Are illegal immigrants a BIG issue where you live?

[the1much]

This country was built on others coming to it from different countries.

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did they come here legally?,, isnt there a difference between immigrants, and illegal immigrants?i would like to think our country was built by HONEST people who abide by the laws of the country they went to,,,,isnt a very good "first impression" if the FIRST thing you do in a country is break its laws.

 

[Redfeathers]

Either way you look at this issue...there remains the fact that this is a problem that divides Americans of every race. It seems to me that if I moved to France to work, I should speak French. If you move to a country...learn the language, it's just better for everyone.

I live in a small rural town that is mostly Hispanic...they are mostly nice friendly people, but I have to say the high school my daughter is attending is sadly lacking as far as keeping her attention. So many times during a class, things are repeated over and over due to the language barrier. She tutors those that even try to understand, the majority though seem to go only because they have to. The teachers are frustrated, I've spoken with them. It takes a huge amount of patience and dedication to spend your whole day teaching a class that isn't reaching the majority of your students. My daughter has straight A's but I don't think she gets the challenge that she needs, for that reason I regret moving here.

I have other problems with the whole issue but they are personal problems that I have to deal with. When I first moved here I knew I was moving into a mostly Hispanic neighborhood and I knew I would have to come to terms with my predjudices....I was actually glad that I moved here so I could try to rise above some of them and get to know the culture better. There have been highs and lows but I won't get into all of that.

 

[shay20]

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I like to do the opposite. I'm VERY WHITE looking

most people wouldn't know by looking at me... well the Cubans can tell.. but the others seem to have trouble.. ANYWAY.. long story short... MY favorite thing to do is pretend to be white, and while other Hispanics are telling their stories, or often at restaurants etc making snide comments in their own language.. I prefer to shoot back to them, in Spanish some nasty comments of my own, with a lesson or two thrown in

I just love to do that... hopefully they will remember to mind their manners in the future

That's too funny because my husband is PR hes speaks Spanish, but he looks more like an Italian. He does the same thing, it freaks out a lot of people because, Cuban, Italian, Portuguese, Mexcan, Saba-done not sure if i spelled that right, all can understand each other even though there is a difference in the way the languages are spoken.

 

[warcard]

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But it's really not Spanish, its been changed (ask anyone from Spain). I do understand that that is what is considered official, but sometimes you gotta poke things

. Heck, the English hate Americans for screwing with the Queen's English maybe we should just call our official language (if we can ever get it through the system without being called racist, even thought almost every other country has an offical language) United Statesican (okay maybe a different word, that one is kinda difficult

).

 

[me&thegals]

Wow--this sure brings out some strong opinions. Let me thrown mine into the fray

We are ALL immigrants (unless we are the original Americans)

How lucky for us that most of us didn't struggle through the initial cultural and language shock our ancestors would have in learning English, etc. If it bothers you so much that many immigrants don't speak English, learn Spanish! It's much easier. Then, you can be like most of the world and know more than 1 language! Better yet, join a literacy program and help someone learn English while you learn their language.

How do you know who is illegal or not? I have lots of Mexican Americans (I think, anyway) in my town. I like every single one I have had the privilege to come to know. They work very hard, have strong family structures (show up at school events, have kids that try hard at school), are unfailingly kind and polite, and they buy my eggs!

Like many others have said--thank you, thank you, thank you--we're all human, right? Thank God (literally) that we have had the fortune to most of us be born in America with more than most of the world has (even if we're poor by American standards). Thank goodness we have not been in the position to need to cross borders, legally or not, to keep our families alive.

ALSO--take a look at some of the trade policies between America and Mexico. It's a little hard, for example, for Mexican farmers to stay afloat in a grain market that is free trade there, gov't subsidized here.

I find that people who are very against immigration here (like in my town, not BYC) are very unfair in their criticism. For example, they are so upset by the trouble caused on the buses by all those "Mexicans," completely ignoring all the white kids causing just as much trouble. Or disgusted by the drain on the school system in helping kindergarten Latinos to learn English when even more white children come to school nearly as unprepared.

Very interesting discussion...

 

[warcard]

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Don't get the G comment, but will admit to missing some of my capitals some of the time.

 

[saranbensmom]

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A show of good character!

 

[shay20]

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Nope, there are plenty of legal citizens who are a drain on society. The numbers in post #23 specifically address illegals.

Welfare needs to be reformed, period. If you can't prove that you are actively looking for a job, or have a true medical reason for not being able to work, you get so much help and then that's it. Having a baby is not a blanket reason to give someone more money.

Also when you speak about a country you capitalize the first letter or all the letters if it is an abbreviation. It is America, US, or USA.


You are free to continue speaking your native tongue or the tongue of your ancestors, but the public language is english.

That's English with a capital G right?

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Oh Lord, its a huge problem! They have most of the farm, construction, roughneck, and just about all the other jobs around here. Call me racist if ya want, but I NEVER hire 'em, cuz if ya caint speak but two words of English, then I know you dont belong here, ya know what I mean? And when your walkin through Walmart, they push ya out of the way like ya aint worth a dang. That's where I draw the line.

 

[the1much]

uhoh,,, does punchuachun and spellin count??