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Suddenly we’re hearing about a strange new threat called "anchor babies," and news media are not doing a very good job getting the facts right and putting the term in context. It’s important for journalists to report this carefully because the far right is citing the alleged threat of "anchor babies" to justify monkeying with one of the most important parts of the Constitution, the 14th Amendment, with its guarantee of citizenship to anyone born in this country.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who claims to be a moderate, has been warning of the dire threat of "anchor babies" every chance he gets. Recently on CNN he was asked by Wolf Blitzer how many illegal immigrants come here just to have babies that automatically become U.S. citizens. Graham said there are "reports" of some 6,000. Blitzer failed to follow up and ask some obvious questions: What "reports?" What are they based on? And this figure of 6,000: does it refer to 6,000 a year, a decade, or some grand total over all time?
Politifact examines the issue carefully in a long article and ends up saying there’s no evidence of any large number of illegal immigrants coming here to give birth:
"Graham appears to be conflating two things — a pattern of wealthy foreigners engaging in ‘birth tourism’ using legal visas, and illegal immigration of poorer people from Mexico. In our view, failing to make the distinction exaggerates the alleged problem and uses inflammatory rhetoric to obscure legitimate policy questions. On balance, we rate his comment Half True."
Rating it half true seems overly generous. Graham knows very well he is misleading the public, and the overall impression he’s leaving is totally false. Even Lou Dobbs won’t go as far as Graham; Dobbs defends the 14th Amendment and "birthright citizenship."
This is an issue ripe for demagoguery, and it’s up to journalists to report the facts carefully and help the public have a sensible debate about immigration.
Author, lecturer and former CNN correspondent Tony Collings discusses current news coverage at his blog, Capturing The News. Follow Tony on Twitter.
69 Comments
Thanks for this, Tony. This is just one more area where an increasingly unhinged and desperate right wing is making ever-more blatant efforts to cultivate racial paranoia for political gain.
For decades, the “respectable” mainstream part of conservatism heeded Lee Atwater’s Southern Strategy, which was to promote tax cuts (which of course cut social spending, spending which is perceived as helping nonwhites more than whites) as a way to appeal to racists without actually using overtly racist language; but now, they’re so desperate that they’re forgetting the need to speak strictly in code.
Any body heard anything recently from Michelle Malkin on this topic?
6,000 is the number the rightwing (and Lindsey Graham is as rightwing as they come, don’t let the Teabaggers fool you) talibangelical of any era use whenever they need a number.
See, Bishop Usher regarding the age of the earth.
She weighed in really nastily about Vaughn Walker being ‘gay’ and his decision; I think her enforced silence on last week’s XIV Amendment debate really got her down. I also read that her parents, having “dropped” her but not left, taking advantage of the loophole that lets non-citizens stay in America to care for their minor American citizen children, didn’t become citizens until she was 19. Having attained her majority, she was no longer able to protect them from ICE action, I bet.
Always seemed like there was a bit of cognitive dissonance to her when she starts in on the “illegals” and “anchor babies” since she are one.
Melissa Harris Lacewell made an excellent point on TRMS this past week: when economic times get tough and men think the world is spinning out of control, they can always be counted on to try to wrestle control, via lawmaking, of the center of a woman. Her uterus.
Both the anchor baby issue and the reproductive choice challenges to Roe share this grasping-at-control. Men might feel the economy is out of their control due to dark and large forces, but they can always, as legislators, impose order on the world they most like to ensure is under their dominion: the uterus.
I thought it was a brilliant connection between the two issues. It’s all about the lady-parts for these gentlemen.
And you can bet the farm when all of those MSM journalists don’t report the facts carefully and help the public have a sensible debate about immigration that it is a feature, not a bug.
This is a problem. Maybe not as much in states farther removed from the border, but here in SoCal hospitals lose millions annually providing delivery services to pregnant Hispanic women here illegally. One S.D. area hospital alone loses a million dollars a year in free delivery costs to illegals. But everybody suffers because state funding for Medicare and other health services for citizens are cut back.
And here’s another example of what can happen:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/08/death-of-nun-sister-denis_n_674783.html
Death Of Nun, Sister Denise Mosier, Sparks Anti-Immigration Backlash In Virginia
“WASHINGTON — In Arizona, the shooting death of a rancher blew the lid off simmering anger over border security and helped solidify support for a tough new immigration law. A similar eruption threatens in Virginia following the death of a Catholic nun in a car accident involving a man in the country illegally and accused of drunken driving.”
The story goes on to say that the accused, Carlos Montano, is in the country illegally, had two prior drunk driving convictions, but was released back into the community by ICE pending his deportation hearing…because he has two young sons. Yep. Two little anchors.
And, OBTW, two other nurses injured in the crash are still in critical condition. But anchor babies are all a myth set out by evil racists.
Yup, some of those “anchor babies” are pretty scary, alright…
Speaking of reproductive rights, this documentary creeped me right out…
What a f*cking surprise.
Wow, 6,000 sounds like a big number.
You know what else is a big number?
307,000,000 (USA population 2009)
Divide the little number by the big number and multiply the result by 100 to get the wee percent of new Americans that are anchor babies, (accepting the 6000 as true).
I really don’t think that everyone that supports keeping the 14th amendment the same believes everyone that doesn’t is a racist.
IMO, the immigration issue is one that has the potential to divide the left just as much as it has divided the Republican Party recently, perhaps even more so.
I don’t want the 14th amendment changed. I don’t want a massive deportation effort started. Does this make me beleive that those that do are racists?
I also don’t want laws passed and then not enforced. Oooh, now I’m really weird, right? I just don’t support uneven enforcement and IMO every right winger out there that demagogues the issue does so in full knowledge of the fact that his brethren, the folks that supports him and he supports, are breaking the immigration laws JUST AS MUCH when they hire illegals.
I would support massive deportation the same day massive employer PRISON TERMS occurred for hiring them.
I don’t want the issue of anchor babies leading to the very real and very expensive consequences that you point out in your post. But I don’t think we need to change the 14th amendment to fix that problem. Am I one of those here at FDL that can’t grasp all the relevant facts?
I am damned tired of illegal immigrants taking jobs that might be available to legal citizens or legal immigrants, but I don’t blame them. Am I a bleeding heart? I blame the employers. I blame the government for looking the other way. And yes, you can bet your ass the government spent better than a decade INTENTIONALLY looking the other way while illegal immigrants crossed and employers hired them.
But I also don’t support illegal behavior resulting in rewards, so IMO districts that don’t want to spend any dollars on any infrastructure or basic needs of illegals are right to do so, including not allowing the children of illegals attend public schoool. Ahh, now I’m a racist too??
My point isn’t to lecture you on all of my personal beliefs on the issue. My point is that it is an extremely complicated issue that lots of good people with good intentions can look at and come up with different takes on it.
Please don’t label us all into one little bin or another. I venture to say that all of us here at FDL have different takes on the issue and probably no two are the same on all of them.
THe only ones that we, perhaps unfairly at times, label as “racists” are the right wingers that I spoke about that intentionally demagogue the issue of illegal immigrants while intentionally ignoring the role of employers because they know that it will hit home to the racists out there. IMO that makes them racists too.
SOrry for the length, and sorry if some of my beliefs causes me to lose my standing as a progressive. I can tell you my number one priority has always been ACCOUNTABILITY. I don’t believe in any law being violated and not having consequences, even laws we disagree with. WHy? Because that is precisely when you end up where we are today. Laws against some being unenforced while laws against others being enforced enthusiastically. Just look at W and The Dick still walking free when there’s no doubt in my mind they broke federal laws and treaties. And look at the ‘lesser’ people in prison all over the country for smoking a joint.
Jeebus, talk about diarhea of the fingers.
Sorry for the length of that.
Moderators please delete if you think it’s too far OT and too long. Just please delete this one too if you do. *g*
America, founded and built by Anchor Babies…
As right-wing tyrants go, Mr. Graham is pretty small potatoes compared to those Repub females with real dictator-potential, Half-Sarah-the-moosekiller and the Angle of Sharron of rocky Nevada.
Anyway, all those babies of English Pilgrims in Massachusetts in the 1600s and 1700s, at least until 1776, could also be described as “anchor babies,” if one wanted to be obtuse and vile. America, founded and built by Anchor Babies…
The quickest way to end illegal immigration is to amend the federal criminal code and make the following conduct a class C felony: 1. Hiring an illegal alien and working while being an illegal alien, 2. Renting property to an illegal alien and leasing property as an illegal alien, 3. Applying for benefits as an illegal alien and receiving benefits as an illegal alien. 4. Applying for licenses or using licenses as an illegal alien.
This is far easier than amending the U.S. Constitution. Of course no one in Congress will proposed amending the criminal code and then will complain that they can not amend the constitution. The truth is that no one really wants to end illegal immigration. It is to good to business because they can get all of the cheap / slave labor they want from south of the border.
From your title, I thought you were critiquing the sons and daughters of news anchors, not the weightier topic of the right’s misuse of the constitutional standard that those born here, have a right to live here and be part of America. The unearned success of the former is laughable; the latter is a founding principle of American democracy.
Anchor babies are born as card carrying Deomcrats so they are evil to our Red, White, and True Blueness!!
Book Salon up at the Mothership with Lee Badgett’s When Gay People Get Married: What Happens When Societies Legalize Same-Sex Marriage hosted by Lane Hudson
How many illegals are actually coming here just to give birth, versus how many were here for several months – or years – before the baby arrived, working in minimum-wage jobs?
How much are those hospitals losing on covering the uninsured, whether citizens or not, because the insurance companies won’t provide affordable insurance and don’t want to pay for anything they consider unnecessary?
I seriously doubt that the problems the hospitals have are caused by ‘anchor babies’. (Try corporations and deficit hawks instead.)
You’re right on many fronts. One place we disagree is changing the 14th Amendment. As was pointed out on one of the MSNBC shows this past week (can’t remember which), every nation in the EU that, at one time or another, had “anchor baby” citizenship provisions has now changed their laws.
This, and only this, change in the 14th Amendment, would be, IMO, a wise thing to do.
Oh, this tired argument again. As if no situation ever changes, and as if changing situations never require changing policies. You know what else America was founded and built on? Try these:
- Slavery in the southern states, including the mandatory return of escaped slaves from northern states to their southern owners.
- Slaves counted as only 3/5 of a person for apportionment/representation standards.
- Senators elected by state legislatures, not by the voters.
- No right to vote for women.
Indeed, the 14th amendment, subject of this post, was enacted as a cure for the way America was founded.
At some point we have to recognize the right, and the fact, that first come, first served counts for something. Let me give you an analogy:
You’re out to dinner with the family. Restaurant is full. Another family comes in, goes over to your table, tells you to move over and make room for them. Asks you to chip in on their dinner bill as well. Then waves yet another family over to also squeeze in. It’s the same principle, only on a different scale.
Right. Plus it gives the Democravens an emotional social policy issue to use to deflect our attention away from all their sellouts on civil liberties and financial matters. And in the long run, it results in more Dem voters to keep corporate shill Dem puppets in office.
Assuming (a great stretch in itself) that the number 6,000 means anything at all, is it such a large number that we should panic over it?
Like all the Hispanics in the southwest and Native Americans who were here before the white folks?
They don’t count. And notice how our resident not-racist cares nothing about punishing Tyson chicken only “ILLEGALS”
He doesn’t provide any data on his shit, cuz he has none anyway.
As i always say, it is like those pro-lifers who refuse to do anything that would actually reduce the abortion rate.
20-plus years is “new” and “sudden”?
Replying to dakine01 @ 5
“Is one,” and no: not really. No one blames the babies for their parents’ actions. Have you heard of the DREAM Act?
Replying to PJEvans @ 20
More than they would losing be if there were no “or nots,” eh?
Good analogy at 22, victortruex, but add this in: your invited guests are still standing in line outside.
For someone who claims to have the “ironymeter” you are quite snark impaired – since you obviously missed that I was purposefully saying “are one”
But I guess you are also unaware that in fact Malkin does blame the children for the acts of the parents. Quite frequently.
To understand the statement by Senator Graham in which he will introduce legislation affecting the 14th Amendment, he was pandering to the tea party in South Carolina. To wit, this behavior does not make him a bigot or a racist, and does not identify him as a “moderate” or a “conservative” but it does make him an arch-conservative of the john bircher ilk. And take it from me, and I’m a Brown Guy.
In today’s primary editorial in the Arizona Republic, a newspaper of a highly conservative orientation, stated that 73% of Latinos are distrustful of Arizona’s legacy and 39% of the non-Latino population agree with these Latinos. Thus, in next year’s state legislature, they will approve and the Governor will sign off in approval for an eventual rewrite of the 14th Amendment and thereby addressing birthright citizenship.
However, there will be a “companian piece” of legislation that will not be much noticed, and yet will be far more important to the Hispanics and Native Americans. And history demonstrates this “unassailable” fact.
Take, for example, in addition to SB 1070, the arch-conservatives passed and Governor sign-off her approval for HB 2281. To wit, prohibit any language other than English be taught in our public schools. As such, the history, language, and culture of Hispanics and Native Americans are prohibited. Moreover, the Navajo Tribal Councils passed their two resolutions, one in opposition to SB 1070, and a second resolution in opposition to HB2281. Consequently, the arch-conservatives received their proverbial “one-finger salute” and with a well-deserved kudos on my part. The remaining 21 Native American Societies in Arizona will soon be following the lead of the Navajo Tribal Council.
Of course, Lindsey Graham can “pander” all he wants, but Hispanics and Native Ameriicans see Graham for who he is and what he represents, and that’s arch-conservatives. And Graham will never make it into the Los Gatos Negros Clan, and whom have an affinity for defending the Truth and for tossing out the Trash.
Jaango
T
That was deliberate racist mockery of immigrants with poor English?
Then it’ll be really easy for you to provide a link…
Not that it matters but more me mocking my Kentucky heritage.
Malkin stalks 12 year old Graeme Frost and his family
Marcelas Owens
Just a couple to start with
All smoke and mirrors and just another way to divide US.
I suggest everyone here watch a few episodes of “Lopez” to see how the racism cuts both ways.
Never in a million years will they repeal this amendment because it works too well for the elites to chew the bottom out of our society; for everyone.
Don’t worry once the stimulus stops in favor of reducing the deficit, there won’t BE any schools so it’s a moot point.
Off to a pretty poor start. I don’t mind that you’re going off topic (anchor babies, remember?) in your quest for an example, but in neither case does Malkin blame the kids for anything.
re Graeme Frost: “The children deserve much sympathy and compassion.”
re Marcelas Owens: “poster child-abusing adults hiding behind grade-schoolers to defend their socialized health care Trojan Horse”
If you tried going to the source instead of parroting democraticunderground and mediamatters.org you’d see where her ire is really directed:
“From Jennifer Bush to Graeme Frost, the Democrats have gladly welcomed the opportunity to use these kids as ideological human shields in the war over health-care entitlements. Ignoring the perils of poster child abuse, the mainstream media have served–and continue to serve–as willing propaganda tools. Perhaps it is time for the Left and its mouthpieces to take a political Hippocratic oath: The next time they contemplate exploiting youngsters in their drive for socialized medicine, they should Do No Harm.” link
Hey, dadkine01 –
Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. I’m all for arresting and convicting anyone who hires illegal aliens, whether it’s Tyson foods or a local contractor or the family down the street that hires an illegal nannie. I’m very much in favor, theoretically, of jailing CEO’s as well.
However, I think it’s disingenuous on multiple levels to focus the rhetoric on “sending a few CEO’s to jail”. First, as I’ve pointed out, given the need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt a CEO’s direct invovlement in hiring illegals, the chances of this actually happening are miniscule at best.
Second, the enforcement of laws against illegal hiring depend to a great deal on the political will of the enforcement agencies. We have all these laws against hiring illegals, but all we ever see in the way of enforcement is the occasional show trial of a lower-level local or district manager, and even then, only when the government feels the sudden need to show that it’s getting tough on the problem.
Third, the total federal manpower that it would take to enforce this effectively across the board is far beyond what the government has shown any inclination to hire, train, fund, and deploy.
Fourth, it seems to me that the people who scream for workplace enforcement against employers are also the same people that scream bloody murder when non-federal law enforcement gets into the immigration enforcement business.
All this hubbub over AZ SB1020? What’s the federal government’s position that is so wildly supported by many here on FDL? That local law enforcement can’t enforce immigration law. So this “punishing the employers” argument rests solely on the use of federal forces. That means that a local employer could flout the law in the face of local police and sheriffs, whose only recourse would be to refer the case to the feds.
And of course the best part for the pro-illegal immigration forces is that deploying federal resources to workplace enforcement would, in all real world likelihood, result in fewer personnel on the border. Great! More illegals can come here.
Except Malkin just had to track down Grame Frost and show where his family lived.
I don’t care what the topic is, if she thinks that the kids are being used or lying (which is what she did), she’s wrong.
And of course, the irony is Malkin is opposed to “birthright citizenship”
Yes, Malkin is opposed to herself.
And you think there’s enough federal manpower to effectively enforce and deal with all the undocumented immigrants? There are far fewer employers than there are employees.
But then you’re on record as wanting to excuse the employers as they’re “the folks like me” was I believe your term.
I find that both interesting and hilarious.
The “Hispanics who were here before us”? Know where “Hispanic” comes from? Espania. Spain. You don’t find any illegal immigrants from Mexico who speak Aztec; they speak Spanish. Maybe Mexico should expell every Mexican who is not 100% Aztec.
In addition, the predecessors of the Hispanic immigrants lived in Mexico; California and the American southwest was home to indian tribes. In fact, the Mexican government invited Americans to help settle Texas to help counterbalance/defend against/subdue the indians. Only later did they realize they couldn’t control the “Texicans”.
And yes, we did terribly wrong the American Indians. It’s a stain on our history. But then slavery is a stain on our history, too, and we finally did something about that. Unfortunately, there is no time machine. We can’t go back and fix that situation or undo those wrongs. Which brings me to our current situation:
Should we up and all go back to where our ancestors came from? For me, that’s a choice of Ireland, Scotland, or France, depending on which side of the family you look at. (Father’s side came here in 1681, so been here a while.) Where would that send you back to?
California and Texas became independent republics and then states before the Civil War. Arizona and New Mexico also became territories about the same time. That means that Mexico, under successive forms of government, has had roughly 160 years to build a country for its people. We do not have to, nor should we, make amends to every Mexican, now living or to be born in the future, because Mexico lost two major wars with us.
As I’ve said before, times, attitudes, conditions, realities, and national capabilities change. Our national policies must change as well.
Bullshit. As I just got done reiterating, I said it was disingenuous to punish people’s “neighbors” (yours and mine) while advocating targeting CEO’s that you know can escape punishment by the legal tactics I’ve described.
Well, some of my ancestors arrived from England around 1604 and were met by some other ancestors who were already here. The last part of my ancestors who arrived here in the 1840s from Ireland.
And yes, I’m aware that “Hispanic” is Spanish. Do you forget who we took that land in the southwest from? Mexico.
But you want to be disingeneous in your discussion so I was being as absurd as you were. I was pointing that their are Hispanics throughout the southwest who have been on that land for far longer than you have.
Shouldn’t that sentence read “And you don’t think…” Otherwise it makes no sense. As for the gist of your argument:
Yes, there are far fewer employers than employees. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a vast sea of employers. I’d bet that, if you count domestic help like nannies, there are at least half a million employers. Many, like contractors, move from job to job.
You want to check the immigration status of employees at the local Ace hardware? Easy; drop on by. You want to check the immigration status of employees for a contractor who buys supplies from that Ace Hardware? Well, what job (or jobs) is he on this week, or today, or even this morning? Lots of contractors, you call their “office number” you get VM. So, the ICE guy leaves a message: “Hey, we gotta come check your employees. Where you at?”
Betcha there isn’t a single contractor who won’t send his illegal employees home for the day, or the week, before he returns that call.
What about all the illegals hired off-the-books, where the government has no way of knowing who their employer is? Gonna send the feds door-to-door like census takers, asking, “Hey, you employ any illegals?”. (Look at how many temporary workers the government had to hire to complete the census — a once every ten year operation — even when most of the reporting was done via the mail.)
Do you forget that we took the original thirteen colonies and many adjacent territories like Ohio, Kentucky, etc., from England and France? I mean, come on, you want us to give the British special immigration status because they lost the War of Independence?
Mexico kicked out the Spanish and later the French. Maybe they should give people from those two countries special immigration rights.
The point is: wars over land have been fought for thousands of years. Civilizations come and go. We have to deal with current realities, current situations. We can’t keep forever making up for the past as if it was the fault of current citizens.
You’ve certainly gotten far afield from your original claim that “Malkin does blame the children for the acts of the parents. Quite frequently.”
Oh, I agree it’s ironic. I just don’t think something that happened when she was a child invalidates her opposition as an adult.
Some would say that would be the adult, humane thing to do.
You just blew past 11 on the ironymeter.
We actually do.
remember last week when they legislated severe criminal penalties for pot brownies? I think it was dianne Feinstein .
this bit from senator graham is just the same garbage. what could be more insubstantial than federal prison for unlawful confections? yeah babies.
How so? Must someone who was circumcised by his parents’ choice while too young to understand or object automatically support circumcision?
Our elite would much rather that we talk about “anchor babies” rather than “jobs jobs jobs”.
Right wingers will scream that there’s a link between anchor babies and the lack of jobs in America. And I would agree, but not for the same reasons as the crazy right wingers. The link is that anchor babies and high unemployment are both largely the results of neoliberal economic policies.
The more ya feed them, the longer they stay, and the uglier they get.
And no, I’m NOT talking about anchor babies or illegals.
Wait, what? Because of our War of Independence, we give special immigration rights to the British, what part of the US Code is that?
If we had really wanted to eff with the British Empire, we’d have done to Canada what Irish Republic currently does to Northern Ireland. The Irish Republic has declared that since Ulster is part of Ireland, its residents are automatically Irish citizens and are entitled to an Eire passport. :o)
Is anyone else ever tempted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of human “civilization”? In a “laugh-or-cry” sort of way, I mean.
Really? To make amends forever? To generations hundreds, eventually even thousands of years removed from the original actions? To give tens of millions of people — indeed, billions of people — the right to live and work here because their ancestors lost wars to us over 150 years ago? Wow.
But I see how your position fits nicely with the meme that America forever owes everything to everyone because to do anything else is racist. Gotcha.
If it’s really our fault because we won those wars, why don’t we just give CA-AZ-NM-TX back to Mexico? You’d gladly embrace the Mexican peso, the Mexican form of government, etc., right? Right? Riiight? Wouldn’t you rather make amends to the poor wronged losers of two wars by giving them back their country? Think of all the problems that would save. No more worrying about American politics and elections and those pesky Constitutional rights and all that. No worrying about unemployment in a Mexican run economy. Sounds like Valhalla on earth to me. How about it?
If those “neighbors are paying less than minimum wage (and yes, undocumented immigrants are supposed to be paid same as others), then ya damn skippy they should be in prosecuted. And that’s from the hiring manager up to the CEO. As you have reminded, the law is the law.
The people who are yelling about Mexicans taking American jobs might want to take a look at the jobs that are being sent overseas. That’s the problem – not some poor guy standing in the parking lot of Home Depot. And under Bush, companies were encouraged to send jobs to other countries. In this country we always seem to blame the wrong people for our problems.
Total US population growth amounts to ~4 million per year net, all sources. If you accept that there are 6000 children born to undocumented immigrants each year, that amount to 0.15% of the total population growth. And for this some people want to do away with the 14th Amendment.
Anyone want to explain how that’s not a racist position?
As a practical matter, citizens of the UK and France who wish to immigrate to the US have very little problem doing so. Citizens of Mexico, not so much.
Our elites would rather distract the “small people” into attacking each other over non-issues like Anchor babies, rather than have all of the small people join together in questioning the elitist billionaires for how they’ve ripped us all off.
We’re supposed bow and scrape and kiss the ground the Buffet, Gates, etc, walk on bc now they’ve proposed donating billions to foundations and charities that they get to set up for their own purposes or that they get to cherry pick to ensure that it meets their needs. woof – nice job if you can get it.
Billionaires like Gates, Buffet and the rest of them off-shored millions of good-paying USA jobs in order to give those jobs to low-paid foreigners, which resulted in the greed-heads making even more $$$$. Off-shoring all of those jobs means less taxes all around to help run this nation – in terms of payroll taxes, Soc Sec, medicare, etc. Plus these same greedy billionaires have been given tax cut after tax cut after tax cut by Reagan thru the both Bush admins – all in the name of enabling them to create jobs for US citizens – which they did not do.
Now the small people line up to fight over the scraps and bones, and the rightwing induldges itself in its favorite form of racist victimization – let’s put all the blame on the evil liberals, who advocate for the underserved and the poor. Yeah: that’s the ticket! Get yer rocks off fighting with and blaming the hippies.
Great! Go for it. Your pockets were picked a long, long time ago, but not by the dirty messicans standing on the corner trying to make paltry wages doing odd jobs. Your pockets were picked by the wealthy corporate CEOs who off-shored US jobs to third world countries. Plus if you were all gung-ho, Team USA USA over the wars in the Middle East – why then: you sold yourself out. Those wars were ginned up solely to enrich the greedy corporate elites, not to make you and me any safer. So if you voted for Reagan and the Bushes, you essentially voted for policies that made this country what it is today… poorer, less safe, less stable and in a heck of a mess. And it’s not anchor babies that have brought us to the pass. That’s just stupid.
Well, to quibble: if one of Mexican’s wealthy elite (and boy are some of them wealthy) wishes to emigrate to the USA, they’d be welcomed with open arms.
But in general, it is easier for white citizens of certain westernized nations to get green cards and/or citizenship, than it is for those of dusky hue.
That may have to do with the fact that legal immigration (other than family unification) has a lot to do with job skills. You’ll notice, for instance, that the high-tech companies don’t seem to have much problem getting “dusky-hued” H1b visa workers from India, Taiwan, the Phillipines, etc.
As for gaining citizenship, I don’t think race has much to do with it. Once you’re here legally, unless you’ve committed some crime, I believe the citizenship process is mostly a series of procedural steps, test-taking, etc.
I guess you just don’t believe folks from European countries can be undocumented immigrants do you?
You might check around cities like NY, Boston, and Philadelphia and such for the undocumented immigrants who came across the border from Canada but who originated in Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe.
They exist in fairly large numbers, contrary to the fantasy of some folks.
Or we blame only one and turn a blind eye to the rest.
Want to explain how it is a racist position?
I don’t disagree on the issue of illegal European immigration, (Or Asian for that matter.) And just to reiterate, I’m all in favor of tracking down/cracking down/deporting them, and stopping more of them from staying in the future. However, to argue that they are as big a problem as illegal immigrants from Hispanic countries is just ludicrous.
Also, since I’ve been portrayed here by some as a racist, I might as well own up to it.
Yeah, I’m a racist. In fact, I’m such a racist that as a college student I worked as an unpaid volunteer in Tom Bradley’s campaign for mayor of Los Angeles. For those of you not up on the name Tom Bradley, that would be black Tom Bradley, first minority mayor of L.A., for whom the Bradley International Terminal at LAX is named. I’ve also demonstrated my racism by working in campaigns for noted bigots JFK, RFK, McGovern, etc.
But I have an excuse: my racism has deep family roots. It goes all the way back to one of the old family farm houses in Kentucky, which is still standing and occupied. (Albeit expanded over the years.) What does that farm house have to do with my heritage of racism? Nothing much…except the secret cellar was a waystation on the underground railroad that helped slaves escape to the north and eventually to Canada. So you see, racism is just in my genes. Can’t escape it.
I don’t think that vic is a racist he is just ignorant and lazy like so many Americans.
I have hired legal and illegal immigrants to work on my farm and do construction work. In the 80′s you could get them to work for less than minimum wage that is not true now. They demand more than minimum and get it because Americans refuse to do hard labor anymore.
The only Americans i can get to do hard labor are crack-heads and drunks and they don’t show up half the time, the immigrants do.
If you want to arrest all the farmers, ranchers and small business owners that hire these hard working people, go ahead, you will have to pay for it.
Claiming that these people are taking good jobs from Americans is BS . The United Farm Workers are offering to train and place anyone who is unemployed in the field of stoop labor, no takers so far.
The arguement that immigrants are supressing wages is also BS. American businesses have done this by offshoreing good jobs and destroying unions. Now that US wages are low and unions are weak they are returning to exploit the situation.
Really? What effect would you say illegals have on Unions?
Call these workers what they are, people, not illegals.
The Meatcutters used to be high paying union jobs. The meatpacking industry turned that trade into an dis-assembly line factory operation. Low wage immigrant and local labor was used to replace them.
The good paying union jobs of the past were distroyed by offshoring and right to work laws not immigrants.
And good for your family from Kentucky.
But your family’s actions and words are not yours; just as my great-grandfather fighting in the First Kentucky Calvary Confederate Army and a great great great grandmother freeing her slaves in the 1830s because it “was not right for one human to hold another in involuntary servitude” is not me.