Posted by dylanfan at 2008-05-08 12:44 AM
I'd like your source stating that there are 12 million illegal immigrants in LA. No offense, but to say that they're illegal immigrants simply because they speak Spanish in the home is a pretty weak argument.
I didn't say there were 12 million illegals in L.A. I think that possibly 40% of the California population is illegal or the children of illegals, and more fecund, growing rapidly as a percentage of population.
The second generation usually does not speak the native language in the home, and there has been no substantial influx of "legal aliens" from Hispanic countries.
As an aside, I checked a U.S. Census Bureau site, quickfacts.census.gov which presented the following data regarding Hispanic population. Total population L.A. County: 9,948,081, Hispanic 47.3%.. Total population California: 36,457,5490, Hispanic 35.9%.
Another indicia of the numbers of Hispanics is the "For English press 1. For Spanish press 2, " message that businesses catering to potential or existing customers, and that the government offices, use. If the people addressed were conversant in English, the press 2 mode would be unnecessary.
My point is that, putting the serious problems we face today aside, immigration has never been the simple story of assimilation you're implying it was.
Not "simple," but facilitated by the fact that there was not proximity to the nation of origin, and that they were not so numerous that their settlements became self-sufficient.
There were foreign language newspapers then, and there are today, but the pervasiveness of the foreign language media, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, indicates that the focus of the foreign born population is on "the homeland," and that "the old ways" are retained. It's the numbers of the invaders that are effecting the transformation. If I'd wanted to live in a third world country, I could have moved elsewhere.
Coincidentally, a lady from Great Britain is an announcer for a local radio station, and has just acquired citizenship. Her recitation of the requirements was quite a revelation for me, the background checks in the nation of origin, police records, recommendations, the health scrutiny, other aspects purportedly relating to character - both abroad and here, the history and civics knowledge required to fit in. the skills requirement, the need for a means of support, lots of stuff in the process that the amnesty crowd want to waive to enable a lesser quality and unscreened people to obtain permanent residence here, and be invested with the rights of citizenship without going through the hoops designed to insure quality, and that the presence of the new people would be beneficial.
It is unbelievable that some of you take offense at the idea that the presence of "immigrants" should be permitted only if it confers a benefit, and that immigrants whose entry and/or presence are detrimental to the well-being of this country, should be excluded. Who wants to lower the standards of this country? Why?
