Colbert Asks Jose Antonio Vargas: More Difficult Coming Out As Undocumented Or As ‘Border Gay’?

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by Alex Alvarez | 3:39 pm, July 15th, 2011

» 11 comments

Jose Antonio Vargas, the reporter who made news recently after admitting he has been in the U.S. illegally since childhood, paid a visit to The Colbert Report last night.

Vargas and host Stephen Colbert presently entered into a discussion on whether to refer to Vargas as “an illegal” or as “undocumented.” “You are what we in The America World call ‘illegal’,” said Colbert, high five-ing a bald eagle wearing wraparound sunglasses.

Colbert then asked Vargas whether he is from Mexico. When told that Vargas was actually born in the Philippines, Colbert scoffed, noting that it’s simply “Water Mexico.” [Although, word of advice from someone born of people from That Island Mexico Where People Grow Sugarcane And Cigars And Where Che Is President Or Something: The word "puto" does not mean the same thing in Mexico as in the Philippines.]

Colbert tackled some pretty heavy issues during the interview, like whether various people in Vargas’ life — including a teacher who changed a class trip from Japan to Hawaii after learning Vargas did not have a passport — helped enable a crime and whether it was more difficult to come out as a gay man or as ~~an undocumented immigrant~~ a Border Gay:

Thankfully, we live in a great country that doesn’t deport gay people, so I’m very very happy about that. But I decided to come forward because I’m just one of eleven million undocumented people in this country. I actually came out here tonight, you know, we’ve had two — in the span of two days — about 90,000 people have signed a petition to pledge they’re going to talk about immigration in a different way.

Vargas’ ultimate goal, he says, is for his group, DefineAmerican.com, to “take the politics out” of talks surrounding immigration, and eventually works towards fixing a system that is badly broken (which is something, he noted, on which he and former President George W. Bush can agree).

Colbert, after asking whether Vargas would like to become a citizen of “Colbert Nation,” ended the interview with a joke we honestly didn’t see coming. Check it out, courtesy of Comedy Central:

Colbert Report, Illegal Immigrant, immigration, Jose Antonio Vargas, stephen colbert, Undocumented Immigrant

Skippy

Lynch mob in 3, 2, 1…
2012freedom

“Vargas’ ultimate goal, he says, is for his group, DefineAmerican.com, to “take the politics out” of talks surrounding immigration, and eventually works towards fixing a system that is badly broken”

You’re damn right the system is broken. You should have been deported along with your “DefineAmerican” group.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

Come on now… just because he’s been here illegally, working illegally, not paying his full share of taxes, and defrauding the American public while simultaneously taking advantage of it and telling people how it should function better… we shouldn’t be too critical of him.

After all, he’s not white… so to complain or to encourage him to follow the laws, would be racist.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Chris-Jones/1384303476 Chris Jones

When he says we should “take the politics out” he means we should stop worrying about silly things like citizenship. We should forgive and forget the multiple felonies he committed by forging documents, etc.

His website is called “DefineAmerican,” so I’m happy to do that. An American is someone who was born here or immigrated here legally and has the papers to prove it. Vargas is not an American. He’s an illegal alien. A criminal illegal alien on top of that.
redleaf

ImNotBlue said:
Come on now… just because he’s been here illegally, working illegally, not paying his full share of taxes, and defrauding the American public while simultaneously taking advantage of it and telling people how it should function better… we shouldn’t be too critical of him.

After all, he’s not white… so to complain or to encourage him to follow the laws, would be racist.

Thank God you people weren’t around when my great grandmother (and millions of others like her) immigrated here from Poland to escape WWII. I mean, obviously, the moment my great grandmother arrived, she should have either been arrested, deported or shot. Sure glad she wasn’t. Cause then I wouldn’t be here to witness such blanket ignorance and hatred.

And how do we know he’s not paying his full share of taxes.
cjd ohio 1

redleaf said:
Thank God you people weren’t around when my great grandmother (and millions of others like her) immigrated here from Poland to escape WWII. I mean, obviously, the moment my great grandmother arrived, she should have either been arrested, deported or shot. Sure glad she wasn’t. Cause then I wouldn’t be here to witness such blanket ignorance and hatred. And how do we know he’s not paying his full share of taxes.

and what year did she come here?
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

redleaf said:
Thank God you people weren’t around when my great grandmother (and millions of others like her) immigrated here from Poland to escape WWII.

Really? Did she know my great-grandparents?

I mean, obviously, the moment my great grandmother arrived, she should have either been arrested, deported or shot.

Really? Where did I say that? Ooooh… that’s right, you think that the United States has no right to enforce current laws on requiring citizenship, because (apparently) 100 years ago, things were lax. Yes, that makes plenty of sense.

And are you sure that your great-grandparents didn’t come here legally?

Sure glad she wasn’t. Cause then I wouldn’t be here to witness such blanket ignorance and hatred.

What ignorance would that be? What hatred?

I don’t hate this guy… or other people who illegally live in the US. I sympathize with them. But that doesn’t mean I think it’s alright, or think that we should just allow them to mooch off the system for as long as they see fit.

As I’ve asked other people… do you lock your doors at night? Would you have a problem if someone came into your home, picked a place to live, paid you nothing, and used your facilities no questions asked? Would that work for you… or would you say, “Hey, this is MY home… you can’t come in and live here just because you decided you want to.”

And how do we know he’s not paying his full share of taxes.

Because illegal citizens aren’t in the system the same way as everyone else… therefore, the government cannot require them to pay the “correct amount” of taxes every year.

I’d be inclined to believe that this successful reporter is somewhat wealthy. I thought you far-lefty types wanted to see the wealthy pay higher taxes… so I’m surprised (not really) that you wouldn’t want to double check that this guy is paying his share. How odd.
Nature Freak

There has to be some reasonable solution to illegal immigration, especially concerning people who were brought here before adulthood. Both sides need to come up with something. I am totally against open borders. I am also against kicking every single illegal immigrant out.

I know this is a cliche, but we sent a man to the moon! Still, we are unable to find a reasonable bipartisan solution.

Depressing!
caconservative

This illegal parasite is a prime example of the almost complete breakdown of law enforcement in this country.
Anonymous

Actually if you read the guys story when it was released. He has a social security number. He took a fake greencard that his grandfather had made for him took it into the social security office and applied for a social security card. The social security card had a special rule on it below the number that said only as authorized by INS. The grandfather took it to kinkos and photocopied it so that the special rule saying that wasn’t there making it look like everyone elses SS card. His SS# is really HIS number. It just wasn’t supposed to be a permanent number. So, every job he has ever had he has paid medicare, SS, and federal income taxes (state too if he lived in a state that takes them) The govt DOES require him to pay the correct amount of taxes because his social security number is real. And its not a number stolen from someone else in identity theft either. NOW, when he gets to retirement age and is eligible to receive his medicare and SS that he has paid all of his working life into will he be able to receive it? Probably not because then SS office would figure out that his SS card was for temporary work only, same with medicare. Now does that seem fair to you? That he has paid taxes and SS and Medicare all these years and will probably never get to participate in the benefit from paying those?

I think illegal immigrants need to be kicked out in general. Its not fair to the people going through the process legally to become citizens for others to just skirt by the rules. The problem is that there needs to be a process for the children who had no choice in coming over here and have grown up here and believe in America and actually do pay taxes and know nothing else to be able to become citizens. The people waiting in line need to have a better process also. The people who knowingly run across the border as knowing adults, sneak around to avoid taxes, take pennies on the dollar for pay because it is in cash and they don’t have to pay taxes on it and commit crimes and take up room in our social programs that hard working American’s can’t qualify for themselves need to be kicked out.
Anonymous

“Equal protection” and “due process” is a two way street. As long as an individual doesn’t break the law, one doesn’t lose their civil liberties.

Regarding this man as well as others who are here illegally, the concept seems fairly simple. America gives the benefit of the doubt and provides the illegal “due process,” so as to determine their status. (noble and decent of us, wouldn’t you agree?)

Then we send them, and him home.

Any questions?

Purveyor