Commentary:
By Patrick Osio
Anyone born in the United Sates is a native-born citizen. Also, US citizens while visiting or living in a foreign country, parent a child and register the offspring with the nearest US Consulate or Embassy becomes a “native-born” citizen though not born in US territory. The child thus enjoys dual citizenship as a native-born in both the country of birth and the US.
In the late 1880s, Mitt Romney’s great, great grandfather, Miles P. Romney, and a number of family members suffering religious persecution in the U.S. sought refuge in Mexico. Refuge was granted, and thus the Romney’s settled in Mexico. Like all immigrants to any country, they suffered poverty and hardship but eventually prospered.
Gaskell Romney, a son of Miles, in 1907 fathered George Romney, Mitt Romney’s father. What is known for sure is that Mitt’s father and grandfather were born in Mexico. What is difficult to trace is where they were registered so as to be classified native-born US citizens. Be that as it may, Mitt Romney was born in the US, so there is no question about his eligibility as a presidential candidate.
But Governor Romney cannot escape the reality that his father was born in Mexico becoming a Mexican citizen by birthright. In turn this makes Mitt Romney on his father’s side, a second-generation US citizen of Mexican descent – commonly referred to as Mexican-American.
Governor Romney accepts his father was born in Mexico, but he does not acknowledge his ethnic background and ignores the several hundred Romney family members who still live in Mexico. But it doesn’t change the facts – he, like it or not, ignore it or acknowledge it, is a member of the US Hispanic community.
Romney knows that owing to Mexico’s hospitality, his family avoided the constant religious persecution and ensuing incarcerations. Mexico, like the US, forbade polygamy but exercised tolerance and respect.
People of reason would expect that given the chance, the favor would be repaid. Would Romney treat the several million of Mexico’s poor who have over the years crossed the border illegally in search of a better life (economic refuge). Would he at minimum champion immigration reform?
To the dismay of many, during Romney’s campaign for the nomination he embraced states with mean spirited draconian laws and personalities who promote and participate raids netting any brown skinned person be they US citizen or not, making a mockery of Civil and Constitutional rights.
Now, as the Republican Party’ presidential candidate, Romney must adhere to the Platform endorsed by his party. It calls for the harshest treatment of undocumented immigrants so they will self-deport back to a life of poverty, and repeal higher educational opportunities for their foreign born offspring; there will be no immigration reform; no path to citizenship. The Platform allows immigration of the highly educated, but hostile to guest worker programs for agricultural sectors in which there is a critical need.
Governor Romney belongs to The Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), a noble and compassionate religion. All Americans agree that the separation of Church and State must be upheld, so must Romney if he is elected, but religious teaching is also about morals and building character. How does one separate from that? How does he justify his stance that is contrary to his religion’s morals? How does he justify his ingratitude to the people whose country once saved his family?
There is a great need for the US to elect someone who is a tough businessman, who will stop the wild and irresponsible spending and wasting the nation’s wealth and continuing slide into Socialism. Romney is highly qualified and potentially he could turn the state of the union back on course.
But if Mexican-American Romney reaches the Oval Office without his moral compass, it will gain him and the nation little. He will be known for decades to come as the “mal agradecido” – the ungrateful one.
Patrick Osio is the Editor of HispanicVista. Contact at: Posio@aol.com