Vision Quest 2010: Immigration in America

In American Indian tradition, the Vision Quest is a rite of passage that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. During the quest, the young adult searches for guidance and prepares for a new direction in life. Now fast forward to 2010 for a different type of coming of age moment, one that asks all of us to engage in a serious and mature discussion about the future of immigration reform in America.

In a 1998 interview published in Revolutionary Worker, (http://revcom.us/a/v20/980-89/987/zinn.htm), the late historian Howard Zinn talked about his vision of a diverse society. Zinn’s approach called for a transformation in the way that we look at the world: “If you don’t have a vision, for instance of a world without national boundaries, you are not in a position to really evaluate very specific things, like should Congress pass this immigration law, or should we pass that immigration law, should we restrict immigration this much or immigration that much. But if you have a vision of the kind of world that you want, then it becomes clear what your attitude has to be towards immigration, which is people should be able to move: there shouldn’t be such a thing as a foreigner, an alien, an immigrant.”

While everyone may not agree with Zinn’s vision, it is important to envision the type of world in which you would like to live. Is it one that legalizes racial profiling? Is it a world that bans ethnic studies? Is it a world that appreciates difference? We at JUSTCAUSE are happy to bring you our first-ever blog series on immigration in America. For the next few weeks, we will hear from a range of voices about immigration and immigration reform in America. Now is the time for us to embark upon our own quest to learn, to listen, and to develop a new narrative for our world.