I recommend French Gourmet

I just found out that the caterer from our wedding is being prosecuted by the Federal government for hiring illegal aliens.  In response, I want to give this caterer my highest praise.  If you need any kind of event catered in the San Diego area, I highly recommend The French Gourmet.

From what I hear, they had received notices from the federal government but ignored them.  As an attorney, I must advise anyone reading this blog, that if you get a notice from the government, TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

And yes, I know, illegal aliens are here illegally.  And in many jurisdictions, it is illegal to hire illegal aliens.  And yes, as a lawyer, I know that laws are important and obeying them is also important.  This isn't the place to get into a discussion of "civil disobedience," and even if it were, civil disobedience is usually justified as a form of protest, and I'm not sure putting immigrants in a kitchen counts as a form of protest.

But "voting with your wallet" definitely counts as a form of protest.  And that's why I'm giving this recommendation now.

Why am I so incensed that this company is being prosecuted for having broken the law?  Simply put: I don't like that law.  Immigration is what made this country great.  Some of our greatest moments were thanks to immigration, such as the Yiddish theaters in New York leading to Vaudeville, which led to Hollywood.  Or take pizza, burritos, and cioppino--all invented in America, by immigrants.  And some of our darkest moments stemmed from xenophobia, like the internment camps during WWII.  (Incidentally, my grandparents were denied entry to the US after the Holocaust.  That's why I was born in Canada.)

Immigration is about the American Dream.  It's why we're the greatest country in the world--because people would rather come here than anywhere else.  That's not a burden and it's not a curse - it's our greatest triumph.

Immigration is also about economics.  Studies show that if all the illegal immigrants in this country were given green cards, the taxes they'd pay would more than make up for the social services they use (which we're paying for anyway).

The economics also works another way.  At the risk of sounding crass, I like cheap lettuce.  And I'm betting you do too.  Immigrants work below minimum wage and for no benefits, and every one of us profits from their cheap labor.  The politicians who rant against illegal immigration are hypocrites because they profit too.  But they do it because they know there's still enough racism in this country that they can use that to their own advantage--to gain power for themselves.  Next time a politician talks to you about illegal immigrants, ask yourself what his motivation is.

America is supposed to be a meritocracy--that means you're rewarded for what you do, not who your daddy was or where you came from.  That's precisely why we became a country in the first place.  It's what the Founding Fathers wanted.

One final story to drive my point home.  Last year Yelena & I moved to a new apartment in San Francisco.  When I went to U-Haul, there was a crowd of Latinos waiting on the sidewalk, asking me how many men I needed.  I'm guessing most of these individuals were here illegally, but in any case they certainly weren't born here.  Next to them, on the sidewalk, a homeless man lay sleeping.  Simply by virtue of being born here, he could safely walk into the San Francisco homeless services office and get free food and medical care.  So he slept, while the immigrants tried to work.

French Gourmet also has a lovely restaurant.  If you're in Pacific Beach, consider giving them your patronage.

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