In 1889 a group of people sneaked across the border into Oklahoma in order to establish land claims before the territory was legally opened for settlement. These people were initially called "moonshiners" because they had traveled under the light of the moon in order to steal the choicest parcels of land. Later they were called "sooners" after the "sooner clause in 1889's Indian Appropriation Act. By any rational analysis, these people were not only thieves, but illegal immigrants as well.
Initially, the legal settlers held the "sooners" in very low regard. But with legal challenges amounting to nothing and the passage of time, the criminal acquisition of land belonging to the people of the United States and/or the Native Americans, attained heroic status. Indeed, Oklahoma University claims the Sooners for its mascot, and throughout the state, Oklahomans proudly refer to themselves as Sooners.
Skip ahead a century or so to 2006. Legislators are considering laws to turn illegal immigrants into felons. Politicians and pundits thunder and bellow about the invasion of Latin America into our country. Some groups outside of the law enforcement agencies have begun to patrol the deserts of the Southwest. And the introduction of The True Enforcement and Border Security Act even calls for a wall to be built on the U.S.-Mexico border.
This strikes me as quite a contrast. At least the illegal immigrants from Mexico come here in an attempt to earn an honest living. Naturally, some have been criminals (any group of people will have this element), but most of them talk about the American dream. They want to earn their prosperity, not steal it. Apparently, the difference between a heroic illegal immigrant and felonious one is the color of his skin.