Give me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Huddled Latinos Watching the Cartoon Network

So, I went in today to get my work authorization stuff done. Silly me thought it would be a one on one thing. Oh no...it was worse.

First I get there, and the security officer is only letting one or two people in at a time, so I have to wait in line outside....in the heat.

I get in and sit in the waiting area, and finally this old man gives us directions, while makiing sure to use big arm movements as if those who can;t speak English can understand THAT, and then we are corralled into another waiting area.

At one point, I hear another security gurad ask the old man if the "pen was cleared out." Yeah. So then I wam waiting, and waiting, and there are two TV's on with the cartoon network on showing Tom and Jerry cartoons. I found this highly amusing and insulting. I guess the assumption is that none of us can speak English but we obviously enjoy cartoons and that make noise...ooooooooo. Or maybe the plethora of latinos ( and we are talking 47 out of 50 of us) was a signal of illiteracy somehow? If only the guard could understand what they were saying about HIM. The "pen" guard just makes random comments to the crowd followed by snide remarks about how none us probably speak English. Ironically, he says all this while standing in front of a sign that read "if you are not treated with respect and courtesy, please tell us."

An hour later I walk out with my work authorization card that expires in one year. So on the one hand I am excited because now I have a little more freedom, but on the other, it is getting down to the gind and this waiting gam to get "the" card is a pain in my ass. Not only does one have to essentially buy their freedom, but we have to wait for it with no assurances that it will happen. There is something inherently depressing and unAmerican about the whole process.