What did any of us do to earn our civil/citizen rights....except be born in the right place?????
I don't know about you, but my grandparents came here legally! They did the "tough, dirty work" that ALL Immigrants do - because it was a job! Something they couldn't find in Croatia. BUT it was not the streets paved with gold they had heard about... it took tremendous hard work and a generation or two of menial work, long hard hours in the coal mines, factories and Steel Mills to get to where we are today.

They took what work they could get, paid their taxes and served in the military. They expected and got no special favors. They had to learn the language and exist in a complex foreign environment. My Grandmother had 11 children - all born at home with neighbors serving as midwives. One child died during childbirth. Why? Because they "had NO Health Insurance". My father and his brothers and sister went to "public" school initially speaking only Croatian. NO-ONE offered them any special attention. They taught classes in English and they were expected to pick it up. All my Uncles served in the military and 4 died on foreign soil during WWII and the Korean War. None of them graduated from High School! At 16 they were expected to get a job (my Grandfather's expectation) and make their own way. My father quit school in 8th grade (even though he was an Honor Student), lied about his age and enlisted in the Army. He worked his entire life as a manual laborer, digging graves, pumping gas and fixing other peoples cars. At one time (when all 3 of his boys were in college) he worked 3 jobs to pay the bills. All his kids went to college and now are working professionals and significantly contribute to society.

I know that many of you have the "same" story - just different names and locales. Point is - they did this all legally. Not hiding in any shadows but proudly paying their dues. They adopted their "new" country as opposed to expecting their new country to adopt them. The did not get and did not expect any special favors. I know that Latinos have it rough and those coming here illegally are desparate. BUT something has to be done to right the ship and fix the problem. A festering wound doesn't heal itself - it only gets worse.

So in answer to your query: I think we have "done a whole lot more" THAN JUST BEING BORN IN THE RIGHT PLACE!!!