One of the things I am proud of is

that over the course of my 35+ year career I have helped a number of immigrants become citizens. I can think of a half dozen. 

It might have not been a whole lot but these people were (and most likely still are) good American citizens. Every single one of them had gotten into the States LEGALLY. 

I can remember two were Russians and one I see periodically. 

One of them, an Indian was a shoreside type working for an inspection company that came aboard from time to time. I helped him out by doing two things. He mentioned he wanted to understand the process.

First I told him to look up his Senator and write their office asking for every bit of information they had regarding United States citizenship. I pointed out that although he wasn't yet a citizen he could certainly ask. A month later he told me he received a boxful of information and was truly amazed. 

The other thing I did when we were along I pretty much beat the hell out of him helping him work on his accent. He sounded like Apu of the Simpsons. It was really OK but why not help him out little. He didn't take offense and I knew I was being helpful the time he asked me if I liked Indian food.

I replied that the hotdogs that Apu sold at the 7-11 are pretty good and then and there I knew I was making headway when in totally unaccented English he replied "You a$$hole!"

As for the pair of Russians, I gave them both copies of the Constitution written in Russian. They were grateful as hell. One of then I see periodically. He's a capitalist 100% because he runs his own business. I don't know what happened to the other guy.

Another was a Chinese inspector that was biding time as a petroleum inspector. US citizenship was (and still is) required to become a US Merchant Marine officer. This man planned on using his foreign flagged time towards becoming an officer (perfectly legal) and eventually going back to sea. I got his address and had my senator send him a 'citizenship package'. I also wrote him a letter of recommendation for whatever good it would do him in obtaining citizenship.

I ran into him a few months later and he was grateful because he said it was helpful. The sent him a copy of the Constitution in Mandarin Chinese as a part of the information he received as well as the Constitution in English.

I've also helped out a couple of Filipinos get set up on the course to citizenship by showing them where to obtain information and writing a letter of recommendation. The were sailing on documents which is legal for non citizens. An officer's license requires citizenship. 

I lost track of both of these guys. One reportedly took another job in California and the other transferred to the Gulf Coast. Last I heard of the guy on the Gulf coast as a licensed engineer which means he licensed after he became a citizen. 

My favorite immigrant story I had nothing whatsoever to do with. He was one of the office managers that had been born in Pakistan and finagled a deal with the Brits to enter into the Merchant Navy (Same-same US Merchant Marine). He saw opportunity in the States and moved here going through the proper procedures. When he got his Green Card he instantly got his Mariner's Document and went to work in the local maritime industry. 

He got his citizenship in Baltimore one morning and immediately walked a couple of blocks to the Coast Guard Regional Exam Center holding his new citizenship document. 

If this guy did one thing right it is that he does his homework. He had arrangements made to test beforehand and immediately sat for his license and passed the tests required for a captain's license. He could now legally run a tug. After a checkout/mate period he was running a tug in Baltimore. 

His children have all gotten post graduate degrees and are doing well.

None of these men were looking for handouts. They were looking for opportunity and found it working on the water. They had all arrived here legally, jumping through the hoops and playing by the rules. 

I also recall the time a Pakistani born petroleum inspector was being thrown out for overstaying a work visa. It was hard for me to feel sorry for him because he hadn't bothered to file for an extension or renewal. That was on him. How could someone forget to renew?

I saw a few guys canned because they forgot to renew their documents or licenses. What stupidity!

When you consider the office sent you out reminders at 90, 60 and 30 days (Which they didn't have to do) there was no excuse.

I remember answering the 90 day notice by telling them "I got my new document last month. Save the postage."

It was my lifeblood. Why would I forget to renew it?

One may wonder why I bothered to help these guys out but they don't know a damned thing about lubrication. Petroleum and synthetics lubricate iron and steel machinery. Favors and goodwill grease the wheels of industry...and life. The value of goodwill is incalculable and it pays serious dividends.

The amount of effort involved ins sending a few letters off or writing letters of recommendation were negligible. A few minutes here and there and a couple of postage stamp in exchange for numerous favors over the years is a damned good investment.

Recently I had a sob sister story written about how terrible I was for not 'putting myself in someone else's shoes'. 

Seems a woman in her 50s that had lived here illegally suffered a heart attack when ICE rounded her up. I got the usual 'she wasn't hurting anyone' defense. She made her living selling food she made.

Let's look at the details. She was in her mid 50s and had a heart attack. That I attribute to either lifestyle of bad genes as I seriously doubt that ICE mistreated her. 

OK, she had lived here for over 20 years illegally and was making her living 'selling food'. Actually she was probably a decent neighbor. Still, reading between the lines she was more than likely running and off the books lunch service.

It's a damned shame that she didn't enter legally and pay her dues because she could have probably opened and up front legal catering service.

Recently I wrote a couple of letters for my friend's now wife that jumped though the hoops and took about a year to get into the States. He met her when he was doing contract work overseas. I was certainly glad to do that and she's a real keeper. She's an RN and we certainly can use RNs.

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY