"The Protests of Allegiance"

From an LA Times Op Ed: The Protests of Allegiance by Gustavo Arellano

Even if the proposed bill passes, you won't see these immigrants take the decision lightly. These people who long searched for a voice will now scream with it. They will continue to press for recognition and will not rest until Congress gives it. Not handouts, but recognition. A chance. They will no longer accept exploitation. Illegal immigrants no longer want to hide from the federal government; they welcome scrutiny, confident in their potential as Americans.

By protesting, the marchers pledged allegiance to their future and ours, not the past. The U.S. will benefit from these newly conscious illegals, just as it has when it put other minority groups through the fires of nativism and bigotry. The undocumented yearning to be legal should not worry us. Most will turn out like my father: He still loves his Mexico, but he realizes that the best future for him and his family is in los Estados Unidos.