Morning Prayers: Comedian Jimmy Tingle's thank you note to the undocumented among us from the American people

Comedian Jimmy Tingle speaks at Morning Prayers

Jimmy Tingle,  Comedian and Founder, Humor for Humanity, speaks at Morning Prayers on March 30, 2017. Photo by Jeffrey Blackwell/Memorial Church Communications

 

At this time of border walls, travel bans, immigration crackdowns and stepped up deportations millions of Americans would like to extend a note of gratitude to the undocumented amoung us- the people without papers.

Many of us didn’t realize you were not citizens when we hired you, used your services or benefited from your labor.  Even though you could barely speak English, we chose to look the other way.  You did such a good job at such a good price; we didn’t want to ask any questions.

Thank you for keeping our businesses clean -- sweeping and washing the floors, emptying the trash, shampooing the rugs and cleaning the bathrooms.

We can tell you really value the job. You don’t find it demeaning.  You’ve greatly improved the quality of our workplaces and we very much appreciate it.

Thank you for picking our fruit and vegetables. We know it’s hot out there. Many of us are trying to eat healthy and lose weight so it really helps to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  

You must be in good shape. Maybe instead of always being on a diet we should try picking fruit. We never see overweight fruit pickers up on those ladders or bent over in the fields.

Thank you also for working for so cheap.   It helps to keep the prices low, and we really appreciate it.

Thank you also for baby-sitting our kids. We wish we could stay home with them, but both my wife and I work full-time. Thank you for taking them to the park, teaching them words in Spanish and Portuguese and French. It’s unbelievable how much we trust you with our children. Of everything in the world, our kids mean the most to us. Thank you for watching and feeding and protecting them when we are not home.

Thank you of course for cleaning our homes, we know it can be a nightmare sometimes. Between the kids, the dishes, the laundry, the trash, vacuuming, sweeping, it’s a lot. Growing up, our mothers didn’t work outside the home so they did all the cleaning and cooking. But these days it’s different. We’re lucky to have you. After a week at the office, it’s great to come home to a clean house. Thank you so much

Please thank your husband and cousin too -- they do a great job on the yard. I personally can’t find the time to rake the  leaves trim the hedges and water the plants and mow the grass.  And all that planting they do every spring: Wow, it is excellent.

We so appreciate your enthusiasm for shoveling snow. This is a huge help and all the people in our building appreciate it as well. Legally our sidewalk needs to be cleared, and it is a big deal to have you do it. Thank You

Also, we need to thank you for taking care of our parents.  We know they can be tough, but the patience and empathy you display is truly amazing. You have more patience with them than a lot of us do. You feed them, take them to the bathroom, help brush their teeth, bathe them, dry them off, wipe their behinds and put them to bed.  My siblings and I are extremely grateful for the love and care you provide them. We are all working and can’t do it.

It’s been great to watch your own family grow and prosper. Your oldest son’s landscaping company is doing great work and can you believe your daughter is teaching English as a second language and studying to become a doctor?  

Who knew when she was born to parents who couldn’t speak the language that she would aspire to such heights. She was educated in our public schools and eventually she’ll be saving lives. Of the American public. Please thank her. She’s really is the American Dream

Before I forget, I didn’t realize your younger son served in Iraq and Afghanistan. I didn’t realize “dreamers” could serve in the U.S. military. That is awesome.  Please tell him thank you for his service.

We hope you’re not feeling too insecure in today’s political climate.

It must be tough huh?

By the way, Will any of your previous employers stick up for you? Will any of them come out of the shadows and tell the country and authorities how much you helped them? Helped us all?  The American People need to know!

A lot of us take a lot of you for granted.

We  hope no one in your family gets deported. That would be awful.

Family is very important to us.

So Thank You

Gracias, Merci, Danke, 谢谢你然后, Obrigado, Shalom