Immigrants still find the American dream

In its ongoing series of stories on "Globalization: Our place in the world," Southeast Missourian news staff has dramatically shown that Southeast Missouri is as much a part of the global economy as anywhere else.

When it comes to issues of illegal immigration, it is easy to assume that the real problem is along the U.S. border with Mexico, since that's where so many problems occur that get reported by the news media. Florida has become another focus of immigration challenges as more and more Cubans find ways to enter the country. And, more recently, most Americans have been shocked to learn how easy it is for terrorists to get into the United States, taking advantage of a free society's mostly open borders.

In the latest installment of the globalization series, readers learned that many immigrants choose to come to our part of the world illegally to make not just a better life, but a truly good life -- one that contributes to society in the form of high-quality goods and services that produce tax revenue for all levels of government.

Most surprising, perhaps, was how many illegal aliens there are in our area. One estimate is that there are "hundreds and hundreds" of people living nearby who are dealing with the federal bureaucracy in an effort to overcome the many hurdles that would allow them to stay permanently -- and legally.

Not all illegal aliens entered the country under the radar of our many immigration laws. Some came with legitimate visas but decided to stay even after those visas expired. Why? Because returning to their country of origin would mean a harsh life, not just of poverty and joblessness, but even possible death.

One such case is Suleyman Solak who came to Cape Girardeau from Turkey 10 years ago to study at Southeast Missouri State University. When his student visa expired, he decided he wanted to stay here rather than go home. If he were to go home now, he would face forced military service or even jail for failing to complete his military service. Solak is working within the system to put things in order so he can stay here.

Other examples show that many immigrants work hard to succeed once they are here. Daniel Alvarez, whose effort and determination have produced three popular Mexican restaurants, entered the country with illegal documentation but now has permanent-resident status.

The success stories recall our nation's history in a vivid way. This country has always offered opportunity and a chance for a better life to the millions of immigrants who have come here for almost as many reasons. Because most of them worked hard and set high goals, the United States today is the most advanced and most prosperous nation in the world.

Immigration has its dark side, but the opportunities of following the American dream still provide inspiration and benefits to all of us.