Ah yes, that makes sense.
My Thoughts on Immigration
- Thread starter ShamelessMcBundy
- Start date
Retweeted by @Gryffindorian:
Gryffindorian likes this post.
Like members of my family, I'm a first-generation immigrant and a naturalized U.S. citizen. I first came to California in 1988 when I was a teen. My second oldest sister was born in Guam, making her the only family member who's a U.S. citizen by virtue of birth on American soil, back when my dad was serving in the U.S. Navy over four decades ago.
I totally agree with your points, Shameless. Your family history is one of the shining examples of the American Dream that both native-born and foreign-born Americans strive to achieve. I truly believe that despite current economic conditions, the U.S. is still a land of opportunity, if not "the" land of opportunity. Americans are very lucky to be living in this wonderful country, and many people take this for granted.
The anti-immigrant sentiments, IMHO, are perpetrated by the conservative/Tea Party camp. I can't count the number of e-mails I've received attacking Hispanics for the problems "they've caused" in this country.
It's a very ignorant and backwards way of thinking. While I think illegal immigration needs to be addressed by the government, anti-immigration only creates animosity and contributes nothing to resolve the problem.
Gryffindorian likes this post.
Like members of my family, I'm a first-generation immigrant and a naturalized U.S. citizen. I first came to California in 1988 when I was a teen. My second oldest sister was born in Guam, making her the only family member who's a U.S. citizen by virtue of birth on American soil, back when my dad was serving in the U.S. Navy over four decades ago.
I totally agree with your points, Shameless. Your family history is one of the shining examples of the American Dream that both native-born and foreign-born Americans strive to achieve. I truly believe that despite current economic conditions, the U.S. is still a land of opportunity, if not "the" land of opportunity. Americans are very lucky to be living in this wonderful country, and many people take this for granted.
The anti-immigrant sentiments, IMHO, are perpetrated by the conservative/Tea Party camp. I can't count the number of e-mails I've received attacking Hispanics for the problems "they've caused" in this country.
It's a very ignorant and backwards way of thinking. While I think illegal immigration needs to be addressed by the government, anti-immigration only creates animosity and contributes nothing to resolve the problem.
Last edited:
Yeah this kind of assessment is highly subjective, but it makes all us non-Americans cringe a little. Since I live in a country that has a very sceptical view on nationalism, it made me go a little wtf when I went to the USA for the first time and everyone went "God bless America" on me.
I think it's natural for people to want to think that their country is the greatest. We just need to recognize that people from other lands can feel the same way about their own homes.
It's a matter of pride, not so much a statement of fact, IMO, anyway.
It's a matter of pride, not so much a statement of fact, IMO, anyway.
*sighs* I'm torn on this topic. As a fairly open minded progressive who enjoys multiculturalism I'm fine with immigration in itself with the proviso that it's done legally. I hold no grudge to those Chinese/Taiwanese/Guatemalan/etc immigrants who want to make a new life for themselves.
What bothers me, though...and perhaps I am looking through rose colored glasses but I've seen what these Mexican immigrants have brought with them and it's not helping to improve the society and has really damaged some of the areas they've populated. My hometown was about an 80/20 white/latino split when I was a child and closer to 60/40 by the time I graduated. Since then gang violence has gone up both in my hometown and surrounding counties that have large immigrant populations. It's worrying that Mexican gang warfare has come to central Washington and started claiming lives of innocent children. The public schools have also been forced to start having bilingual classes all to accommodate these immigrants. Sure it doesn't hurt to teach the children Spanish, but it shouldn't be mandatory. It just makes me...uncomfortable that this new wave of immigrants seem to have little want to actually blend or acclimate to their new homeland and have brought the old problems to their new country. It'd be nice if they didn't try being 'sneaky' by speaking Spanish behind the backs of the white people who might actually know the language.
Then again...I'm probably not one to really speak on this issue. I'm a northern-European mutt who has one Norwegian and one German great-grandmother, and they both stuck relatively close to immigrant enclaves in Minnesota and North Dakota before moving to Washington.
What bothers me, though...and perhaps I am looking through rose colored glasses but I've seen what these Mexican immigrants have brought with them and it's not helping to improve the society and has really damaged some of the areas they've populated. My hometown was about an 80/20 white/latino split when I was a child and closer to 60/40 by the time I graduated. Since then gang violence has gone up both in my hometown and surrounding counties that have large immigrant populations. It's worrying that Mexican gang warfare has come to central Washington and started claiming lives of innocent children. The public schools have also been forced to start having bilingual classes all to accommodate these immigrants. Sure it doesn't hurt to teach the children Spanish, but it shouldn't be mandatory. It just makes me...uncomfortable that this new wave of immigrants seem to have little want to actually blend or acclimate to their new homeland and have brought the old problems to their new country. It'd be nice if they didn't try being 'sneaky' by speaking Spanish behind the backs of the white people who might actually know the language.
Then again...I'm probably not one to really speak on this issue. I'm a northern-European mutt who has one Norwegian and one German great-grandmother, and they both stuck relatively close to immigrant enclaves in Minnesota and North Dakota before moving to Washington.
True, but most Northern Europeans weren't violent, corrupt and they weren't in a violent gang selling drugs or killing people, because that person was in the wrong part of town.
And most hispanics are?
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
With respect to Alicia's particular experience, and regardless of how factual it may be for her region of the country, I think it's awfully dangerous to be ascribing certain behaviors, problems and/or criminal activities to one particular racial subset, especially when discussing a topic as sensitive as immigration.
I'm not saying what Alicia describes isn't happening, nor am I in any way impugning her recounting of events, I just think this is a ticking timebomb of a conversation and that we should all remember that every race, every nationality has had its heroes and villains and its saints and monsters.
I'm not saying what Alicia describes isn't happening, nor am I in any way impugning her recounting of events, I just think this is a ticking timebomb of a conversation and that we should all remember that every race, every nationality has had its heroes and villains and its saints and monsters.
Oh gee, thanks.
As a Mexican American that was never in a gang, have never sold drugs, i thank you for bunching me up with everyone else.
Oh gee, thanks.
As a Mexican American that was never in a gang, have never sold drugs, i thank you for bunching me up with everyone else.
Hey atleast you weren't asked to step out of line along with my mother at the airports during the early to mid 2000s in America
Nope. That's the difference between American and European culture. Nothing wrong with it, but this is something that Americans (usually) don't get. We don't want to think that our country is "the greatest". We are not even sure what it means. You would be hard pressed to find any European proclaiming that his country is the greatest (and the ones that do, they are usually crazy white-power nationalists). You won't find cultcross going around proclaiming that England is the greatest, or Deckerd about Scotland, GodBen for Ireland, Shaytan for France, Naira for Greece, and for the sake of my own life, you won't find me claiming that Italy is the greatest country evah (except, maybe, in jest. But even then, I'll need a shower after saying that). The common sentiment is that our own country is usually ok, better in some instances, worse in other. Even if we think our country is pretty cool, it would sound stupid to claim it's "the greatest". "Greatest" in what? What parameters are we using? Wealth? Military power? Health care? General happiness of the population? Average length of penis? The answer, obviously, is that it's just silly. It's not a competition.
A lot of Americans (nice, sane Americans, not the crazy ones) aren't very shy of claiming that "America is the greatest country on this Earth". And are baffled that we don't share the same feeling.
We understand. But it makes us cringe nonetheless.
Oh gee, thanks.
As a Mexican American that was never in a gang, have never sold drugs, i thank you for bunching me up with everyone else.
Hey atleast you weren't asked to step out of line along with my mother at the airports during the early to mid 2000s in America
Then you know what it feels like to be stereotyped, and really, you shouldn't do that to others.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
So, your classifying Hispanics such as you have is in retaliation for that?
...or is this just your "logical" reasoning for believing it?
EDIT: In response to doubleohfive's post in reference to Alicia.
^ Good point.
Also, poverty often plays a major role in the prevalence of crimes. I'm not necessarily shifting the blame on the poor or the lower class, many of whom are honest and upstanding citizens (perhaps more so than some middle- or upper-class folks). In any urban (or suburban) community, there are always people resorting to criminal behaviors, usually as a result of drug abuse, mental illness, and poverty. For instance, drive-by shootings in the eastern or western part of Oakland, CA, largely poor communities with a high crime rate, are usually attributed to African-American, Asian, or Hispanic suspects. Are they all illegal immigrants? I think not, but mostly people who have made very bad choices in life and are driven by circumstances to do the horrible things they do.
^ Good point.
Also, poverty often plays a major role in the prevalence of crimes. I'm not necessarily shifting the blame on the poor or the lower class, many of whom are honest and upstanding citizens (perhaps more so than some middle- or upper-class folks). In any urban (or suburban) community, there are always people resorting to criminal behaviors, usually as a result of drug abuse, mental illness, and poverty. For instance, drive-by shootings in the eastern or western part of Oakland, CA, largely poor communities with a high crime rate, are usually attributed to African-American, Asian, or Hispanic suspects. Are they all illegal immigrants? I think not, but mostly people who have made very bad choices in life and are driven by circumstances to do the horrible things they do.
Oh gee, thanks.
As a Mexican American that was never in a gang, have never sold drugs, i thank you for bunching me up with everyone else.
Hey atleast you weren't asked to step out of line along with my mother at the airports during the early to mid 2000s in America
Then you know what it feels like to be stereotyped, and really, you shouldn't do that to others.
There a lot of hate for Jews and Muslims where I live. It also seems the Italian Americans in my area have a distaste for the Irish Americans.
And that's terrible, but it doesn't make it right or allow you to do the same to others.
By the way, for whatever it's worth, I'm Asian.
doubleohfive
Fleet Admiral
I'll say it again: People are people.
Actually, IIRC, plenty of the children of Northern European immigrants to the United States got involved in organized crime in the early 20th century.
In fact--some of the most violent criminals in early 20th century Chicago--the criminals who fought on one side of the Chicago Beer Wars--were northern Europeans.
The North Side Mob, which fought the Capone Mob for control of the city's liquor racket throughout the 1920s, included:
--Dean O'Banion (Irish-American)
--Hymie Weiss (Polish-American)
--Bugs Moran (Irish-Polish-American)
--Louis Alterie (French-American)
--Frank and Peter Gusenberg (German-American)
and others. There was also the predominantly Jewish Purple Gang, an extremely violent mob that ran the Detroit underworld during the Prohibition years.
Similar threads
