I agree that the immigrants would help their cause if they assimilated better. I don't see as much of the criminal activity but I live in a small town in Texas. There is a large immigrant population here but the ones that I know are good, decent people. I know several families from my boy's school and from church. I think they caught on about the Mexican flags after the criticism of the first protests. I think they have a certain pride for their heritage even though the left their country to come here. As for the Spanish, I know here the businesses cater to the Spanish language because they want the immigrants money. I think most will eventually will learn English or at least their children will.

BTW, whenever I see your blog name I think of that song Rico, Suave. That just isn't a nice thing to do to a person to put that song in their head.

Perhaps because you choose not to? It's pretty damn hard to miss where I live.



What percentage of the total do you know? Five percent or less?

Where I live in Florida we have a very large immigrant population and a large percentage of them are illegals. Yeah, some of them are honest, hard working people. And a LOT of them aren't. The crime rates have gone up in direct proportion to the numbers of illegals who have moved into the area.
That's a simple fact, not an opinion.

The vast majority of the people who are arrested for break-ins, shoplifting, and robberies where I live are illegals. The areas where property values go down drastically are the same areas where there are large populations of illegals.

Tacking the handle "illegal" on someone doesn't automatically make them a "good, honest, hard-working person".

I have no idea how many illegal immigrant families there are in our town. Really, personal experience and anecdotal evidence counts for nothing. If you look at the illegal immigrant crime statistics you will see that they represent a small minority of criminals in this country. Your perception may be different but the statistics tell a different story. I know that not all illegal immigrants are good, hardworking people but I think more are than are not. Of course, that is my perception. I think the generalization that illegal immigrants are all criminally inclined is false.

This is just the conservative cause of the moment that the conservative talk radio hosts are fanning the flames on. When the Republicans lose more seats in Congress and the Senate in the next election, they will realize that they may have won the battle but they lost the war.

That's pure bullshit. Direct experience is the only thing that does count. In a court of law eye witness testimony counts far more than statistics or some other bullshit. You are living in a dream world and choose to refuse to see reality. They have medications for that.

So you know from personal experience all 12 million illegal immigrants in this country and they are all committing crime that corresponds to their numbers in each community and that is a fact? I think that's pure bullshit. I'm think the fantasy world is the world where all illegal immigrants are maligned and villified as the source of all problems in our country. I can't believe I got sucked into this argument again. I believe what I believe. I know what I know. If you think I'm delusional, so be it.

1st off, i find it ironic that mason belittles loca on her "personal experience" but then turns around and claims that one's "direct experience is the only thing that does count." i guess it only counts if it agrees with his "personal experience."

on the article...excellent writing. it is one perspective, granted, but like both loca and mason, you are certianly entitled to it and are not alone in your assertions.

i agree that the "assimilation factor" hasn't been quite what we who are already here would like it to be. i would submit a more "controversial " reasoning for that....

i believe there are many latinos, especially the ones who are actually mexican, that secretly, and sometimes not so secretly, really resent the fact that the southwest US is part of the US and not part of Mexico. I think there is some delusionary idealism within that community that someday Texas, California, and other parts of the southwest will once again be part of dear ol Mexico. I think some even associate coming over the border with a de facto "conquering" of the land by their squatting.

i think that , at least in part, contributes to the hostility towards assimilation.

Illegals are still being deported from the United States, therefore the laws against being in this country illegally are still enforced, and enforcable. Therefore, all 12 million of them ARE criminals, by definition. Every day they break the law, and a misdemeanor at that, not even just a violation (I'm guessing most Americans break at least traffic laws every day). If they are caught, they go back to wherever they came from, therefore are fearful of the authorities such as the police, the INS, FBI, and everyone else. Therefore, felons (making a little distinction here - not all illegal immigrants are felons) are more likely to NOT be caught, because no-one in that neighborhood trusts the police, and no-one will talk to them. No witnesses, which as Mason points out is a big part of our legal system, means these people can pretty much get away with anything. So crime will grow based on the number of illegals in a neighborhood, whether or not those illegals are actually committing those crimes. I don't even want to know how many of the crimes that are committed remain unreported for the sake of staying in the country.

Thank you all for your responses.

Locomama and MasonM, you bring out my point that this is a hot button issue. It was not my intention to stir up a debate, but I'm glad to read both of your comments. No two people, even Among those who agree, see things the same way.

Locomama, I'm not familiar with the song, but if it's a good song, then it can't be a bad thing.

MasonM, it looks like we've both seen the ugly side of the illegal immigrant situation, and something, who knows what, needs to be done. While I feel that the Minutemen have been misguided, I also feel that they've been misdirected. Instead of concentrating on the border, perhaps they should be concentrating their efforts on the illegals in urban areas like Los Angeles and Miami, where they already are. If you ask me, that's a bigger problem than anything at the border. Quick case in point: Director Bob Clark (Porky's, Look Who's Talking) and his 24 year old son were killed on Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu by a drunk driving illegal alien, who had previously been deported, had a job, and was openly raising his family here. Did the drunk driving illegal have any business being here?

Sean Conners, thank you for your nice words.

Jythier, you are aptly pointing out some sticky sides to this issue. Fear is a huge factor in all of this.

another point...many people supporting this immigration bill say that they want to "bring the illegals out of the shadows" and fingerprint them, do a backround check, etc...then if they have any criminal infractions, the yare deported. so, does anybody honestly think that they are going to be coming forward if they have so much as a traffic or parking ticket in their past, even if it's paid?

the only way to get a handle on who is here is to do it in the workplace primarily. and if that happens, the employers have to bear their share of the accountability and punishment. but we hardly have the resources to enforce that it seems...so what magic spell is going to happen with this bill that would ever make that happen?

none.

If we enforced the laws, and held the companies accountable - the big ones that can afford it - we can mete out enough fines from them to continue enforcement. But, government does not go after big corporations, unless they're just lying about their financial situation. That's wrong, because it might lose the rich politicians their investments. Anything else, and it's more... eh... that might hurt my investments, so we don't need to enforce it.

Rico, First, welcome aboard!  You did pick a hot button issue to start off.

But to your article.  My wife's mother came from Guadelajara (sp) (legally as well), and she and all her sisters and brothers are bi-lingual.  However, their children are not.  They understand some spanish, but do not speak it very well (I am picking it up rapidly listening to them talk in english and then in Spanish in the same sentence).

I dont know if this is the norm, but it seems that second and later generation of immigrants ususally lose their ancestors native tongues.  My grandmother was 2nd Generation French, and she did speak it fluently, but neither my mother or I do (although like my wife's nieces and nephews - I understand a great deal of the spoken language).

And finally, as to the point of your article, I agree.  The debate here in the states would be more muted if those demonstrating for citizenship were not degrading the land they want to live in with upside down flags and flying the flags of other countries in their demonstrations.