Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, executive director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, wrote a piece this week for the Huffington Post about immigrant couples. This Valentines Day article relates the story of Maria, a woman from Mexico now living in Texas. Her family was deported several years ago, and her husband later died attempting to cross back into the United States. Maria then left her son in Mexico and returned to Texas, hoping to keep her son safe and provide him with a better life.
Gonzalez-Rojas focuses on a similar plight that is now keeping immigrant women apart from their families. She calls for President Obama and the Senate to focus on reworking immigration laws, making it easier for immigrants to come across the border as a family, rather than alone. She claims that the media and policymakers focus on male immigrants, ignoring the contributions of women, and instead must work to keep women safe and protected.
The author also compares same-sex and immigrant couples. Though this comparison was interesting and helped to make Gonzalez-Rojas's argument relatable to more people, she did not flesh it out very much, mentioning the comparison only briefly. I wished that she would have expanded more upon the comparison because it would have provided a worthwhile parallel.
Gonzalez-Rojas makes an interesting argument for the rights of both immigrants and women. Families should have the right to be together, and it makes sense that a parent should not be separated from their children. Gonzalez-Rojas approaches immigration from a different, very emotional angle that should appeal to anyone who values time with their family.
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