For the Jews Passover is the annual celebration of the escape from bondage in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.  The story contains an important message about freedom and by implication about the right to migrate.

At the Passover Seder Jews celebrate the escape from Egypt. According to the story, after years of struggle, including some pretty serious plagues on the Egyptians, Pharaoh gave in and “let our people go.” After 40 years of wandering in the desert the Jews fought their way into Israel and settled in the Promised Land. The story is one of a move from economic and social repression to freedom.
The parallel to the current migration of Mexicans and others to the United States is obvious but not perfect.

In a well written article in the UK's Independent newspaper Ben Chu reports that according to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research Immigration does not cause unemployment.   Critics will immediately point to studies that show the opposite and nobodies mind will be changed.  Rational Immigration thinks that the cause of freedom will be served by allowing more people the right to move around.  Economic arguments never trump ethical argument.  Birthism like racism and sexism is unacceptable behavior.

Read the article here

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/immigration-does-not-cause-unemployment-6287404.html

Miners from Cornwall in England migrated to Hidalgo in Mexico in the 1820's and left a food heritage.  Cornish Pastys.  They are being celebrated in a new museum slated to be opened next year in Real del Monte. 

More details here in a UK Daily Mail story and on the web site of the Cornish Mexican Cultural Society

What a world we live in.  We can celebrate the success of past immigrants in the morning and worry about the threat of current immigrants in the afternoon.  And we don't even see that the only difference is the timing.  The people are the same.

Oscar Arias won a Nobel Peace Prize in the 1980's for his Central American Peace Plan.  He has twice been President of Costa Rica and has been one of the leaders who has helped that small country to become one of the most prosperous and peaceful in Latin America. 

Dr Arias was at Arizona State University last weekend for a series of events one of which was a short talk at the School of Transborder Studies .  As part of that event I was asked to give him a private tour of the Changing Boundaries Map exhibit which is currently at ASU.  It was a great honor for me but more importantly I was able to hear Dr Arias's thoughts on borders and migration. 

About he exhibit he said: "These maps tell an important story about how borders happen."

About immigration he said:  

  Poverty needs no passport to travel.

The root cause of migration is income differential

Immigration will be one of the main issues of this century.

We will learn there is no way to stop migration.

He also spoke about Costa Rica issue with illegal immigration from Nicaragua and its ecomomic and social costs as well as benefits.  He explained that they have a national health plan that covers everybody without considering their nationality.

I didn't have an opportunity to talk to him about my proposed 1% solution to the immigration situation but I may get another chance.  

In 1870 women started demanding “suffrage” and over the next fifty years they won among other things the right to own property, to sign legal documents and finally in 1920 the right to vote.  It takes a long time to get a new right. Yet after it is earned the old idea seems quaint, cruel or incredibly stupid. 

What was true about votes for women is also true about the right to migrate.  It is going to take a long time to get to a world where responsible people have the freedom to change where they live. Yet I am more and more convinced that it will happen.