Illegal Immigration in Austin, Leander, Round Rock, and surround areas (San Antonio: crime rates, Home Depot)

[pcc831]

My wife and I are considering moving to the Austin area (not necessarily downtown) and I am curious if there are numerous illegal immigrants in both the Greater Austin area and the rest of the Hill Country in general. Any information you can give me would be appreciated.

I currently live in the Los Angeles area so needless to say there is a strong amount of illegals and the effects on traffic, healthcare, crime rates etc.

Is this a growing problem in Austin? I'm sure San Antonio has its problems but how are New Braunfels and San Marcos also?

Thank you!

[deeptrance]

I hear a lot of complaints about illegal immigrants in California but very few in Texas. I think it's because they come from different parts of Latin America and there's a different local culture. Here, they're very much embraced as part of the culture and we don't have nearly the gang problems and such that you experience in SoCal. I'm always shocked to hear people complaining in CA, some of it comes across as very racist, but then I visit my old home and see it first-hand and it truly is a different scene, much more confrontational and separatist. Even when I was a kid there, I got beat up by a gang of Mexicans in Santa Barbara. But I also got beat up by a gang of whites and a gang of blacks, so it was balanced and that helped me to not form racist opinions.

Not that I'm suggesting you get beat up by people of every race in order to feel good about cultural diversity...

[flavorite97403]

Originally Posted by deeptrance

I hear a lot of complaints about illegal immigrants in California but very few in Texas. I think it's because they come from different parts of Latin America and there's a different local culture. Here, they're very much embraced as part of the culture and we don't have nearly the gang problems and such that you experience in SoCal. I'm always shocked to hear people complaining in CA, some of it comes across as very racist, but then I visit my old home and see it first-hand and it truly is a different scene, much more confrontational and separatist. Even when I was a kid there, I got beat up by a gang of Mexicans in Santa Barbara. But I also got beat up by a gang of whites and a gang of blacks, so it was balanced and that helped me to not form racist opinions.

Not that I'm suggesting you get beat up by people of every race in order to feel good about cultural diversity...

Deeptrance, you are a kick! Have enjoyed looking through some of the msgs. here and your responses always seem to be "right on". This one is hysterical. Keep on truckin'...

[montevista1]

In San Antonio, Hispanics are part of the culture, in L.A. they are considered the underclass.

[southaustingal]

I think there's a local cultural difference. We don't have the same type of problems here as in CA with illegal immigrants, not that we'll stay sheltered in Austin as the population grows. We may eventually end up with the same problems. We do have gangs in Austin but their presence isn't as significant as it is in other cities. We do have crime here, and though it appears to be increasing (I can remember when a murder on the local news was uncommon and could get the whole town talking--now it's a daily reported event), it's nowhere near what it is in parts of other cities.

As usual, everything depends on where you live and your lifestyle (e.g., wandering around Sixth Street alone at 3 a.m. if you're female is never a good idea).

[deeptrance]

Originally Posted by southaustingal

We do have crime here, and though it appears to be increasing (I can remember when a murder on the local news was uncommon and could get the whole town talking--now it's a daily reported event), it's nowhere near what it is in parts of other cities.

There has actually been a decrease in the number of murders that are NOT between relatives and acquaintances. Most of the murders are predictable.

When I first got here in 1990, we were hit by a triple-whammy. I don't recall what order these happened, but there were the yogurt shop murders (4 teenage girls killed during a robbery in a nice neighborhood), there was the car wash kidnapping/murder of a woman on west 5th St., and there was a woman who was kidnapped and murdered in Round Rock while she was out jogging.

I'll never forget how this city felt after the yogurt shop murders, it was like the entire mood of the city sank, people felt unsafe and depressed. It was just so senseless and horrifying, unlike gang murders where the people who get murdered were living violent lives of crime to begin with and put themselves in dangerous situations.

By the way, none of the above has anything to do with illegal immigration!!! The horrible crimes that I described were all committed by white males who were American citizens. Illegal immigration is a crime, but it doesn't CAUSE more crime because most of the immigrants are here to work their butts off to feed their families, not to stir up trouble.

[tygr]

Well said, Deeptrance!

[deeptrance]

Thanks, tygr.

We always look for easy answers to complex problems. I'm all for stopping illegal immigration but some of the talk show hosts on Cable TV and radio are making it sound like illegals are the CAUSE of much of the crime in the USA and that's simply not true. We should always remember that the original illegal immigrants were our ancestors (if we're of western European descent) --- nobody invited us to sail over here and commit genocide. Imagine if the American Indians had a modern style nation state in place when our ancestors arrived, it would have been perceived as an extreme threat to national security!

Instead we celebrate Columbus Day in honor of a genocidal maniac whose letters exhort other European men to come visit this land where 12 and 13 year old girls were available for s3xual slavery. This is historical fact, he wrote those letters and they're still in existence, yet today our schools encourage little girls to celebrate the man who would have sold them to the highest bidder for purposes of pleasuring themselves.

It's a sick world.

[riverboatgambler]

Austin does have a big problem with illegal immigration, but the political class here, including the media, choose to ignore, or even support, it.

There is a city funded day labor site, and the city is considering opening a second one. I personally know several people who've either lost small trade businesses like painting or landscaping, or lost jobs, due to illegal aliens. The political climate here is so nuts that last year the city council debated a bill to have the city manager monitor and report to the council on the activities of the Minutemen within the city limits. Thankfully the final bill was weakened to not actually institutionalize the intimidation of those who oppose illegal immigration, likely to avoid civil rights lawsuits, but the intolerant attitude of the city leaders is clear; illegals welcome, objectors beware.

Ofcourse, it's the African Americans who are harmed the most by illegal immigration, but since the Hispanics are better organized they have greater influence on local politics.

[GANKS]

Its definitely here and coming from a place with very little illegal immigration, it was one of the first things I noticed. I think one of the few reasons it is supported here is due to the amount of construction going on. As someone else stated - they are here to work their butts off. I have yet to see any hispanics at an intersection panhandling. Can't say the same for other races... The culture here seems to be more live and let live. I saw the news the other day about the city supporting the day workers and helping them which was in stark contrast to a story I remember last year in Seattle where the day laborers hung out at the Home Depot in Seattle and they were constantly being chased off by the police and employees. I think connecting people who need work with peole who are happy to pay for it is probably the better strategy (although controversial for some).