Dear Readers:

Sometimes humorists have a way of getting to the heart of a political issue more effectively than the any political pundit. And immigration is a popular target these days since the issue has been in the limelight more lately. This evening, I caught two popular shows taking on the issue.  

The Simpsons, the animated cartoon that is now the longest running situation comedy in American television history, had a simple one line joke that certainly was appropriate for this week. If you watch the show, you know that every episode begins with Bart at the chalkboard writing lines as an after school punishment. And each week, the sentence he’s writing is something funny. Tonight it was "The Pilgrims were not illegal aliens." That should get some of the anti-immigrants out there going.  

Another animated series, the raunchy and very funny Family Guy, also on Fox, had a pretty funny send up of the immigration issue. The episode description from the show sums it up pretty well:  

Peter starts an anti-immigration group after being caught up in the pro-American sentiment at a Veterans' Day parade, but his tune quickly changes when he finds out he was born in Mexico . Unable to prove his citizenship, pass the naturalization test or convince investigators that his marriage to Lois is for real, he ends up working as a groundskeeper on his father-in-law's estate and leading the fight for immigrant rights.  

Comedy Central also took on immigration on the extremely politically incorrect Sarah Siverman Program. The show is warped and hilarious and there’s no point trying to describe the plot except that the self-absorbed, irresponsible manages to get her maid deported based on a mistaken accusation of thievery and then tries to help smuggle her back from Mexico when her life slips into filthy disarray.  

Okay, maybe the humor can be lowbrow. But with the rhetoric being ratcheted up so much in recent months and emotions running so high, humor really hits the spot.  

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In firm news, I’m back from a marathon week of public speaking. On Tuesday of last week I presented at American Lawyer Media's Chief Operating Officer/Chief Marketing Officer annual meeting in New York . On Wednesday, I spoke on "no match letters" in a national teleconference for B21 Publishing. Thursday was the highlight of the week – indeed one of the highlights of my career – when I testified before the House Immigration Subcommittee in Washington . My testimony is included later on this week’s newsletter. And on Friday, I spoke on two panels at the ABA Law Practice Management Section's annual marketing conference in DC.  

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This week is Thanksgiving, a holiday that is uniquely American (the Canadian Thanksgiving shares some culinary similarities and the same name, but the meaning behind the holiday is completely different). While the Simpsons episode noted above was aiming for a laugh, the writers were on target when they connected the holiday to immigration. The Pilgrims were the country’s first political asylees and the concept of America as a refuge for those seeking freedom or fleeing poverty is a part of the national psyche. The holiday also celebrates the reconciliation between the native population and the newcomers. The Native Americans welcomed the newcomers and the holiday’s meal is, in some respects, a reenactment of the harvest celebration where the Wampanoag people joined the British settlers in a feast. When xenophobia sweeps the country, it never lasts because it is so contrary to what it means to be American.  

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Finally, as always, if you are interested in becoming a Siskind Susser Bland client, please feel welcome to email me at gsiskind@visalaw.com or contact us at 800-748-3819 to arrange for a telephone or in person consultation with one of our lawyers.  

Regards,  

Greg Siskind