[valicky]

Immokalee to Sebring is about 80 miles. 30 minutes? Immokalee to Doral is about 100 miles. 1 hour? Immokalee is closer to the FL west coast, Naples and Ft. Myers than Miami. Exaggeration of "facts" may be something you might want to work on. You also might want to brush up on your geography. You're also not in the Miami forum.

[JohnD_fla]

Originally Posted by doggiebus

I don't understand why people are so worried.

I think that the people who worry are the non-Hispanic black and white Americans who watched traditional American culture disappear from Miami over the years. I know many who left Miami pissed off because they don't speak Spanish and could no longer compete for jobs and other opportunities there.

The long ago generations of immigrants came to America to build it up, learn English, and to embrace American culture. The vast majority also came in a lawful and controlled fashion. Many of those people came with their life savings and started their own small businesses and built up the economies of cities in the Northeast where they settled. Many present day immigrants don't come with any such intent or any money, and many come with no respect for our immigration laws. Its really not the same at all.

[ebn78]

Originally Posted by johnd_fla

the long ago generations of immigrants came to america to build it up, learn english, and to embrace american culture. The vast majority also came in a lawful and controlled fashion. Many of those people came with their life savings and started their own small businesses and built up the economies of cities in the northeast where they settled. Many present day immigrants don't come with any such intent or any money, and many come with no respect for our immigration laws. It's really not the same at all.

1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000+

[SDPMiami]

Originally Posted by valicky

Immokalee to Sebring is about 80 miles. 30 minutes?

He has lost his ability to complain about Miami drivers

[CapnTrips]

Originally Posted by JohnD_fla

The long ago generations of immigrants came to America to build it up, learn English, and to embrace American culture. The vast majority also came in a lawful and controlled fashion. Many of those people came with their life savings and started their own small businesses and built up the economies of cities in the Northeast where they settled. Many present day immigrants don't come with any such intent or any money, and many come with no respect for our immigration laws. Its really not the same at all.

Considering that Marco Rubio has a chance to be the next President of the United states, I think you are overgeneralizing about immigrants' commitment to this country. All immigrants are not the same.

[JohnD_fla]

Originally Posted by CapnTrips

Considering that Marco Rubio has a chance to be the next President of the United states, I think you are overgeneralizing about immigrants' commitment to this country. All immigrants are not the same.

I don't understand your point. Marco Rubio is not an immigrant, he was born here. I'm not over generalizing anything. I have no issues at all with immigrants who come here the legal and proper way. My issue is that most of the 'immigrants' in southeast Florida are poor, uneducated, have no skills and are coming here as economic refugees in seek of some type of handout. They consume resources and receive government benefits while contributing nothing to our economy. Some break free of cultural stereotypes and become exemplars. Most do not.

Many keep calling Miami a 'big city', but it is not. Big cities like LA, NYC, San Francisco, and Chicago have the infrastructure to accomodate very large populations. They also have a plethora of multicultural amenities to offset the discomforts and incivilities of overcrowding. Miami doesn't have these things. When the pinch from overcrowding begins to win the people of means who live there now will begin to leave. This is how ghettoes get started.

My point was that many who come here do not embrace American culture. They come here intending to change the place into a version of where they are coming from. That is not cultural assimilation, it is cultural isolation. It is one of the main reasons why the majority of non-Hispanic Americans who used to live in Miami-Dade have moved out of the area.

You are so right that all immigrants are not the same!

[ebn78]

Originally Posted by JohnD_fla

I don't understand your point. Marco Rubio is not an immigrant, he was born here. I'm not over generalizing anything. I have no issues at all with immigrants who come here the legal and proper way. My issue is that most of the 'immigrants' in southeast Florida are poor, uneducated, have no skills and are coming here as economic refugees in seek of some type of handout. They consume resources and receive government benefits while contributing nothing to our economy. Some break free of cultural stereotypes and become exemplars. Most do not.

Many keep calling Miami a 'big city', but it is not. Big cities like LA, NYC, San Francisco, and Chicago have the infrastructure to accomodate very large populations. They also have a plethora of multicultural amenities to offset the discomforts and incivilities of overcrowding. Miami doesn't have these things. When the pinch from overcrowding begins to win the people of means who live there now will begin to leave. This is how ghettoes get started.

My point was that many who come here do not embrace American culture. They come here intending to change the place into a version of where they are coming from. That is not cultural assimilation, it is cultural isolation. It is one of the main reasons why the majority of non-Hispanic Americans who used to live in Miami-Dade have moved out of the area.

You are so right that all immigrants are not the same!

Finally we have someone with BRAINS who knows and understands the history of immigration to the United States of America! Thank you for this extremely honest and forthright comment. It's really sad we don't see more Men like John, who have a pair, voice the truth.

[CapnTrips]

Originally Posted by JohnD_fla

I don't understand your point. Marco Rubio is not an immigrant, he was born here. I'm not over generalizing anything. I have no issues at all with immigrants who come here the legal and proper way. My issue is that most of the 'immigrants' in southeast Florida are poor, uneducated, have no skills and are coming here as economic refugees in seek of some type of handout. They consume resources and receive government benefits while contributing nothing to our economy. Some break free of cultural stereotypes and become exemplars. Most do not.

Many keep calling Miami a 'big city', but it is not. Big cities like LA, NYC, San Francisco, and Chicago have the infrastructure to accomodate very large populations. They also have a plethora of multicultural amenities to offset the discomforts and incivilities of overcrowding. Miami doesn't have these things. When the pinch from overcrowding begins to win the people of means who live there now will begin to leave. This is how ghettoes get started.

My point was that many who come here do not embrace American culture. They come here intending to change the place into a version of where they are coming from. That is not cultural assimilation, it is cultural isolation. It is one of the main reasons why the majority of non-Hispanic Americans who used to live in Miami-Dade have moved out of the area.

You are so right that all immigrants are not the same!

As a tax paying American citizen, I also am not happy with immigrants who don't pull their weight. I strongly support stronger control of our national borders

However, I disagree that immigrants in So. Florida are more of a drain on resources than immigrants who end up in other parts of the country. Unskilled, uneducated immigrants are a drain in El Paso, Tx., Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y., etc. just the same -- which is to be expected, since most are not here because they were doing well in their home countries.

My main disagreement with your post is your generalization about "all" immigrants in South Florida. Ironically, it is the Cuban American community in So. Florida who, more than any other recent group of immigrants in the US, has contributed to the economic growth of an area. I suspect that a lot of the dissatisfaction on the part of "Anglo natives" in South Florida is the result of the Cubans' economic success, rather than any particular cultural differences. Yes, Rubio is native born -- but clearly a product of a Miami-based Republican Cuban community that promotes sound economic and social values. This is a not an unskilled, uneducated community that constitutes a drain on welfare and other resources. Assimilation has taken place; while the dying older generation still dreams of returning to Cuba, many in the younger generation display the commitment to America and conservative American values that the Cuban community is well know for.

[ebn78]

Originally Posted by JohnD_fla

The long ago generations of immigrants came to America to build it up, learn English, and to embrace American culture. The vast majority also came in a lawful and controlled fashion. Many of those people came with their life savings and started their own small businesses and built up the economies of cities in the Northeast where they settled. Many present day immigrants don't come with any such intent or any money, and many come with no respect for our immigration laws. It's really not the same at all.

I could not agree MORE with this and a great example of a recent American immigrant is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold has some personal problems ok but that does not over-ride his positive contributions to the United States. This guy came here in the early 70s with nothing. NOTHING! He worked hard as a Bodybuilder, then became a successful Actor, then did his best as a Governor! He was NOT a mooch or leach off society. He achieved the American Dream and I respect and like him for that AND he gives back and helps with his not for profit foundations. How many Arnold Schwrazenggers do you see coming up from Cuba or Brazil or Colombia or Venezuela? How many Arnolds are there in the Miami area today? Marco Rubio is the only viable name that comes to my mind.

If you study the history of American Immigration you will see and understand how we were built up by great immigrants mostly from Europe who came here in the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries wanting to improve not only their own lives but to improve their local cities, neighborhoods and communities. Today, this is NOT happening with the immigrants arriving in the last 30 years. Today's mostly third world poor uneducated nothing to offer immigrants are completely the opposite from what the U.S. was founded upon and built upon.

[CapnTrips]

Originally Posted by ebn78

If you study the history of American Immigration you will see and understand how we were built up by great immigrants mostly from Europe who came here in the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th centuries wanting to improve not only their own lives but to improve their local cities, neighborhoods and communities. Today, this is NOT happening with the immigrants arriving in the last 30 years. Today's mostly third world poor uneducated nothing to offer immigrants are completely the opposite from what the U.S. was founded upon and built upon.

I disagree. If you study the history of American Immigration you will see that different waves of immigrants have always brought problems with them. The German and Irish immigrants of the 18th and 19th century formed gangs in New York City, and much has been written about them. Same is true of the Italian immigrants of the 19th and 2oth century -- ever hear of la Cosa Nostra?

There are more immigrants today than there were then, just as there are more Americans today than there were then. Many illegal immigrants have taken advantage of social programs that were intended to benefit Americans in need. But nothing has really changed, except the scale of the problems, and the ethnicity of the people causing them.

I agree though, that Arnold is a credit to his race.