In 1912, my great-grandmother Feige Friedman Sarnatzky came to America from Russia. Like all immigrants of the time, Feige was herded through Ellis Island as officials checked her eyes, asked her a hundred questions, checked how much money she had, who she was traveling to see, and so on. Some of her fellow travelers were forced to return to Russia, including her mother Taube. Her brother Kalman came with her. Two other brothers were already in New York. Brother Norton joined them years later in 1921.
Why would the Friedmans and other Jews leave their homes? Three factors stood out: the violence of the pogroms, forced conscription of Jewish men (as young as 12) for mandatory 25-year military terms, and increasing pressures to surrender their religious and cultural practices.
One sister, Roche, planned to join them all later. She married her sweetheart in 1922 and her first daughter was born in Russia. She was pregnant in 1925 when she and her husband and young daughter sailed for the US to join the family. More about that in a moment.
Americans overestimate the proportion of undocumented immigrants, with a majority believing they make up more than half. They're off by a lot (Pew Research). In fact, the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico has dropped by 27% in the past ten years. (Pew Research) Many insist they support legal but not "illegal" immigration. They wonder why Mexicans wanting to enter the US don't do it legally, like our ancestors did. Here are some of the reasons:
1925, the year after we enacted strict immigration quotas, especially designed to keep people like us out. She was refused admission to the US and emigrated instead to Mexico.
She hoped to be admitted to the US in the future and maintained contact with her family here. But it was not to be. She gave birth to her second daughter, her husband started a business, and try as they might, they were never allowed so much as a visit. Some of her brothers were able to visit her in Mexico City, but she was forbidden the same courtesy.
Her great-grandson Rodolfo found me several years ago and I learned more of her story. They are a successful family in Mexico, skilled and enriching their country. But they were not wanted here, first because they were Jewish and then because they were Mexican. They would still be unwelcome.
Why would the Friedmans and other Jews leave their homes? Three factors stood out: the violence of the pogroms, forced conscription of Jewish men (as young as 12) for mandatory 25-year military terms, and increasing pressures to surrender their religious and cultural practices.
One sister, Roche, planned to join them all later. She married her sweetheart in 1922 and her first daughter was born in Russia. She was pregnant in 1925 when she and her husband and young daughter sailed for the US to join the family. More about that in a moment.
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Americans overestimate the proportion of undocumented immigrants, with a majority believing they make up more than half. They're off by a lot (Pew Research). In fact, the number of undocumented immigrants from Mexico has dropped by 27% in the past ten years. (Pew Research) Many insist they support legal but not "illegal" immigration. They wonder why Mexicans wanting to enter the US don't do it legally, like our ancestors did. Here are some of the reasons:
- After 1924, the US government imposed a quota system to control the numbers of Eastern and Southern European immigrants. That system persists though has changed. Today there are categories of immigration and unfortunately, poor families from Mexico are written out of most of them. The categories are: Employment-based, Refugees and Asylum Seekers, and Family-based immigration. Then there is also a limit on how many may come from each country or region.
- Immigrants who come for employment may be welcome if they have particular college degrees or a lot of money. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." Just kidding.
- Refugees and asylum seekers (which is the category for the recent Central American "caravans" now at our southern border) have their own quota system. Note how few will be accepted from all of Latin America and the Caribbean combined.
- The family-based immigration system is more generous, allowing entry to family members (immediate family only) based on relationship to current citizens or legal permanent status immigrants. However, family members must have a sponsor (we sponsored a niece's husband in 2005) showing an acceptable income level (125% of poverty) and agreement to repay the government for any assistance that immigrant claims over ten years. Destitute immigrant families need not apply.
- Finally, overarching all of these avenues for legal immigration is the overall quota system, which states that no more than 7% of the immigrants in any one year may come from a single country. There were just over 1 million legal immigrants in 2017 (most recent data). About three-quarters were family-based. The 7% maximum for Mexico amounts to 70,000 of which about 53,000 would be family-based. Many families wait years and years to bring their children, spouses, or siblings here legally. Many do not make the cut year after year. That leaves 17,000 total legal immigration slots for people from our large neighbor to the south. And that's only if the federal government decides to admit 17,000. They don't have to. Given that 36 million Mexican-American citizens live here now, that number seems especially paltry.
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Now getting back to my great-great aunt Rochy. She tried to join her brothers and sister in America in1925, the year after we enacted strict immigration quotas, especially designed to keep people like us out. She was refused admission to the US and emigrated instead to Mexico.
She hoped to be admitted to the US in the future and maintained contact with her family here. But it was not to be. She gave birth to her second daughter, her husband started a business, and try as they might, they were never allowed so much as a visit. Some of her brothers were able to visit her in Mexico City, but she was forbidden the same courtesy. Her great-grandson Rodolfo found me several years ago and I learned more of her story. They are a successful family in Mexico, skilled and enriching their country. But they were not wanted here, first because they were Jewish and then because they were Mexican. They would still be unwelcome.
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