Extinct Bananas and Immigration

Did you know there was a high possibility that bananas may become extinct within your lifetime? Don't believe me? I am serious . . . that is if the Cavendish version of banana is invaded by a fungus called the Panama disease, according to Dan Koeppel author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.

You see, the banana we eat now is just "the fruit equivalent of a fast-food hamburger: efficient to produce, uniform in quality and universally affordable." Americans would eat a healthier and tastier version of the banana called Gros Michel before it was replaced by the Cavendish banana. Unfortunately, the Panama disease ravaged banana plantations and the Cavendish became the standard by 1960. It is of Chinese origins and is 'inferior in taste, easy to bruise (and therefore hard to ship) and too small to appeal to consumers." The only thing it had going for it was that it was able to survive the Panama disease.

Presently though, a new stronger version of the Panama disease has been causing trouble in the last ten years. This time, the Cavendish is not immune. It is expected that the fungus will "reach Latin America in 5 to 10 years, maybe 20," followed with a slow response by the banana companies to find a cure, the future of Cavendish and bananas altogether . . . looks rather blight.

What will the impact be on Americans though? That's hard to speculate because although banana consumption outnumbers apple and orange consumption put together, that trend is slowly changing as Americans become health conscious. The banana's deceptive role in the fruit family has turned of some folks from it. If it does become unavailable, it will not be greatly missed one never developed the sweet tooth that grapes or other fruits invoke. The greatest impact I believe it will have will be on the local economies that rely on the banana as an export in Central America. Those economies may be devastated if not properly prepared. In particular in the labor sector, as hundreds and thousands of workers become unemployed and with no other option but to migrate to the United States.

Which begs the question? How shall we solve this before it does become an issue? Every American problem does not need an American solution. Case in point . . . Spain. Jason DeParle of The New York Times wrote an intresting piece describing how Spain and Southern Europe have handed their illegal immigration issue.

The first step to solving the issue is to understand that you are not the only one with the issue. There are others in the world that have encountered the same or similar issues and applied their own solutions. DeParle claims, "With little domestic opposition, Spain legalized nearly 600,000 of the African, Latin American and eastern European workers who helped power its economy and brought this once insular land the strengths and strains of diversity."

It seems that legalization does not necessarily bring the negative assumptions that most assume it would, or at least in this case. It is intresting to see how other nations around the world are managing their domestic issues. It takes a proactive positive approach to achieve success in such sensitive matters. It will take Americans time to comprehend the true intentions of most immigrants that enter this country without the proper permission. Immigrants that enter the nation through a valid visa make up about 50% of the illegal immigration population. The other half did so by bypassing border security through Mexico and Canada. That is why we are building a wall to prevent half of the people from coming. It doesn't make sense when the other half are still entering and will continue to enter lawfully.

Congress should take time to truly understand the issue at hand before applying haphazardly the first solution that placates the small minority of vocal constituents that are against immigration.