Rosie Avila challenges Loretta Sanchez on immigration
July 3rd, 2008, 12:35 pm · 31 Comments · posted by Erin Carlyle
Longtime Santa Ana Unified School District board member Rosemarie “Rosie” Avila is running for U.S. Congress. Avila, a Republican from Santa Ana, hopes to unseat incumbent Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) to take the 47th Congressional seat.
Avila’s family came from Guatemala to the U.S. in 1952. Avila founded the Orange County Youth Commission, which provides after school programs for kids. She is on the board of trustees at Biola University and has been on the Santa Ana Unified School District board for 17 years.
Avila campaigned for Prop. 227, which ended bilingual education in California when it passed in 1998. On the school board, she has advocated for back-to-basics teaching methods like phonics, and against replacing an emphasis on American culture with multi-culturalism. She is married and has five children.
Avila is running for the second time, after losing in the 2006 primary to Tan Nguyen. She faces an uphill battle, in a district that, as of June 30, had 91,343 voters registered as Democrats and 71,941 registered as Republicans, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
I spoke with her today about why she’s running and, if elected, what she’d hopes to do. Specifically, we talked about immigration and the economy. Here’s a condensed version of what she said.
Q. Who are the people that are asking you to run?
A. I think people in the Republican party who are looking for a candidate to represent the area.
Q. Let’s talk about the reasons you want to win, and some of the policies you’d like to change for this district, and some of the things you’d do if you were elected.
A. That’s good. I do think I want to talk about immigration. I think I’m in a good spot for that, being in Santa Ana. Being a first generation immigrant. Understanding conditions in other countries. And seeing the lives of children in Santa Ana through my non-profit.
My signature issue has been to get the children to learn English.
Q. You’ve done a lot of education things. Why Congress? What do you want to do in Congress? Specifically, let’s talk about immigration. What are the key issues that you think Congress should be doing with immigration?
A. You have to not make laws to solve small problems. You have to make laws that go with principles that work.
It has to be something that gives us national security … the other is economic prosperity. And then, provide freedom.
[Avila says that she is not for John McCain’s proposals for amnesty for immigrants who are here illegally.]
Q. Why not?
It’s just that if you came here illegally and in the end it all worked out, and you got all the benefits of being a citizen, then it just encourages more illegal immigration.
Q. Amnesty is not a solution?
A. Right. We saw that in history. Ronald Reagan tried amnesty himself.
I think people on all sides would love my immigration views.
Q. So let me just clarify a little more what they are … Since you’re running for Congress [which has failed to pass immigration reform packages] … what kind of package would you think would be an appropriate solution?
A. When we came to the United States, my father had to have $1,000 for each of us that came over. He had to come in 1952 with $6,000. That’s a lot of money! It’s a lot of money now, it’s a lot of money way back in 1952.
… He also had to have job skills that were needed …
You did have to wait five years, and in five years you did have to know English.
Q. You mean you had to know English before you got here?
A. No, within five years.
Q. Was there some sort of test for that?
A. Yeah, but it was much more thorough … I think because I had that experience in my life, they had to come with money because they had to prove they could put a down payment on a house, get a car, and have enough money to get started before he found a job.
… I think (for) the immigration laws that we have have to be America first. What’s more important for America? Do we need these job skills that you have?
Because, see, once a person gets in, and if it’s family reunification that’s the first priority … your consideration is that family, and those people. It’s not the country as a whole. And it’s not the economy of the country.
And so I think business people would love my immigration views, because I’m talking about meeting the economic needs of our country and the jobs, and finding people who are suitable.
[Avila said she thinks the immigration law is currently too complicated.]
So it’s like, no, no, let’s kind of start over, let’s simplify, let’s go with the big principles.
We need to let people into our country who work to help our economy. And also, we need to have national security. We need to screen people, if they’re terrorists, or if they’re drug lords, or if they’re criminals. We have to keep our country safe and our people safe.
And then another thing is, we can build a wall.
Q. I was just about to ask you about border security … How do you stop the flow of immigrants? Particularly from Mexico, because that’s where the largest border concern is. What’s the solution to that?
A. But I didn’t say enough about liberty and freedom. Truly, if a family wants to migrate here, they shouldn’t have to wait 12 years. That wrecks their liberty.
Or also, if you build a wall, and let’s say nobody can get in or get out, that’s blocking your liberty. … I’m for what keeps us safe.
Q. Okay, but the question is what should we do about the border? Because you’ve talked about amnesty, economic principles, liberty, but then the big piece of it is this leaky border that we have. What do you think should be done about that?
A. We have to enforce our border and keep it secure.
Q. And how do you think that should be done?
A. In many places, that means a wall … And sometimes it can be electronic surveillance. Sometimes it can be, you know, we have now N.A.S.A. satellites and you can know they’re coming a mile before they get there.
… We have to use every means that are available to keep America, national security, principles intact. And so, I’m very strong on national security. And I think that’s why a lot of the people on one side like me.
But I think the people on the other side, the businessmen, would really like me, because I’m saying let’s put our economy first.
Avila finished the interview by talking about what she considers a more wholistic approach to illegal immigration: welfare reform, involving churches in providing social services, ending abortion, and relying upon the family. Avila’s past letters to the Orange County Register have cited these areas as interrelated.
“I am very compassionate about illegal immigration,” she said. “People tend to want to classify me; you have to be a Minuteman or amnesty.
“What I say is, what they say is comprehensive immigration reform is not comprehensive at all.”
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Not quite my exact ideal candidate, but better than what is out there now.
July 3rd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
I hope Rosie gets the votes. Loretta needs to go. Adios!
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Is R. Avila related to Avila of DFEH? If she is; then they both pro-illegal aliens in hidding. Anyway, Vietnamese community should not vote any Hispanics surname, but watch out for what Hispanics surname does for all Americans compare to illegal aliens. If someone is American, she should support and help ICE to arrest and deport all illegal aliens regardless Mexico, Middle East, or Asia.
July 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
“And then another thing is, we can build a wall.”
“Or also, if you build a wall, and let’s say nobody can get in or get out, that’s blocking your liberty. … I’m for what keeps us safe.”
“In many places, that means a wall…”
she sounds brilliant.
July 3rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
It’s time to ask those who are in our country illegally to start obeying our laws and learn English. It is rude of them and bad manners to break into this country and then expect Americans to cater to them and speak Spanish to them. You do not see Americans do that in other countries. Americans have class. Illegals don’t.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:33 am
If illegals come up with enough money to buy a home, buy a car, and support their families on their own for five years, then maybe we should allow them to stay in the country. However, if a illegal comes here to have her baby, that child should be considered illegal and should be deported along with the mother.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Shes really confusing me in her responses.
But, she is better than Loretta.
July 4th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
At last someone who at lest talks the talk. Americans needs first.
There are provisions that an individual can be sponsored all ready on the books and I suppose that includes the finical obligation that Ms Avila’s family to provide. The reporter neglected to ask the questions
concerning her views on the actions of local and ICE’s enforcement
of the current laws on the books. Wonder Why?
July 4th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
CALIFORNIA’S ILLEGAL ALIEN CONTROL INITIATIVE
CALIFORNIA TAXPAYER PROTECTION ACT
BORDER CONTROL BY STOPPING THE MAGNETS
The initiative REQUIRES the illegal alien birth mother to appear in person, pay an additional fee, submit full identity, photographs and fingerprints; all of which is transmitted to Immigration, Customs and Enforcement.
ENDS illegal aliens use of all public funded benefits including pre-natal and non-
emergency medical care. Pre-natal commenced for illegal aliens in 1988 when California
had a teenage birth rate below the national average. Five years later it was twice the
national average and the highest of any state.
TERMINATES all welfare checks that are now direct deposited into illegal aliens bank
accounts for the anchor babies. Many of these checks become remittances that are sent
out of the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the state can
require identification of all applicants to stop issuance of taxpayer funds to illegal aliens.
The California Legislature allows issuance of this benefit to illegal aliens for 18 years.
Citizens can only receive the benefit for five years. Between 1988-1995 this welfare
program quadrupled and continues to spiral out of control.
Regular California birth certificates, and all public benefits issued to only those who are
citizens and permanent legal residents with verified ID proving lawful status.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Be smart when vote for Hispanics surname runnning for office.
If they are American, they should come out to support and help ICE Team to deport all illegal immigrants and to stop illegal aliens from having more anchor babies living on social and medical services to get California bankcrupted soon.
July 5th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Day 372 (1 year and 7 days) after the Big Amnesty Defeat of June 28, 2007. Yawn. Just like I said a year ago. Those who would purportedly stop immigration on the far right had it all wrong. Tancredo and Huckabee are long forgotten and has beens. McCain is your candidate! Minutemen are a joke. So is border patrol. All of my predictions have been coming true. Look this aint yo country anymore. It aint our country either. This aint no democracy. Aint no stoppin immigration. The Gov’t dont care nothing about Americans or Mexicans OK? Aint nobody care bout what you anti immigrant people think. Deal wit it. The Gov’t only cares about big business and corporations. Everybody get screwed over, Americans and Mexicans, OK? We will have to live together as equals and Americans needs do NOT come first. Sorry. The Truth hurts. Everybody matters equally. You Americans will have to accept us Mexicans and that is final. We Mexicans will have to live together in peace wit you Americans. Aint no two ways about it. End of story. Have a Happy 4th of July!
July 5th, 2008 at 4:32 am
There are 600 million people in the world who are hungry and malnourished. 10 million die of starvation.
I don’t see how Mccain can create a humane immigration
policy that would ignore all of these people.
The U.S. needs to annex Mexico and use at as a place to
bring these 600 million people so they can be fed and
receive medical care.
We need more land to implement an open borders policy.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:33 am
There are 600 million people in the world who are hungry and malnourished. 10 million die of starvation every year.
I don’t see how Mccain can create a humane immigration
policy that would ignore all of these people.
The U.S. needs to annex Mexico and use at as a place to
bring these 600 million people so they can be fed and
receive medical care.
We need more land to implement an open borders policy.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Rosie Avila is going to lose BIG in November. It won’t be close. She is clearly not a great thinker - running on a platform of being against immigrants is not going to help her in Santa Ana and Anaheim, which comprise most of the 47th Congressional District.
Art Pedroza
http://www.orangejuiceblog.com
July 5th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Oh Art - at least vote for her! Here’s a thought for YOU… let me quote you back to yourself and explain a fundamental truth:
you said: “running on a platform of being against immigrants is not going to help her in Santa Ana and Anaheim, which comprise most of the 47th Congressional District”
Wow Art, how thoughtful. Of those immigrants how many do you suppose are illegal? did you know they are supposed to be voting if they aren’t LEGAL….so gosh, do you know something we don’t?
July 5th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I meant, they are NOT supposed to be voting if they are not LEGAL….
July 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
She was all over the place in her responses to very direct questions. I really dont trust her.She didnt appear to be forth coming in her answers.
July 5th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
I will support for illegal immigrants. Most of Americans stupid vote for us any way.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I would have to agree with the others, Avila is not clear and direct in her responses to the questions. I don’t think closing borders with fences will keep out immigrants. I don’t agree that one should have money already aside money for a house, car, ect., because then illegals would never get their papers; therefore, causing many to enter illegal. We should open the borders. This will allow many to do it the right way.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
time to deport that strange OTB dude….
July 6th, 2008 at 8:05 am
Only an Asian Republican can defeat Sanchez, but the Republican Party and the Caucasians Smart Voters need to land a hand to vote and to form a strong issues regarding illegal aliens invasion having babies living on our welfare,medical, and social services and waste our taxpayer’s money, and who supports illegal aliens. With a strong number of Caucasian/Vietnamese Republican Votes combined with Vietnamese and other Asians swing votes, Sanchez can be defeat. Noone should trust Hispanics surname anymore. You know why. Look at California State now, with problems of illegal aliens.
July 6th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
ANYONE would be better than Loretta. She is one of the biggest illegal immigrant huggers out there….her and Tony Villar.
July 8th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
VOTE FOR ROSIE!!!
In response to “Open the Borders,” First you should vote for Rosie so she can teach you proper grammar and English!! Second, we are all Americans first and unless you are an ILLEGAL then you are an American first if you were born in this country. Where you were born come before your ethnicity. As an American-Mexican, I don’t have to accept anyone as ignorant as you and that is FINAL. Oh, and you really should quit using the word “aint”, it shows your ignorance and we Americans don’t want ignorant Mexicans living in this country. GO BACK TO SCHOOL!!!
July 10th, 2008 at 6:22 am
touche’
July 10th, 2008 at 6:27 am
Interesting how those who advocate illegal immigrants either can’t communicate effectively or are reporters. Do you think opentheborders is a coyote?
July 11th, 2008 at 10:11 am
“Open the Border” don’t think like an American,he thinks like an illegal alien from Mexico or like stated earlier,a coyote. Get over the fact we kicked your butts in the mid 1800s and then bought this part of America from your crooked politicians. Do you really think it would be a good place to live if it had remained in Mexico’s crooked politician’s hands? No, it would just more ill used wasteland like most of lawless Mexico is today. Contrary to your rants and unlike their counter parts in Mexico we do have some politicians that care for the citizens of America. Be real men like the Americans,show some real Mexican pride and take a stand against the corrupt government of Mexico. If you want change move back to Mexico because there’s many more reasons and many more needs for change.
July 17th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Hey, Mr. OpentheBorders!
Your sentiments means nothing to us American individuals who know what is right and legal. Thumbs way down to freeloading, 3rd world disease carrying, baby anchoring, vagrant reconquistadors!
July 21st, 2008 at 3:39 am
For those who really want to get rid of Loretta–Just start asking serious questions about her character and personal life. Query whether she really represents the values of our district and the Latino community. You might just find that she’s not fit to represent us in Congress. Her sagging reputation is dragging us down, for example: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=27850
July 21st, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Ya know, it’s really sad.
Part of my family came up from Mexico 2 1/2 centuries back (Dad’s side). My wife’s family are Californios. So in this house we’ve got a connection regardless either way.
HOWEVER, and this seems to be lacking in the debate concerning Rosie Avila (who we both know, both from going to our church and working with her campaigns), that she and her husband and her family are what my family was & is and my wife’s family are: assimilated into the American culture.
Respecting the laws of the land of those who run it. Mexico failed my in-laws, treating their citizens (such as my in-laws) like yesterday’s garbage. They didn’t support them, leaving them to deal with US troops eventually. As it was, my in-laws (and all the rest of the Californios for the most part) decided it was better to be a part of a country that at least respected both civil and religious rights. (Or did anyone forget what Mexico did with churches in the 1830s & 40s?)
Many of my father’s and mother’s ancestors who came to the New England coast & the South fought in the Revolutionary War to ensure a new order; based on faith in God and country, this gov’t was designed for a people whose faith and desires were intermeshed. But don’t expect that from the brown klansmen such as Tony Villar, Loretta Sanchez, Cruz Bustamante or their ilk.
IF we don’t wake up and get the God-fearing and America-loving as our leaders, we’ll wind up with total anarchy & chaos!
You all best rethink and reconsider: Rosie A. is really the only viable choice in this matter! JIM
July 21st, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Follow-up: Just a quick aside, referencing the others’ comments: just ask my son or my two step-sons or my brothers-in-law or many of my wife’s cousins as to their opinion of Mexico. Many of you’ve seen one of her cousins who runs a major auto dealer with regular radio ads on LA stations running as an AMERICAN in the Olympics. Others of you have seen another of my in-laws on TV as a reporter. Yep-she’s latina but she’s AMERICAN!!!!
Others of you should realize that another in-law died at the hands of mexican drug-runners on the border because he was trying as a cop to stop them. One brother-in-law came on the Santa Ana PD and was treated like *garbage* because he wouldn’t speak spanish. His position was that this is America, not Mexico.
Understanding?
Understanding?
( You’ve got to be kidding…..)
My son’s expressed his shame & disgrace because of his admission of who he is and where he’s originated. He goes around saying he’s ’spanish’ rather’n ‘mexican’ because of that shame. IF those who were or are here illegally would consider what they’re doing to the US, which has given so much dough to support them, they’d be on their knees apologizing to such as my son and step-sons as well as thanking other Americans & of course God.
But, NO! Like the gov’t of Mexico which so cavalierly dispensed with its territories and citizens like yesterday’s left-overs.
Do we need more of this?
I say again: vote Rosie Avila!!!
August 1st, 2008 at 9:40 pm
I think Rosie’s way is the way to go. My mother had to learn English and take the citizenship test. And let’s not forget we have some fine soldiers in our US Armed Forces who are not yet American citizens.
I think they deserve special consideration when they are willing to fight for our country. Rosie’s Right!! Give them a chance to become American citizens the right way and everyone treat each other with respect.