Over at Big Government.com writer Tad Lumpkin writes a piece discussing why Americans have strong opinions on the current state immigration. While he never actually comes out and uses the term “illegal immigrants” the tone of the article is quite clear to me: We are afraid of accepting the immigrants from south of the border. He starts off his article with this:
“The general attitude towards immigration emanates form a place of fear. Many people like the way the America is and are afraid that immigrants will change our culture for the worse. Well, those people would be wrong.”
Mr Lumpkin, I think it is you that is wrong. We are not afraid that illegal immigrant will change America for the worse. We are afraid that these illegals will be given citizenship without going through the same process that most of the rest of this immigration nation had to go through.
He concludes the open paragraph:
“This argument has been made over and over throughout the history of America.”
I don’t disagree with the points he makes throughout the article to support this theory. There is no question that Irish, Chinese and other non-English immigrants were looked down upon as they came to this great nation. But my argument against what he writes is we were an uneducated nation back then. In the 19th century most were lucky to make it to the sixth grade. Kids had to work the farm or work in the factories. Education was just not as important as getting a job to support the family. An uneducated society makes for a fearful society. We are no longer uneducated. Most graduate high school and a very large percentage go on to college. What was once an unknown is now the known. We don’t fear people for their difference, but actually embrace what they can bring to America.
Mr Lumpkin does not really understand why there is opposition to the current tide of immigrants. It is the illegal aspect that has most of us up in arms. All of the people he mentions in his article came here under a legal immigration program. They didn't cross the border under the cover of darkness, or in the back of an 18-wheeler. He correctly points out, we ARE a nation of immigrants, and our mothers, fathers, or great, great, great grandfathers came here legally. Why shouldn't we expect the tide rolling in from south of the border to follow the same rules that our families followed? We are more than happy to have them folded into the American Experience, just do it legally. Get rid of the home country flag, root for the USA first in the World Cup, learn the language, pay your taxes, and raise your kids to love their adopted country because of the opportunity it gives everyone.
The following was posted in the comments section of the article mentioned above. There are lots of links to support Brittanicus’ conclusions. Read them.
The American taxpayer needs to be alerted of the terrible toll of illegal immigration fiscal impact on federal, State and municipal government public services. We need more Tea Party newly elected politicians who believes that the American people should come and that immigration laws are not being neglected? Illegal aliens are reducing the retirement payments, pensions to our Senior Citizens. At http://tinyurl.com/5u8wc2n According to the Journal of American (the report on Illegal Aliens and American medicine) http://tinyurl.com/o6r27 defines the statement as a monolithic non-reimbursement concern of hurting hospitals across the United States. Illegal aliens are costing more than the prior Iraqi war as seen here, http://tinyurl.com/4ss2hzf Another argument is the education system , that has become a massive bottomless pit of money, for schooling the children of illegal immigrants http://tinyurl.com/5nk42a
Then we have the illegal alien crime wave adding to our own criminals spreading in every neighborhood across this nation. http://tinyurl.com/4hvzphx These are reports with reputable sources that are just the tip of the iceberg that every taxpayer should read. http://tinyurl.com/6h238a2 and http://tinyurl.com/6aupx9w Removing illegal immigrants from America that we are feeding, housing and giving free hospital access, would go a very long way in saving bankruptcies in state treasuries and the federal failure of placing American taxpayers before nationals of other corrupt countries. Call your Senator or politician about illegal Immigration, and Amnesty at Washington switchboard to be connected at 202-224-3121. The nation should only welcome highly skilled workers, and denounces any Liberal progressive lawmaker who sees the invasion as great generator of cash for the economy.
When every day US citizens and legal non-citizens who are rightfully here have been uprooted from their jobs, only to find an illegal alien has stepped into that spot lowering wages. In these type of circumstances it is the displaced workers duty to report this suspicious activity to ICE. Once the --REAL--DOUBLE --FENCE is constructed and every inch of the border region is sealed by stationed troops , without restrictions on any access, then a uniform Guest Worker program can be introduced, without the rampant fraud that exists right now after interior and border enforcement. NumbersUSA.
Here are some important distinctions between America now, and the 19th-early 20th-century eras of immigration:
1. Back then, there was absolutely no welfare state. There was no subsidized or government housing. Some private charity and some local government services catered to the poor, but they were far far more limited in scope than today. If you came to the U.S., you knew you were doing it without a net. Studies show that L.A. County alone spends more than $600 million on welfare for illegals (not counting schooling and hospital care).
2. Back then, no bilingual education, and no bilingual (or multi-lingual) government or corporate services. ("If you speak Spanish, press ocho....") No ballots printed in 17 languages. If you wanted to succeed in America, you quickly learned English. True, there were some enclaves that catered to recently arrived immigrants until they could learn the language and get on their feet, but it was virtually all provided by private enterprise and/or private charity.
3. America had a "melting pot" mentality back then, and immigrants eagerly bought into this philosophy. Immigrants were encouraged to adopt American culture and customs and the English language as quickly as possible. (This didn't mean they had to renounce their old culture and language, and many practiced it in their homes or on holidays.) Today, left-wing activists, educators, social workers, and NGOs actively promote the doctrine of multi-culturalism, which encourages immigrants to reject American culture as imperialist and evil, and to cling to their own culture and language as long as possible. Immigrants loved America, they didn't resent it like they are taught to do now. And America hadn't yet developed a guilt complex.
4. In the past, there was no "affirmative action." Most people don't realize that many immigrants, legal or otherwise, are given preferential treatment when applying to college, in corporate personnel decision-making, or when applying for many government support programs like SBA loans. While discrimination against legal immigrants is wrong, the reverse is equally immoral. (The fact most elites in contemporary society are uncomfortable with that last sentence tells you a lot about the distinctions between today and the past eras of mass immigration.)
5. The biggest beneficiaries of illegal immigration today are the upper-middle-class and higher. Wages are kept artificially low for nannies, gardeners, housekeepers, and service industries that are primarily enjoyed by the haves in society (restaurants, hotels, resorts, etc.). Also, some of the burdens on business produced by growing payroll taxes, benefit requirements, etc. can be avoided by hiring illegals instead of U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, the biggest losers are low-skilled Americans. Not everybody can or wants to get a college education. But the low-skilled in our society are out-bid for manual-labor and service jobs by illegal immigrants who are willing to work for minimum or even below-minimum wage, which represents a huge pay raise compared to where they come from. Illegal immigration, therefore, exacerbates high unemployment among low-skilled Americans, many of them African American, stripping them of the dignity of working at a decent wage.
6. Electronic and digital media have made it easier than ever for immigrants to stay in touch with the relatives and community, as if they never left. They also make it easier to cocoon yourself in your culture and language. In the '50s, my immigrant parents learned English language, and American culture, by watching American TV. Nowadays, many immigrants watch nothing but networks in their own language. The increasing sophistication and variety of foreign-language television, radio, and web presence means you never have to leave your comfort zone and learn about American culture or learn the English language. Walk around in any predominantly immigrant community and you will hear nothing but their native language blasting from their TVs and radios.
7. Militant anti-American groups like La Raza didn't exist back then, which teach Mexican immigrants that the southwestern U.S. belongs to them, and they need to take it back. This isn't an exaggeration, or mere ethnic pride -- there are actual militants who are agitating for this very policy. True, it's a minor issue now. But as Mexican immigrants become a higher percentage of some states, they will push for special rights similar to those of native American tribes, with their own laws and sovereignty. This was never an issue in the past. In addition, most immigrants favor statist programs. As they get the vote, they exert upward pressure on the size of government.
Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and free-market champion, said, "You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state."
Then we have the illegal alien crime wave adding to our own criminals spreading in every neighborhood across this nation. http://tinyurl.com/4hvzphx These are reports with reputable sources that are just the tip of the iceberg that every taxpayer should read. http://tinyurl.com/6h238a2 and http://tinyurl.com/6aupx9w Removing illegal immigrants from America that we are feeding, housing and giving free hospital access, would go a very long way in saving bankruptcies in state treasuries and the federal failure of placing American taxpayers before nationals of other corrupt countries. Call your Senator or politician about illegal Immigration, and Amnesty at Washington switchboard to be connected at 202-224-3121. The nation should only welcome highly skilled workers, and denounces any Liberal progressive lawmaker who sees the invasion as great generator of cash for the economy.
When every day US citizens and legal non-citizens who are rightfully here have been uprooted from their jobs, only to find an illegal alien has stepped into that spot lowering wages. In these type of circumstances it is the displaced workers duty to report this suspicious activity to ICE. Once the --REAL--DOUBLE --FENCE is constructed and every inch of the border region is sealed by stationed troops , without restrictions on any access, then a uniform Guest Worker program can be introduced, without the rampant fraud that exists right now after interior and border enforcement. NumbersUSA.
Another friend who posts at/reads Big Government.com has allowed me to add his comments regarding the article linked above. He hits the nail on the head. Thanks Catoii for allowing me to add these.
1. Back then, there was absolutely no welfare state. There was no subsidized or government housing. Some private charity and some local government services catered to the poor, but they were far far more limited in scope than today. If you came to the U.S., you knew you were doing it without a net. Studies show that L.A. County alone spends more than $600 million on welfare for illegals (not counting schooling and hospital care).
2. Back then, no bilingual education, and no bilingual (or multi-lingual) government or corporate services. ("If you speak Spanish, press ocho....") No ballots printed in 17 languages. If you wanted to succeed in America, you quickly learned English. True, there were some enclaves that catered to recently arrived immigrants until they could learn the language and get on their feet, but it was virtually all provided by private enterprise and/or private charity.
3. America had a "melting pot" mentality back then, and immigrants eagerly bought into this philosophy. Immigrants were encouraged to adopt American culture and customs and the English language as quickly as possible. (This didn't mean they had to renounce their old culture and language, and many practiced it in their homes or on holidays.) Today, left-wing activists, educators, social workers, and NGOs actively promote the doctrine of multi-culturalism, which encourages immigrants to reject American culture as imperialist and evil, and to cling to their own culture and language as long as possible. Immigrants loved America, they didn't resent it like they are taught to do now. And America hadn't yet developed a guilt complex.
4. In the past, there was no "affirmative action." Most people don't realize that many immigrants, legal or otherwise, are given preferential treatment when applying to college, in corporate personnel decision-making, or when applying for many government support programs like SBA loans. While discrimination against legal immigrants is wrong, the reverse is equally immoral. (The fact most elites in contemporary society are uncomfortable with that last sentence tells you a lot about the distinctions between today and the past eras of mass immigration.)
5. The biggest beneficiaries of illegal immigration today are the upper-middle-class and higher. Wages are kept artificially low for nannies, gardeners, housekeepers, and service industries that are primarily enjoyed by the haves in society (restaurants, hotels, resorts, etc.). Also, some of the burdens on business produced by growing payroll taxes, benefit requirements, etc. can be avoided by hiring illegals instead of U.S. citizens. Meanwhile, the biggest losers are low-skilled Americans. Not everybody can or wants to get a college education. But the low-skilled in our society are out-bid for manual-labor and service jobs by illegal immigrants who are willing to work for minimum or even below-minimum wage, which represents a huge pay raise compared to where they come from. Illegal immigration, therefore, exacerbates high unemployment among low-skilled Americans, many of them African American, stripping them of the dignity of working at a decent wage.
6. Electronic and digital media have made it easier than ever for immigrants to stay in touch with the relatives and community, as if they never left. They also make it easier to cocoon yourself in your culture and language. In the '50s, my immigrant parents learned English language, and American culture, by watching American TV. Nowadays, many immigrants watch nothing but networks in their own language. The increasing sophistication and variety of foreign-language television, radio, and web presence means you never have to leave your comfort zone and learn about American culture or learn the English language. Walk around in any predominantly immigrant community and you will hear nothing but their native language blasting from their TVs and radios.
7. Militant anti-American groups like La Raza didn't exist back then, which teach Mexican immigrants that the southwestern U.S. belongs to them, and they need to take it back. This isn't an exaggeration, or mere ethnic pride -- there are actual militants who are agitating for this very policy. True, it's a minor issue now. But as Mexican immigrants become a higher percentage of some states, they will push for special rights similar to those of native American tribes, with their own laws and sovereignty. This was never an issue in the past. In addition, most immigrants favor statist programs. As they get the vote, they exert upward pressure on the size of government.
Milton Friedman, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and free-market champion, said, "You cannot simultaneously have free immigration and a welfare state."
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