Just weird

[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.