't looking for special treatment. A few years ago, he called Immigration and Customs Enforcement and demanded to know its intentions toward him. His brazenness melted ICE, and the agency basically responded: "Don't call us, we'll call you."
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