Unidos o Divididos
Welcome to MATT.org or Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together. It's a website that attempts to layout the facts and perceptions, and try to come to a comprise to the illegal immigration issue. At least that's what it's trying to do.
I became intrigued by MATT thanks to the commercials. In one they used a fair-skinned Hispanic male speaking in a perfect Spanish accent, and I felt a connection. Finally, there was someone like me, which may seem ridiculous to say, but it's rare. Except in my family of course.
After a few more commercials I visited the website yesterday, but I'm not sure if the website will succeed in the kind of discussion it wants to foster. The website was created by a Mexican American businessman with ties to the Republican party. However, the illegal immigration agenda is more of a bipartisan issue, and the website seems to at least try to include articles that take neither side. The minute men are not disparaged, and there is an honest effort to find a way to include the illegals without having to kick out all 12 million. The problem lies with the discussion forums.
As the site becomes more popular members of both sides of the immigration debate will go to the MATT forums, and there is no guarantee that any kind of discussion will occur. The forums are already becoming infested with members who are soley interested in causing conflict on both sides of the issue. If this is what MATT wanted, then it's not very constructive. As an interested member I'm looking for intelligent discussion, not someone who is going to sit there and insult my heritage and make presumptions (as an example).
I guess only time will tell.
