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The diversity of Chilean people (from Wikipedia)

Chile has a long history of immigrants creating its diverse population.  Large numbers of Germans, Italians, Croations, Basque, Palestinians, and Native Americans make up the Santiago area population (where 40% of Chile’s population lives.) link

Santiago, Chile

Due to Chile’s recent political and economic stability, more immigrants are finding their way there.  Their tech industry is growing and entrepreneurship opportunities abound.  Chile has the fastest growing immigrant population in South America since 2000, the majority of whom are Peruvians, as well as Ecuadorians and Colombians. link

From 2002 to 2008, the migrant population in Chile grew from 184,500 to 317,000, a 71.9% increase. – IOM

Chile is actively working to ease the transitions with migration.  Some examples from the International  Organization for Migration include:

• IOM is addressing the need to develop health migration studies and health programs for resident migrants and guaranteeing the application of norms contained in the international instruments related to migrants’ rights.
• IOM has implemented several initiatives to support orderly and humane migration in Chile through information and training policies, such as participating in a Regional Seminar on Interculturalism and Migration for the academic community, civil society, NGOs and public officials
• IOM Chile continues its counter-trafficking efforts through research, information campaigns, and training.
• IOM focuses on building awareness campaigns on migration and integration.

The wall is intended to curtail illegal immigration across the border from Mexico into the United States. (Photo credit should read Luis Acosta / AFP-Getty Images) Click image for original source

Chileans particularly oppose the border wall between the US and Mexico.   According to Carlos Jimenez, Second Secretary of the Mexican Embassy in Chile, “Mexico and the United States have a very dynamic relationship.  They have the most dynamic border in the world. They have a large, growing amount of trade. The Mexican workforce isn’t a criminal workforce … In Mexico’s point of view, it shouldn’t be seen in a criminal way when all those people arrive not to commit crimes but to contribute with their work.”   In contrast with this situation, illegal immigrants in Chile were recently given the opportunity to legalize their status. (From Santiago Times)

“Chile has announced an amnesty for about 20,000 illegal immigrants from elsewhere in Latin America working in the country’s black economy.”

-BBC News

Chile seems to be doing some things right, such as educating their society about this influx of migrants.  Certainly there are still problems; however, I don’t believe they ever decided to build a wall.

Hello Americans,

What a diverse country you have!  Your expansive landscape shows it.  You have many different  climates which show this.  And many cultures have settled your country, as have ours.  My name is Joseph and I am Filipino.  I have been interested in your culture for a long time.

It seems that your country is so big that you have had to deal with many different peoples influences.  Possibly because the Philippines is a country of islands, there is always a flux in our cultural identity.

It is also much older than your country. But we have embraced these differences through a common language.  Like you America, our main language is English, but Spanish, Arabic and Chinese are also common.  As these cultures have all had an influence on our earlier indigenous culture.  Many of these peoples still are here in the Philippines.  For instance, the Igorot and the Bukidnons peoples have a variety of different tribal groups which originate from them.  Due to these circumstances a common language we call Tagalog was developed over time, which embraces all of our Filipino heritage as well as immigrate influences.  Here is a definition from the Internet.

Tagalog and Filipino

In 1937, Tagalog was selected as the basis of the national language of the Philippines by the National Language Institute. In 1939, Manuel L. Quezon named the national language “Wikang Pambansâ” (“National Language”). Twenty years later, in 1959, it was renamed by then Secretary of Education, José Romero, as Pilipino to give it a national rather than ethnic label and connotation. The changing of the name did not, however, result in acceptance among non-Tagalogs, especially Cebuanos who had not accepted the selection.

In 1971, the language issue was revived once more, and a compromise solution was worked out—a “universalist” approach to the national language, to be called Filipino rather than Pilipino. When a new constitution was drawn up in 1987, it named Filipino as the national language. The constitution specified that as the Filipino language evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.

As you can see, this unifying language developed over time as more people have influenced our country.  Instead of denying change and influence through homogenization of one standard of which all peoples have to follow, we have embraced it through a mixed language.  This has lead to an acceptance of our mixed culture.  In a way, we are more universal than America is.  Stop living in denial of what your landscape offers.  Learn from the difference of your landscape.  As our waters provide flow of people, ideas, and culture (admittedly not all good) so can your different climates symbolize a shared unity connected through a common language.  Your geography is one mass, let it unify not segregate.  Yours is a country connected through roads, similar to our water ways.  As we have created a language of the water, allow a language to develop which connects people like your roads.  A road language through a diverse cultural landscape. Your future, as it is a formation of your history, may depend on it.