<p>PHampton, why do you think African Americans oppose illegal immigration?</p>
<p>**Indeed, at their worst, those who deny the serious problems of illegal immigration employ words like “nativist” to describe their opponents, thus characterizing them as xenophobes rather than people interested in upholding the law. Nativist, however, is an empty charge, since there are more illegal and legal immigrants here (some 30 million, or almost 10 percent of our present population) than at any time in U.S. history.</p>
<p>The even harsher word “racist” also is sometimes evoked in the debate. A purported “white America” secretly fears a “brown invasion.” But worry over losing control of our borders troubles Americans of all races, including millions of Hispanic-Americans. Most African-Americans and Asian-Americans oppose illegal immigration for a variety of reasons–from the driving down of wages of lower-paid American workers to the allowing of Mexican citizens to cut ahead in the immigration line.
**</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0604140298apr14,1,654031.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed[/url]”>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0604140298apr14,1,654031.story?coll=chi-opinionfront-hed</a></p>
<p>“We do not need to absorb this kind of population in the United States when we clearly have social policies that do not favor the poor and working class.”
Euopean immigrants in the early 20th century were the lowest of the low. They were the scum of Europe, from anarchists to proffesional pickpockets you name it. Just have a look at those Jacob Riis photos, those immigrants also worked for substantially less than native citizens. Didn’t it all work out in the end?</p>
<p>LMAO @ “it worked out in the end.” Yeah. SURE. Unfortunately, African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans did not reap the benefits.</p>
<p>African American did not reap the benefits because until the 1960’s America was restricting their social progress, a.k.a. jim crow laws etc… Native Americans did not reap the benefits because America abused and tried to control their reservations until the Native American movement in the late 60’s. Asian Americans were BANNED from reaching US shores for years…of course they didn’t reap the benefits.</p>
<p>At the same time, we do not need to absorb a population that is heavily undereducated and poor and will place a heavy burden on this country’s social services and public programs. Especiallyif they do not have the right to be here. The United States has one of the worst social policy intiatives among industrialized nations. The government does not fund human services adequately.</p>
<p>It worked out for European immigrants because they were considered “white” in America. Opposite of black or “other.” Race is American history.</p>
<p>I agree with you that our Govt. does not fund human services adequately but what in the world makes you think that these immigrants will remain forever uneducated and poor??? race is a great part of American history and its time to realize that a multi-race society is the greatest American achievement.</p>
<p>“No Irish need apply”</p>
<p>White people didn’t have a problem discriminating against other white people. Eastern European and other “undesirables” caught plenty of anti-immigrant sentiment.</p>
<p>Well, I think African-Americans are against illegal immgrants because they believe the immgrants depress wages and take their unskilled jobs. I don’t really think these fears are founded. I do think wages for unskliled jobs are being compressed-but rather than blaming the immigrants, one might blame the corporations and the politicans promoting globalization as a way to global prosperity. Because of globalization, the US is tied to the global marketplace and the governmetn unfortuantely in the US has not inacted enoguh labor laws to gurantee a high quality of life.</p>
<p>Bornconfused, why do you think African Americans, Native Americans and even Latinos still perform poorly in schools? Live in segregated neighborhoods? Progress does not happen overnight. We’re still fighting the same battle that should have been won 40-50 years ago. That’s why we need to regulate the number of people coming in here before we create a mass cycle of generational poverty.</p>
<p>It’s not about race - it’s about numbers. We don’t have the assets and services in place to import half of Mexico.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401686.html?sub=AR[/url]”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/14/AR2006041401686.html?sub=AR</a></p>
<p>Immigrants don’t depress wages to the extent the xenophobes whine about</p>
<p>Since when are American citizens “xenophobes” when illegal aliens are not supposed to live here according to law???</p>
<p>One thing have gotten clear after reading most of the responses from people who side with illegal infiltrators, is that many of us see nothing but good out a situation because we ourselves are good-hearted. They see the benefits and not see the flaws which can come if we continue to have uncontrolled borders. They think everything will always work themselves out in the end. Give them legal status, in a generation they will assimilate and be like everyone else. That is asking a lot for US to absorb 30 millions people. How do we instigate social policy if we allow uncontrolled influx like this ? It’s a lousy way to run a country, don’t you think ? And can any nation continue to do this indefinitely ? An “open tent” as someone else pointed out ?</p>
<p>edvest, I understand that a non border will create its own problems, just as a severe border will create problems. I would argue that trying to control any population to accomodate social policy is a tragedy in the making. If we removed all the undocumented workers from this country this week, there would be more tragedy and injustice than if we let the majority of them to stay and to continue to work.</p>
<p>Each of us has benefited from the hard work and low benefits created by this large work force. Perhaps some stiff penalties to those companies that use individuals as private contractors to skirt the social security, tax and insurance laws, or better laws to require that insurance and taxes are covered for independant contractors by the people and corporations that hire them would help, but then people should expect to pay a lot more to have their lawn mowed.</p>
<p>What about a strong physical border, stiff penalties for companies who hire illegals and THEN allowing more people to come here LEGALLY from Mexico? </p>
<p>Those who are against border control seem to be actually backing corporations and supporting the creation of an underclass.</p>
<p>Word, socal, word.</p>
<p>These people are in this country “illegally”. They are lawbreakers.
Just because our government has been lax in enforcing the laws, does not mean that we grant special favors to the lawbreakers.</p>
<p>Illegal immigrants should be charged with felonies and prosecuted. Granted we can’t get them all but by setting an example that we will not tolerate this any longerr should send a message.</p>
<p>These marches are nothing more than an attempt to flaunt the law. Also, the government should come down hard on employers.</p>
<p>I can’t believe the amount of sympathy these people are getting.</p>
<p>frankly I am not for people coming here illegally- and if that means the cherries don’t get picked- oh well- I can grow my own.
But the cases I am reading about- like a father and husband who is locked up because he was born to a united states citizen who happened to be in Mexico at the time, even though he has been in this country for almost 50 years, and if an illegal asks for change and you give it to them, that you could be held for aiding and abetting, then those circumstances are ridiculous.
( I however don’t live in an area with cherry orchards and neither does mini, but I do see lots of illegals working the fishing boats and construction, both jobs that are relatively stable, and don’t require workers to live in tents- however because they are illegal, their criminal background is supposedly unknown to their employers( and some have left mexico because of their criminal history), and the employer knows they can’t complain about safety regulations- not a nice circumstance)
<a href=“http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0617/immigration.php[/url]”>http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/0617/immigration.php</a></p>