and did we mention...

This nation was built on accepting the world's tired and poor. I'll always have a special place in my heart for immigrants of all types, heck, one gave me my first car:

Slow Ride!

And my admiration for immigrants includes those both legal and illegal. In fact, meeting illegals actually helps you recognize that they are, in fact, real human beings with goals and dreams and families to care for. That's not to say that there aren't a number of fair reasons to vehemently oppose illegal immigration. However, I don't think the proper forum to push one's agenda is a sports article covering an Olympic gold medalist.

That brings me to our very own Henry Cejudo, a twenty-one-year-old 55KG grappler, who snagged the gold medal last night after an impressive tournament where he showed ruthless determination and peerless conditioning to beat the world. Of course, Henry's mom came to America as an illegal immigrant. In all fairness, this is a pertinent fact, as all Olympians with interesting and unique backgrounds are good fodder to fill news columns.

The media certainly agreed:

From the AP

From a pre-Olympics Sports Illustrated piece

[HEADLINE] The son of former illegal immigrants, 20-year-old Henry Cejudo has overcome hardship to become the youngest U.S. wrestling champion in decades. Now he wants to be the best on the planet...

Cejudo, who was born in Los Angeles to then illegal immigrants from Mexico City who met in the U.S., is the toughest wrestler in the room. He's also, by his sport's standards, just a boy -- a few months past his 20th ­birthday -- and the youngest member of the U.S. national team. Last year he lost in the finals of the world team trials to 36-year-old world bronze medalist Sammie Henson, who ­remains his top rival for a spot on the 2008 Olympic squad.

From ESPN.com

Cejudo, the son of illegal immigrants from Mexico who bypassed a college career to try to become an Olympian, assured the United States of winning a freestyle wrestling gold for the ninth consecutive Olympics at which it has competed.

I find the New York Times, to be the worst offender. The Times mentions the fact 3 times, basically celebrating the fruits of illegal immigration in their piece, and crafting the article around the theme:

BEIJING — The American flag landed on the scorer’s table, launched by a family member with exceptional aim. Henry Cejudo grabbed it from his coach and draped it around his body. He stood there for the longest time, fighting back tears, the son of illegal immigrants wrapped in stars and stripes....

Like his mother’s life. Nelly Rico, who came to the United States from Mexico as an illegal immigrant, raised seven children by herself and left Los Angeles with them in the middle of the night to escape the criminal who was the father Cejudo never really knew...

They all wore or waved American flags, an entire family decked in the stars and stripes. A family that started with illegal immigrants and advanced to right here, this moment, their very own gold medalist resting in their lap.

“Only in America,” Cejudo said.

And who says the NY Times harbors any bias?

The proof's in the pudding: even the Times wrestling articles foist the paper's agenda on an unsuspecting readership. I think much more pertinent to the story would be details of Cejudo's work ethic, flawless technique and impeccable conditioning. But leave it to the Times to know better about what their readers must know. There was an interesting thread discussing how the media covered this topic on Themat.com, but things got heated (what else is new) and it's since been pulled.

Only in America!

Photo: Bodoglife.com