Maybe I should look for post-grad work as a Merry Maid

As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) toil away at immigration reform, Ruben Navarette Jr. at the San Diego Union-Tribune is getting angry. He's not mad at the senators, who he says "are demonstrating real leadership." His beef is with me. And you. And all of us.

In an editorial for CNN.com, Navarette traces the recent history of immigration policy, from the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act to today's partisan platforms on the issue. While acknowledging policy change and progress, Navarette says that we will never resolve the immigration debacle without addressing one question: Why do we have so much illegal immigration in the first place?

The answer, Navarette argues, is an uncomfortable one for many. It has nothing to do with a fence and even less to do with NAFTA and Mexico's economy. The answer lies in Americans' willingness to work hard.

Immigrants both legal and illegal, he says, accept "hard and dirty jobs that our grandparents did without complaint--and that now, these many years later, most of us won't do without complaining." As immigrants mow our lawns, bus our tables and wash our dishes, many native-born Americans negotiate higher pay, come to work late and clock out early, check their email at work and surf the Web, all while sitting in what is most likely a comfortable, central-aired office.

Because this realization points the finger at the American people, Navarette argues that Congress, eager to please constituents, will never mention this facet of immigration. Instead, we'll proceed with our fences and border patrol.

Navarette makes a bold statement, and whether or not we are solely to blame for our immigration quagmire, we surely have a hand in it. As a soon-to-be-college graduate, I can vouch for the "I will work certain places for certain pay" mentality. Yeah, as an entry-level journalism major, my span of cities is probably wider and my desired pay a great deal lower than a 30-something corporate big-wig (or a finance major, for that matter). But still, the selective mentality holds true.

One thing Navarette doesn't answer is: How do we solve this dilemma? If Congress won't point out our role in the illegal immigration problem, who will? And even if the public knows about it, who's going to willingly say, "OK, you're right, I'll work as a dishwasher." No one.

Pointing fingers might be the first cathartic step, but there are many more along the way. Can we offer manual labor jobs with benefits packages and perhaps higher wages? Can we build some sort of education component into our immigration reform bill? How can we close the immigrant achievement gap?

These are loaded questions, implicating longstanding racism, Not In My Backyard thinking, economic concerns, and our own self concepts. And while I don't offer a comprehensive solution, each of us would do well to examine our own taken-for-granted expectations.

And consider giving our housekeepers a bonus next time...

Photo Credit: Paul Connors/The Associated Press