Richard Rayner

Richard Rayner, a California resident who himself immigrated from England, is a writer and novelist. In the following viewpoint, he profiles an illegal immigrant and her children and argues that people like them do not constitute a national crisis. Illegal immigration is controversial, he writes, because it touches on several emotional issues, including crime, welfare, and the future of America. However, Rayner holds that the United States can easily absorb and indeed benefit from the labor and other contributions of both legal and illegal immigrants.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. How does Maria T. represent a nightmare scenario of immigration, according to Rayner?
2. How many illegal immigrants enter the United States annually, according to the author?
3. According to Rayner, what role does race play in the immigration debate"

Maria T. bites her nails. At...