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Ruben Navarrette

The path to citizenship for illegals should be a long hike

It’s about knowing English, even as we strive to acquire new languages. It’s about surrendering your allegiance to another country or another flag, and — as President Kennedy said — asking not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.

It’s about accepting that with rights come responsibilities. It’s about being proud to be part of a narrative that includes the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King and Thurgood Marshall, Robert Kennedy and Robert Frost, Cesar Chavez and Sonia Sotomayor. Most of all, it’s about recognizing and accepting that the greatness of this country makes us all look tiny by comparison.

That’s a lot to think about. So let’s give the undocumented legal status as soon as possible so they can’t be deported by an administration that has shown a knack for apprehensions and removals.

And yet let’s also make the path to citizenship long enough so those who travel it have time to process it all and difficult enough so that, if they eventually get citizenship, they’ll treasure it.

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I hardly ever agree with Ruben Navarrette, but if there is a “path to citizenship” this is the right metaphor to use.

ninjapirate on February 9, 2013 at 9:02 PM

Like a hike to the moon.

El_Terrible on February 9, 2013 at 9:14 PM

Through their country of origin.

davidk on February 9, 2013 at 9:19 PM

If you pulled together 100 undocumented immigrants and asked them how they feel about citizenship, you’d probably get 100 different answers.

Most answer in a foreign language, so there is unity there.

BL@KBIRD on February 9, 2013 at 9:28 PM

If there is a path to citizenship – yes – make it long. But why a path to citizenship and not permanent resident status instead?

steebo77 on February 9, 2013 at 9:32 PM

It takes a certain optimism to imagine that people who have been habituated to think they and their families had an equal if not superior right to move here in the first place will ever concede it as a privilege.

Seth Halpern on February 9, 2013 at 9:37 PM

Most won’t care as long as they can get a driver’s license and welfare right away.

Wigglesworth on February 9, 2013 at 9:42 PM

Tan on CNN.com

I am a US citizen born and raised. But as of age of 38 I migrated to Australia and I now hold dual citizenship. Myself and two daughters moved here 11 years ago and in total it cost almost $20,000.00 to get from point A to B so to speak. and it was not in a short amount of time. At first it took over 18 month just to get out temporary visa’s and then another 2 years before we got out permanent resident visa’s and then I was able to get my citizenship. But along the way there were medical checks and back ground checks and and all the fees to pay for all those and then the fees for each stage of the visa classes and such. I am not complaining about it as in the end I received what I hoped for . But I think the USA needs to make it harder and longer to get US citizenship. People who come and just expect to be given to them it is wrong you need to work for it and prove you are worthy of it as it should be looked upon as a gift not a right . that is one of the problems in the USA is they give to freely to foriegners but not to their own people. The goverement has striped SSI from the people that have worked hard for it and that it is their money but when the time comes for those people to collect it they have to sing and dance to get it yet it is freely given to people that have not worked a day in their life in the USA and now we are hear the goverment saying they are not sure how long they can pay SSI in the future. This is such a injustice to the really American people. Come on Mr. President open your eyes and support your people and don;t worry so much everyone else in other countries and close your doors for awhile and solve some of your problems at home in the USA… Also when moving here to Australia I had to prove I was able to support my children and myself for the first 5 years so as not to turn to or ask for support from the Australian goverment for said support.

Wigglesworth on February 9, 2013 at 9:45 PM

undocumented

Lost it – right there.

OldEnglish on February 9, 2013 at 9:53 PM

The path to citizenship is long. We don’t need new laws. Enforce the laws on the books.

gryphon202 on February 9, 2013 at 9:58 PM

If there is a path to citizenship – yes – make it long. But why a path to citizenship and not permanent resident status instead?

steebo77 on February 9, 2013 at 9:32 PM

Because they can’t(legally) vote and this is all about more dependent voters.

Corsair on February 9, 2013 at 10:44 PM

Once an alien has forced himself illegally on the US he should be deported and denied the privilege of ever returning here. He has burned the bridge for any possibility of a visa to the US, let alone citizenship.

The scum who value US citizenship so little as to want to print up citizenships to give every manner of slime who invades us is not worthy of US citizenship, himself – by his own low estimation of its worth.

ThePrimordialOrderedPair on February 10, 2013 at 2:27 AM

As usual, Navarrete is full of crap.

The requirements if citizenship such as knowledge of english and our culture have already been dumbed down to nothing. We also allow dual citizenship. Hell, we allow them to hold political office in other countries.

Ha Ha! It doesn’t stop them from committing crimes. Go check the criminal courts.

Blake on February 10, 2013 at 4:58 AM

Go back to your country…we’ll give you a call maybe.

trs on February 10, 2013 at 7:10 AM