US Hispanic groups, buoyed by massive weekend protests against a proposed immigration crackdown, are planning a major boycott of American life dubbed a  ‘A Day Without Latinos’, leaders said on Tuesday.
Organisers of the planned May 1 “A day without Latinos or a day without immigrants” boycott will ask immigrants to put down tools, leave their places of work and classrooms, shut their business and take to the streets en masse to protest a bill that would criminalise illegal immigration.
Nativo Lopez, president of the Mexican American Political Association, one of the organisers of a massive protest in Los Angeles that saw at least 500,000 protest on Saturday, said the protest would send a stern message to Washington.
“We are looking forward to a major action in all large US cities where immigrants make up a significant proportion of the workforce,” he told AFP.
“We are asking people not to go to school, or work, or shopping and instead to go out and protest against the racist and inhumane measures in this bill.”
Planning meetings will be held in several cities over the next few weeks with the official announcement to be made in D.C. soon.
“Amnesty and Full Legalization” is the demand from the March 25 Coalition, organizers of last Saturday’s historic march in L.A.
I’ll be blogging much more about this in the coming days.
The port truckers will be demonstrating and marching in Wilmington near the L.A. Harbor on May Day – 2006.
I suggest that we join efforts with the port trucker L.A. Harbor demonstration since that will involve actually shutting down the Los Angeles Harbor.
The “marches and speeches and then go home” model of demonstrating is good but actually shutting down the Los Angles Harbor is a whole other dimension – it is a dimension that many cannot even conceptualize since it has been so long ago in American history that those tactics have been used.
The port truckers are virtually 100% Chicano and/or Latino and are a high percentage immigrants as well. Of course, they are also all workers. Will the middle class and “liberal” groups support the port truckers as they attempt to hold a General Strike and close the Los Angeles Harbor.
A “Day Without Latinos” would have to include a port shutdown too. Let’s do it.
There will be a meeting April 8 in L.A. to plan For May 1., a port shutdown would be a perfect target.
Please have someone in the New Orleans area contact me
so we can get together and organize a local “day with-
out Latinos”. I am angered that the attitude that
immigrants are worth less than zero but I live in the
area affected by Hurricane Katrina and our hardworking
latinos are the ones rebuilding our city.
Futhermore, I am outraged about the Immigration raids
being held in my neighborhood. Just a couple of weeks
back my son and I were walking to a parade route to
enjoy Mardi Gras and we were stopped by ICE officials
who were standing at the corner and nabbing everyone
they could. As a very angry immigrant (who was lucky
enough to naturalize) I stood at the corner and argued
with them.
This country has forgotten that it was built on
the sweat and tears of immigrants.
Sharp thinking there. The West Texas oil fields would cease operating as would California agriculture, were there no Latinos.
Good one!!!!!!!!!!!!
Who do you expect to assist you at the stores on that day? Are you or the people who think like you, going to do all the jobs that Latinos are doing now, that currently provide service to you. and are you a native. As i recall this country was formed by Immigrants.
You’re missing the point. The boycott/work stoppage is being called by the March 25 Coalition, the group that organized the massive immigrant rights march in LA on March 25.
If enough people strike, then it will demonstrate how important Latinos are, how much work they do, and how much political power they have.
(my first ancestor got here in about 1640 from England)
Think Rosa Parks.
I wish people would stop using “Mexican” as a race and recognize it as a culture and nationality, because that’s what it is. It’s not just Mexicans who are against this, by the way. I, a U.S. citizen with patrents from Ecuador (who are both naturalized, luckily), am widely opposed to this bill. I don’t think strengthening our borders will do a thing because there will always be a way to get into this country. What I think the government should do is figure out some kind of solution as to why the hell people want to leave their countries in the first place. The real problem is in the other countries and what they’re doing that’s making their citizens want to come here so desperately.
We haven’t tried that yet, you know? Maybe it’ll make a change. The borders have been strengthened over and over again and immigration has just doubled. Pointless.
And yeah, I’ll be boycotting everything on May 1st. I hope all other Latinos do as well.
It’s racial as well as economic. And there’s plenty of prejudice towards Latinos today.
Some blacks did try to get the Montgomery bus boycott to slow down, oh gee, just do it for one day, a lasting boycott is ‘too extreme’ they said.
Luckily, the ‘radicals’ won that argument, and that’s what launched the civil rights movement.
Neocons are scapegoating Latinos in hopes of getting out the racist vote in November, just like they did in 2004 with gay marriage. Find someone to attack, a new menace, that’ll get your extremist fringe out to vote.
This time it blew up in their faces. It may blow up their party.
Rosa Parks was a citizen. She had the right to protest – illegals do not.
And it’s not our responsibilty to figure out what is
wrong with every country and fix it. If the mexicans are so great – they should
fix their own damn country.
Well all I can say is the the word “Mexican or Mexicano” was derived from a group of Native Americans who lived in Tenochtilan or present day Mexico City. These people were called Mexica pronounced Meshica or also known as the Aztecs. Archiologist have found signs that the Mexica culture existed in what is well known as states in America, likie hmmmmmm California, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico. So you are going to tell us that we dont belong in this country when we were here in the first place. Come on! We have proof that our ancester were here before Jesus Christ had even existed. I am not racist at all but i think anyone that is of European decent is the alien in my eyes. Please dont ask us to leave because its never going to happen. if you dont like the fact we are here then go back to Europe please and do all the Native American Tribes of the north the cousins of the Mexica tribes a huge favor! Every one hates to remember the genocide that happened when Europeans arrived here!
Lots of people at the march, as well as those involved in the upcoming boycotts and demos, are not undocumented.
I was 100% behind the latinos and immigration, that is until the first
protest showing predominatly Mexican flags. If you want to live
in the US, then the show US Colors. US citizens are subject to
significant regulation when they choose to immigrate to Mexico, so why
are the Mexicans so against the US when we want immigration
control that is far less restrictive that the Mexican rules.
To the Texan,
RE: Race Issue
It’s not that we believe it’s all about the Mexicans but rather that we know we are a larger segment that is more recognizable.
For instance, take an immigrant from Poland, Ireland, England, Germany and Mexico and judge based solely on looks which one is illegal?
There are exceptions to the rule but most likely the Mexican will be questioned first.
There are other races that will experience this as well but the numbers are smaller. You are correct the Bill is not about race or racism but the consequences could be.
Fifth Generation U.S. Citizen
I think that this march on May 1st, 2006 is going to open the eyes of American
people to show them how much Latin immigrants mean to this country. I think that
without Latin immigrants working in this country the U.S. would be shit
without them. The government should either give residency to immigrants or give
an amnesty like back in the 80’s. Especially to illegal immigrant students who graduate from high school and college and can’t get a job because they don’t have citizenship. So
everyone for this don’t go to work or anything on May 1st, 2006 to see what
Americans do without us.
I was at the March 25 march. The vast majority of flags were American.
I do agree with you people. I live in oregon, and been started handing out papers for this in my high school. I am 16 years old and would like to help. These are my parents were talking about. My Family!
I went table to table during lunch. Talking to latins, african americans, handed a paper to them with this. They all have heard about it before, and said they were going to stay home, not drive, not go to work, and not purchase anything. My parents aren’t going to work that day. Lets see what happens then. U.S needs these people, even if they don’t admit it. Why do you think president bush, wanted a temporary work program because that dude needs these people. But he would be using them if he had temporary work visas. That’s why we ask for a fair plan for these people. Even thought they are undocumented, some of these people have been here for more than 15 years!
A Day Without Latinos Will Be A Great Day. My cousin also handed papers out in her middle school.
A lot of students are doing the same in there schools, getting together and making these papers. They communicate by email,text, phone, IM’s so many ways. That this is sure to have schools loose money.
And for big stores like walk-mart, they surely will get involved after they see no one is shopping at their store and there loosing money. Same with all other companies.
I’d like to get involved in this although I’m only 16. I’m a smart guy, I’ve been staying close to the news, also have been reading some articles on the web.
Email: xhollabak@yahoo.com
Hey tell the truth…this MAY 1 strike is about political power. The Latino community can’t or won’t tell the difference between illegal and legal immigration. The rule of law is weak in their countries…and very left of center and corrupt governments are the problems..Well let me ask you what would Mexico or any country do if people from another country went there and took over from a political standpoint. Everyone knows…it would not be tolerated. So the organizers come and take advantage of the USA’s open system. And don’t say people come here just for work..the USA is far superior a place to live …for working people than any other country ..and I have lived in 15 countries. What is the real problem? I think that it is many Latino’s come to the USA and don’t adapt but bring and create Latin America here…with all it’s beauty and culture but also with the problems of those countries…The May 1 strike may backfire…guests don’t demand political rights…and that really shows what the organizers are after.
MAYBE THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL UNEMPLOYED AMERICANS. ON
MAY I SHOW UP AT THE BUSINESSES AND JOB SITES, THE WORK WILL
NEED TO GET DONE AND WHO BETTER TO DO IT THEN AMERICANS.
tHEY SAY DON’T WANT THE JOBS. LETS SHOW THEM. i’M TIRED OF HEARING
THAT AMERICA WAS BUILT BY IMMIGRANTS AND THAT WE DON’T
WANT THIS JOBS.
“Americans open the door”? The Sensenbrenner Bill mandates building a 700 mile long 12 foot high wall at the border. Does that sound like an open door?
Plus it’s the predatory economic policies of the US that oftens forces people in those countries to leave looking for a way to feed their kids.
The right of dissent and protest is guaranteed to everyone in the Constitution. Sounds like you just want it to apply to Whites.
It is about time ALL immigrants protested.
Why does the government continue to make new laws, when they can’t enforce or support the existing ones.
My wife and I will be joined by our 7 children, 5 spouses and 15 grandchildren supporting the May 1st celebrations.
Yes: we are UNITED STATES Citizens: that have heritage from; Europe, Mexico and England. (We have ancestors that came over on the Mayflower)
Support the celebration!!!!!
God Bless America
I think its a good pero is it 4 all the Latinos in the USA?Cous I’m @-Washinton
BABYICE:
I have dual citizenship. Yes, I can wave both flags
if I want to. It’s my choice. Lesson #2, America did
not open any door to Mexico—-go read some history
books. Lesson #3, go back to elem school and learn
how to write proper English before posting with
grammatical errors.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE AGAINST THIS:
don’t you realize that this isn’t just for spanish people there’s also european, middle eastern, african and asian people that would benefit from all of this.
so why are you concentrating on criticizing the mexicans?
besides mexico as well as central and south america belongs to AMERICA :THE CONTINENT …. IT’S NOT A COUNTRY!!!!
THE “UNITED STATES” IS A COUNTRY… ANOTHER PART OF AMERICA.. SO IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE WE WERE BORN BECAUSE WE ARE ALL AMERICAN.
in the end we are all human beings and no one but mankind has set borders to a certain land and called it a country.then who is to say that we can’t destroy those borders? who the hell does bush think he is?
who are we to decide who belongs where?
we are NOT GOD. we did not create earth to say who lives where and who should be kept out!
the immigrants are not thieves or criminals.
and for those of you that are soooo “american”
think about if you would really do the downgrading jobs that the immigrants do.
they are basically doing the dirty work THAT YOU WON’T DO beacuse you think yourself so SUPERIOR.
and think about your ancestors THEY ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS!!!!!!! if you have any doubts about this CHECK YOUR DAMN HISTORY BOOKS!!!!
OR YOUR FAMILY TREES…..I BET YOU ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT FROM HERE.
so it comes to this ….. WE belong here, THE TRUE AMERICANS! those of us whose ancestors belong to this continent!
not those people from european descent!!!(or any other continent that is not america) that have forgotten where they came from, JUST BECAUSE THEIR ANCESTORS GO BACK TO THEIR GREAT GRANDPARENTS.
AND PLEASE DON’T DO TO OTHERS or WISH FOR OTHERS WHAT YOU WOULDN’T WANT FOR YOURSELF.
THINK ABOUT THAT!
I hope that this will be done in nashville too. Nashville is the heart of those
racist people. this is where the kkk was started
The world was inhabited by immigrants. In the early days of man kind many groups
and tribes of people relocated to search for environments and climates that
were better for their survival. Does that mean that modern day countries can not
protect there borders because at some point in the past their ancestors came
from another land?
Also, I think that they need a different way of protesting. I mean the
unfortunate stereo type of latinos is that they are lazy and don’t work. So,
in protest, they are going to not work for a day and enjoy a three day weekend?
Seems like a strange choice to me.
Bottom line is that a country has a right to protect its borders. This isn’t just
a piece of unclaimed land free for who ever wins king of the hill. It is a
country. If they want to join this country then there are methods (which I
agree need improvement) but if they are just interested in ignoring the laws
of the country. Then… they are foriegn invaders. Which is it. DO they want to
join the USA. or defeat it.
IM SORRY I DONT WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN BUT LATINOS ARE NOT LAZY WE ARE ONE OF THE HARDEST
WORKING PEOPLE AND IF WE WANT TO TAKE A THREE DAY WEEKEND WELL ITS ABOUT TIME
Well, myself and all those I know who own or manage businesses, will be firing every person who ‘skips out’ on work that day. The significance of the protest is too transparent. These fools are even being exploited on their ‘big protest day’. Um, FYI May 1st is known as MAY-DAY, the biggest marxist/stalinist/maoist/communist holiday ever. It is there Fourth of july, memorial day, labor day, Christmas, and St. patricks day all rolled into one. The groups actually organizing this event, are the american communist party (International-ANSWER, WWP). They are exploiting stupid mexicans to bring numbers for their big day. This is not a mistake, if you REALLY want to piss off americans, march against us on may first. Yeah, good work, you will get a backlash like none other (don’t worry, i can do fine without a nacho supreme on may 1st or any other day). After a 50 year cold war to keep Communism out of our borders, you folks are going to bring it back? Remember, Americans are a tough lot. We have kicked your butts many times over, even when severely outnumbered. Read up on it. Most of you dropped out of High school, so look it up now. What is May-Day, and what does it signify, then decide if you want to march in the name of that movement.
As far as a boycott, well, one day would be a bit disruptive. Sudden change always is. How about a 6 month long boycott???? Do it! This would REALLY prove something. American wages would go up, standard of living would go up, crime would decrease, and those jobs that ‘nobody wanted to do (ie:nobody wanted to do for slaves pay but happily did when labor laws helped americans) would suddenly have attractive salaries again. Did you know, that just 10 years ago, a construction WORKER could buy a home, a nice car, and support an entire family on his paycheck? no more. Those $25 per hour wages are now $8 per hour. Americans will work construction, they just need to get paid for it. Illegal immigration drives down wages. Plain and simple. We are equal, we are all poor and in misery, is the protesters goal. A bit like mexico I guess. Bring everyone else down to the gutter, so you can feel better about yourself.
BIG questions here. So, all the white people (european) should go back to Europe. Well, you folks are spaniards along with your rainforest bloodline. So, you will be coming with us. The only ones who can stay in America are american native descendants. Hmm, Aztecs died off LONG time ago. Mexicans have little if any relation to them. The indians are gone. Mexicans are no more native to this land than a german sausage maker, or a chinese cook. You are new-world mutts, just like us.
You are not ancient indians. You do not even know the tongue, you speak spanish, from SPAIN – EUROPE. You are mexicans, not some legendary aboriginal culture. Our nations even came to be in the same time period. We had very similar land, similar resources (except we have far less oil). What happened, why is america the most advanced, fruitful nation on the planet, and mexico is a 3rd world slum? We started the same, had the same opportunities and resources? Why did mexico fail so badly as the United States rose so quickly?
Mexicans failed to build a nation,. they built a slum. Now, they want to hijack our infrastructure and claim it. Sorry, not going to happen.
There are so many immature comments in this thread, it’s difficult to even count them. Once again, nobody has a problem with immigrants. My parents are both immigrants, but they did it legally. We have, in this country, things called laws, we try to follow them to build a safe, just society. This is what enables the opportunities that we enjoy. We have protections under the law. If mexicans can break the law, and expect to be rewarded for it, our country falls to pieces. I don’t even blame the illegals for coming here for work. I blame the companies that hire and exploit them. I don’t want to criminalize the illegals, i want to criminalize, heavily fine, and shut down the companies who hire them. Shut down the exploitation jobs, and they will not come. Maybe then these same people might protest their OWN government for its failings, rather than protest ours for not fixing theirs. It is their mess that was built with their own hands, don’t spoil ours.
Once again, if you want to truly prove a point, don’t do a DAY without illegal mexicans, do 6 months, or 1 year. A realistic barometer. I can guarantee the economy will flourish like never seen before in the US. No unemployment, and jobs that pay fair wages. Imagine that! Maybe the protests CAN have a positive effect, as long as they keep them up long enough.
ANSWER helped organize March 25 in LA but was not a lead organizer. No one in ANSWER is in WW (go read the relevant Wikipedia articles to learn), and so what if they were.
Indians are hardly gone. Ditto for Aztecs and their languages, which are still spoken.
While the companies who hire the undocumented certainly need to be prosecuted, if all the undocumented were sent back, major industries everywhere would stop. California agriculture, West Texas oil fields, chicken and meat processing in the south and midwest – just to name a few.
And that’s just the lower end jobs.
I am a mexican and i dont agree with the bill beacause we are all illegal even americans ,you know why ?
BECAUSE WHO ASKED NATIVE AMERICANS IF THEY COULD STAY IN THEIR LAND. Columbus didnot discover us !!!
we also mexicans owned half of us>we sold it beacause americans was were going inside mexico illegally for
the gold rush**** LOOK IT UP IN A HISTORY BOOK
well I think the american culture is made by mexicans and latinos like others people the don’t have papers because everybody know the usa would be anything if the mexicans the dont do any work for this country this country is made by us we culture they exis in this cuontry and l;ike most fo the people in this country they are getting married with people they are americans and i think the goverment they not see `the people who love this country even they are mexican love this country because they born in here thets in my opinion
[…] Toward the end, at least 6-7 different people asked us if we planned to join in the “Day Without Immigrants” boycott on May 1. Personally, I doubt that many white people will participate, so I hope that our churches will call for a day of prayer and fasting, also to be observed May 1. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Christian solidarity with oppressed people requires our active and faith-full involvement when “they” organize and struggle against the powers of our time. […]
First and foremost to all my Hispanics out there, keep fighting and, don’t let anyone stop us from reaching our goal.
Secondly here is a quote that we shall never forget, especially when times get bad look to this quote “No nation in Latin America is weak, because each forms a part of a family of 200 million brothers, who suffer the same miseries, who harbor the same sentiments, who have the same enemy, who dream about the same better future, and who count upon the solidarity of all honest men and women throughout the world.” It was said by a great human being by the name of Che Guevara.
What everybody tends to forget is that this issue doesn’t have to do with any law, jobs, or money. It’s about People looking to better themselves, and creating a better life for their children. Its been done since the beginning of time.
What angers me the most is how (not all whites) but how these backwoods, redneck hillbillies spit out facts that aren’t true. They say we live off welfare. When the truth is 38.8% of people on welfare are whites. Which is huge compared to the 15% Hispanics take. They say that
We take the governments money that they pay more taxes
Cause of us. When the truth is one illegal “alien”
Receives $80,000 less in a lifetime of government money
Than a U.S Citizen.
All these people can do is try to intimidate us with false facts.
I say let them laugh, let them counter protest. Let them think
That we are not serious. We will not win this fight any time soon.
I believe it will take a couple years, But it will be
worth it. This fight will be won by our children and our
Children’s children. It won’t be won in the streets protesting,
It won’t be won in a picket line, but in Congress in the
Senate. Our Children see our struggle and see the fight,
And already our taking up our cause. So we must encourage our kids
To become aware, and active. Soon when our children become
Senators congressman, Governors then will our fight end.
My name is Truth i’m 23 yrs old, my parents were illegal
Immigrants. I have 2 masters, and I am an advisor to the governor
Of my state and promise to continue to fight this fight.
Honestly, I’ve been reading what all of you have said and I think that regardless of the side of the argument, the fact that this issue is finally being discussed in this country is a sign of progress.
The reality is that 12 million people that live in this country cannot be forced to leave, nor can they be kept in the dark. I think the best way to reach a common agreement is to educate the public on the situation that is at hand. Let’s not get hung up on details like someone is carrying a mexican flag to a protest instead of an american one. The point is that they are there because they want to be part of this country. They are there to make this country the money making machine that it is now. All they are asking is for understanding, compassion, respect and a way to become citizens of this great nation. The least people can do is listen to what they have to say, educate themselves on the issues and try to reach an agreement that will satisfy both parties.
So much hatred and anger in so many of us… to what end does that serve? We all bleed red. We all eventually leave this world. What’s the point of bickering about who belongs where??? I agree with retropunk. Those who would rather keep others out have selfish hearts. There’s plenty of room and jobs for everyone. People who complain about the lack of work to be found are lazy and expect things to be handed to them. Those who were fortunate to be born in the U.S. should count their blessings and embrace the culture and experiences that comes along with living in such a proverbial “melting pot†of a country. The more negative resistance we cause, the less positive the consequence. Crime, poverty and corruption are, unfortunately, present in nearly every culture or government state. The greatest catalysts for these atrocities are fear, miscommunication and greed. We as humans all have a choice: to accept things as they are and see the world with blinders on, or to have an open heart and mind to all that we experience and be willing to grow and change. In the end, no one has the right to tell anyone else where they can and cannot go. With enough motivation, anyone can do anything. I myself would rather live optimistically with a positive set of ideals than to settle for defeatist, common cynicism. Live for more than you believe it’s worth- never give up. Don’t resort to pessimism or violence as a means to any end. WHERE THERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY.
[…] Our post on April 1, May 1. ‘Day without Latinos’ protest now has over 40 comments, one of the highest number of comments for any post here. New comments are added every day. Join in! […]
Kate has the best point. We need more people like her
with her heart and compassion and sense of realness. Kate God bless you
I think Kate and Truth have their heads up in the clouds somewhere. I’m not trying to be mean to them, but they need to be more realistic in there views. This country is run by laws, and some of those laws pertain to how many can move here and how many can’t. Is it fair to the millions of people who wait,(sometimes for years) to get in to this country legally, watch millions of others come in illegally? I’m a firm believer that any one who want’s to move here, should, legally. But we as a country are being overwhelmed with too many people and too few resources. The illegals come here to work, great. But what happens when they need medical assistants? Do they have insurance? No! Who pays for there medical needs? We do! When a person is not in the system, and they use the system, something has to give. The poor in this country get even less when we have so many millions of undocumented or illegals that use up what little resources that we have. If you come here legally and misfortune occurs to you, then you have the help. I’m not saying that all illegals are lazy and are on assistance. I know from experience that many that I have seen and met work there butts off. I guess I’m getting tired of seeing people come here, get there money and send it back to whatever country they came from. So many don’t want to assimilate into this country; if they did they would try harder to learn the language. So many don’t realize that in order to succeed in this country, they need to assimilate, to become a part of the whole, and right now the ‘whole’ speaks English! They can have their jobs, they can send their money home, but until they learn English, they won’t succeed very well.
People are always going to find ways to get here…always…this isn’t about racism.. This is about helping out our friggin country as a whole! We are over populated, and we’re continueing to grow! The Guest worker program is a good idea because its gonna help regulate who comes here and who doesn’t…if we don’t strengthen our borgers, who knows, terrorists are coming tht way as well…there’s ways to get here properly! I’m an AMERICAn with a MEXICAN heritage and I have to say… There’s always tht small group tht completely FUCKS it up for all of us! The majority of the people tht cross over here come for an opportunity…but there’s that smalle group tht comes and breaks every fucking law they can think of! We should better our borders, and help mexico keep their people there!
…Ok this “Day without latinos” sounds good to me and i’ve read everything people have been posting here and it is all true….someone said that americans will go to the businesses and ask for the jobs….yet my brother who is against mexicans coming into the United Sates started complaning about work and it was his 2 day..not even a week in his job and he started to whine about it….Another question I had towards the 700 mile wall they want to build along the border..who will build that 700 mile wall ? Mexicans? Because I don’t think white people will build the wall because I don’t think they have what it takes (im not racist)
This being… I will start passing out papers and sending txt msgs to people from my school and other schools through out the city being that its a Border City…We have at least 70% mexicans.
Good for the proud AMERICAN-LATINOS and others
in this country…protesting is your AMERICAN
right. You pay taxes…and you should be able
to stay…you are all assets to this country…
and if you all weren’t here alot of things would
not get DONE…whites aren’t going to do it…
we(blacks)have already done it…we’ve put in our
400+(and counting)..I hope you all continue to
protest and God bless you all.
[…]  http://polizeros.com/2006/04/01/may-1-day-without-latinos/ […]
TO ALL MY LATINO BROTHERS AND SISTERS OUT THERE–
Hear all these inflammatory, pseudo-intellectual, racist remarks against you?? This is a good sign, not a bad one. You got ’em running, and their scared. Let’s all KEEP UP the protests, marches and boycotts. Keep the pressure on them. The dominant culture is simply growing impatient and insecure since they can no longer smuggly assume their place of cultural/psychological dominance in the U.S.. Simply put, the U.S. is no longer mirroring THEIR image, and that’s really what’s at the bottom of all the displaced discontent here.
Listen, we’re ALL illegal. Why? It’s called ‘Produce Logic’:
Since illegal hands harvested and processed all our fruits and vegetables,
those were then illegally sold to market outlets;
which were then illegally purchased at grocery stores;
which were then illegally eaten by you and me,
which is then a criminal act!
In strictly legal terms, that’s called ‘aiding and abetting.’ We are all, thus, in some way or another, accomplices to this crime of illegal immigration since our consumer-based practices directly implicate us as PARTICIPANTS–willingly or not! A nation of laws, you say? Say what?? If you REALLY, REALLY feel so passionately about stopping illegal immigration, or of being so lawful, simply stop eating fruits and vegetables. But, while you’re at it, stop eating meat as well, because most meat processing plants are staffed by illegal hands. And also stop eating out at restaurants (kitchen staff is usually undocumented). And if you get hungry, don’t open that canned food! (canneries are notorious for staffing undocumented workers). In fact, stop wearing your clothes as well (usually made in sweat shops staffed by illegals). In fact, STOP TALKING your bullshit and just eat your words now, because that about sums up your hypocritical, hyper-patriotic, self-righteous, narrow-minded rhetoric, doesn’t it?
WOW!!! This is pretty cool, free speech and all. I’d like to say that I am not “Spanish” I am Mexican so please don’t confuse the both. I speek Spanish because (for those who don’t follow History) the Spanish came many, many years ago and raped my country. No I am a natural born US citizen, but somewhere down the line my blood comes from Mexico, and damned proud too. I will be there on May 1st with bells on. This isn’t a racial matter, this is a political one. We will stand together and let the country, and our “leaders” know how we feel. Now as far as some eariler comments, give me a white guy that will step up on a metal roof in the 100+ degree weather of the Texas Hill Country and I’ll give the man a job. I haven’t met one yet, oh and I pay $15+ an hour for that labor. I don’t care where you come from, I just care that you work. And to Tex: who the hell are you. I am Texan native born and will remain ’til I die. I know what these immigrants go through. I’ve seen it first hand. I was called all those ignorant names in school, you know the ones? “Wet back, border jumper, beaner etc….” I have this to say I’m here and you can bet your sweet ass I’ll stand up for my fellow immigrants anyday. I love this country and the fact that this country has given me the chance to stand.
I am so proud of being who I am, and I am sure everyone who has commented on this issue is too. All of you speak your own truth, the truth from your own world, the truth from your own background.
History shows us that there has always been groups of people that are more powerful than others. Do we get to choose what group we’ll be born in?
Not unless you walk in that person’s shoes and climb onto their skin, and see what they’ve seen, and live what they’ve lived can you make a fair judgment of their situation.
I am lucky to have seen both sides. I was born in the U.S. from illegal immigrants, was raced in Mexico since an infant, and then moved to the U.S. as an adult. I married a white American and have lived in the U.S. for 13 years.
I consider myself very fortunate to have both cultures in my life. I have taught my children the best of both cultures and they are very proud of being Mexican-American.
Growing up 40 miles south of the border, I clearly understand why people cross the border illegally:
U.S. citizens have a black and white picture of what the term legal and illegal is. People in Mexico, due to the way their government is ran, and other cultural factors have a different view of the law. If what they do seems beneficial to their family, and is not against their morals, then is legal. Crossing the border without documentation is not a criminal act in their view.
Most people that cross the border are fleeing from a country that can’t offer them financial freedom. They’ve heard from friends and relatives that have come to the U.S. that their future here has hope. That is what most of them come here for, because they want hope for themselves and their families.
I’m all for amnesty for illegal immigrants, but only for those who deserve to be here: People that work hard to make an honest living, and people that do not have a felony on their criminal record. Drug dealers, thieves, rapists, and murderers should not be granted amnesty.
Me and my family love this country and the many freedoms we enjoy. I wish everyone who deserves to be here could enjoy the same things regardless of their national origin.
Oh.. And I’ll be out there supporting this cause!
[This country is run by laws, and some of those laws pertain to how many can move here and how many can’t. Is it fair to the millions of people who wait,(sometimes for years) to get in to this country legally, watch millions of others come in illegally?]
Oh, really?
We have a President who publicly states that he can ignore provisions o f laws passed by Congress whenever he decides to do so, he is illegally wiretapping foreign, and probably domestic phone calls, he is detaining people indefinitely and torturing them, and bombing and killing Iraqis whenver he wants, and plans to launch another pre-emptive war against Iran, and there are still people who believe that this country is run by laws?
It’s an old story, for rich, privileged whites, there is one rule, and that rule is, we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, and that includes enacting and enforcing laws against people whose labor we need, but don’t personally like or want to empower. If it is too difficlut to get a law passed, they just do it anyway (remember Bush, Blair and their inability to get a UN resolution authorizing the war against Iraq?)
Meanwhile, if you are on the receiving end, say, you are black in 1906, and a group of vigilantes comes with a rope, there is no law, except the noose hanging from a tree, or, if you are an American citizen of Mexican descent in Los Angeles in 1930, there are no laws, they just force you onto a train, and ship you back to Mexico against your will, or, if you are Japanese American in 1942, they send you to internment camps, while someone back home buys your property for pennies on the dollar, and then relies upon “the law” to claim that it was an arms length sale
or, in you are Vietnamese in the 1960s and 1970s, the President starts a war, and then kills millions of you, and then, later, in the 1980s, the President authorizes a covert war in Central America, and creates a paramilitary groups that kill, rape and pillage throughout El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua
if there is one thing that we can safely say about the US, it is most assuredly not a country run by law, instead, it is a country ruled by power and privilege, which invariably take on an ugly, racial and class dimension
undocumented Americans work hard, pay taxes, and even serve in the US military, sometimes sacrificing their lives, and their lawbreaking suggests to me that we need to change the law, so that they can be respected for what they do
meanwhile, maybe we ought to instead focus our concern about the law upon those in the White House who break it habitually, and kill tens of thousands in the process, while destroying our civil liberties as well
I don’t need to march. I send faxes and emails to my senators and remind them
who really pays the bills around here. Viva la Gringo!
What makes the 20+ million illegal immigrants here any more deserving of a chance at the American Dream than the 320+ million starving in India, 60+ million starving in Africa? All of us in this country are immigrants. Almost all of us came here legally and respectfully waiting our turn. I still have many relatives in living in dire conditions waiting to legally immigrate. Amnesty is the most racist proposal out there – it serves only to reward a group almost entirely composed of hispanics. Hispanics do not have the monopoly on suffering in this world. Remember that.
Mexican-American is not what would describe my situation. I am an 100% Mexican, 22 year old woman living in the United States. My home, to be precise is in Laredo, TX. I’ve lived here ever since I was 8 years old. On May 1st, I will be able to finally demonstrate just a little of my frustration over what the government, USCIS, or INS, has put me through. I have been trying to file for residence for about four years now. I have spent money, time, and effort in doing so, and have yet to see any expected results, but will not give up that easily. Today I am working with an ’employment authorization’ card, given to me about a year ago. I have had to renew this card over three times now, while I await for my ever-so wanted residency. I have two jobs, obviously pay my taxes, and of course AM part of this country’s economy. I just thought I should ask people like these assholes TEX or CHRIS, if they really think I shouldn’t be allowed to become a resident of this country? In any case.. FORGET YOU! Mexican people living in the United States understand this is no free ride, we are here to work, make a better living for ourselves and our families. There is NO wrong doing in that. Americans should not look down on us because of the jobs we have.. they should remember that we help them back. By supporting the white trailer trash bums that don’t want to work, and of course giving the heroin-addict, homeless veteran at the corner a $1, we pay our debts. Social Security, Food Stamps, Disability checks all come from our checks.. all of OUR checks, that means yours and BOTH of mine, CHRIS. Hard working Mexican people should have as many opportunities in this country as American citizens do. This bill wouldn’t only rape our human rights, but it would also jeoperdize our families future. We did not ask to be Mexican, but we can sure as hell walk proud with our heads up because of it. To my Mexican people.. you and I know all of this is worthwhile.. we get to enjoy the sweetness of our everyday fight, when we get home and see our family. Look into your daughters eyes, your mothers, your brothers to get the courage you need to stand with us on May 1st. We have to be ready, because comments like TEX’s are just the beginning. Nosotros sabemos lo que valemos y no devemos dejarnos atropeyar.
Wow, I would love to be just as beligerant as some of you out there, but like they say where I’m from, “Mejor que hay un pendejo que dos.” As far as Tex’s asinine comments, the issue here isn’t evolution. It’s political. Ignorance is not a virtue, honey, no matter what
you’ve been told. Y para mi raza. Vamos a ser que miran todos que sin nos otros no se pueden hacer nada. Si se puede! I love you all!! Yes, even you TEX!!
Leave mexicans alone. Carry on about your business and let everyone get their’s done.
And as for Aze’s comment.. right on the money!! For you Chris… go watch some
cartoons or something instead of posting comments with no grounds.
I live in the Quad Cities. In Illinois. Not that many people know of this. I want to help spread the word.
Pleas help me someway. any way u can.
I was born in Seattle, WA. I’m white, I’ve lived and worked here all my life. I’ve flipped burgers, picked apples, worked in a crab cannery, drove a farm truck, worked as a steel worker, wood worker, carpenter and machinist. I’ve retired and spend my days in chronic pain from arthritis. I’ve lived in my car or a camping trailer for years. Now I havew a small home. I’ve done my time as a voluteer firefighter, an EMT and served in the military. I don’t know who all these lazy white people are, I haven’t met many. If you are here to work, there is plenty of it, and I’m glad you’re here to help. If you are here to sell drugs, start a war or live off the government, who needs you?
What do you think shutting down the LA port will accomplish aside from showing Americans that the illegals don’t care if they disrupt American society? If you ask me that’s just one more reason to get rid of illegals.
Lazy American’s? Who do you all think built this country? It was a wooded untamed land in the 1600’s. The independence came in 1776. In 230 years this nation has been built by hard working American’s. How long have you all sat in Mexico and not built it to an economic power and yet you say you have built this country. I believe you may have all been eating loco weed if you are deluded enough to believe that. Fact is……..it is offensive to hard working American’s to see you all wave Mexican flags in the streets claiming this is your country because you slipped across the border illegally. It is offensive to see militant Mexican’s claim California, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, etc. as Atzlan. Where do you get the nerve. Do you think any natural born American will welcome you with those attitudes? Do American’s hate you? Not hardly, what we despise is the ARROGANCE of an indigent people that we feed we food stamps, provide medical care for at our expense in health departments and emergency rooms, educate at our expense in schools, provide food stamps for at our expense…….while you all cry MEXICO. This is NOT Mexico and never will be. Hard earned American taxpayers dollars are providing all this subsistance to and for you and you insult us with your chants and flying a foreign flag on our soil. You have been here for years and no one has insulted you. American’s built this country just fine without your help and if you continue to insult…we will continue to build it without your help.
I live in TX and a day without latinos means that the rest of the employees working that day will speak ENGLISH the language of America. I dont have issues with latinos. But illegals come here and do not assimilate into our culture. They dont learn the language and they take their money back to Mexico. That money staying here, being spent in US stores would offset the cost of lettuce prices without their cheap labor.
Greg,
What about the people here (legally and natural born) that already do that. I know my welfare office is full, and last I heard, you need to have a social security number to get any kind of public welfare. I do believe that you’re right about one thing. There is plenty of work, the problem, there’s no one that wants to do it. I don’t believe that any race is lazier than the other, I think that we as Americans are spoiled, but that’s neither here nor there.
Say what, strikers shut down factories and ports all the time, why would a port strike now be any different? Striking is quite legal.
Something many of you are missing. The immigrant rights movement is supported by many who are citizens or who are here legally. Thet includes the truckers at the port of L.A.
txredneck. If Latinos don’t assimilate, why does Texas have such a strong cultural influence from them? Ditto for California.
Maybe you should go to a bar, have a Dos Equus and a taco, listen to some norteno, and think about it.
Bob,
I have lived here my whole life. Most of my friends are latino and legal. Most of them are of the same mindset as me. Illegal is just that, Illegal. I love the Mexican culture. Dated a few latino ladies who were legal. Go to church with legal latinos. Work with legal latinos. My boss is a latino. The CEO of our company is a latino and legal US citizen. All of them great people. I have thought about it. Work here and do it legally. Get the papers then cross the border. Dont cross illegally with your pregnant wife or girlfriend and have your anchor babies… I understand the people of Mexico wanting to come here and make better money here at what we call slave wages because your country that you proudly wave your Mexican of is a shithole and corrupt. Its not my fault. Its also not a reason to break our laws….. Fix your own country before trying to change ours.
txredneck,
Why would Mexico fix its own country if that’s what the US does so well….IRAQ…. Now you yourself said that they don’t have a high school education. Well the number of “educated†from our side look pretty damn good, yet our voter turnout is so low. So if we’re educated and don’t vote, what does that say about Mexico. Oh and FYI I will fly what ever flag I choose, at my discretion. Yeah I think it’s called my God given right. You make some valid points. I think that those that work here should put back into our economy what they take, taxes and all, and incase you missed it txredneck, that’s what this is all about. Making them legal, and giving them the means in which they can file taxes, work, and support their selves legally. There was a march here in Austin on Monday and there was a man with his daughter. She was wearing the standard “Si se puede†shirt and on the back it said “My daddy’s an Irish immigrant.†Brought a tear to my eye!! There are more than Latinos to consider here. Our wonderful country was founded on the premise that everyone has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Mariana,
Knowledge is power. Spread the word; tell all your friends and family. You can take part in this too. If you tell one person, they will tell two, and so on. We need to all do our parts. I have printed up some 600+ flyers that I will pass out around my town (predominantly white) and in the town where my children attend school. (also predominantly white and racist) So, I’m very exited.
Melanie
Im all for immigration. But the illegals here now and crossing sneaking today, tomorrow are asking to change the law for them since they broke teh law and are already here. There are countless people in Asia, Africa, Irland, etc… waiting for their papers who didnt cheat and sneak across the border here. They will haev to wait. There is a legal process and the illegals latino or other that needs to be followed. I cant just rob people and say I deserve it because I work for cheap because Im uneducated. I know many immigrants to this country. I work in the high tech industry and we employ hundreds of immigrants. They followed the laws and got the dream. They are an asset to the company. They didnt sneak over here and march. Anyone who is not a fellon can become a citizen here. Illegals just dont want to go through the wait.
Mexican Free Day! Wow, sounds great! Please consider extending it to Mexican Free Week, Month and Year ASAP! In fact, all of you could just walk back across the border the same way you came in!
>>>>>>I understand the people of Mexico wanting to come here and make better money here at what we call slave wages because your country that you proudly wave your Mexican of is a shithole and corrupt. Its not my fault. Its also not a reason to break our laws….. Fix your own country before trying to changeours.
The “Day without Latinos†is going to be great, get them the all in a few select spots and start loading the trucks for the border. Do not worry, there are plenty of willing hands to take on your burdens here, I know that in the construction industry there are plenty of citizens that have lost there jobs because of their wages being undercut by cheap illegal labour.
txredneck,
1984 huh? Well what do you think is happening here? Wire taps and all. What’s next the great witch hunts of Salem? But that’s another topic. If we let go of our culture, and heritage what remains? I’m a citizen, and I love this country. I know where my loyalties lie; I also know the difference between right and wrong. I don’t think that this should be a bilingual country, but I reserve the right to speak which ever of the 6 languages I know. Who said anything about changing the “national” language anyway? My children know where their roots lie and their damn proud too. Don’t most “White/Irish” people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Why, it’s not an “American†holiday. I mean there isn’t a whole lot that’s native to the US. Most holidays are brought over here from other places, and then cherished by the masses? I mean do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo? My heritage doesn’t come from those that fought in the British/American war, yet every year I pop fireworks on the 4th of July. Now I do this because I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. There is nothing wrong with being multicultural, aren’t we already, or is it that we’re trying to deviate from the “rich, white, lawyer/businessman†persona that scares the crap out of the powers that be? Can you not see that if we get “rid†of all the illegals it would have a profound effect on our country? Or can you, as most, bury your head in the sand and believe that it will all be fine? Lamm should re-read 1984 because if I’m not mistaken he just participated in what Orwell calls doublethink, not to mention doublespeak. Furthermore, democracy has been long gone, and I’m not too sure if it ever existed what with special interest groups and all. Not all that glitters is gold, and not all that’s said, written, sung etc. is believable, but that’s what makes this country grand: We have the right to express what we think, as long as you know who you’re expressing it to!!! Do you honestly think that it’s that easy? You just fill out some papers and boom! you have a legal way to get here. It takes money, and without that you’ll never get hree. It takes obscene amounts of money to get here in a “sneaky” manor too! That’s why their here.
Liza Chaplin,
WHAT!!!
Tex,
You’re something else, and that wasn’t a compliment.
Arkie,
Send me one of those hardworking people please. I can’t seem to find anyone that wants to work over here. I’m in Austin Texas. Hell I’ll tell you what have them meet me in Oak Hill at the Gatti Town and I’ll not only provide them with a job, I can also provide them with a place to rent. At just $25 a week, I think that’s fair, oh yeah and all bills paid. I’ll be waiting. Oh by the way I own a roofing company, so I hope they have some kind of experience.
Produce Logic,
Have you lost your mind?? This is what you said……..”TO ALL MY LATINO BROTHERS AND SISTERS OUT THERE–
Hear all these inflammatory, pseudo-intellectual, racist remarks against you?? This is a good sign, not a bad one. You got ‘em running, and their scared. Let’s all KEEP UP the protests, marches and boycotts. Keep the pressure on them. The dominant culture is simply growing impatient and insecure since they can no longer smuggly assume their place of cultural/psychological dominance in the U.S.. Simply put, the U.S. is no longer mirroring THEIR image, and that’s really what’s at the bottom of all the displaced discontent here.”
No, you are not mirroring our image. WE don’t go to a guest country and tell them to get out. We don’t wave flags from other countries here. We don’t go to other countries and tell them it is our country and for them to leave. What in fact all that arrogance and ignorance is doing is making American’s ANGRY as badgers.
Melanie,
1984… Its here and I know it. I will not argue with you about our current gov and its illegal wiretaps etc.. I will tell you im not happy with the current gov situation… We can agree on that. 🙂
Im not asking the latinos to give up their culture. Im asking them to learn english. I mean this is America and our national language is english. Speak spanish to other spanish speaking people and speak english to me and other non-spanish speaking americans. I told you im from TX and enjoy the latino culture. I even respect some of it.
Im not asking you to stop celebrating your culture either. I have been to San Antonio riverwalk on many latino holidays and enjoyed myself.
You are going to see this your way, that your people deserve the right to break our laws.
Im going to see it my way, that you cannot break our laws. Its not about if the President can so can we. One wrong does not justify another. That is foolish thinking on your part.
I understand that working hard for minimum wage here is a giant step up for illegals from Mexico. Its a better life for them.
Im not wanting to take that away if they follow procedure and get documented and tracked. Your people like americans are not ALL angels. (Rape, Murder, Stealing, Drugs etc…) We need security and knowing who is here and tracking guest workers is needed.
txredneck,
That’s what this is all about. Granting AMNESTY so that your idea is possible. I think you misunderstood what I was saying(or I didn’t make my thoughts clear). I don’t think it should continue, I think that the ones that are here should remain. I don’t think that it should be permitted to continue. There are ways of going about things, laws etc., but I’m talking about the here and now. You posted a speech given by Lamm, that said to destroy America make it bicultural. That’s what I was taking about, it’s already multicultural. Don’t you think for a minute that the people here that speak Spanish want to learn English. Try to learn Spanish with no one to teach you, it’s not easy. I guess that’s why their money goes to a program that costs obscene amounts of money, so that they can learn English. Have you ever heard of Engles sin barreras? Are you sure it’s a lack of want to learn English, or a lack of resources? Besides I know plenty of Americans that after years of public school, still can’t speak English.
No misunderstanding. Im Against amnesty. I realize you cant deport 12 million plus people. Im for a true guest worker program without amnesty. I feel like many that they need to wait in line like the rest of the world that is waiting through the process. Not cut in line and get special deal because they broke our law and made it here. That is a slap in the face to others waiting for papers. I do agree the immigration process should be make easier and maybe cost less, but let the people who have been waiting and filed first in first. You have to understand that…
They can still work here, get social services and pay taxes. And as long as they decide to fill out papers for citizenship and wait they can have it. But that is just for the ones here. Like I said ealier today as I write this and tomorrow thousands maybe even hunders of thousands will sneak over here illigally hoping they can get amnesty cheating the others who have waited out of their papers.
And I believe that a guest worked program without amnesty is the best compromise you will get from grass roots americans like myself. But I feel that the politicians will crater and give amnesty anyway.
Melanie
We need a way to stop the continued flow of illegal workers into the US. I think 12 million plus workers here already is enough. Im for the wall on the border with electronic surveilence along with stiff fines for companies who hire illegals. We MUST stop the flow.
Please dont take this as racist. I do not advocate killing all brown people who dont speak english. As far as you saying they want to learn english, living in Texas my whole life I can tell you I have tried to speak many time to a latino only to be told no speaka englas… Then I hear them later speaking english to someone else. That shit pisses me off.
Its pretty amazing people cannot seperate the diffrence between legal and illegal
immigrants .
I do not care where you come from or what color you are but come legally
I am tired of being labeled a bigot just because i think people should obey the
law , and jump in front of many other deserving people to get in this country
txredneck,
Please don’t take this wrong, but maybe they didn’t want to talk to you. This is not sarcastic at all just truthful. People call my house to sell me this that and the other, and boy does that Spanish come in handy, and when they call my house and talk to me in Spanish, the English I spoke growing up pays off too. You see kinda like when they call your house, and by some miricle you’re not there, it pays off. I can understand why it would piss you off, but not every English speaking person makes me happy either. Now I just feel like I’m nit picking. I do apologize, but like you said. You will see it your way and I, mine. It’s been nice having someone very intelligent to debate with vs. the other sad-ass “blog-ers.” And for this, I thank you.
I’ve read many of these posts and don’t get it – many of them seem to be saying that Americans don’t want immigrants here and we’re trying to get them to leave.
That’s propoganda and incorrect.
Our problem (my problem) is with people here illegally.
who are they and what are they doing?
I also want a safe and secure nation. I want my ports and borders secure. That’s it.
Secure my borders and find illegal people here and why they are here.
It’s embarassing that so many Mexicans are so proud to have escaped from a country that doesn’t want them there. The Mexican Government has published ways to sneak into America. Why is that? Is that an admittance that they can’t feed or educate their citizens and prefer them to leave rather than provide for it’s own people?
Is that an admittance that they want only to serve those that have and get rid of those that don’t?
How can anyone be proud of a country that doesn’t want them? That shows pictures every day of thousands doing everything they can to escape?
This is a nation those illegals are proud of?
The why oh why don’t they stay in Mexico and protest there?
Make demands there?
Show their patriotism – there?
No – immigrants are welcome.
Law abiding immigrants, that is, from anywhere in the world. From EVERYWHERE in the world!
Want to make a statement and shut down my nation to force me to agree to give someone citizenship?
It’ll never happen.
Ever.
Show me that kind of determination in the country you escaped from. protest there, make that government responsive to the needs of its citizens there – then apply for citizenship here. That’s the kind of people I want emigrating here, those who can think clearly and are willing to stand up for their beliefs in their homeland, not break laws and expect the same reception as the others I described.
Melanie
No offense taken.
I would love to see the people of Mexico stand up and unite to fix some of the issues there. I feel sorry that a country with such abundant resources is a third world country because of its corrupt government.
People don’t want to leave their home countries. However, often they are forced to. The neoliberal economic policies of the U.S. that deliberately bankrupt poorer nations are a prime reason why this happens.
Read up on how the WTO and World Bank force loans upon desperate countries, mandating privatization and “reforms.” Then the greedheads swoop in, rape the country, then leave for someplace else where the labor is even cheaper and more exploitable. That they leave the local economies in ruins is of no concern to them.
US government is plenty corrupt too, or have you never heard of Jack Abramoff, just one extreme example of how our own system is awash in kickbacks, bribes, and corruption.
AMEN Bob!!
I would like to said I love spanish peopple
Please do somethign about alaskan inmigrantes if do u helped me I will be work in this matter
If Illegal immigrants are granted amnisty, then i wish them good luck continuing to do the “jobs that
Americans won’t do”.
I for one would love to see the look on the face of that new American when he sees
at the aprox. 40% of his paycheck left over after actually paying taxes and social security.
Then figures out that he/she no longer qualifies for free health care, and must contribute even more
to a HMO plan to receive any medical benefits.
So I say good luck to you
I hope you get what you want.
Uncle Sam is Waiting my Friends!!
What we have is an economic reality – extreme poverty, lack of opportunity in one country, and a need for workers in the other – which is not recognized in our
political or legal reality.
As a result, people are forced to do things that break the existing laws in order to live a decent life. Rather than further criminalizing these people, it’s time
that we recognize the problem and take steps to address and correct it.
Economic and political action to bring attention to an economic and
political problem makes sense. If successful, it should serve as a wake
up call that these immigrants are an integral part of our society and
need to be treated as such. Then maybe we can get around to actually
taking steps to address the issue.
I have worked construction before when I wan younger. I remember the guy I worked for who was a roofer could not win any bids. You want to know why, its not that he didnt have any american workers (like me), it was because he could not underbid the guys with illegal workers while he paid his legal workers a fair wage. The jobs the illegals do are not offered to legal people because they wont work at the pay the illegals will. And when the illegals become eligible to work here and pay taxes they wont work for those same wages either. Then the companies just wont hire the newly created eligible workers and will seek illegal workers again.
Same thing happens here in LA with building contractors. They pick up cheap labor at Home Depot.
The laws aren’t enforced on employers. It’s hypocritical and exploitative.
When I worked the West Texas oil fields in the mid 70’s, most of the roustabout work was done by Mexicans. No one asked much or cared if their ID was legit or not.
However, lots of undocumented workers hold white collar jobs, it’s a mistake to say they only do manual labor.
So its not an issue of having workers to do the jobs no american workers will do. I cant compete against a guy willing to work for for 30 a day. The law does not allow me to do so if I wanted to. I have to worry about the IRS.
1. Fine the companies who hire them and make the fines stick.
2. Put up a wall and monitor it.
3. Create a guest worker program without amnesty.
4. Create a national sales tax so everyone pays the tax even illegals who dont get caught. Then employers wont have to match the tax and more incentive will be there to hire legal workers.
5. If an baby is born here from non US citizens the baby is not a citizen. NO more anchor babies.
I welcome all imigrants from all over the world who come here by going through the natralization process. Im actually going to lunch with my coworker and friend from Korea who is now a citizen. He got a work visa and became a legal US citizen.
I’m tired of employees coming in with changed social
security numbers and names. Then SS wants verification,
cuz it doesn’t match their files. But nothing is done
about it. Now we have noticed the signatures don’t match.
And how about how both spouses claim 8 deductions each—
How about the female claims they are not
married to get medicaid for themselves and their
children. How about the use of ER as the drs. office.
How about the groups that aid them in learning how to
get around the system.
It should be, A Day Without Illegal Immigrants.
No one has a problem with the legal immigrants.
The comments above were from another forum.. Sorry didnt mean to post them here. I cannot edit it either. I only meant to post the last part.
“In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.â€ÂÂ
Theodore Roosevelt 1907
Irish and Italian immigrants around the 1900’s suffered serious dicrimination, signs in NYC used to say “No Irish allowed.” And lots of them sent money back home too.
Are you actually saying there’s no racism against Latinos?
Yes you can deport 12 million people, it will not be easy but it is do do able. Remember, we have a LAND border with Mexico, and as most of the illegals came through Mexico just send them back there. Let them take care of the latin brothers and sisters.
Good idea! Then all the crops in California will rot, the meat processing industry will grind to a halt, oil field maintenance will slow down…
And that’s not even considering all the undocumented who have white collar jobs.
What is wrong with my fellow Americans??? I’m sitting here reading these posts about ‘anchor babies” … anyone born on American soil … is an American. Do all of you that oppose immigration reform honestly believe that you miraculously appeared in the U.S.?
This country was started on the hopes and the dreams of immigrants from all walks of life, have you forgotten that? And why is it that we can live with Mexicans … but we don’t want them to have rights? It’s okay if they’re here, it’s okay if they work but God forbid the day that these people can really live like human beings. God forbid the day they have any rights! God forbid the day they can legally drive!
I support immigration reform and I believe that Mexicans have earned the right to freedom in our country. It’s a win-win situation all the way. Mexicans are here now because everyone sat on their fat duffs, knowing about the border problems since day one and now everyone just wants to sit on their fat duffs and complain … I’ll be marching on May 1st and showing my support as an American. My government will know that I support reform because it’s fair and it’s right.
So, for all of you that believe your day will be better on May 1st, you’ll be able to shop without looking at ‘illegal immigrants’ … you guys go ahead and spend money at retail stores that aren’t even owned by Americans, sit at home and watch your t.v., sit back and type away on message boards. Go ahead, stay out of it and accept my gratitude, thanks!!
Your lack of involvement is part of what has led to the problems today.
Zonemom,
Nothing wrong with this fellow American. Anchor babies are a loophole that the illegals use to get here and bypass the legal system and get free healthcare and social services. It cost about $10K to have that baby at legal citizen taxpayers expense. All that for people with a total disregard for our laws. They did not earn the use of those services and yet we pay. What is wrong with my fellow Americans that stand up for 12 million law breakers. A country where my son cant wear a shirt with the american flag so he doesnt make a Latino kid angry.. That is total BS. But the Latino kid can wear his flag and throw it in my son face and call him a racist biggot.
http://www.send-a-brick.com
well any way you all can go out usa and leave it to the americans .. yep
the real ones no those who come from europe .. native americans.. you steal
from them that is a crime not those new imigrants
How nice..a country who spend years in talks to bring down the
Berlin Wall in the name of “Democracy” and now they want to build a
wall in their own backyard? GMFB!!!
How about a wall between Canada and USA? or is that this government is so naive that they think illegal imigrants only come throught Mexico?
Lets support ALL imigrants on May 1st!
I will support all LEGAL imigrant all year long not just one day.
If Latinos didnt break the laws by the millions the US would not need to build a wall. Your right it is sad what we have to do to secure our borders to stop the flow of illegals.
http://www.send-a-brick.com
If history is any guide, it will hurt the US. Look at the ’86 Amnesty. It forgave the 2.7 million illegals (that’s right, up to that point, there were only 2.7 million) in the US, and sent the signal to the world that if you break American immigration laws, you’ll be rewarded for it. Net result: Illegals are coming here in droves, secure in the knowledge that if they get here, sooner or later we’ll forgive them for it. Prior to 1986: 2.7 illegals total. Post ’86: Over 11 million in 20 years. It completely undermines our ability to control our borders, and spits in the face of everybody that tries to get here legally.
http://www.send-a-brick.com
FOUND THIS ONLINE
The 4,000 mile long U.S. / Canadian border has been described as the longest undefended border in the world.
Relations with the government of Canada remain cordial. Canadian citizens can cross into the U.S. at will, traveling and vacationing without an official visa. Even living and working in the U.S. poses little problem for the Canadian citizen; visa requirements are very lenient for our “harmless” brothers and sisters to the north.
Anyone familiar with Canadian immigration policy will tell you that Canada is an immigrant haven and one especially desirable for those seeking some form of asylum. Permanent resident status in Canada is easy to obtain even for individuals from countries strongly suspected of supporting organized terrorism
AND THESE RED BLOODED AMERICANS ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE US AND MEXICO BORDER
ALL MY FAMILY CAME HERE IS FOR A BETER LIFE
WHILE THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE SOUTH OF THE BORDER OTHER COUNTRIES ARE COMING IN FROM THE NORTH AND ITS
NOT THE HISPANIC COUNTRIES
!!!!! ALL MY LATINOS BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!!!!!!!
LETS NOT WORK ON MAY FIRST. IF YOUR ARE OF HIPANIC DESENT LETS NOT FORGET OUR ROOTS. BLACK PEOPLE ALWAYS HAD TO FIGHT FOR THEIR RIGHTS AND LOOK HOW FAR THEY HAVE GONE. NOW ITS OUR TURN TO FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS. FOR THE MEXICANOS THAT ARE HERE LEAGALLY NOW DONT FORGET YOUR STRUGLE TO GET THERE. ITS TIME THAT WE START CARING FOR OUR PEOPLE. NO LATINO WILL BE LEFT BEHIND LET THEM CALL US WHAT THEY WANT BUT WE KNOW WHO WE ARE. AND WHERE WE COME FROM.
LETS MAKE OUR ANCESTORS PROUD LETS MAKE CHAVES PROUD. SO WAVE YOUR COUNTRIES FLAG ALONG WITH THE US FLAG BECAUSE WE ARE HERE TO STAY.
QUE !!!! VIVA MEXICO!!!! Y TODOS LOS LATINOS
I came back to see how the posting is coming along over here and I’m thrilled to see some support for immigration reform!
Oh, another comment about “anchor babies”:
If anyone can tell me just how a Mexican woman, in the U.S. illegally can get medicaid to pay for the birth of her baby … please do tell because I know three women that could greatly benefit from that program! Sure beats the hell out of paying for crack addicts to give birth to children that will be addicted at birth and worse, die. Not to mention the prostitutes around the country walking around with HIV, delivering babies that have little chance of survival. How ironic is that?
Furthermore, you tell me why a Mexican woman, in the U.S. illegally with her husband that works 60 hours a week, a man that has state and federal taxes deducted from his paycheck every week just like American men … shouldn’t be entitled to medicaid benefits if their income meets the criteria?
Those of you that oppose the movement may as well get used to it because when it comes down to it … Mexicans are a HUGE part of America and without them, our countries economy would bust wide open like a fresh mortar on the 4th of July. Congress will do the right thing, reform will happen and finally, Mexicans will get the rights they deserve.
For every Mexican in this country (an estimated 12 million), there’s at least one American behind each of them, how can more than 24 million people be wrong?
The fact that Mexicans leads the statistics of illegal imigrants doesn’t mean they are the only illegal imigrants in this country! you guys talk and talk about the Mexicans but how about the the rest? I mean what’s good for the goose is good for the gander they say..
so lets not lose sight of the main problem which is ILLEGAL IMIGRANTS REGARLESS OF THE COUNTRY THEY COME FROM!
STOP THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEXICANS!
Oh please I saw a group of whites burning Mexicans flags on TV just because they were against the march.. now thats beyond discrimination thats very disrespectful!
Your posts, and others, were removed because they were deliberately nasty, borderline racist, and bring nothing.
You want comments, start your own blog.
THIS LAND IS MY LAND
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME
STOP THE HATE! STOP THE HATE!
LOVE YOUR NIEGHBOR!
I guess if you guys want your cause to do well, thats cool. I think its great that you people have repect for your “roots” and whatnot. What iI think anyway, is that there are many other people that are trying so hard to become a legal immigrant, and spending lots of money doing so. Then i look at the latinos, mexicans, hispanic, etc. whatever you prefer comming into american by the truckload. The fact is that, its not fair to people, and its not fair that you blame us for saying this because of racial prejudice………thats just looking at the situation from one side..and i have looked at the situation from your point of view as well, and it does seem like people will notice, and that our country does thrive onn hard working people such as yourselves. but then there are the lazy ones, who don’t try as hard as alot of people, and skid by in life by using your argument as if it was their own….and that is not right in MY EYES….. anyway, have your protest and see how angry you will make the government, but it is very seldom protests get their way….and i heavily doubt that you people will get your way….please do not play the race card on me…i have heard it all before, so don’t even try
yours truly,
annoyed texan
What the heck Txredneck? WHATS YOUR PROMBLEM YOU MAKE NO SENSE AT ALL. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT AN ILLEGAL HAS TO GO THROUGH. IF AMERICA REALLY WANTED TO GET RID OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS THEY WOULD HAVE DONE IT A LONG TIME AGO. BUT THEY DIDN’T. NOW THEY ARE JUST COMPLAINING. yOU SAID THA YOU AREN’T ASKING FOR MUCH JUST TO GIVE UP OUR CULTURE??? WHAT IS UP WITH THAT? OUR CULTURE IS WHAT FORMS THIS BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY. STOP HATING AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR LIKE (ERES) SAID.
I agree with “i’ll be there” about the flag i saw that
too. Burning a THE MEXICON FLAG ON T.V. THATS LIKE
SPITTING IN MYFACE AND SAYING ITS OK. Although we dont
agree with every thing the government WE DON’T GO
AROUND BURNING AMERICAN FLAGS.
I want to what cities will be holding protest in the south. As one of the most
racist parts of the country, it would show that us Latinos are not afraid to let
everyone know what we demand.
Hey I really want to participate
in this. I want to spread the word to everyone! Can
someone let me know where I would go or tell people to
go in Las Vegas. My e-mail is justamir4thesun@aol.com.
For those who are asking about May 1 actions in their area, check these websites.
No HR4337
http://www.nohr4437.org/
Immigrant Solidarity
http://www.immigrantsolidarity.org/
LATINOS WILL MAKE HISTORY ON MAY 1ST. WE ARE THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE!! AND WE
WILL FINALLY SHOW ALL AMERICANS THE POWER WE HAVE IN THE NATION! YOU WILL SEE!!!
AFTER MAY 1ST, THEY WILL BE REMINDED THAT WE’RE NOT JUST WORKING MACHINES, WE’RE
HUMAN BEINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, go and don’t work on May 1st, just to prove right the stereotype of the lazy latino…
I don’t know about the rest of Latin America, but in Costa Rica an e-mail asking to the rest of Latin America to boicot US products on May 1st, by not shopping for any US brands (including fast food!) is circulating a lot… A way to support the May 1st “no latino day”
Any comments? I really think nothing good can come up of that kind of manifestation, only proves immigrants can be dangerous.
[…] From comments here on the May 1 boycott – I am in charge of importing ocean containers,and the buzz around the ports of Los Angeles, CA is great. All of the Mexican truckers and port employees are not showing up. […]
IM LATINA FUCK THOSE PEOPLE THAT R HATERS FUCK THE LAW MY PEOPLE CAME 2 WORK NOT 2 BOMB THE U.S.
We have many hispanic employees and we value them. They produce a lot of hard work and many have been very loyal employee’s. I understand both sides of this but the fact remains that we need each other. We need our works and we depend on them – as they depend on us. I will respect them if they show up or don’t show up.
Too little, too late to start “enforcing” the law now.. You cant deport over
20 million of illegal imigrants overnight! Much less if the companies who
employed them are not willing to pay LEGAL WAGES TO LEGAL PPL!
Is not the illegal imigrants the problem, its the companies who hire them
and the government who doesnt do nothing to stop it! Of course is not convenient for the government either.. the IRS can’t lose to continue charging interest from all those unclamined “tax refunds”…over $200 millions!
I’m getting tired of reading about this issue because it’s not just a
“latin thing” it’s a worldwide thing (because people come to the US from all
over the world). Why is it that the latin people think that this is all about
them and that the rest of the world should feel sorry? I just don’t get it.
Do you have any idea whatsoever how the Mexican Government treats illegals. For
Example: You being a US citizen (no matter what the color of your skin is),
decides to relocate to Mexico and you only speak english. You, being an illegal
would not get the same rights or privileges as the Mexican citizens; you would
take low priority. AND, don’t you think that since you now live in Mexico you
now have to read, write, and speak spanish.
Also, the majority of those that to work and earn a honest living to work hard.
Since apparently May 1st is “A day without latinos”, May 2nd can be “a day without
italians, May 3rd can be “a day without puerto ricans”, May 4th can be “a day
without french”, May 5th can be “a day without hawaiians, May 6th can be “a day
with japanese”, etc., etc., etc.
So you know how everyone keeps saying that the immigrants do the jobs that Americans dont want to do – and for that they want the privelege of becoming American…….. well, if they become Americans ……… will they still be willing to do those jobs??????
Very silly. I’m a LEGAL immigrant. I did things the way they must be done and I find it very unfair that those people who have sneaked into the country illegally will get their residence and their citizenship offered on a silver tray. It’s not fair for those of us who have done things the right way!!!! I oppose that stupid protest and those of you who are legally in the US should too!!!.
“Thank you Marta” (said Tex) … for what? Immigration laws change all the time and in the past ten years or so (since 96) it’s increasingly harder to do things the right way, especially for someone with limited funds. The requirements are just a bunch of red tape!
Anyway, Mexicans in my area are questioning the May 1st action saying that they don’t want to punish their employers or keep their children out of school. They are looking at other ways to make an impact. In a way I see what they mean because if they don’t go to work on May 1st … who’s their absence truly hurting?
Their employer because many work for small companies, companies that have been good to them and companies that will lose a day of profit if they strike. All children need to go to school too, we shouldn’t allow them to get mixed up in the chaos we have right now … let them get their education.
In the meantime … 21 of our Mexican neighbors were taken on Wednesday as a part of the crackdown on a huge pallet maker. This pallet maker had a site in my town as well as another one just about 20 miles away, I’m not sure how many were taken from that company.
My husband is going through the motions of immigration currently but least I forget he did enter illegally some 11 years ago. Even though my husband has his applications in, our kids are worried beyond belief and so am I. My Mom says it’s horrible to live in fear but I’m not afraid … just worried.
I’m worried because Americans are so divided when it comes to Mexicans and immigration, so divided that I don’t see us being able to come together to work out an alternative … that is scary.
I will continue to pray for our country and that the issues at hand will be handled in a humanitary manner … also that American’s will remember our ancestors that came from so m any places with a dream in their hearts to live a better life. God bless everyone!
I came to this country when I was 13yrs old, luckily with a visotors visa, my parents decide d to stay and make a better life for my 3 younger brothers and me. As a kid we didn’t have a choice, I definetly know it was for the best. I graduated high school, had very good grades and was offered different scholarship, but I couldn’t take them because of my legal status. It was really hard, my life is here, family, friends and I couldn’t just leave all of the sudden to my own country, because this was all I ever really knew. My Life is here, after 16 years in this country, I can proudly say, I became an American Citizen by all the laws. But I have been as American in my heart, seem I have been saying that Appleague Alligeance to this Beatiful Flag. I know there are many kids that graduate High School every year in the same situation as me. They could become doctor, lawyers, etc. But they are stuck with nowhere to go.
It’s sad to hear all this about Hispanics and Mexicans, When I don’t know who gave them the importants to label us as Mexicans mainly and by the way the Hispanic was a name the anglo gave us. We are not Mexicans or hispanics, first of all its LATINOS! and second its not just about Latinos, its about IMMIGRANT OF ALL, they all need to take a stand with us LATINOS and march with us, side by side. Make a Stand Too!!!
I still agree with taking care of our borders, so defenetly not just anybody will walk in, and at the same time avoid more deaths, every single country in the world deals with illegal alien. An amnesty will definetly help both sides. But doesn’t need to cover everyone either, a person who has been living in this country for 7-10 yrs has already set roots here and there is no way there are going to leave, so dream on for the ones that don’t like that Idea. Never is going to happen. This protest marches mainly is letting the people in goverment know that Immigrant want to do it right, stablish a status with this goverment. And if they do, then most likely you more chances of coming across a legal immigrant with documents that don’t take less pay for a job and that do have a drivers license.
Most immigrant still pay taxes to Irs, because they don’t get paid cash, at the end of the year they don’t get a refund of what they have paid. Why do you think IRS doesn’t cares do help Immigration. Gosh, well they are cashing in pretty good to me. That should be able to cover those rediculouses claims of our tax payers money going to provide health care for illegals. No, but I guess with don’t mind paying the medical bills for insurgents(Homeless people).
Latinos are not the ones complaining about saying under God, because whatever religion they are, most of them believe in God. And neither are we the ones complaning about the american flag being raise. And most of all we weren’t the ones who brought the Twin Towers down.
Its extremly ridiculously when people say, oh I have nothing against Latinos! but actually you do, because you just look at our features and skin color. If we were Europeans would you be able to tell us apart.
For Mexicans the war back in who knows when over the land on the west of the US. Was over many years ago, too bad whatever happen then, happen then. Its 2006. Native American Indian don’t go around whinning around what happen back in their days. Different times, different people. I believe we all came to this country to have better life. Make the best of it. Accomplish the American Dream, because we are in America. Love and respected as we respect our own. Im not saying forget yours, not at all. Always be Proud.
But we definetly didn’t want or could be in our countries for whatever reason, then don’t try to make this country be that one you left. If we are here is because we want to be Americans. We are as part of this country as anyone else.
I might Ad, I do stand for the March on May 1th. Will see if we are not needed. Even thought I’m citizen. I do know the importants of making a stand for this. Too bad for the ingnorant the just open their mouth to talk and say stupidities. Like my stepfather use to say before you talk connect your tongue to your brain so you will make sense! Don’t just talk hate and waste your brain. Learn what this law is all about, inform yourself, about the cons and pros that this would bring to the US. and not just because you don’t like our skin color, their is majority of immigrant that contribute to the growth of this country and a minority that do give us a bad name. But what can we do?
And if you still don’t like us, well then too bad. You have two choices, live with it or why not, got back to your own ancestors country. HOw do you like that!
Immigrants are here to Stay!!!
Hey Tex,
Really you should consider what I said above.
Connect to tongue to your brain, you might make sense!
Yes most Caucasiun households in america don’t have 5 kids, they have 6 or what will you call those mormons who came up with the idea of 6 wifes!
Oh that thing of 15 people contributing to make a business, yeah, actually that its called family union. Not scrue thy neighbor. Well, I’m not crazy about the Mexican president myself either. But a Latino President sounds great! And you might want to start to immigration process, cause they do take a while. Thanks that would be one less ingnorant in this country.
Ok everyone, tone it down a bit. No personal attacks… Thx.
I don’t mean to offend, that’s not my type. My husband is caucasiun and I’m Costa Rican, I love my culture and definetely love the U.S. In all cultures we have our good sides and bad.
Definetly a wall on the border, it’s a waste of our tax money, but they do need to come up with more security. I understand that there should be a better way of dealing with this problem. But like I said above, the ones that already set roots, aren’t going anywhere, might us well stablish status. Maybe a punishment on extra fees and depending on the years they being here, I don’t think 5 yrs is enough 7-10 like it use to be while back sounds more resonable. It is unfair for the ones that have done it right from the beginnig. But life is not always fair. What can we do. I think this demostration should definetly be as peaceful as possible. And don’t wave your countries flag, is you want stablish status then proudly and respectfull wave the American, The real flag of immigrants. Because this is were we want to live. If people burn our flags here, then to bad they are ingnorant, there is no need to lower ourselves. We are making history like there ancestor did it back in the day, not all of them came here legally. Have we forgotten history.
In this movement we are not costa Latinos, european or asians. We are all Immigrants that become one. Like we say in spanish ” La Union hace la Fuerza” The Union makes the Force.
As individuals we won’t succede, but together we can be more than strong enough. If not this May 1th a day without, not mexican, but Immigrants, would be of such concern for everyone.
I think everyone need to respect everyone and stop saying mexicans. We are not all mexicans, there is many different nationalities to mention.
Yes, we need to show then our force , we make te economie grows here.then, we are or not a part of this country.I love America and i think they ( governos) canot
turn their back for that. My company and my 80 employees will be at the streets on may 1st.They can`t separate families.
Please, wave the flag of the land where you want to be.
Wave the one that represents the freedom and prosperity that brought you there.
If you are escaping a GOVERNMENT that offeres no oppertunity, why wave it’s flag?
Bring the beauty of the culture, but leave the flag of the government that you’d rather escape.
IF I WAVE MY MEXICAN FLAG IM NOT DOING IT FOR ITS GOVERNMENT. IM DOING IT BECAUSE THAT IS
PART OF MY CULTURE PART OF MY HERIATGE. THATS WHY I WAVE MY FLAG AND THE US FLAG.SO I WONT FORGAT WHRERE
MY FAMILY CAME FROM.
MJ: first is not “a goverment flag” ,that way different than a “nation flag”, im proud of being born inMEXICO. But i love this country, being raised on the border give us the chance to adopt both cultures ,i use the be the all californian loo boy..yes im here ilegally but im here not cause i really need it ,im here on my own choice and right to be wherever i want to be,true indeed ,if i get caught i have to come back to mexico,trust me aint taking nobodys jobs,lots of my friends (all whites) are way to lazy to do it ,even when they are well payed.face it american people is lazy. cant talk better from lots of ilegals that just come here for the benefits,but that was long time ago.now the only benefit you can get out of “the land of the free” is get a job(that ussualy is gonna pay you low wages)to support your family,wich i could get here in a legal way, anyway im here. now if you go to wal-mart and compare 2 brands of the same product….same price but one aparently is bigger than the other and offered more enhancements ,wich one you will buy? american people dont work hard anymore ,even if the are rewarded,they just dont care ,what you want make 50 an hour just to pick up te garbage ,and based on the fact that the color of your skin is “white” ,ok now with my connationals,yes wait till they get the citizeship to see how they gonna start demanding higher wages,and more benefits ,that obviously if not available for the long time americanz ,less for the new “mexico-american citizens. you can comment here ,and do all the noise you want ,this is not an easy to solve issue ,it goes years back, just wait with all this movements and protest nobody get hurts ,we dont need more lost lives ,our guys in iraq are suffering enough ,to have street battles here too. and yes my grandpa was a black american citizen named :”jhon davis”,guess that makes me a little bite “american” too
This land is you land, this land is my land
From California, to the New York Island
From the redwood forest, to the gulf stream waters
This land was made for you and me.
As I was walking a ribbon of highway
I saw above me an endless skyway
I saw below me a golden valley
This land was made for you and me
I’ve roamed and rambled and I’ve followed my footsteps
to the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
And all around me a voice was sounding
This land was made for you and me
The sun comes shining as I was strolling
The wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
The fog was lifting a voice come chanting
This land was made for you and me
As I was walkin’ I saw a sign there
And that sign said, no tress passin’
But on the other side, it didn’t say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!
In the squares of the city, in the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office, I see my people
And some are grumblin’ and some are wonder’n
If this land’s still made for you and me.
1958…thank you, Woodie
hey everyone I am here to support my roots hell yeah I mean come on they are trying to get us out of this country trying to make us look like criminals but what do they do every april 15 they charge their taxes yeah even if u are an immigrant!come on everyone turn your radio up listen to Jae P music like latinos unido latin invasion desir que tu no eres and feel the pride to be mexican
hey anyone got any flyers that I can pass out here if u do please podt them or e mail them to me much appreciated
yeah email me at cubs1fan05@aim.com if you have any copies of flyers about May 1st
I am a mexican living in Mexico, proud of my family, friendship, loyalty and hardwork values and principles,educated both in Mexico and USA, I own a business in Mexico and travel quite frequently to USA on business, and I can tll you one thing, it is true that we in Mexico have a different idea of the terms legal and illegal than guys american citizens, originated by cultural and social conseguences, but I can tell you one thing for those of you that think that we are not doing anything down here to solve our problems, Mexico WILL not be the same in 20 years, I can assure that, people of my generation were not as commited as new gneration, I am 35 and my 6 year old son makes comments on our politicians and laws, when at that I was more interested on playing and having fun and do not remember that I knew the name of the country´s president. I will educate wy children with the same values I received from my parents, and will contribute to make a better country, gicingg jobs to more people than we do now.As country we have to work on education, If the american congress cold find a way to take advantage of the mexican workers skills,treating them with respect while we do our part down here, pretty soon the situation will be different.
But if we focus on racist issues who would you think have more to loose, the ones with the money and the big house, or the ones with nothing to loose and that ARE ALREADY IN THE HOUSE???
On the other hand, I agree that noone needs a lazy person with no values that has no loyalty and commitment to its employer, if that the case I understand and I also do not want them here, they or they children have to be transformed into productive people or put in jail.
Having read all these comments…I can say that that I am shocked at the rampant racism that is still going strong in our country. I am a second generation citizen of the U.S.; only because of( The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo)and the deportation of my grandparents who where land owning and indigenous to the land in Texas bordering the Gulf of Mexico,in the early 1900’s. We are not invaders. We did not cross oceans to steal anyone’s land or jobs, a wise mexicano once said that our people did not cross the border- the border crossed us, for we were already here. And I agree that all people should rise up and protest the corrupt Mexican government( by the way being run by the descendants of it’s European invaders, hmmm?). And we should also look into the fact that NAFTA, as commented by R. Rosales, a social activist in San Antonio, Tx, that is so good for the U.S.economy…left the poor working people of Mexico, even more impoverished than it found them…so, naturally, they look to their neighbor gaining wealth with all this fair trade business going on…another misconception that most anti-immigrants have is that , the Mexican worker is sending all his hard earned money back to Mexico…oh, yes- they’re building empires over there. Didn’t some of you say that Wal-Mart is packed with Mexicans? That’s right. Immigrants of every nationality contribute to the U.S. economy…rent, cars, clothes,food…and another lie is that they are living off public aid such as foodstamps and welfare…first there is a time limit for people to use these services…many years ago welfare became TANF or temporary assistance for needy families,Temporary. And most importantly, one needs a social security number to apply for these services- which undocumented workers do not have. I live is San Antonio, Tx…which ironically is currently having it’s city wide week long “Fiesta” celebration…They kick off the whole party with a speech in remembrance and gratitude to the heroes of the Alamo and the army that defeated San Ana and made Texas independant of Mexico…followed by Folklorico Mexican dancers a, tacos, cascarones and all…if that’s not hypocrisy- I don’t know what is(and a slap in the face ). But I get a sense of racial division going on in my city, since the protest for immigration reform began. I couldn’t believe what some of the staff writers in our local paper were writing,where I usually enjoyed reading their columns, I came away disgusted on how they view immigrants from Mexico. On May 1st, I will send my two children to school,because their education is in their best interest. But in support of my people,I, along with my business associates will not make any purchases of any kind! And I pray for the day that the U.S. elects a woman, black or Latino president. Maybe to finally address the issues at hand honestly and in the best interest of all. Amen to a world without borders.
I am interested in local events scheduled for May 1. I am calling in sick to work by the way. Is there a centralized info center or even a local one for San Diego?
thhanks!
San Diego protest
WHEN: San Diego May 1, 2006: Call to Action!
WHERE: The United States side will march from San Ysidro Community Park at 1:00 PM, go on a 2.8 mile triangular route, first to Larsen Park, then to the San Ysidro border. We will then return to the starting point for speeches, music, voter registration, cultural presentations and much, much more!
For info on protests everywhere,
http://nohr4337.org
http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org
People leaving commetnts should not even get in this page if it’s not to support
la raza Hispana. I am Mexican-American and i am supporting thoes who need us. People
in the US should appreciate a little more what immigrants do. Thanks to them we have somany things
,thanks to them we get our fruits and vegetables picked so we can eat. By the
way “Latinos” are not only Mexican-Americans also people from other places in South
America like; El salvador,Honduras,Peru etc… Viva Mi Raza!!!
Why is everone refering only to mexicans? There are other countries in central america besidies mexico
Absolutely. Plus, lots of those marching and boycotting on May 1 are citizens or here legally.
Plus you never hear the Right whine about all the undocumented Canadisns here in the US…
Just think about it…………if the 11-12 million get deported what are all of our american investors that
own rental properties going to do? Who is going to re-rent the empty properties? Oviously, our government was
fine before all this, we had enough money to blow up a whole country and then re-build it, so leave good enough
alone.
Probably foolish to post as the debate is obviously slanted, but oh well. 1st Generation Vietnamese immigrant, naturalized citizen here. The primary issue is the legality. I’m seeing a few different things here that raise my hackles to no end, but you can’t argue with people that don’t want to listen.
The issues are multiple and I think we need to be honest about it. So let’s stop with the mudslinging and nationalistic stuff for a moment. Here’s my take:
1. ILLEGALITY. Illegal is illegal. There was a great post up above that basically got overlooked/ignored that is REALLY important. You’re forgetting about all of the other hard working, desperate, destitute foreign-born people who want a better life for themselves and their family that ARE WILLING TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. The legal way. Illegal immigration not only is wrong because it’s illegal, but it’s incredibly, incredibly SELFISH. Who are you to say that your dream of a better life for your family is better than my aunt’s who can’t raise money for airfare, a sponsoring agency, government payoffs to obtain exit visas, plus the simple hardship of acculturating to a new country…the only promise she has for success is her dreams? Illegal immigration is the equivalent to pushing a kid with crutches down in the lunch line so you can get your Twinkies first.
2. RACISM. Enough with the victim stance, folks. Sheesh. America has racists. And a lot of them aren’t White. Don’t try to mask your hatred in history lessons, don’t try to use justifications, just be real about it. The race card is tired and played out. We know our history, and if we really wanted to go there, I’d be spouting off ludicrous theories about Asian explorers coming over the land bridge and fostering some of the first Native American tribes. Heck, geologically found arrowheads are even similar. I could argue that for ages just to spout off air and create a distraction and to show off how many books I’ve read, but it still doesn’t get to the root of the issues. We have a troubled national psyche, and racism and the inherent institutional racism of a dominant culture is going to be, and remain an issue. So let’s put down that tired violin and get real please. The focus is, and should be ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. I haven’t seen a ton of coverage of Eritrean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese, or Ugandan flags waving. I haven’t seen “Si Se Puede†translated into other languages. If the focus was really about immigrant rights, there needs to be much more lateral cooperation between migrant groups. Don’t complain about undue focus being narrowed to Mexicans if all the protests are showing MEXICAN FLAGS. Don’t flaunt the race and nationalism card and then later complain that people are focusing on race and nationalism. You deserve the focus if you try to turn it into a race issue yourselves, it’s race baiting. Then turn around and say “well it’s because White people are racist?†Please. That’s called race-baiting.
3. ECONOMICS. Yes, an employee-walkout would definitely demonstrate the importance of migrant workers/illegal aliens, so on. It shows how long we’ve let this problem continue unabated. It shows how corporate greed has won out over our claim that we are a just and true nation that is civilized and respects laws. It shows how greedy and self-serving illegal immigrants can be to completely disregard the laws of a country that they shouldn’t be living in in the first place if they did not come on through the pre-existing channels. “Just stop eating vegetables?†Sorry, that’s the silliest thing I’ve heard today. I’m also tired of the “we do work that no one else will do.†I’ve got twenty five people on my caseload right now who would sell their left leg to be working unskilled labor. I don’t buy it. What it really is, is that greedy companies and whatnot are reliant on day labor because they can bid more competitively and don’t want to shell out wages and benefits to legal workers who could and would do the job if they had the opportunity. Get real. Fine the companies that hire. Since the dollar is what most people seem to respond to, make it an economic issue, because that’s what it really is.
So what does it come down to? Amnesty? No. I’m not going to advocate rewarding illegals who then try to bully the government into getting what they want when they are here illegally. You never thank a rapist for not raping you. Guest Worker program…lesser of several evils but I haven’t seen anything put forth yet that isn’t ties to politics, or the race card,
Good luck with your blog Bob, it seems to have drawn some spirited posts.
Regards,
Chris
[…] The immigrant rights posts here have gotten way more comments than anything else ever posted. One post, May 1. ‘Day without Latinos’ protest now has 160 comments, and that’s not counting all the comments I deleted. Yes, deleted. Racist or right wing comments looking to start a fight won’t get posted. This is a left wing blog, as should be obvious from the About page. I’m not looking to be unbiased here. It’s not just political blogs that moderate, Robert Scoble, “Tech Evangelist” for Microsoft recently started moderating his comments too. • • • […]
My friend says that it’s not the problem that immigrants come here, but the way they do it. She says that this whole march thing is stupid and that she believes that illigal immigrants need to come into this country LEGALLY and the right way. HOWEVER, she celebrates CINCO DE MAYO…..any comments on that?
Your friend should speak for herself on what she beleives. And if she thinks the whole marching thing is “stupid” she should keep it to herself. I wont even argue about her other comments cuz this debate would never end.
I think that everyone should be apart of this all people of hispanic race because they are tring to take away are rights and in the constitution it says that we all were born with fredom. what is next now are they gonna do make the U.S a communist country? they say that everybody should go to school,work and everything but if we don’t go we may get in trouble and maybe even get fired from our jobs well they are violating the right to the freedom of speech that we all supposed to have. they should have it easier for hispanic citizens to pass #1. they are very hard working and they work for cheeper most of the time and they say that we take their jobs and they complain that it is wrong well if most of the americans would get of their lazy butt and work they wouldn’t complain! so also they should get a computer that they document the citizens. so anybnody that disagrees then forget them and
LATINO POWER FOREVER
humility is the answer to all these questions and answers, tolerance is also what these guys need to put in “practice”… HUMILITY AND TOLERANCE!!! something that you americans don’t want to depend or be dealing with, WHY? ——“$$$$”——– MAY 12006 all of you guys will find out. and you’ll see, you’ll notice… CON ENVIDIA SOBRE NUESTRA MASIVA DIGNIDAD!!!
WHY CELEBRATE CINCO DE MAYO IF YOU DON’T SUPPORT MAY 1, 2006?
I hesitate to get involved in these discussions because people feel so strongly
about this issue (just as I do). People have facts but they are generally very
one-sided. I have facts too..and my facts are based on actual experience and not
on numbers that tend to be very skewed when someone tries to use them to prove a
point.
First of all, does anyone agree with me that the US is at fault for this mess?
11,000,000 illegal immigrants in this country? How did that happen? Because the
US allowed it to happen, that’s how! And the money that the taxpayers spend on
honeland security (formerly known as INS) to keep these people out?? We should
be asking the government to justify that! To blame someone for wanting a better
life for themselves and their families?? Can you blame them? Could that be why
YOUR OWN ancestors came here so long ago???? I don’t fault anyone for wanting
a better life..and I do agree that people should not be here illegally BUT..and
this is huge…..THEY NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO! I will give you the
only example I have which is that of a large number of Mexican people. I know
these people very personally, like family, and have struggled with them through
their good and bad…and so I feel very justified saying that this is “my”
experience: In order to visit the US (from Mexico) you have to prove that you
have a good reason to return–and when I say good reason, it’s not “My family is
there”..it’s more like “I have a business there and I support myself and my family
with this business.” In order to get a Student Visa you have to show proof that
you are enrolled in classes and give information as to who will be responsible for
you and where you will live, etc. BUT in order to PROPERLY enroll in these classes
you have to have this same Visa. And, if you are even considering getting a
Student Visa then you are lucky because most of them come here to work and be
productive members of society. I have a friend who applied for legal status the
“right way”. He applied in 1989 and he is still waiting. In the mean time he
has come here illegally…out of necessity not because he wants to…he is almost
40 years old and still hasn’t received his approval letter. He is not a criminal
and I know that someone will say that he is because he committed a crime when he
crossed here illegally….but the government has no idea that he is here..so
please tell me what he should do in this case.
Do you think that the majority of these people risk their lives to get here in an
act of disrespect to the government of the US? They do this because this is the
only option for them. Have any of you that are so deadset on “rewarding people”
with may I add, the same opportunities afforded to you as citizens, ever been
illegal? Have you ever swam through a drainage ditch? Or walked for days in the
desert, passing by the bodies of those that have been on the same journey as you,
only days if not hours, before you? Or seen the underwear and bra strewn across
the desert sand, knowing that if that woman/girl were lucky, that she only had to
endure being raped…but knowing that she was probably murdered as well? Or lying
in the dark in the trunk of a car with two other people for hours in the heat,
not knowing what will happen to you? Do they do it so they have a “When I was
your age…” story? Do they do it to spit in the faces of the US government? Of
course not! They do it because they have to.
Rules are rules and I agree that people should not be here illegally. I understand
the security risks of having undocumented people in this country….but has anyone
that is so against this considered that these people should at least be given the
chance to do it the right way?
What about the men and women who were brought here by thier parents before they were 18? My fiance is 24 years old. He arrived legally with a visa but his family eventually stayed past the expiration date. That was a choice that was made for him when he was 11 years old by his father. His father 10 years later up and left his mother and returned to Costa Rica leaving the mother to fend for her three sons all by herself…they were left with no choice other than to stay here and work. Now he will be punished for choices that he wasn’t involved in making. I find that incredibly unfair. His family has no criminal background they are just trying to make best with what fate God has given to them. That to me…is very, very sad. You can believe I will be in the city on May 1st protesting with the rest of the men and women being treated inferior human beings. Some American citizens may argue that thier ancestors arrived in this country “legally” Well as I recall, the immigrants that arrived on Ellis Island were not required to pay thousands of dollars in lawyer fees and thousands to the government just to become a resident not even an American citizen! I believe that the only procedures they had to go through, was a measly physical. Does the United States government really think that these poeple that travel for weeks through scortching deserts with barely any food or water are going to be financially able to pay thier ridiculous fees? I am guessing the reason for them coming here in the first place is for financial stability. They obviously are not financially stable if they are willing to risk thier lives to come here to work to support thier families. And it really makes me sick that because there may be a few bad apples out there, it ruins the chances for the real hard-working poeple out there. There are bad people in every race, not just the latino race. I am 1/2 Caucasian and half Mexican. My father is Tejano, as was his father. My grandmother came here from Mexico as a teenager to work for my grandfathers’ family. They fell in love and the rest is history. I thank God that my grandmother came to the United Stated for a better life, because if she hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. So I am going to stand up for my people and fight for what I believe is right. Keeping these poeple out is not the answer. This land was made for you and ME!
Dianna
It’s funny how everyone here keeps denying that they are racist. I’ve just read through this entire posting, and it’s very sad that we have so many hateful people out there (and I’m not just talking about the white people either). Tex, for your comment saying, “for the 14 people living in the rental house down the street from my house in Arizona, they can all go back, especially since they broke into the house across from them and cleaned it out before disappearing. I know that’s not typical of people coming here, but if we stopped illegal immigration, things like this would drastically be reduced”. Do you honestly believe that things like robberies, rape, murder, etc. would drastically reduce if they were to get rid of the illegals here? Come on. How many of your precious Americans do you think are doing those things? How many of the LEGAL immigrants? Yet you say you know it isn’t typical of these people? You’re not even making sense. Even if you removed all of these people, you would still have crime here, and I doubt it would be reduced much at all. They are not the ones causing trouble.
You all talk about how you are against the “illegal” part of the whole thing. Can you all honestly sit there and say you have never once in your entire life done something illegal? Please, give me a break. And for what reason did you do it? Not a worthy one, I’m sure. These people, the majority of these people, are coming here for a better life. You don’t know them, so you can’t judge them. They risk their lives coming here, leave their families behind, all for a better way of living or to support the loved ones they had to leave behind. I imagine you would do the same (assuming you were brave enough, which from your comments I highly doubt) for your children if they were hungry or living in dirt. Do any of you even realize just how lucky you are to have been born here in the good ‘ole U. S. of A.?
And to the Latinos on the board (and the ones who support them) who are making comments about Americans or white people being lazy ~ you are in the wrong too. You are being just like the people who are coming down on you when you say that stuff. It’s just silly. We’re not all the same, so how can you group us all together and say all Americans are lazy? Just like you are not all the same, so they should not be grouping all of you together as one. I know there are plenty of lazy people out there. And each lazy person is lazy on a different degree. I mean, just because a certain person doesn’t work outside moving heavy objects all day does not mean he or she is lazy. Lawyers, for example, stay busy all the time, but probably don’t work out in the heat too much, but they cannot be called lazy. Doctors either. There are also plenty of people who do not have an actual job, stay-at-home moms for example, who could NEVER be considered as lazy or not hard-working. Likewise, I am sure there are plenty of Hispanics who ARE lazy. So don’t categorize so much. No all of us are against you, so there is no reason to drop yourself to their level and start name-calling.
I am a white female from Texas, and I know and am friends with a lot of the illegal Hispanics who live and work around here. These are real people. They are not animals. They have families. They risk their lives coming here to take care of those families. They are not here causing trouble like the kids who were born here. The whites and Mexicans (and others) who are Americans are the ones dropping out of school to join gangs or be drug addicts. I know someone who was brought here illegally as a baby, because his mother wanted him to have a chance at a better life, and now he is in college and studying to be a pediatrician.
I will be wearing white on May 1st and helping out in any way I can.
“cejatellez”:
Yours was an excellent and well written post that goes beyond the rhetoric. I appreciate your insight and candor. I agree with a lot of what you posted – especially the part about the US government’s lack of vigilance regarding illegal immigration, a big part of this mess is due to our Gvt.’s ignorance and negligence. We’ve reached critical mass now, and a large part of the blame rests solely on the gvt. as a problem that should have been addressed a long time ago.
I understand and respect your compassion for the hardships endured by those seeking a better life by sneaking across the border. There is no denying that the sacrifices and perils of illegal border crossing are clear and immediate – whether across the Mexican/American border, or through Canada, or like the 12 Chinese illegals that were discovered in a shipping carrier in the Port of Seattle just 3 weeks ago. To deny the human struggle would be calloused, however to let your emotions override the illegality of it and base your economic and legal vote/conscience is a slippery slope.
You hit on something else that I find important, which was the comment regarding the unfair and inordinate amount of time it takes for the immigration/student visa process to occur LEGALLY. I agree that the governmental delays are ridiculous, but it’s the best that we have. Does it need to be changed and streamlined? Of course it does. Does anyone have the right to try to come to our country legally? Of course they do, that’s what makes our country so great. Are long lines justification to break the law and skip ahead of the other would-be immigrants who have enough respect for the pre-existing structure to do it the legal way? Absolutely not, and therein lies my biggest criticism, and the problem is multifaceted.
If you make the conscious and willful decision to break the law of another country, then you make a conscious decision to subject yourself to the consequences of your actions. Period. Unfortunately, like a bad parent who threatens punishment but doesn’t follow-through, the US Gvt. has talked a hard line about immigration policy, but has drowned in it’s own bureaucracy and lax handling of illegal immigration issues. Like an unruly and delinquent child, people attempting to cross over illegally are more willing to do so, because we’ve set a clear example that we’re inept and handling illegal immigration. It’s not a question of more laws, it’s a question of enforcing the ones that are already on the books. Using the same bad parent/bad child analogy, it’s no wonder we’re where we’re at now – it’s very difficult for a parent who has been lax and undisciplined to suddenly start to talk tough and enforce rules that were unenforced previously. Just like it’s very difficult for a delinquent child to suddenly comply with rules and limits if they haven’t been enforced before. However, the end result still is, and always has been – the child knows the difference between right and wrong, the child needs to be held accountable for their behavior, and limits need to be drawn.
I’m wish those that choose to protest all the best, and I will pray for everyone’s safety on May 1st. I will NOT however join in, as the protest to me is just like a bad child trying to push limits with a bad parent in the hopes that by badgering and crying, they’ll get their way, even if in their heart of hearts they know it’s not deserved.
Respectfully to you and yours,
Chris
Chris-
Thank you for your comments..very well written. I agree that what’s against the law is
against the law but I also believe that the problem we have right now is far too big to
go back and punish those that have broken it when it wasn’t properly enforced in the
first place. At this point I think the undocumented need to be documented. In my case,
my husband came in undocumented and in 2001 we were given the opportunity to apply for
legal residency for him….we were married in 1999 and we assumed that just because we
had been married that he would be given papers and we later found out that this was not
the case. Part of the process of legalizing him was to pay a fine to the INS for his
crime of entering the US undocumented. Additionally, I had to provide my taxes from years
1995-2000, a letter from my employer with my salary information, bank account
information, etc., etc…the logic being that my husband needed a petitioner that would
be responsible for him if one day, for example, we were to divorce and he were to have 10
children and no job. I was told that I would be financially responsible for him in such a case. I can totally understand the logic in this. This is the type of reform I am seeking for the
current situation and, as for the future, I am hoping that the government will take the
necessary steps so that coming here illegally is not seen as “no big deal” or as
something that people do every day…but also so that people aren’t “forced” to break the
law because they have no hope of coming in otherwise.
Also, one final comment/question..a little off the subject. It is a fact that there are
millions of illegal immigrants that work for cash. There are also millions more who work
using fake social security numbers. They pay taxes every year just like you and I. At
the end of the year most of them are unable to do their taxes and reclaim this money that
the taxpayers have to pay for the illegal immigrants that are on welfare, or those who
use medi-cal or food stamps, etc. Has anyone ever wondered what the government does with
this unclaimed money? Wouldn’t it be a wise decision to increase security at the border
if that’s what the government really wants? Or use the money to alleviate the cost to
the taxpayers of these government programs that are being abused? I’m sort of playing
devil’s advocate here because I totally believe that everyone needs healthcare,
especially children who have no choice but to be here (Dianna’s comment)..but those of
you that are so set on the fact that these people coming in illegally are the taxpayers
end up paying for this. Maybe we should be posing the above questions to the people we
elect to represent us…?
Illegal Immigration leads North American “community” to follow European Union
What’s really unfortunate about the illegal immigration debate is that American citizens who advocate open borders and side with illegal aliens don’t understand the geopolitical push for the elimination of all borders in order to maximize and grow profit margins for transnational corporations. Allowing illegal immigration to go on for decades as it has in the U.S., quietly allows regional integration to take place before anyone can discuss it let alone resist the dissolution of U.S. sovereignty.
There is plenty of documentation on and offline where Globalists are calling to regionalize groups of countries into integrated trade blocs or regions. In a report, “A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All”, by the U.N’s International Labor Organization (ILO), it’s stated, “Countries are better able to manage the social and economic challenges of globalization by working together. That calls for better integration of social and economic policies in the process of regional integration, as has been the aim in the European Union (EU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur), among others.” (p. 14) http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/report.pdf
If you think it’s just the U.N., then have a look at the recommendations on the U.S. Embassy’s website in Canada called “Building a North American Community”. Here former government officials and corporate leaders call for a “common security perimeter” for the U.S., Canada and Mexico by 2010 (p. 8) where people (including workers) from all three countries would be able to move freely within the “perimeter” (pp. 10, 26 – 28). Think of the “Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America” that President Bush entered into with Mexico and Canada as steps towards this goal. Other outrageous recommendations include retraining our public school teachers to instill a “North American identity” in our children. See page 30, where it says “Develop teacher exchange and training programs for elementary and secondary school teachers. This would assist in removing language barriers and give some students a greater sense of a North American identity. Greater efforts should also be made to recruit Mexican language teachers to teach Spanish in the United States and Canada.” Yes, corporate America, multinationals, Big Brother, the New World Order, Global Regime or whatever you want to call them/it wants to reshape the national identities of our future generations to regional identities through our own public schools! This gives a whole new meaning to corporate welfare! http://www.usembassycanada.gov/content/can_usa/northamericancommunity_TF_final.pdf
These widely endorsed recommendations are actually mild compared to proposals by Trilateral Commission participants that call for a North American police force (“modeled after Europol”), N.A. Parliament (to “raise the sensitivity of American Congressmenâ€ÂÂ), N.A. passports, N.A. Customs & Immigration agents, N.A. Development Fund, etc.
“A North American Community” http://www.trilateral.org/nagp/regmtgs/pdf_folder/pastor02.pdf
“A Mexican Vision for North America” http://www.trilateral.org/nagp/regmtgs/pdf_folder/rubio02.pdf
The ILO must be proud of our Senate for trying to link border enforcement to guest-worker-amnesty legislation because in “A Fair Globalization: Creating Opportunities for All”, it states, “A fairer framework for the movement of people was essential, and in the European regional dialogue it was argued that “any policy of restriction should be linked to a policy of trade liberalization and development cooperationâ€ÂÂ.” (p. 14) http://www.ilo.org/public/english/wcsdg/docs/report.pdf
Building a North American “community” amounts to policies focused on creating an integrated population to compete with populations the size of China and India each of which surpass one billion. Globalists already had their way developing China as the transnationalists’ new manufacturing base without any attempt to negotiate for human rights in China, free Tibet or even secure the future rights of Taiwan to remain sovereign and free from China’s non-democratic government. Mass overpopulation (through regionalization) in the U.S. would allow manufacturers and most other employers to dictate wages at third world levels where we would then see jobs that had been offshored begin to return to North America.
Just Yesterday I cam accross a job opening add in the paper which stated that prospects
must meet and pass new prelimanary inspection and background check including a
citizenship status. I researched the name of the company- turns out it is a
german last name. German as I recall they are as much of an immigrant as we all are.
I believe this country is making a bad turn. The ending result could be catastrophic.
IS THERE ANY PROTEST IN MICHIGAN? ANYONE LET ME KNOW AT WEXICAN_69@HOTMAIL.COM TITLE THE EMAIL LATINO DAY
I am proud of everyone who is taking action inspired by their beliefs. I agree that this is a dangerous turn we may be taking in this country. Immigration crackdowns have occurred in the US before and led to much misery only to be repealed after months or years of families being torn apart and homes being broken up. Ultimately, it is the innocent who suffer–men, women, and children who are emotionally and physically damaged in the end. This is a plain case of scapegoating immigrants because the country is having problems. We need to deal with those problems and not blame economic difficulties on immigrants. If any person does not have health insurance, a decent job, or any other financial need met, please don’t blame it on innocent people. Lets take a look at why we pay so much in taxes and why over half of that money goes to military spending instead of taking care of US–the people who make this country. One Love!
IMPORTANT, HARD-WORKING LATINOS PLEASE LISTEN!:
I am a white, NON-LATINO American citizen who is married to a beautiful hard-
working latina woman. I am also less than a year from finishing a SPANISH degree
in college to become a SPANISH teacher. I love the hispanic culture very much! Let me say that I want to help Latino immigrants be able to live a good life and support their families. For the most part, what all immigrants want is a better life and opportunity. BUT PLEASE
LISTEN:
This IS a big issue, and I will NOT stand for immigrants to be labeled CRIMINALS!
YES, it is illegal to enter the U.S. without permission, but it is NOT illegal to
steal from a supermarket when disaster strikes in order to LIVE. The problem is
the ECONOMIC opression that immigrants have felt by the governments of their
countries. Therefore, they LOVE their countries but MUST come here to have a
GOOD life. Who doesn’t want that? One only lives once.
BE CAREFUL THOUGH! You have SOME American support you do not want to separate
yourself from! This IS NOT a RACIAL issue, because new immigration rules will
apply to ALL races of undocumented immigrants. Please do not call it that. That
is merely an EASY SCAPEGOAT for the problem! The FACT is, the laws were DISOBEYED,
and NOBODY is CALLING for any action against LATINO AMERICANS (legals). So it
is NOT racial! Whether I agree or disagree with the LAW, which I think
immigration needs SERIOUS reform and want to help, it is a question of LEGALITY.
BE PROUD of who you are as hard working LATINOS, but do not be TOO PRESUMIDOS! I have
heard the comment in the PROTEST rallies that “WE ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE
ECONOMY.” Do not be offended, but I do NOT believe that as an AMERICAN.
BACKBONE,no, IMPORTANT PART, yes. I support LATINOS and tell AMERICANS all the
time that LATINOS are hard-working people who need to be respected, but aside
from LATINOS, there are AMERICAN CITIZENS who work hard as well, about 250 million of
them(LATINOS included). The country would NOT “FALL APART” if 15 million
undocumented workers had to leave, because AMERICANS are hard-working too.
BUT, AMERICANS should be compassionate and TRY to help those who are already
here and working, supporting the American economy. YES, they are VERY important!
Whether undocumented or not, LATINOS are HUMAN BEINGS! I do not think necessarily
that it is RIGHT to come here ILLEGALLY, but LA CULPA QUEDA con los estadounidenses
Y los inmigrantes. How? Well, imigrants came here illegally, but the U.S.
hasn’t enforced its laws. So, as I am NOT for amnesty, I am NOT for breaking up
HARD WORKING LATINO families who have resided here for years.
LASTLY, I want you to understand that I want to HELP LATINOS. I want programs
for workers to be able to come to the U.S. and make the money they need to
provide for their families. But, as much as I love the Mexican and hispanic
people, I also love my fellow Americans. SECURING the borders in SOME way must
happen, and history tells us that if this is not done, then the country will
fall.
As AMERICANS, we remember 9-11, 2001 and the damage that TERRORIST (NOT LATINOS)
can do to our country and our people. THESE TERRORIST ARE NOT NOT NOT LATINOS!
I know, but ALL of our borders, MEXICO, CANADA, whatever, are vulnerable to
TERRORIST entry. AND yes, some terrorist came here LEGALLY and overstayed their
VISAS, etc. BUT, BORDER SECURITY eliminates ONE MAJOR entryway for WOULD BE
terrorist who TRY to blend in with the GOOD MEXICAN immigrants who seek work.
PLEASE, LATINOS, know that I will march with you if your GOD GIVEN human rights
are at stake! I am there with you. But, APPEALING to the GOOD AMERICAN PEOPLE
in a different way might yield different results. AMERICAN PEOPLE, on the whole,
are GOOD people, just as LATINOS are! With a little more COMPASSION and a little
LESS THREATENING talk from BOTH sides, a think an agreement would be met.
Lo que los estadounidenses no entienden es la cultura y los valores de los
latinos. El uso de los dos IDIOMASfrequentemente nos separa en grupos diferentes
en la sociedad. La falta de communicacion, yo creo, es el problema mayor
que los inmigrantes enfrentan. Los estadounidenses se sienten amenazados por
una cultura y idioma extranjero. Por favor, entiendan. LATINOS, HABLAN con
la gente ESTADOUNIDENSE en las MARCHAS, no solamente a los LATINOS! AYUDALOS
ENTENDER LO QUE LOS LATINOS OFRECEN A LA SOCIEDAD ESTADOUNIDENSE, y ASI,
ENTENDERAN!!
FOR THE RECORD, I WILL NOT SUPPORT THE MAY 1 PROTEST, because I don’t think
GOOD latinos need to focus themselves on teaching the U.S. a lesson when they
have already DROPPED the CRIMINALIZATION bill. Give them a chance to
work something out first, then react.
I DID, however support the marches AGAINST HR 447 that planned to CRIMINALIZE
the immigrants. Look, for my fellow AMERICANS, it is TRUE that laws shouldn’t
be broken, BUT you would do the EXACT same thing if your country was in
economic turmoil! Understand that these people do not want their families to
live in POVERTY for the rest of their lives! You wouldn’t either!
It’s the classic case of, “I have all “I” need in life, so who cares about
everyone else.”
LISTEN FELLOW AMERICANS: I am a white american citizen, ok, not LATINO.
Do YOU really know what it takes to apply for RESIDENCY in the U.S.? I was
watching the NEWS and it said that if SOMEONE from the Philipines would have
wanted to LEGALLY come over to the U.S. in 2006, THIS YEAR, they would have had
to APPLY in 1988, ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO! Would you be willing to WAIT 20 years
to OFFER YOUR FAMILY, KIDS, ETC., a CHANCE at a DECENT LIFE! NO!
Both SIDES need to calm down here. This is a SERIOUS HUMAN RIGHTS issue, not
just a LEGAL issue. AMERICANS need to be more understanding and compasionate,
while still PROTECTING the U.S.
LATINOS need to reach out to the AMERICANS instead of just chanting SPANISH
phrases to a ALL LATINO crowd. I, as a FLUENT SPANISH SPEAKER, want to see the
LATINOS reach out to the many COMPASIONATE AMERICANS that would want to help
them if THEY were communicated to. MOST AMERICANS DON’T UNDERSTAND SPANISH!
And I MYSELF, although I love the LATINO community and culture, feel sometimes
even “I” feel DISCONNECTED with LATINOS for their lack of attention given to
GOOD AMERICANS. Latinos, please reach out to AMERICAN society, that’s all
I ask. Show them what you have to offer to this country. I KNOW MOST LATINOS
ARE GREAT PEOPLE, just show AMERICANS! LATINOS already KNOW! Don’t make the
MARCHES THREATENING, instead APPEAL to the AMERICANS for HELP and I will stand
with you!!!
Viva Mexico Caones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just remember LATINOS, The United States of America is NOT only LATINO. There
are WHITES, like myself,BLACKS, INDIANS, ASIAN, etc. That’s what makes the
country so great.
Being FLUENT in SPANISH, I have watched some of these protest. It is LATINOS
praising LATINOS and standing with LATINOS while talking about LATINO pride and
how important LATINOS are and how they are going to organize together as LATINOS,
etc.,etc.,etc.,etc.
And these comments on this message board are not helping either, from both sides!
THIS is what separates AMERICA, groups of ALL one ethnic group or RACE driving
WEDGES between themselves and AMERICAN SOCIETY and then calling everything
RACIST. That goes for every single ethnic group in the U.S.
NOW, LATINOS speaking to the DIVERSE AMERICAN CULTURE and SHOWING them how
great LATINOS really are is the KEY to us becoming one as a nation.
I am just SICK of the comments, some that have been against my race, on
this board. THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION amongst RACES!
In my COLLEGE, there are LATINOS, and WHITES, and BLACKS, and ASIANS, etc., and
nobody really pays attention!! It’s not important!
WHAT I WANT TO SEE HAPPEN IS A LATINO AND “AMERICAN” RALLY FOR “HUMAN” RIGHTS…
Whether LATINO, AFRICAN AMERICAN, CAUCASIAN,ASIAN, we have to unite. UNDER ONE
FLAG, ONE COUNTRY….
I mean, WHY CAN’T THERE JUST BE A RALLY FOR ALL GROUPS TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHERS
CULTURE!!!! Not for protest, NOT for DEMANDING something, NOT FOR A FIGHTING
CAUSE!!! NADA, NOTHING, just ONE BIG GROUP IN THE STREET OF DIVERSE CULTURES AND
DIFFERENT COLORS OF SKIN GETTING MORE ACQUAINTED WITH EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF
STICKING TO THEIR OWN GROUPS ALL THE TIME. THAT WOULD BE A MIRACLE AND IT’S
WHAT WE NEED….STOP ALL OF THE INSULTING!!
What’s more important? Thousands of soldiers in Iraq, scared each day and in hopes that they will be returning home; those soldiers who are missing the birth of their child, missing their child(ren) grow, just being home with their families or all the illegals, no matter what country that your from, trying to anything they want even though they are not even trying to become citizens?
It’s sad, but unfortunately, people just want to blame others for their mistakes when they don’t realize that there’s 3 fingers pointing back at them.
that is really mess-up what the goverment is doing to the latinos in the united states what they need to do is thank the latinos for coming over here and doing the work that white people or black people won’t do. if the goverment takes out all the latinos from every where in the united states the united states will go under they ust don’t want to admit they need all the latinos here with out them the united states would go bankrupt VIVA LOS MEXICANOS
Dis is for (da USgal) so its alright for the “illegals” to get killed over in Iraq, right? Then its all the “illegals responsibility” to fix all the problems in Iraq for yall,right yeah don’t you sound convincing! So guess what the Mexicans are so great cuz we fixin not only your country economically, but also Iraq. You is a dumb brodd! aight den Holla Back.
Hi everyone well my name is Liz I am 15years old and I like my parents are llegal but that doesnt mean I will sit back and let the rest of my race(MEXICAN!)fight alone no of course not i will stand by their side and help them in any way I can, hope all the other latinos do the same.
Oh, by the way, Quependeja…I see Hooked on Phonics worked wonders for you…. 😉
phil
i totally agree with you. Latinos are some of the most hardworking people
that anyone wanted to meet. let’s stop the racism its about america, if you
want to be a citizen you and become legal you a american citizen. doesn’t matter
if you latino, white, black ect… let’s stop and think about the whole situation
it’s not race, let’s just get along and become one country together and stand
up proud. THIS IS AMERICA, FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE. LATINOS SUPPORT OUR FLAG,
OUR COUNTRY. I am sure there are other americans who will support this issue
VAMOS A APOYAR ESTE BOYCOTT, YA ESTAMOS CANSADOS, YA BASTA….ESCRIBO EN ESPANOL PARA QUE TODOS IGUALMENTE SEPAN QUE EL ESPANOL ES IMPORTANTE EN NUESTRAS VIDAS…..ANIMO A TODOS, ADELANTE Y NO VALLAN A PARAR…SE NECESITA MUCHO APOYO, Y JUNTOS LO VAMOS A LOGRAR.
I AM A USA CITIZEN, 17 YEARS OLD AND SUPPORT THIS BOYCOTT JUST BECAUSE i AM TIRED OF THE DISCRIMINATION IN MY COUNTRY (USA), THIS IS THE LAND OF EVERYONE, NOT JUST FEW PEOPLE.
Republican will get the point that california is so powerful is the 5th largest economy in the planet, and let me guess 10 million mexican live here lets ask o”reilly if he can see a relation in here, and to all the farmers in california and florida if they want to import fruit from china as well the reazon why the defficit is not catastroficc is because latinos can still make things cheap in yhe u.s. and if the U.S.A. deport massive amount of mexicans back to Mexico I have news for you the Mexican goverment will stop exporting oil to the U.S so you all get the message do not bite the hand that feeds you, look at venezuela and the oil prices wait till you really piss off the Mexican goverment get ready to pay 10.00 a gallon of gas and suffer the worst depretion since 1930
Uhh, perhaps this could backfire on you. I am a strong supporter of immigration who hates to say this but in the Dallas area you guys are making alot of enemies. Many people who currently support you would see you in a negative light if you suddenly left jobs en masse. I also resent the idea that latinos are the only ones that are willing to do hard, work. For many months I was not able to find work and started my own lawn service doing anything neighbors desired. Currently many people are sympathetic to your cause but you are making enemies out of supporters by proclaiming that no one else works. The US needs consistency in its immigration policy, it needs to make citizenship easier, the current system is tilted so those trying to enter here legally are at a greater chance of being deported than those that aren’t officially here. One of my good friends who was top of his class and about to go to UC Berkley almosts got deported when his citizenship which was about to be wrapped up was thrown into limbo by conflicts with North Korea. You guys are here to build a future, let them see that, show them your patriotism. I also worry of your home country, should it not work to improve its lot, it has oil reserves, natural resources, and a talent of skilled labor; by all accounts Mexico should be a very prosperous country, the leaders there should use this unique opporutnity of high oil prices and the paychecks flowing from the US (via your hard work) to build up the Mexican nation. As for what I do now, I simply do the jobs other people refuse to do at a grocery store, and Ive been doing it for 2 and a half years now to pay for my education and living expenses. I support immigration, we are all immigrants to this land of opportunity, but much more support has been lost than has ever been won by kicking the majority of the populace where it hurts.
I am a legal immigrant and strongly oppose this protest.
We came to the US legally and followed the rule to apply for citizenship.
How can a group of illegal people came to the country illegally and asked
to be legalized. This is non-sense.
Where is the law? Why do we even need laws?
I agree in helping for the illegal immigrants, but like the mexican goverment asks USA to help their people, also like that they should have passion for the central americans that are in mexico, because they grab them and kick them back to their own country, but still they rob every thing they have. If a baby is born in mexico with illegal parents they dont give the baby rights to go to school, still here the americans any baby that is born here in gets to be a citizen right away. We should have compasstion for other so they also have for us. they should help the central americans too not just only the mexicans.
where are the leaders?, the calif mayor of l.a. BILL RICHARDSON new mexico when .when all the smoke is cleared it will be los huero 10 and latino 1 if we dont have leadership.we need to have a clear voice.if we dont all is for not. we are on a wave , if we act right the world will here, maybe washinton D.C. we need to hit the $$$$$$ the buck.the feria,I HOPE AND PRAY FOR ALL OF U.S.US. TO DO IT RIGHT RING THE LIBERTY BELL. IS NOT MAY DAY, LIKE SOME WOULD LIKE YOU TO BELIVE. ITS ARE DAY TO VOICE THE TRUTH , LATINO DAY OR WHAT YOU WILL CALL IT ? GOOD LUCK THE WORLDS EYES ARE ON U.S.
Its very sad to see the way hispanics are seen in this country. This country is full of hate and racism and has been since day one. This countries economy fuctions because of all those immigrants who go out there and work jobs that the Americans think they are too good for. And in responce to the ignorant person who said hispanics drop out of school, do your research because there are states down south and in the midwest that have a huge number of “white americans” that drop out of school. I think its a great idea to protest and even if they dont get the change they want that day, at least the Currupt politicians of this country know that there are people out there who will fight for change. Good Luck to all and dont let “white america” bring you down the way they have brought down women and blacks in this country
I dont agree with what some other latinos have been saying that they fixed their papers with hard work and dont think illegals should be granted citizenship so easily yes you worked hard to get it and good job you received it but why not help out the immigrants now so they wont go through the trouble you went trough isnt it enough what they are going and have been going trough all this time??
If we were to grant amnesty to mexican undocumented workers, it is only right and fair to apply the same standard to all people. For a second thing I dont believe I have brought anyone down, I am labelled white though that is not fair, this judgement of skin color. Racism is an ugly thing, something I am lucky I do not have to deal with that often(I resent being called gringo though). Why must we insist that people like me who work many of these jobs happily with a sense of accomplishment, not exist in this country.
MARIA:
I think you are completely wrong. I think the protests on
MAY 1 are going to infuriate Americans and wake them up to
their foolishness in allowing people to break their LAWS
for decades.
The USA has worshiped the DOLLAR far more than they have FOLLOWED their own laws and constitution and now it has come back to BITE THEM on the rear end.
To THEM this is about an INVASION and a TAKE OVER by
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS who should not be here at all.
The Latinos just do not get it at all. Their position
is understandable too…
They just want to live their lives in peace and work,
raise a family etc.
The impasse will not be solved wioth FORCEFUL protests like
the foolish one that is planned for MONDAY.
I can tell you this is GOING to lead to TROUBLE and conflict.
I will not be at alll surprised if it leades to VIOLENCE or
a HARDER LINE by the U.S. Congress and Executive, desperate
to prove that they are macho and “still in control of things.”
Be very careful on Monday. Make no mistake – I love all of
my Latino brothers and sisters whether they are legal OR
illegal, BUT I will be going to work, and I will spend MORE than usual at a WIDE variety of stores.
MARIA WRITES:
>I think that this march on May 1st, 2006 is going to open the
>eyes of American
people to show them how much Latin immigrants mean to this country. I think that
without Latin immigrants working in this country the U.S. would be shit
without them. The government should either give residency to immigrants or give
an amnesty like back in the 80’s. Especially to illegal immigrant students who graduate from high school and college and can’t get a job because they don’t have citizenship. So
everyone for this don’t go to work or anything on May 1st, 2006 to see what
Americans do without us.
Viva la raza, cabrones!!!!
What would happen if the ICE officers are at the protest and pick up all non-green card protesters?
Excuse me EVERYONE, But i do believe this is the united states of America..
The USA has the rights to our own laws. It s illeagel to enter un documented. That is the problem here. We need to make it easier to obtain work visas for Imigrants. I am Aborn us citizen and my husband is a resident alian. He is legal.It is not ok to enter illegaly. This is what you should be protesting.
I’m saddened by the posts I’ve read here today. Has the failure of the U.S. public school system ever been
so obvious? It doesn’t seem to matter whether the writer is a life-long citizen of the U.S. or an immigrant
(legal or illegal) who’s been here for years, either they can’t spell or they are too lazy to proof-read what
they’ve written. Respect is earned and the written word is a powerful tool in that endeavor. Those who
respect the rules, of a nation or a language, shall succeed.
I am so thankful that my ancestors immigrated to this nation centuries ago. Immigration is a wonderful thing,
when undertaken in a law-abiding manner. Yes, it takes years to go through the legal process, and it can be
very difficult to be patient, but think of the benefits – no more hiding from the authorities, no fear of
deportation, and the right to be protected by LAWS put into place to keep order.
I would like to pose a question to all of those American citizens so keen to throw our immigration laws out of
the window because “the illegals are only seeking a better life for their families and should not be held
accountable for breaking the law”: The next time someone breaks into your home or car and takes what they
want, will you just shrug your shoulders and say “they are only trying to make a better life for themselves –
they are entitled to do it in any way they wish, regardless of the effect that those actions have on the very
fabric of American society”? I sincerely doubt it. I suspect that you will be calling 911, demanding that
someone do something to protect your rights.
If I seem hard-nosed, then so be it. I am a realist. If I ended up in a lifeboat with a maximum capacity of
25 and there were 100 people in the water, then I must save the 24 that I can and do my best to get help for
the rest, rather than overload and sink the lifeboat, and doom all to a watery grave.
To all the Latinos looking for a better life: Start the process of overthrowing your corrupt governments. If
America does it for you, you will only condemn us for being arrogant and “occupying” your countries. Take the
energy that you currently expend walking across deserts, swimming across canals and protesting in foreign
countries, and turn it toward rising up and remaking your own country into one you can be safe and productive
in. Show America what you are truly made of. You are hard workers, I will give you that. Show us how strong
you really are by fighting for the freedom of your people within your own countries.
To all of the Americans who can’t find workers, I have several suggestions:
1. Perhaps you might want to consider recruiting in some of America’s inner cities. There are many people trapped
there who would jump at the chance to work hard somewhere else if only they were aware of the opportunity and
were able to find a way to relocate. Get together a network of Americans willing to help those people
relocate to your area. I, for one, would be happy to help someone move if it meant that they could raise
their children in a safer environment with better opportunities.
2. Go to your local high schools in the spring months and offer summer internships at minimum wages, with
the incentive that those who work hard and learn the necessary skills will be offered better paying jobs upon
graduation. Or go to local shelters or food lines – are these people aware that the jobs exist? Are you
willing to provide the on-the-job training to inexperienced workers? How can a worker gain skills if no one
will hire and train them?
Let’s all stop whining and wanting everything handed to us. If we all work hard together and abide by the
laws of society, we can all win.
I’ll be in Chicago tomorrow..anyone else going?
OK I DONT REALLY AGREE WITH WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT IMMIGRANTS SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON THE GOVERMENT IN THEIR OWN COUNTRY YES THEY SHOULD BUT THAT SHOWS THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CRITIZING DONT REALLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN MEXICO FOR EXAMPLE BECAUSE IN MEXICO RIGHT NOW PEOPLE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO RECONSTRUCT MEXICO LESS CORRUPTLY BY GETTING NEW CANDIDATES FO RPRESIDENT AND THE REST OFFICES SO CLEARLY YOU ALL THAT ARE COMMENTING SAYING MEXICANS ARENT DOING NOTHING TO BETTER THEYRE COUTRY ARE WRONG.
If you believe in this phrase in our Declaration of Independence…
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
then you should be participating in the rally no matter your ethnic background.
Seeya at the march and peace out,
Arthur
COULDN’T HAVE SAID IT BETTER ARTHUR-clumz!!!!!!!!!!
I Am Waiting
I am waiting for my case to come up and I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder and I am waiting for someone to really discover America and wail and I am waiting for the discovery of a new symbolic western frontier and I am waiting for the American Eagle to really spread its wings and straighten up and fly right and I am waiting for the Age of Anxiety to drop dead and I am waiting for the war to be fought which will make the world safe for anarchy and I am waiting for the final withering away of all governments and I am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder.
I am waiting for the Second coming and I am waiting for a religious revival to sweep thru the state of Arizona and I am waiting for the Grapes of Wrath to be stored and I am waiting for them to prove that God is really American and I am seriously waiting for Billy Graham and Elvis Presley to exchange roles seriously and I am waiting to see God on television piped onto church alters if only they can find the right channel to tune in on and I am waiting for the Last Supper to be served again with a strange new appetizer and I am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder.
I am waiting for my number to be called and I am waiting for the living end and I am waiting for dad to come home his pockets full of irradiated silver dollars and I am waiting for the atomic tests to end and I am waiting happily for things to get much worse before they improve and I am waiting for the Salvation Army to take over and I am waiting for the human crowd to wander off a cliff somewhere clutching its atomic umbrella and I am waiting for Ike to act and I am waiting for the meek to be blessed and inherit the earth without taxes and I am waiting for the forests and animals to reclaim the earth as theirs and I am waiting for a way to be devised to destroy all nationalisms without killing anybody and I am waiting for linnets and planets to fall like rain and I am waiting for lovers and weepers to lie down together again in a new rebirth of wonder
I am waiting for the Great Divide to be crossed and I am anxiously waiting for the secret of eternal life to be discovered by an obscure general practitioner and save me forever from certain death and I am waiting for the storms of life to be over and I am waiting to set sail for happiness and I am waiting fro a reconstructed Mayflower to reach American with it picture story and tv rights sold in advance to the natives and I am waiting for the lost music to sound again in the Lost Continent in a new rebirth of wonder
I am waiting for the day that maketh all things clear and I am waiting for Ole Man River to just stop rolling along past the country club and I am waiting for the deepest South to just stop Reconstructing itself in its own image and I am waiting for a sweet desegregated chariot to swing low and carry me back to Ole Virginie and I am waiting for Ole Virginie to discover just why Darkies are born and I am waiting for God to look out from Lookout Mountain and see the Ode to the Confederate Dead as a real farce and I am awaiting retribution for what America did to Tom Sawyer and I am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder. I am waiting for Tom Swift to grow up and I am waiting for the American Boy to take off Beauty’s clothes and get on top of her and I am waiting for Alice in Wonderland to retransmit to me her total dream of innocence and I am waiting for Childe Roland to come to the final darkest tower and I am waiting for Aphrodite to grew live arms at a final disarmament conference in a new rebirth of wonder
I am waiting to get some intimations of immortality by recollecting my early childhood and I am waiting rot the green morning to come again youth’s dumb green fields come back again and I am waiting for some strains of unpremeditated art to shake my typewriter and I am waiting to write the great indelible poem and I am waiting for the last long careless rapture and I am perpetually waiting for the fleeing lovers on the Grecian Urn to catch each other up at last and embrace and I am awaiting perpetually and forever a renaissance of wonder.
—-Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Have a good one!!
i think this boycott will show people that america is nuthin without latinos and we are really here to work and not to be criminals and we should appreciate wat they are doin
I’m a Mexican Latina and veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy proud of it and no one can tell me otherwise
We all tried to come to this country legally, you people that are against illegals,
immigrants, what is the matter with you? I wish you would live at least
one day in their shoes. I have. When I was small living in Mexico, I had to dig
trash cans to find food because my mother had to work the night shift to feed us.
It was not our fault or hers that you have to pay for education in Mexico, it does not
matter that you are in Kindergarden or College, you pay. Most families in Mexico
do not have the money to pay for the tuition every month or year. And what about
all those that died trying to make it to this country. Thousands of people,
human beings have died. And now you are saying well go and protest in your country
and make it better there. The reality is we are here. We are not going anywhere.
Why should we. I have been here for 27 years and never been in jail,
I pay my taxes I do everything by this countries laws and so many illegals that
follow the laws than the natural born us citizens, we are doing the right thing. There are more
Look what happen on 9/11, when did ya’ll ever think that would happen, and who did
it. Alot of people from all over the world died that day, alot of them were Latinos Was it !!!! When have you heard of a Mexican becoming a Terrorist. Maybe that is what you want? And this is not only about Mexicans, but it affects us directly and we all know why. This is about all Immigrants, from all over the world. Not just us Mexicans. Please leave us alone. We just want to come here we are honest people. There are bad apples here and there but not
the majority. Come on and see the reality people. Wake up and smell reality.
And remember we are all Americans, know your Geography.
We want to be known for what we are worth. What contributions we have done to
this country. Who built your highways, skyscrapers, malls, shopping centers?.
Who keeps up your lawns and the bathrooms clean in hotels, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, your
offices? Who build your houses. Feed you. Keep
vegetables and fruits in the supermarkets. I can keep on and on.
Good comments, Melanie, Elizabeth, and Jackie. It is good to know that not
everyone in this site has negative things to say about us Immigrants.
God bless ya.
Celina
I haven’t read the whole thread (there are many posts here, jeje, good…) but I’m probably one of the few mexicans that have posted here that is actually still in Mexico.
I have some very conflicting thoughts about this, but I have found a lot opinions coming from (for now let’s call them) legal Americans (persons that have about 30 generations of their families born and raised in the U.S.) that are a real shockers:
Aztecs, Mayans, Tarahumaras, etc. are still thriving in Mexico. We may see one or two on a light stop begging for money, but for each one of them there a dozen working hard up there in the forest, maintaining their own lives like they always have before spaniards came along.
Native Mexicans languages, although not teached at elementary schools, is still something that can be learned by the same way. A lot of public colleges have an optional courses to learn it, and, because Native Mexicans are still thriving, there are a lot of sources to pick it up.
Mexicans have a high percentage of Native blood running through their veins. Don’t try to compare the level of “nativeness” between a legal American and a Mexican… just compare the color of your skin with ours; there’s your answer. The U.S. was founded by a bunch of people who didn’t want to have anything to do with the Natives, and Mexico was founded by a bunch of people who began families with them (true, most of them were robbers, rapers, and criminals, but the fact of the matter is: the races were combined because of it). I own land here, not by money or by a law that was created by a race that didn’t belong here, but because this is were my great, great, great, great, great, great,…….., great, great, great, grand father and his family lived from it. The great, great, great, great, great, great,…….., great, great, great, grand father of any legal American (from either side of the family) came from somewhere else, and if not, it’s the minority.
What does it actually mean “to protect the borders”? No more people coming in through the borders? What borders? Who planted those borders? If you want to walk throught history lane talking about “In the early days of man kind many groups and tribes of people relocated to search for environments and climates that were better for their survival.”, fine, I will not go so much as three centuries ago, when those states were the property of Mexico, so I don’t see why not it’s wrong for people wanting to wave the Mexican flag over it (although, that flag wasn’t the one we had when we had those states). So, U.S. planted those borders, by what law? By what authority? You are talking about being law-biding about how to cross your border (yes, YOUR border), why? You weren’t when you crossed OURS!
Chris, get over it: the Cold War wasn’t won by you or the communists. It’s still there: China (which, aren’t you guys still doing business with?), Cuba, the large remains of Russia, and probably even Mexico if the Socialist party win this year (which has an interesting probability). It’s so eerie listening you guys talk about “openness” and “freedom”, when you condemn any person that thinks differently from you. And FYI:
May 1st it’s the Mexican Labor Day. Your “May Day”, is actually the date (1886) of a major strike to reduce the workday to eight hours and it was celebrated in that same day by many industrialized countries, including Russia, France and the U.K, but Russia corrupted it to something below it’s meaning, so the U.S. changed it’s date to another one to prevent having anything to do with communism (like you always do).
4th of July is also the date in which Napoleon’s France occupied Amsterdam (1810, don’t you guys hate the french?) and also when the mass murder of Polish scientist and writers by Nazi Germany took place (1941, wow, fireworks in the date of a Nazi mass murder, didn’t you guys “kick their butts” also?).
So stop yapping about your capitalist paranoia: today we celebrate the day in which the hard worker was heard by protest, why do you think this date was chosen for this?
Interesting theory: “American wages would go up, standard of living would go up, crime would decrease, and those jobs that ‘nobody wanted to do’ (ie:nobody wanted to do for slaves pay but happily did when labor laws helped americans) would suddenly have attractive salaries again.” Let’s put ourselves in that theoretical moment in time where legal Americans are doing the ugly work… what happens to the money that you were not paying the Latinos, that now you’re paying almoust double to someone doing the same job? Less profit, lay-offs, less jobs, salaries will have to come back down, more jobs but people will have to take two or more jobs to pay rent(like most Latinos do right now), less jobs again… that statistic you showed about a construction worker could support his family on his paycheck, a $25 per hour wage, I wonder why construction was so slow back then? Too few contruction workers to afford? Besides, most of the money that payed for those constructions was of foreign capital, or do you actually believe that the Statue of Liberty is of U.S. real state? Wonder why is facing to Europe? Oh, right, to welcome people from other places fleeing from opressing countries in EUROPE… “give me your poor, your tired…” right?
Many laws that are written in your Constitution (as well as ours) have been initiated by protest: Civil Rights, Race Equality, Woman’s Right to Vote, Freedom of Speech, Gay Rights, etc. Your Constitution is not holy, and has had a lot of changes through the years, so stating “We have, in this country, things called laws[…]We have protections under the law. If mexicans can break the law, and expect to be rewarded for it, our country falls to pieces.” would’ve meant, two centuries ago, that slavery is ok. I’m not saying to go rewrite the Constitution to legalize murder or rape, because, aside from being morally wrong, this topics don’t have enough people to support them. A protest is exactly that: a way to show everybody how many people support this, with their own argumentation, and the way to be heard is by numbers and it’s purpose is to open eyes: Latinos right now are important to U.S. economy and without them it will crumble. It can recover itself as any country can (Mexico has begun recovering from all those hard workers leaving the country), but is that what you really want to do? Get rid of all illegal immigrants? Illegal by what law? Your ‘immigration’ law? How convenient! You wrote that law without the consent of the people that were originally living here, so that ‘immigration’ law should mean little to an immigrant or myself for that matter, so no: illegal immigrants aren’t breaking any laws because that law isn’t a valid one to begin with. Just because you’ve followed it for who knows how long, and stands well with your lifestyle doesn’t make it right (ask any woman over at Islamic India). I want to hear a Native American about this subject, that’s the opinion that I will respect. If he doesn’t want Latinos in his/her land, then we’ll talk (and open a huge can of worms)…
This is not a lazy walk, this is not a day of couching, this is a day of fasting, of prayer, of protest. If you still see a Mexican as a lazy ass, and think that this is what this ‘protest’ is all about (firing anyone who you think ‘skipping out’ this day make it seem like you are) then your businesses will really see hard days ahead of them. And, does that mean you have Latinos working for you? Doesn’t that sound a little hypocritical and little offensive to your work force calling them “fools” and “stupid”? Even more so: are you seriously connecting the Latinos emigration from the U.S. to an expected fall in criminal activity? Wow, and I thought the insensitive, prejudging, ignorant, big-mouth, typical legal American was a myth.
“We hang the petty thieves, but appoint the great ones to public office.” Aesop
These people, my people, have struggled, not only on your land, but also in mine. They have chosen to work somewhere else that isn’t their original home, and for that I’m ashamed of my country’s government and partly of myself as well. It is awful that so many of my brothers with a college degree in hand have gone out and found out that looking for a job of high standards in the U.S. is just as hard as looking for one here. No, the U.S. is not the land of opportunity presumed in stereotype, at least not in the high-paying area. Many families that I know and love have had to come back, with the half the money and self-respect they had before crossing, while others stayed earning half as much as they were earning here because they didn’t have enough to come back. Mexico has problems, like any country out there, including the U.S.: there are a lot of legal Americans that have emigrated to other countries (mainly Europe, even Mexico) to find better jobs; so don’t brag about not having any problems of this kind, that you do, just not in such a scale and not as documented and criticized as Mexico’s.
We’re both working on those problems, solving them; it’s just that some people don’t want to deal with these problems and go somewhere else to start a new life, thinking that running away will solve everything. For some (many, apparently) it has worked, and good for them! Really! If you’re happy, I’m happy. My cousin’s family is living over there, had to wait almost five years to get accepted, but they are accepted, and they’re very happy. Already having grandchildren…
But, right now I feel like a mother listening to his child talk about his/her dreams, and the only way I can react to that is to support them, although I know that he/she will be happier at home. No, I don’t fully agree with my brothers being over there, I much rather have them here, working side by side building a better country for both of us. But it was their decision to go over there; I know my brothers (and sisters) are smart and know what’s best for them, and if that’s what makes them be well, then I wish the best for them. I just hope one day, they will look back south and see a place where they can truly say “I’m proud to be home.”
LISTEN AMERICANS:
Should we put the VICTIMS of HURRICANE KATRINA in jail for robbing the GROCERY
STORES in New Orleans? Of course not! They are in NEED! The same concept
applies here! Would YOU want your FAMILY to live in poverty for 20 YEARS while
waiting to become a resident of another country? Of course not! If you knew
you could provide for your family a better life, you would run across the border
too!
BUT, BECAUSE you are sitting at home, LUCKY enough to be born in the U.S., and
are OK and have every opportunity you need, then you are a strong critic.
In 1846, The MEXICAN-AMERICAN War was fought under the concept of “MANIFEST
DESTINY” in which the Americans believed that their PROTESTANT AMERICAN PEOPLE
had the “RIGHT” to settle westward in MEXICAN territories as they surely could
run the west BETTER than hispanic CATHOLICS. As a result, MEXICO lost 1/2 of
its country!!! Nevada, Texas, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California, Colorado,
etc.
Now, I want you to know that “I” am a white American citizen, married to a
Mexican woman, BUT I love the U.S.A. I do NOT, do NOT, mention the war to
BLAME my country for ANYTHING, please understand. NOBODY on the earth today
had ANYTHING to do with that war!!
But, I offer this question: What IF Mexico had WON the war? Were YOU, as an
AMERICAN, born in one of the mentioned areas above? You and ALL of your family
would be MEXICAN right now and in the same SOCIOECONOMIC position. MEXICO has a
50% poverty level. So how would YOU deal with that situation if YOU had to face
it?
The answer is, anyone who LOVES their families and children, and moms and dads,
and cousins, and aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers, etc. would do anything
to insure their futures EVEN if consequences await them. MANY MEXICANS have DIED
trying to cross the desert….my friends….this is not a GAME! These people are
in need.
They aren’t robbing banks, robbing houses, and stealing…they are WORKING,
WORKING!!
Most Americans have NO clue how time consuming and costly the process is to
become a CITIZEN of the U.S. These people in Mexico aren’t making LAWYERS wages,
TEACHER’S wages, not even DISHWASHER wages. Average MEXICAN worker works around
40-50 hours for $50-70 dollars per week. YOU TRY working for those wages and
paying for the FEES you have to pay just to fill out the forms.
As for LAWS….listen, it is TRUE that we need LAWS to govern the country, I will
not deny that. But, over the years, MANY MANY laws have been TWEAKED to fit
the times in which they were implemented. I am NOT saying open borders, but I
AM saying that there is an OBVIOUS problem in MEXICO that has MEXICANS willing
to risk their LIVES to come here. And, although there are BAD people in EVERY
group, for the most part, these people are VERY tranquil people and FAMILY
oriented (Other Latinos, too, not just Mexicans).
LATINOS LISTEN: FIRST AND FOREMOST, this problem ORIGINATES in MEXICO and other
Latino countries. I am a SENIOR in college who has studied LATIN AMERICAN
CULTURE taught to me by both a PERUVIAN and a COLOMBIAN professor. LATIN
AMERICAN cultures have had quite a history involving goverment systems, such
as socialism and communism, that do not work well. The CONCEPTS, for any
EDUCATED person, are actually very good ideas, EQUAL TREATMENT, etc., but they
DON’T work. Most Hispanic nations have had COUNTLESS military goverments, or
“GOLPES DE ESTADO”, which has caused them to be very unstable.
THE POINT IS….these are the GOVERMENTS, the PEOPLE are really victims and
suffer socio-economically.
People, try to educate yourselves more on the problem and its roots, that’s
all I can say.
hows everybody doing? any action on the street today?
I believe that there is a point to be derived from this whole scence. Maybe illegal aliens should not be considered felons but however they should become legal. This is what should be called earned entrance. It seems as if the more I work the more I am taxed. Not to say that society doesnt’ abuse that fact that immigrants are willing to work for lower wages, because they do. My issues concerns problems with my rise from poverty as an American. Just because you live in America doesnt’ mean you live the American dream. You earn it. Our tax dollars pay to suupport medical, education and so forth. How is it fair to me when the next person is able to pocket their earnings without being taxed and are free to will to spend as will. I am working hard to live the white picket fence dream. The key words are learn to “earn.” This attempt to evoke threats depicts ignorance of the subject at hand. I think Matt B said it well. Its a matter of principle. I see posting where people make blank statements in their defense on well who’s going to cut your grass or build or clean your home. That should be a little demeaning within itself. There are millions legal Americans willing to perform these jobs. Once again it shows their ignorance of the subject. It isn’t a race issue. Let that not be a scapegoat. People are so quick to throw the race card on the table.
It’s not a matter of being an immigrant. I’m an immigrant myself (legal). The point is, what other country in the world would accept illegal immigrants as if it were normal and not only that but give them the benefits paid for people who do pay taxes?
It’s not impossible to become a legal resident here, all you need do things right. And I going on a demonstration and protesting against the country that’s given you something you do not deserve ‘yet’, is not the best way to do it. When I think that I have gone through all this, it has cost me money and I’m now filing for citizenship because I’ve done everything the way it should be done, and some people are expecting to receive everything from the American government without doing anything, just because they think they are entitled to it, I get sick. I really do. If those people get the citizenship just like that, will make us legal residents very upset. Those people do not speak for me!!. I don’t agree with what they’re doing, that’s being very ungrateful with the country that’s given them so many things they shouldn’t get.
I participated yesterday, and I am very proud of doing so. I am not sure what our future in this country will be, but I saw that we stand united, and that we will accomplish something, because they saw our power.
Itis funny to see how those against “ilegal immigrants” get so paranoic about us. They have seen how strong we trully are, they have seen that we will not take anymore of their humiliations. These individuals, that we once feared, are now beginning to fear us, no matter how many times they repeat how inferior we are. They know that we are not inferior. We are humans like them.
They say that we are criminals, and that just makes me laugh. They do not know what to make up against them to make us the scape goats of their own government’s failure in the econonomy. Thwy should go to an econiomics class and learn that we really create more jobs for them. We are at the bottom of the latter, in many cases, but if they were less ignorant, they should thank us for making their lives easier.
And if you get mad with what I say, you do so because deep inside you know a lot of what I say is the truth.
Mr. Phil,
Thank you, you said everything I was thinking. God bless all Human Beings, because
that is what we are in the end. Just Human Beings, some with different backgrounds,
cultures, languages, appearances, but at the end we were created by the one and only
Creator GOD Almighty.
Tony Alexander
I was not trying to look for an escape goat. I mentioned that so you can open
your eyes, people like you, and see what we do. You mentioned that there are
legal Americans willing to do those jobs. Show me. Dont tell me, show me.
Will you do it? I have. And what do you know whether or not they get their taxes taken out
or not. I do. I know plenty of people who do and they dont get their refunds.
And I did not make it about a race issue, I never even mentioned race, you did.
And if you have such a problem with being taxed, call your politicians. I also
pay taxes, I am making a very decent living. And in case you did not know, any white
collar immigrant making a decent living get taxed even more, hhhhmmm I wonder why?
TONY:
For your information, ILLEGAL immigrants have paid over a BILLION dollars in
TAXES to the U.S. government.
Since you don’t understand this, let me explain it:
TRUE, some illegals get paid, under the counter, but so do some AMERICANS. What
happens is this. An illegal immigrant CANNOT be hired by MOST companies without
a SOCIAL SECURITY CARD or NUMBER, etc. Many of these numbers are BOUGHT by
ILLEGAL WORKERS so that they can enter in to the workforce.
NOW, I am not saying that this is RIGHT, but let’s just say that in order to
WORK, they HAVE TO do it this way. Once again, I say, if your family is in
need of a better life, sometimes you will do ANYTHING to insure that they have
a good future. Still, I don’t DEFEND the falsification of federal documents, but
I do UNDERSTAND why they do it. NO SS card, NO JOB, period!
So, to enlighten you on the subject, let me tell you that WHEN they have this
SS card, which is often a VALID number, then they work PRETENDING to be that
person. Therefore, TAXES are taken out of their EARNINGS just as with you and
I. The only difference is, they DON’T FILE TAXES. Although perhaps SOMETIMES
this leads to UNPAID TAXES in the end, MOST of the time they would have RECEIVED
a REFUND because of such low wages. They can’t CLAIM the REFUND either.
SO, whether you AGREE or not with the PROCESS that ILLEGALS take, you cannot
deny that they DO INDEED PAY TAXES.
Ana Maria,
I dont think you even know what you are writing. I also went through the process
I am a Natularize US Citizen, you dont even know what we are fighting about.
Do you know what the HR 4437 says. Please read it first and then make comments.
And, for your information they are not fighting to become Citizens when was that
ever mentioned? Do you know what the Guest Worker Program consits of. This will
only grant them permission to work here for 3 years and then, if they are still here
and that expires they will have to reapply and not to mention they have to be
eligible, you know they are going to make it hard to even be eligible.
And you should know better, you had to pay a fee to apply for Citizenship, anytime you apply for anything there is a fee, so we are not getting anything free at all. There is the
penalty fee that is paid and filing fees for every other piece of paper submitted into
immigration and not to mention the pictures, translations of documents, fingerprinting
doctors examination. SEE I DO KNOW. And about your comment about other countries
accepting immigrants, know your history and what is going on right now. Hispanics
are everywhere in the world not only USA. And Mexico, we have no problem with
USA citizens going down there and retiring, alot of people do it and I know a couple
of them, I will be one of them. to be continued….
Ana Maria,
Tell me what kind of things are given to illegals, they do not get anything. What
they do have they have worked hard for it. They do not get free handouts. Do you
even know what we are protesting for? We are protesting for the right
to be treated like humans not animals. We are protesting against the HR4437, read about
it. In the Guest Worker Program, there is not even mention of them being able
to become US Citizens, unless there is an Amnesty that specifically states so.
So please do your research before even writing about only what you think not what you
actually know. Know the facts please.
I mispelled Naturalized my bad.
I am natural born American and my parents are Cuban immigrants. I however, did not agree with protesting on May 1st. My family stood proud and went to work and and worked 4 times as hard as we should have to make up for the ones that did not show. Everyone that did not come to work was fired and I agree with that decision. I applaud those that carried on with their lives and did the right thing by going to work.
There is a better way to change the mindset of others. Communication, information and support is the first step. America is built on laws and laws can be changes and created. Do not give others any reason to defame you or your culture. Stand proud, as we do, but more than anything, be proud. People treat you in the manner that you expect. Stop expecting people to treat you like second class citizens and they will stop treating you as one.
Be proud of your culture, but more so, be proud of wanting to be an American!
Antoinette,
Come on, you know all you did was work like any other day, What do you do?
If I may ask? We are proud and that is why we are standing up. They should not
have gotten fired, they have rights too. You just have it made, you are a US
citizen, what do you know about struggling, maybe your parents do, but they are
cubans, as soon as a cuban hits the US soil you have everything tailored to you.
Cubans are even paid to learn english, I know this for a fact. And that is exactly
what we want done, be treated like first class citizens. You are just
confussed. Or maybe you just like your Cuban patriots anybody else are just second
hand citizens. I AM MEXICAN AND PROUD OF IT. I HAVE BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY
FOR 27 YEARS, I WOULD GO BACK TO MEXICO BUT I DONT WANT TO JUST YET. I have not met
a cuban who is not here legally. You get politial asylum, come on you do not know
what the rest of the immigrants are going through.
First of all for clarification my mention of race was a general to all comments not targeted towards any one posting. Maybe there was some misunderstanding to my posting because I do recall mentioning that society takes advantage of these situations. Okay the tax problem, goes back to square “1.” Do it legally, then you can file taxes, you can get a refund. I am not to be blamed because taxes are witheld from anyone’s earning but they are not allowed to file a refund at the end of the year. I never said Americans aren’t paid under the table. My all fairness is do what’s right. So there is no need to enlighten me on anything. Ethics the difference between what is right and wrong. Trust me I have lived the Unamerican dream and have been discriminated against on many occassions and deal with on a daily basis. I don’t use my past of poverty as a scapegoat. I managed to but myself through four years of military, and 5 years of pharmacy school and never blamed a soul. And yes, my first job was working home in Louisiana pulling weeds out of corn fields. So don’t tell me what I wont do because I’ve done it. To compare the robberies of New Orleans to this is like comparing apples and oranges. They were wrong! You don’t have anything and you’re walking out of a wal-mart with a televison. Yes they deserved to be jailed. That wasn’t a need. I had family there who loss everything and had it been them robbing they deserved to be jailed as well. Ana Marie spoke words of wisdom: It’s not a matter of being an immigrant. LEGAL: le·gal Audio pronunciation of “LEGAL” ( P ) Pronunciation Key (lgl)
adj.
1. Of, relating to, or concerned with law: legal papers.
2.
1. Authorized by or based on law: a legal right.
2. Established by law; statutory: the legal owner.
3. In conformity with or permitted by law: legal business operations.
4. Recognized or enforced by law rather than by equity.
5. In terms of or created by the law: a legal offense.
6. Applicable to or characteristic of attorneys or their profession.
Celina,
Unless we walk in others shoes, we can not even begin to speak as though we know who people are, where they are from, or the hardships that they face or have faced. Your comment about Cubans thinking that everyone else is a second hand citizen? I do not reply to ingnorance or comments like that.
That sort of commentary is the first way to have no one take you serious. It is not about who suffers more, or who has been here longer, or even your opinion of me. It is about making your voice and life count. The protest did not accomplish anything, except to create more jobs for some others. The USA didn’t suffer on May 1st. The people that didn’t go to work are the only ones that suffered, loss of pay. If we want to fight and stand up for ourselves, then do it in a way that will make a difference.
Educate our children to not sling verbal hatred and to love everyone as their own. I personally guarantee that you will convince more people to follow you that way than by telling us how you are so much better than others because you suffer.
Welcome to life on our planet, we all suffer. It doesn’t make anyone better or more deserving of anything. But Celina, if you would like to think that I am confused because I am Cuban and not Mexican, then by all means, go right ahead. I will even tell you that you win.
I will continue to do what I am doing, talking without raising my voice, writing letters to Congress, and faxing letters to the White House. I will also continue to set these examples and educate those that want to listen. You continue to belittle those that don’t see things your way. I would love to speak to you again in 27 years and compare what we have accomplished.
God bless us immigrants, we seem to be fighting each other.
I just want to say Mexicans have been here thousands of years in American at least long the Native Americans. I was born and raised here and my grandmother was from Mexico. She raised 13 children and every single one was successful never once did they take welfare and I am proud of my grandmother for coming her 1919 and raising such find citizen. My father family has been here since 1640 from England.
HEY BOB!!!!!!!!!,
Thanks for the opportunity to say what I need to say. It’s been great. If things don’t change I will continue to do what I can and participate in any way needed. You are all wonderful people, and it’s been a pleasure.
Melanie
Ok,
Antoinette
You and Tony Alexander got my message. See until we direct anything to someone
specifically then you start getting all on the defensive side. Think
about what is going on with the immigrants. They have been targeted.
And I do believe May 1st did accomplish a point, read the newspapers or watch the
news. I am not ingnorant, and you did respond to my comment about cubans thinking
everyone else are second hand citizens. I do apologize, we are all immigrants and
you are right we should not be fighting or debating each other. And one more
thing, I have walked on others peoples shoes, you just dont know how many people
I have helped. I myself have gone through many hardships, have experienced
discrimination first hand.
Tony Alexander,
I do not blame anyone for my hardships or what I have gone through. I have
overcome those obstacles and have done just fine for myself all on my own and hard
work. I am not trying to get people to feel sorry for myself, if I would have
I would not be where I am at right now. I also have worked manual labor jobs
and good for you too.
Thanks Celina for the nice comments about what I wrote. I keep hearing American
(estadounidenses)talking about LAWS and how bad it is to break them. Look, I
don’t even have a speeding ticket, but I can understand that SOMETIMES there are
LAWS that will be broken as times change and have to be restructured because of
PROBLEMS with these laws. I.E. Prohibition, etc.
The LATINOS are NOT thinking to themselves, “HMMMMM….WE DON’T CARE ABOUT THE
U.S. LAWS, WE JUST WANT TO COME OVER HERE AND TAKE THEIR JOBS. WE WANT TO BREAK
ALL OF THE LAWS, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE FUN, USE SOCIAL SERVICES, MEDICARE, AND
TAKE UP SPACE IN THE U.S. SCHOOLS…..Is this REALLY what you believe they
are thinking???
NO, they are thinking……$50-70 dollars per week will NEVER amount to nothing,
THE U.S. is SAFER for my children and family as, at least I know in the case of
MEXICO, Mexican Police are a JOKE. MANY places in MEXICO are WAY WAY out of
control when security is the issue.
I CHALLENGE anyone to work for this amount of money and SURVIVE and take care
of a FAMILY.
They are ALSO thinking, AMERICAN schools are BETTER for my child and they will
have a FUTURE.
LISTEN!! IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT EDUCATION OF LATINOS IN THE U.S.!!!
I hear SOOOO many times that THEY NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH, THEY NEED TO LEARN
ENGLISH!!! And LISTEN AMERICANS, I agree, BUT…..
Do you know what happens REALLY with the undocumented immigrants??? They WORK about 6 days
a week from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. and have 1 day off. NOW, I am FLUENT in SPANISH
and have studied the language and have LESS than a year to become a SPANISH
teacher, so you think I might know a LITTLE bit about learning another language,
right??
I’ll tell you, they might learn, and many DO learn some of the ENGLISH language,
but it is VERY hard to do with this kind of a work schedule. MANY, not all, of
the companies TAKE ADVANTAGE of their workers by working their BUTTS off and
paying very little.
HERE IS THE POINT ON EDUCATION: While AMERICANS don’t often see it, I DO. My
wife is MEXICAN and my IN-LAWS are undocumented. I have seen it EVERYWHERE in
the MEXICAN community. What am I talking about?
ENGLISH SPEAKING MEXICAN CHILDREN!! Why is this?? Well, let’s see….maybe
because they are going to U.S. SCHOOLS and LEARNING IT, you think?? SO, the
NEXT generation WILL BE COMPLETELY FLUENT IN ENGLISH, it is ONLY the 1st generation
that has trouble learning ENGLISH. (Example: My niece, 7 years old, speaks
perfect ENGLISH because of being EDUCATED in the U.S., my sister-in-law, 15,
speaks very good ENGLISH that she has learned through EDUCATION and ESL programs.
Plus, instead of DROPPING OUT of school and entering the workforce like my
wife did at AGE 12 (When did YOU begin working?) and NEVER finishing her
studies BECAUSE she was FORCED to try to TAKE CARE of her FAMILY while she was
STILL A CHILD, THESE 2nd GENERATION of IMMIGRANTS WILL SPEAK ENGLISH FLUENTLY,
AND they will be MORE EDUCATED PEOPLE as they will FINISH school.
So, the LAWS that are broken are to PROVIDE better SECURITY, FINANCIAL FUTURE,
and EDUCATION for their families and CHILDREN.
AND, they are willing to work their BUTTS off for it. PLEASE people, my fellow
AMERICANS, realize that these people are faced with the HARSH REALITY that they
PROBABLY will NEVER have anything in LIFE if they stay in their home countries.
They AND their FAMILIES and CHILDREN will ALWAYS be POOR.
Think about it…….BEING POOR IN THE U.S. HAS BEEN REALLY HARD ON ME WHILE
I AM ATTENDING COLLEGE, but I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING
POOR IN THIS COUNTRY AND BEING POOR IN ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT DOESN’T OFFER
GOOD EDUCATION, GOOD JOBS, GOOD SECURITY FOR MY FAMILY, ETC.
My friends, WHO wouldn’t break a LAW for their CHILDREN to insure a FUTURE and
a GOOD life?? THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ATTACKING OUR CITIZENS, ROBBING BANKS,
KILLING AMERICANS, ETC. They just want what you often take for granted,
OPPORTUNITY, and WE are the land of opportunity!
CALEB,
You make SOME good points, but we need to stay focused here. It is NOT about
whether one RACE is lazy or whatever. YES, there are ignorant people in
EVERY group of people, AMERICAN, MEXICAN, etc.
YES, this IS the LAND OF OPPORTUNITY, CALEB! I know how the MEXICANS live here.
AGAIN, I am immersed in the culture, but LISTEN….the reason that
UNDOCUMENTED workers do not get “AHEAD” is simple. MANY take advantage of
their CHEAP labor. In other words, $250 a week for 60 hours of work. That is
not going to help them advance much.
Look, in the UNIVERSITY, there are COLOMBIANS, PUERTO RICANS, DOMINICANS,
MEXICANS, ETC. “THEY” will, once finished with their studies, earn MUCH more
than a person in MEXICO with a college degree. I know, because one of my
sister-in-laws works as a NURSE in MEXICO after studying for 4 years and does
NOT make very much money.
But LISTEN, CALEB, PLEASE: WHO BENEFITS “MOST” in this LAND OF OPPORTUNITY when
the MEXICANS come here?? THE MEXICAN CHILDREN!
YES, it is very difficult for a 1st GENERATION MEXICAN IMMIGRANT in the U.S. to
KEEP WORKING for LOW WAGES, STUDY, LEARN ENGLISH, work their way up the SOCIETAL
LADDER in the U.S., etc. STILL, IT CAN BE DONE.
BUT, the CHILDREN, like my 7 year old MEXICAN niece, “WILL” be able to have EASY
ACCESS to the great OPPORTUNITES in EDUCATION in the U.S., and their FUTURES
will be BETTER off.
CALEB, for NOW, the U.S. is a better place for a CHILD to be born and a CHILD
has more opportunities in this land. So, CALEB, when you think about the U.S.
as being a “LAND OF OPPORTUNITY”, think MORE about the 2nd generation of
MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS who will BENEFIT for their PARENTS SACRIFICES.
ALSO CALEB, it would appear that you love your NATIVE country, MEXICO. That
is how it SHOULD be. I have NO doubt that the MEXICAN PEOPLE are, on the whole,
GOOD PEOPLE, and that they would RATHER have a good life in MEXICO with their
FAMILY, CULTURE, etc. Even the MEXICANS here LOVE their native LAND, as they
SHOULD.
THEIR ANCESTORS WERE FROM MEXICO, and the countless historical sites of the
Aztecs, Mayans, etc. (Tehuantepec, Tenochtilan, The Murals in D.F., etc.)SURELY will always be a
part of “BEING MEXICAN.” I mean, MEXICO is the land where they still speak
NAHUATL and CHOL (I believe the latter is a MAYAN language, could be wrong).
SO WHAT IS “NOT” TO BE PROUD OF??
The MEXICANS are proud of their heritage as they have the RIGHT to be.
NOW, CALEB, I myself MENTIONED the MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR OF 1846-1848 above in
an earlier post. But Caleb, you wrote SOMETHING to the effect of “YOU came over
to these lands, etc.” Look, “I” and my fellow AMERICANS of today are JUST AS
MUCH NATIVE AMERICANS as the INDIANS in my view. LIKE THE INDIANS, “WE”, this
generation were BORN here on THIS SOIL. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHERE OUR
ANCESTORS CAME FROM, “WE” DID NOT COME OVER TO THIS LAND, “WE” WERE BORN HERE!!
As a matter of FACT, NOBODY knows even where the NATIVE AMERICAN INDIANS
ORIGINALLY CAME FROM OR WHERE THE “HUMAN RACE” ORIGINALLY STARTED OUT FROM!!
SO, EVERYONE, INCLUDING YOUR PEOPLE HAS PROBABLY MIGRATED TO OTHER LANDS WHERE
ANOTHER GROUP WAS LIVING AS WELL AT THE SAME TIME, SO WHAT IS THE POINT?
You also mentioned that “it was not long ago that these lands were MEXICAN” and
that “why shouldn’t they fly the Mexican flag over them?” Look, it has been
ONLY in RECENT times that the WORLD, for the most part, has respected the
BORDERS of the many countries which we have today.
BEFORE, MANY WARS were FOUGHT to decide who would take TERRITORY. That was the
WAY of OUR ancestors and the way of the WORLD back then. This INCLUDES LATINOS…
(Simon Bolivar, San Martin, etc.) The AZTEC INDIANS took land from other
groups of INDIANS, etc. That is just how people lived BACK THEN. So do not use
that WAR of 1846 to COMPARE to today’s society and the culture we live in today.
What MEXICO LOST is in the past. TODAY we are more EDUCATED people and our
countries do not just TAKE other countries land. I AGREE that it was a BAD DEAL
for MEXICO, but that is just HISTORY. Don’t blame people today for this! And
NO, it does NOT give them the RIGHT to fly the MEXICAN flag over the U.S.! What
“GIVES THEM THE RIGHT” is the U.S. Constitution and the 1st AMENDMENT.
I would HOPE and I myself BELIEVE that the GOOD MEXICAN people would fly the MEXICAN FLAG only as a
symbol of their LOVE for their PEOPLE, CULTURE, and NATIVE LAND and NOT over something that
happened in 1846.
LASTLY, please just ADMIT that the U.S. ECONOMIC system is in better shape than
the MEXICAN system. The U.S. GOV’T, although it has its own problems, is ALSO
structured better at this point of time than that of MEXICO. The AMERICAN
system is not PERFECT, but it is the best we have.
I understand where your PRIDE comes from, and your HERITAGE is very important.
The MEXICAN PEOPLE are merely victims of CORRUPTION, but that does NOT mean that
the PEOPLE are not GREAT people who love the “LAND” and the “CULTURE” they
belong to…..I understand that and respect that.
I’m going back to Mexico! I’ll let Clyde, Bob, and Earl take over my shity job 🙂
i did go to the protest on may 1 and i think latinos should saty here to have fredom i thought that was why other people from other places came here for but like white people want all imagrents out what are they going to do with out us they need us? thanx for reading this and yes im am mexican!
Phil,
I could not agree with you more. And Caleb you too.
SALUDOS A TODOS Y QUE DIOS LOS BENDIGA.
Celina
i think that all the latinos are a comunity united.I am latino i live honduras and i love honduras
To “I ant tillen” or whatever and his/her message on May 3, 9:57 p.m.,
AND, as a matter of fact, to EVERYONE else out there that feels like him/her.
LISTEN:
Please STOP making BLANKET and STEREOTYPICAL statements against a WHOLE GROUP
of people. You wrote, “WHITE PEOPLE WANT ALL IMMIGRANTS OUT.” That is NOT
true and VERY offensive to me as a WHITE person who loves the LATINO culture.
My BROTHER-IN-LAW, who is MEXICAN (undocumented) WORKS for a company that puts
“LA TUBERIA” in houses. He works for a group of WHITE GUYS.
He has had OTHER jobs that he has worked for MEXICAN guys. He has told me that
the WHITE AMERICANS treat him and PAY him better. Now, that isn’t to say
that MEXICAN people are bad, but just to CLARIFY that ALL races have DIFFERENT
people who believe in DIFFERENT things and to make a BLANKET statement concerning
a WHOLE race of people is just WRONG.
SO, what should “I” say?? ALL MEXICAN PEOPLE TREAT THEIR WORKERS BAD AND PAY
POORLY???? OF COURSE NOT!! I know better than that! I know tons of GOOD
MEXICANS who are GOOD people all around.
MY FRIENDS,
White people face this kind of discrimination ALL of the time. Being blamed
for the past and USED as a CRUTCH for everyone’s problems.
Please QUIT blaming “WHITE people” and BLAME the “PEOPLE” who are responsible.
Listen, I do NOT wish to offend ANY groups of people, but we ALL know that it
is VERY POLITICALLY INCORRECT to say ANYTHING about ANY other race that may
OFFEND them.
However, when the RACE is the WHITE RACE, then ALL comments seem to be
ACCEPTABLE and nobody seems to care. Well, “I” don’t insult your race because
it is not right, so please be more considerate to WHITE people with your words.
For that matter, be more considerate to ALL people.
It would be extremely nice to have some support by the LATINOS concerning the
statements I just posted about the WHITE race.
GOOD LATINOS, please discourage other LATINOS from insulting ALL white people and
saying that we don’t want immigrants.
There are good whites, there are good latinos, blacks, asians, etc.
Por favor, LATINOS, no echen la culpa a la raza BLANCA. Conozco muchos hueros
que quieren mucho a la communidad hispana. Tambie’n, hay muchos estudiantes que
se dedican a los estudios del idioma espan~ol. Estudian la cultura de Mexico,
Latino-America, y Espan~a.
Conozco un doctor HUERO de 70 an~os que viaja cada verano a MEXICO para ofrecer sus
servicios en una clinica para ayudar la gente mexicana, !sin que le paguen nada!
!Trabaja gratis! Casi perdio a su hijo porque e’l, y su hijo, estuvieron en
MEXICO cuando paso’ el huracan. (el huracan Mitch, creo)
Tengo una amiga HUERA que habla el espan~ol fluyentemente. Ella siempre ha
estudiado la cultura puertoriquen~a. Trabaja un una iglesia catolica donde
ayuda la iglesia, la que tiene una poblacio’n muy grande de hispanos, con los
asuntos que enfrenta la communidad hispana. Ella pasa mucho tiempo traduciendo
los anuncios de la iglesia a espan~ol para los hispanos.
Y yo, tambie’n, soy uno de ellos. Soy un HUERO muy metido en la cultura
MEXICANA y me gusta apoyar a los latinos cuando puedo. He ayudado muchos de
mis amigos hispanos conseguir trabajos y habia sido traductor cuando me necessitan
para communicar con la gente estadounidense.
Adema’s, he estudiado el idioma espan~ol mucho y voy a ser un profesor de la
preparatoria (espan~ol). He estudiado la historia y cultura MEXICANA, LATINO-
AMERICANA, y un poco de ESPAN~A.
Entonces, por favor, tratanos, los que quieren ayudar, con respeto. Gracias.
Phil (Felipe)
Phil,
I could not agree with you more. I too know of good white people that treat
us with respect and are nice to the Mexican community. In our area
one of the leaders for one of the Immigrant organizations is white. I applaud you
because you do know our reality and know what we go through and what we have gone
through. What I do hate and makes me very sad is all those ugly comments from
other PEOPLE at this site and other sites I have seen, but that is life and reality
I will keep my head high up and go on with my life and do what I need to do.
Phil,
Thank you for your words. My words were in response to the post of such named Chris, April 11, 2006 @ 12:31 am. In such types of comments, I feel the need to point this kinds of things (my pride, history, etc.) to prove a point. If whatever I wrote (specially in the area of race) has upset you, I’m truly sorry for this wasn’t my intention, at least not to you: you have written well (historically and grammatically, in both languages, which is something to applaud) and well argumented, so I apologize for this.
Having said that, the U.S.-Mexico war of the 19th century is, yes, old… I understand waving a foreigners flag in U.S. soil can be disrespectful to others; and yes, you’re completely right: most immigrants are waving it as a sign of pride, not of sorrow. And even more so right: we’re all immigrants and belong wherever we were born.
But in my opinion, the topic of that war is still valid. Not to blame it on any legal American, but to make them aware of the land in which they’re living in. This is not your land, not mine. When we die, we will become it, so, in some way, we are property of the land. The same way I cannot say for sure how a legal American has lived, or how has an immigrant lived: I haven’t walked in their shoes, through the land… I have witnessed how some of my brothers I KNOW have struggled in the land you walk on, and at that I have stopped my comment: I haven’t assumed nothing of your government. I haven’t said that Mexican has done a better job than the U.S. government, I have just stated the pride of my people, and the fact that we are working in making our situation better. I’ve pointed out, like you have: both of our governments have problems that we’re dealing with. But comments like:
“the U.S. is a better place for a CHILD to be born”
Ouch!… firstly, I was raised in the border (Cd. Juarez/El Paso), and had a lot of friends that were born in the U.S. that had a childhood very similar to mine… secondly, what is “better”? Is it safer? Is it more tolerant? Is it cheaper? C’mon, look around and sincerely answer these questions, you may even be right… thirdly, it hurts to hear such an open-minded person like yourself talk like that. I truly did not believe the myth of the ellitistic legal American: why compare? why say better? Many believe that, many have moved there because of that belief, and for many it has worked out, for others it hasn’t: and I think that you should first ponder about that before making me say something that I know for fact it’s not true: I lived here, and am happy here, and, yes, I know that I’m better off here than in your country. We’re talking about my life and the place that I lived in, here: so, don’t you think that comment was a little offensive? I mean, you may think you have proof of that: so many people going over there. But only empowered by a beleif, not by assurance… and that belief could’ve been brought up by many factors, some of which are not true.
Have you thought about how many people were born here in Mexico? How many of those are happy here? And are better off here? That’s a lot of more than the ones that are over there, I assure you, so I’m not the only one.
I’m not saying Mexico’s is a better place for children to be born in: that’s a parent decision to make. If you want your children to be born in the U.S., good; I want my children to be born here, deal?
” “THEY†will, once finished with their studies, earn MUCH more than a person in MEXICO with a college degree.”
“one of my sister-in-laws works as a NURSE in MEXICO after studying for 4 years and does NOT make very much money.”
“please just ADMIT that the U.S. ECONOMIC system is in better shape than the MEXICAN system”
Uhmm… a nurse career is done in two years (half time) and I have a friend that studied eight years here and is only being payed minimum salary, know why? Those eight years were spend finishing high school… besides I know of a lot nurses over here with very good salaries… by mexicans standards: yes, our economic systems are different, you take in a lot of money, but you also take out a lot. I don’t have my statistics with me, but for what I’ve seen, to live in the U.S. is much more expensive than in Mexico: but you get paid more, so is no big deal for you. So are you in better shape? Yes, of course! We asked you guys to lend us money, that’s how better shape you are! Uhmm… are you done? God! I really didn’t want to get into this but: do you actually know of the problems of your country? I know of mine, and I’m still proud to be mexican………………… I’m sorry, is just that everytime someone begins comparing our countries I get so frustrated: we’re working on it, that’s all I get to say, because yes, I’m aware of our economic problems, but this doesn’t get solved quickly. But it’s very important for me that you understand that a life is built not around money, while it’s basically the only thing I hear you guys compare our country with yours (that, and the corruption, which you guys aren’t immune to). Those other things in which a life is built upon is where lies the reason I love being a mexican: our way of life, the values it grows upon, the joy of our culture, the weirdness of it, how we sing during funerals, cry during birthday parties, if you don’t have someone to party with “go ask your cousins to come over!” (instant party), if you don’t have a reason to party “well, my niece had it’s first tooth” (done!), our beautiful food, the creativity that it’s at the base of all of it, the problem resolving that ONE person can do with just a hammer and two coins, how we can withstand insult after insult but “just don’t talk about my mom cuz you’re dead”, and the fact that my family is still the source of my biggest strength… that does not compare with what your country has to offer me: you can have your economy, I’ll stay here and enjoy my tacos.
CALEB:
First of all, let me start out by saying that you know that I respect your culture
and, as a matter of fact, I PREFER many aspects of the MEXICAN culture over my
own. There is no doubt that your people and your culture are RICH in other ways
that MONEY cannot buy. I will not debate that.
Second, I will accept your apology and just point out that anyone who makes
BLANKET statements about one particular race usually just destroys the VALID points
that are made by that same person. Sure, you may find some sympathizers, but
you will lose practically all of your support that you otherwise could’ve gained.
You just shut yourself off to GOOD caring people who agree with you. So that’s
that.
Hmmmmmm…, Thirdly, let me address your response to the comment I made, “It is
better for a CHILD to be born in the U.S.” Ok, here we go. Caleb, what I was
referring to is the FACT that 50% of MEXICANS are impoverished. To me, THIS,
POVERTY, is the real enemy.
Ok, with that said, let me tell you that SURE there are people that wil have
good lives in MEXICO. Once again, TRADITIONS, CULTURE, FAMILY, etc. are ALL
very important POSITIVE ASPECTS of living in MEXICO. HOWEVER, the U.S. is
stronger in EDUCATION, ECONOMY, JOBS, SECURITY, etc. These TOO are important
for a CHILD’s FUTURE.
The FACT is that many MEXICANS come to the U.S. because they deem these latter
items mentioned to be VERY important. Many MEXICANS do NOT feel that they have
the BEST opportunities to ADVANCE in life, so they come here. The stats are that
ONE in EVERY TEN CHILDREN born to MEXICAN BORN PARENTS IS born in the U.S. That
is a FACT.
Listen CALEB, this isn’t to DOWNGRADE your country!! Don’t let me OFFEND you! I
AGREE with you that the MOST important things in life are FAMILY, CULTURE,
TRADITIONS, etc. In a perfect UTOPIAN society, these would be GREAT by themselves
and everyone would be able to just live, work any job, make a living and spend
time with their family and practice their culture.
Unfortunately, my friend, things just don’t work that way (I wish they did!).
Although MONEY is NOT everything, I agree, in TODAY’S world, our societies
THRIVE off of it. So ECONOMIC and FINANCIAL security is VERY important because
of this. MOST PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN POVERTY, agreed?
ALSO, so you wish to stay in MEXICO and live YOUR life in your country?? That
is COMPLETELY VALID and that is FAIR, and I have no problem with YOUR decision.
If YOU are happy with your life, that is GOOD. EVERYONE should be ABLE to do
what they want with THEIR own lives, to be HAPPY, right, don’t you agree?? I do.
So let’s turn to the question of CHILDREN. Do THEY have the right?? Perhaps
AFTER seeing BOTH sides, a MEXICAN CHILD will CHOOSE to stay in MEXICO, and
if they are HAPPY, that is GREAT!
But what about if a MEXICAN child FEELS the STRESSES of jobs that do not pay
very well, a DESIRE to become more FINANCIALLY stable and become, PERHAPS, an
ASTRONAUT?? Maybe the child DREAMS of making over $100,000 a year as a DOCTOR.
Yes, it’s MONEY, but what about if a CHILD feels he or she is TRAPPED by the
ECONOMIC SOCIETY.
Let’s say that THIS MEXICAN CHILD LOVES HIS OR HER HERITAGE….Let’s say that the
child is PROUD to be MEXICAN, ENJOYS SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY and practicing
TRADITIONS. But he or she WANTS to, DESIRES to, DREAMS of, owning a THREE
STORY house, a CORVETTE, and his or her own SUCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS??
Does a CHILD have the right to CHOOSE his or her own DESTINY? I say yes. YOU
may be happy with your life, that is GREAT! But what do we do about the CHILD?
My answer is that we, as parents, try to GIVE our children EVERY opportunity and
let HIM or HER decide.
FAMILY, TRADITION, and CULTURE will be there EVEN IF a child desires to advance
ECONOMICALLY. BUT…..ECONOMIC opportunities will NOT or be MUCH HARDER to
acheive if a CHILD is not helped to become PREPARED to confront a competetive
WORLD market. The CHILD may never get HIS or HER chance, may never fulfill
HIS OR HER dreams. The CHILD will be WAY WAY BEHIND and probably will never
catch up. It will be too much work and almost impossible.
So, CALEB, won’t FAMILY and CULTURE and TRADITIONS always be there?? If one
CHOOSES to live as you have, can they not CHOOSE this life after CHOOSING what
ECONOMIC path to take??
Therefore, it is NOT by any means to down MEXICO, their will be many YOUNG people
who would like to leave MEXICO due to the ECONOMIC conditions but will be
UNPREPARED to advance in the U.S. It is a hard life! My NIECE, on the other
hand, speaks ENGLISH, is going to finish her education here, will be ready to
go to college, and can STILL choose to live in MEXICO if she wishes. She can
ALSO choose to become a highly payed LAWYER in the U.S. if SHE WISHES.
That, to me, is a GREAT situation. She can pick! That’s what I want! I respect
her decision the same as I respect YOURS.
LASTLY CALEB, I know that MEXICAN people are hard workers. LISTEN, your
COUNTRY and people are NOT the “government!” So, I do NOT insult MEXICAN people.
SURE, I know and hope that it will be a better ECONOMIC situation for MEXICANS
one day. SURE, I know that the U.S. is NOT PERFECT!
So, with that said, allow me to rephrase my statement: “Isn’t it better for a
CHILD to be born in the U.S. in regard to his or her ECONOMIC FUTURE and
SECURITY? ALTHOUGH Mexico is RICH in TRADITIONS, FAMILY, CULTURE, etc., can
it be said that CHILDREN can have THESE VERY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LIFE together
with FINANACIAL AND ECONOMIC success so that THEY, THEY, THE CHILDREN will
ultimately have the FINAL decision in how THEY wish to live?? I think that it
can and SHOULD be said. I think that HARD WORKING MEXICANS need to continue to
support a better ECONOMIC future for MEXICO while preserving their HERITAGE.
In the meantime, the U.S. IS better equipped to provide the EDUCATION, SECURITY,
and FINANCIAL opportunities that one needs to deal with POVERTY. That doesn’t
mean to say that ONE country is BETTER than the other, it is just a FACT.
But, Caleb, continue to practice your traditions, love your family, culture, etc.
Yes this is important! I respect that.
Let’s just make sure that we give our CHILDREN “ALL” of the necessities that
THEY will need to make their own choices LATER in life and let’s don’t let
our CHILDREN feel LATER that they cannot PURSURE “THEIR” DREAMS due to OUR
DECISIONS for THEIR LIVES.
Phil,
Agreed. Thank you for your rephrase… and in that I do agree: the people that go over there find that the economy is important in their life, and I respect that; is their choice, and I wish them well.
You may find my comments utopian, but I get, as you, as a human being, the will to decide what will be the foundation of our lifestyle; a personal lifestyle, going beyond tradition and society. Right now, I believe that both of us are, because of this discussion, in a position in which we have encountered the main differences of our ideas which is indeed the decision of what is the foundation of our lifestyle:
“So, CALEB, won’t FAMILY and CULTURE and TRADITIONS always be there?? If one CHOOSES to live as you have, can they not CHOOSE this life after CHOOSING what ECONOMIC path to take??”
Yes, but this implies that you’ve decided to choose your economic path before making the decision of which life (tradition, culture, etc.) to live; I’m not indicating in any way that this decision is “bad” or “wrong”, it’s your choice and my choice in the end, and we have our own reasons to do so.
“She can pick! That’s what I want! I respect her decision the same as I respect YOURS.”
Thank you, and I’m certain she’ll pick well. Yes, the situation you have visioned for her makes it so that her ability to choose will be endless, and it’ll be an easy choice economically.
Many of my countrymen have chosen this way: again, it’s their choice, good for them.
But I, and many who are still here, have made a choice of deciding first what type of life (traditions, culture, etc.) to live and then decide what economic path to take. Even though our lifestyle and culture comes with us and is always there, if one of us opts to first decide the economic path it’s, in some way, an abandonment of that lifestyle and culture; not a complete abandonment, of course, but a demotion in the priority list. How many of my brothers have gone out to U.S. land and when I speak to them in their natal language they act as if they don’t know it? How many of my sisters have looked down on me because “I’m still living in Mexico”? I know that these examples aren’t the big picture, and it’s probably a small percentage of what’s really going on, but it’s a sign of what I’m talking about.
I agree that choosing first your economic path almost guarantees an easy choice for years to come, but, for us, at what cost? That’s why I don’t fully agree with U.S.-Mexican immigration: it’s ourselves putting our own culture at the line. Yes, it may be profitable, and may assure economic stability and growth that can assure an easy choice for later generations, but we’re a group of people that it’s characterized by pushing themselves through struggle. 50% of poverty, 75% government corruption, 65% illiterate population… I’m proud to say we’ve been worse, and we’re getting better, slowly, fighting to get better through struggle.
… Learning to dream, they learn how to make themselves great, to make themselves dignified, they learn to struggle. That is why, when true men and women say ‘we are going to dream,’ they are saying, and they are saying to each other, ‘we are going to struggle’…
– Subcomandante Insurgente Marcos, The History of Dreams
I’ve been thought a dream of having Mexico out of debt, creating it’s own technology, and take part of the future Big 9 meetings. I’ve a college degree, with my own company, and accepted to do a postgraduate degree in Manchester, U.K. I’m someone’s child, and I have made my own decision of what I want to do, through struggle, and I’ll walk through that classroom feeling “I’m Mexican, living in Mexico, and coming back to Mexico”.
My children will have their own dreams, and I’m sure as hell they will make them true. They will still have the beautiful situation of choosing: but a choice, for us, comes with struggle, life in it’s own way makes you earn it. So, yes, it’ll be harder for them because of it, but (here comes the best part) I rather know that they have that feeling of being part of something that it’s truly theirs, then giving them an economically stable future without that feeling. With all due respect, your daughter may decide return to Mexico but will she really feel Mexican? I’m guessing she’ll feel more as an American (with all understanding), because, obviously, she has lived there the biggest part of her life. I’m not saying this isn’t right: it was your choice for your family, and there’s nothing wrong feeling as an American. But I’m Mexican, and it’s very important for me that my children feel that way also… yes, even more so than assuring them economic well-being: because I’ve decided first what type of life I want me and my children to live and then, based on that, where to make money independently of how hard it will be because of my first decision. Going somewhere else that is not Mexico and raising them there will make it very hard for them to feel that way (although I know it can be done, I’ve seen it in your country), but if I’m going to struggle with something I rather struggle with making my home better in which my children have their own nation surrounding, infecting them with patriotism of their homeland, then making my children feel mexican in a place where I’m good financially. The beautiful thing about this is that my kids will have this exact same choice as well, and they, as well as your kids, will get to pick; and no, it won’t be an easy choice for my kids, but I know she’ll have her country by her side to do it (yeah, I’m hoping for someday having a girl, jeje).
I understand where you’re coming from, and I respect it, I’m even thanking you for it. Everyone has different opinions of what they want for them and their families and how to get it, and that is exactly what I wanted to point out: we have different priorities, even more so when it comes to family… I wish you well for you, your family and your country, and from what I’ve read, I’m pretty sure you’ll wish exactly that back, so at least we have that in common, jeje =).
CALEB:
Whether we agree on everything or not, I respect the LOGIC you use when responding
to my posts. You are NOT just spouting off irresponsible comments of hatred.
I will say that I appreciate a good debate anytime, but some people just have
no clue about the subject at hand.
It’s nice to see a couple of guys like us (and, of course, we aren’t the only ones)
making GOOD points and debating them.
I do, indeed, wish well for your family and for Mexico. I have the upmost
respect for your people, country, culture, etc. I hope that this immigration
situation is worked out in a way that both sides can benefit. Only time
will tell.
=)
The goverment that is currently being ocupied by some racist biggots like
sessemberger,Delay,frist and among other evil activist are curently allowing
white supremist and other white hate groups to influence the final descision
on the inmigration issue. These political biggots and domestic terrorist are
determined to vote against inmigrant rights and human rights in order to advance
their hateful and destructive agenda. We as people of color are responsible in
taking action in any and every way that we can to confront this issue head on
no matter what because our future and our childrens future depends on it.
with the help of our father and jesus we will strive and evil will never prevail
over good we must be strong and keep our heads up and look ahead because these
evil satan folowers will not prevail!!!!!!!!!
It is time that solidarity is reaffirmed by our actions as we have learned from the past struggles of our raza. When I say raza, I mean everyone..white, black, asian, muslim, mexican, salvadorian,etc….The raza …the people….who share the vision of a world without injustice. Do I believe that we will one day live in a utopian society? NO, that is far from the truth or reality. The familia is where its at. It starts by establishing strong ties with our family, no matter what bullshit the government throws our way. It starts by teaching our children love and respect. Without love and respect, nothing good can exist. Tolerance and solidarity can along exist if we can learn to get along with our family. I want to unite with all my brothers and sisters living in my community….We as one should fight for our human right to live where we want to live. This is not your land, my land, but its our land!!!
Be nice if they took a day to crawl back to mexico.