Just weird

[Emmsmom]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

Gutu28, don't be offended by these ladies. Your situation is somewhat different than what they are discussing here. Your family was seeking political assylum, and both your parents worked hard to get where you are. What they did was commendable.

What is happening with the Mexican immigrants is somewhat different. Some of them are coming here for the same reason as your parents, and they are hard workers and are trying to become citizens. Most of us would cut them some slack.

The majority of Mexican illegals are trying to get here to get on our welfare system. We see this first hand in South Texas. Young women are crossing the border having children and getting their WIC cards. Many of them think that's the way things work here. That we all get WIC cards when we have babies. It's an American priviledge. Our schools along the borders are full of illegal children. The men work at labor jobs that pay just enough to get by, and the women do not work, they stay home and keep having babies who are American citizens and collect welfare. Many of the men drink and get into trouble. Not all, but you are seeing it up north, the majority of the people getting into trouble have Mexican names. Most of our murders are Mexicans.

We need desperately to amend the constitution with regard to granting American citizenship by simply being born on our soil. The mother should be a citizen for the child to be a citizen.

You also have to realize that you are paying $150 dollars to be able to work here. Illegals DON"T. I think there is a huge difference in what we are talking about. Our little town just busted 60 ILLEGAL mexicans for cocaine!!!

As for the jobs ... well not all jobs are being passed over by Americans. Take a look at this link.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=6626823


We have a ton of construction jobs here being given to illegal mexicans because they get paid under the table tax free. I am not taling about small jobs. I am talking about building homes. There are a ton of homeless people if given the chance would work. But with so many mexicans coming over and taking the jobs CHEAP they get looked over.

I also don't agree about getting paid only cash. If they are paid by check then the comapny has to report it and then in turn the person being paid has to pay taxes. My husband has to pay taxes as well as everyone else. They too should be made to pay them. If they want welfare then it is only fair they pay their part.

I am sorry you feel we are talking about you situation but I don't see it that way. You have filed the paper work and even pay a fee to work here. People that are ILLEGAL don't even bother.

[Janet]

Gutu29, I read your post early this morning before my bus route. I did not respond then, because I wanted to have time to think about what I wanted to say. When I got back, Marilyn and Gina had already responded and I could not think of one thing they hadn't mentioned. They did a great job explaining how most feel. Please do not feel offended in any way...your circumstances are so completely different.

[Willow]

I want to apologise to Gutu29. You are trying to do things the RIGHT way and in no way does my post apply to you. I am very sorry if my post offended you.

I would also like to add that I am a descendant of Quantum Parker, who was one of the last Comanche indian chiefs forced onto a reservation. MY people were here before ANY immigrants...and my ancestors were forced onto reservations. I have ancestors that were both here before the immigrants came and I have ancestors thet migrated here LEGALLY and worked hard just like you are doing to become citizens and raise their children here.

My husband and I live in a small community and the local farmers and ranchers are all hiring illegal mexicans who work for less than minimum wage. There are no American employees. That is what upsets me. My husband would work for those farmers, but because he expects at the very least to be paid minimum wage, he is not hired. Or when he DID work for the one dairy farm he was the only American and he would get into trouble for the mexicans mistakes who didn't speak any English and then would laugh at my husband when they managed to get him into hot water with the boss.

Again, I apologise for the harshness of my earlier post. Please do not take it to mean you. You are not an illegal, not when you have the paperwork filed and you are doing what the goverment asks of you to work in our country. That is the way they should ALL do it.

And I am glad you got to go to College! I am sure your parents love you a great deal and worked very hard and honestly to give you that chance, and that is the most wonderful gift that any parent could give their child!

[Ponyup]

I have no problem with people finding refuge in the united states. I do however, think that they should be required to learn the language, not be eligible for our welfare system, & not require that we change our traditions & customs to fit theres. If I moved to Mexio I would be expected to learn Spanish & adapt to their way of life. Why are we any different?

[Tink]

Wisconsin doesn't have welfare... maybe that's one of the reasons I see this differently than many of you. Here welfare was replaced by workfare. If you want help you must be working a minimum of 20 hrs a week to qualify. A married couple applying must BOTH work at least 20 hrs a week. If you can't find work, they will find it for you and you either take it or you go without.

I just can't understand how anyone can feel that any nationality is more entitled than another. There are good and bad people in every group. We all have our share of deadbeats who refuse to work, but in the local mexican population I don't see them. These people who come to my bank are working very hard for their checks and then can't cash them!

Several of them are learning english and proudly show me the progress they've made when they come into the bank. One young man asks often if his pronunciation is improving... and then laughed when I was trying to learn how to say his name (Juvenal which is pronounced hubenaal) because he said americans can't say it. I was determined to, since I don't want to keep thinking of him as Juvenile... LOL which is the closest I was able to get without his help.

Truly, the Mexicans I come into contact with are trying... and are building relationships with us in the process. It makes me sad and a bit embarrassed to have to keep saying no to their efforts. The whole situation is just a bit weird for a Wisconsin farm girl to get a grip on. I wish they were all LEGAL so it just wasn't an issue.

[Gina]

Gutu29, I also like Janet had to think before I posted on this forum again. First do not that feel offended. I am italian american decent. The italians were shunned by also many years ago. They came into this country but legally though they had to be sponsored by someone living in the US. They didnt know the language either. It was very hard. I am speaking not only for my family but for many italians. They came through Ellis Island in NYC. They were branded as WOPS, without papers is its translation. I hate that word it is so degrading. They were shunned out of big corporations, and laughed upon and called grease balls etc. my uncles were not allowed to go to college unless your family could pay your way. Be happy that the laws have changed and the foriengers today get everything. The italians were always hard working people, and they never took anything from anyone. The american dream was for them to own their own home. In which they worked hard and achieved. They paid their retrobution to society. So I to feel when different enthics groups come to this country and they feel they deserve to get benefits it does bother me big time. I was born and raised in this country and I am a proud American. I don't want anyone to take what I said out of context I am just explaining to Gutu29 that she should not feel that way because others before her suffered too..As long as you go through the right channel you to have every right to belong here..

[Marilyn]

Tink, do they not have check cashing companies in Wisconsin?? Here we have companies like "Mr. Payroll" who will cash most any check for a fee. The illegals, people in trouble with the IRS or in trouble with bill collectors use these companies. There are several in our town. No problem getting a check cashed without a bank account here, just have to pay 8% or so.

[khardy57]

I also had to think about this before responding. My ancestors were Cherokee indian and Irish. The Cherokee were decimated on the infamous Trail of Tears and the Irish were discrimiated against when they first came to America.

I spent 10 years as a single parent and was unable to receive any type of public assistance because my ex had my children on his insurance. I lived for 2 years on $50.00/week so I could go back to school. I know all about hard times and I resent seeing people who are here illegally receiving what I was unable to.

Your situation is definitely different because your parents went about it the right way.

[Tink]

Marilyn, we don't have anything like that here. We have to drive 35 miles to get to any city bigger than 2500 people. We have 3 banks and a credit union in town, but they all require similar things to open an account and won't cash a check with out one.

[Marilyn]

Originally Posted by Tink

Marilyn, we don't have anything like that here. We have to drive 35 miles to get to any city bigger than 2500 people. We have 3 banks and a credit union in town, but they all require similar things to open an account and won't cash a check with out one.

Someone is bound to start a business like this soon in your area, if it's legal in your state. Where there is demand, supply will shortly follow.

As some of yall hopefully understand, I get very emotional when people stereotype immigrants. It is a lot harder to get citizenship that most people think. True, a lot of illegal immigrants are Mexican, but it is a lot easier to walk across the border than to fly from somewhere else. We had to sell EVERYthing to be able to pay for the flight here. My parents even sold their wedding bands. For some reason that always gets me.. I dont want it to sound like im making excuses for the illegal immigrants that are committing all these criminal acts. But I wish people would remember that all the good things dont make the news. It it's the bad things that are being reported. Even though I am an immigrant, I too get peeved at all the Spanish signs popping everywhere and everyone claimin discrimination. I only wish that people would keep in mind that there are other immigrants besides that ones that steal government money and American jobs. There are those of us who work for what we have. You know what, when we first came here, my parents were hired illegally. They were paid out of payroll. But it was those that gave them the chance to work that we owe our success to.

On another note..I dont think you guys were purposely trying to offend myself or anyone else. I just wish that people would look at the large picture instead of specific cases..

[Marilyn]

Originally Posted by Gutu28

As some of yall hopefully understand, I get very emotional when people stereotype immigrants. It is a lot harder to get citizenship that most people think. True, a lot of illegal immigrants are Mexican, but it is a lot easier to walk across the border than to fly from somewhere else. We had to sell EVERYthing to be able to pay for the flight here. My parents even sold their wedding bands. For some reason that always gets me.. I dont want it to sound like im making excuses for the illegal immigrants that are committing all these criminal acts. But I wish people would remember that all the good things dont make the news. It it's the bad things that are being reported. Even though I am an immigrant, I too get peeved at all the Spanish signs popping everywhere and everyone claimin discrimination. I only wish that people would keep in mind that there are other immigrants besides that ones that steal government money and American jobs. There are those of us who work for what we have. You know what, when we first came here, my parents were hired illegally. They were paid out of payroll. But it was those that gave them the chance to work that we owe our success to.

On another note..I dont think you guys were purposely trying to offend myself or anyone else. I just wish that people would look at the large picture instead of specific cases..

Let me tell you a little about specific cases that show we are not catagorizing all immigrants into one category. We all know that here are good immigrants, or at least some of us do. Much of my family has only been here for two to three generations. My father spoke German and Spanish before starting school and learning English. While I have a problem with some of the immigrants who are taking advantage of us and our welfare system, I personally have three close friends who are very recent immigrants. All have been here less than three years. One from Russia, one from Hungary, and one who was actually an illegal from Mexico. The Russian and Hungarian are women who met American men who are close friends of ours and moved here legally to marry them. Both these ladies have Social Security Numbers, driver's licenses. They are wonderful ladies who are contributing to our society. The third, the Mexican immigrant, initially came here illegally, not actually knowing any better. She found out though when she met and married the son of some friends of ours who immediately began the steps to try to change her situation to a legal one. She is taking English language classes and once she understood is doing all she can to get her situation straightened out by working with an immigration lawyer and taking steps to eventually become a citizen. Her situation is much different and much more difficult than the ladies who came here legally. However, there is a lot of paperwork and expense for all three of them, but they are working within our legal system, paying their own way and not taking advantage of our government and the people of this country.

We don't mean to generalize here, but it is frustrating when we know that there are many coming here who are putting a drain on our social system. We all just want to live a happy peaceful life, be able to raise our children in a safe and healthy environment, send them to college if they so desire, and have a comfortable retirement. We want to help others, and as a whole are a very generous people, but there does come a point when we feel our generosity is being taken advantage of, and many of us who are close to the borders where we've seen the growing problem for many years now are becoming very concerned, and yes, a little resentful. Today at the grocery store, I had trouble finding the right Ziploc storage bags because the writing on the box was in Spanish. I finally found the English side and got the right bags. Sorry if I'm rambling, but it is frustrating. Peace to all.

[Miss_Sara]

I didn't bother reading this because I don't care.
I live in southern california
I live in the valley in an upper middle class community

but just over the road (not even 5 minutes from my house)
every sign and eveyr person speaks spanish.
This is ridiculous

yes we WERE immigrants at one time
but I know my family struggled soo had to learn english. THIS is what they should do, to be honest, if they acted like my ancestors acted, I'd have no problem! I'm not against immigration, my father is an immigrant from South Africa!

I'm polish, my family struggled when they came here. so should they.

AND did you know
[B]More people are killed everyday by an illegal than soldiers die in Iraq.[/B]

that's a serious fact.
and I actually had a friend shot by an illegal gang member (btw most of the gangs that are here originated in Mexico) and it isn't fair that he faced paralysis wh ile this guy went on dealing drugs and rapeing women.

[Miss_Sara]

I didn't bother reading this because I don't care.
I live in southern california
I live in the valley in an upper middle class community

but just over the road (not even 5 minutes from my house)
every sign and eveyr person speaks spanish.
This is ridiculous

yes we WERE immigrants at one time
but I know my family struggled soo had to learn english. THIS is what they should do, to be honest, if they acted like my ancestors acted, I'd have no problem! I'm not against immigration, my father is an immigrant from South Africa!

I'm polish, my family struggled when they came here. so should they.

AND did you know
More people are killed everyday by an illegal than soldiers die in Iraq.[/

that's a serious fact.
and I actually had a friend shot by an illegal gang member (btw most of the gangs that are here originated in Mexico) and it isn't fair that he faced paralysis wh ile this guy went on dealing drugs and rapeing women.

(I just read a bit back, in my school there are a lot of asian illegals mainly phillipino, I don't like this either. sorry. but it's just wrong. Any illegal immigration is wrong, my best friend and her mom came here like 10 years ago, My Dad came here about 20 years ago. So they did it legally. Even though they were in other countires. Ofcourse I DO understand if you live in N. Korea. Then by all means....)