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I have absolutely no fear of different people. Heck, my family looks like a meeting of the UN. However, I do oppose illegal immigration regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin. I welcome legal immigrants, and even married one. Stop making this an issue of race. It isn’t; at least not for me.
How are illegals "different" people anyway? Most are Mexicans and we have millions of Mexican-Americans living here already so I don't get this argument of a fear of "different". It is a nonsense argument that the pro-illegals use and as you said they are making it an issue of race when how can it be based on the above?
I have no problem with LEGAL immigrants of any race/color, ethnic group or nationality either. The pro-illegals just make themselves look foolish when they use the xenophobia argument.
No, the company has e-verify so they don't hire illegals anymore, but most are still Hispanic. The Chicago plant had sizable polish group, who also did not speak English; she's currently in Houston which has more Hispanics. As for my mother learning english, every time my father watched a film he would dub it with ESP option and on TV she'd watch her novellas (soap operas). She only learned enough to navigate in stores and restaurants; she can also read children's books somewhat well, but she claims she blanks out when someone starts an English conversation that does not involve store products or food. She also claims to have no time since she has to cook after work, clean the house watch a bit of TV (news and
novellas) and exercise.
What's interesting though is that she's not someone immigration would bother as she could pass as a white woman. In fact in Chicago we lived near a Polish neighborhood and the people in the corner store assumed she was polish; they even spoke to her in Polish once.
Edit: forgot to mention she's been here nearly 28 years.
I am sorry but there is no excuse for not learning English after having lived here for 28 years. My gut feeling is that she didn't really want to learn English. If there is a will there is a way.
No, the company has e-verify so they don't hire illegals anymore, but most are still Hispanic. The Chicago plant had sizable polish group, who also did not speak English; she's currently in Houston which has more Hispanics. As for my mother learning english, every time my father watched a film he would dub it with ESP option and on TV she'd watch her novellas (soap operas). She only learned enough to navigate in stores and restaurants; she can also read children's books somewhat well, but she claims she blanks out when someone starts an English conversation that does not involve store products or food. She also claims to have no time since she has to cook after work, clean the house watch a bit of TV (news and
novellas) and exercise.
What's interesting though is that she's not someone immigration would bother as she could pass as a white woman. In fact in Chicago we lived near a Polish neighborhood and the people in the corner store assumed she was polish; they even spoke to her in Polish once.
Edit: forgot to mention she's been here nearly 28 years.
Well she's here legally because your dad brought her - so her situation doesn't apply exactly to this forum but someone here 28 years could learn English if they had tried.
Look at all the Vietnamese, the Germans, the Chinese, Greek, Polish and many other immigrants who learned English quickly because they didn't watch television exclusively in Spanish and don't use the excuse they have no time.
Your mother chose to stay in her language barrio, but in her case she has family translators to make it easy for her. A motivated adult can learn a foreign language in just months.
Really how hard is it to say a few basic phrases in another language and then go on from there?
Look at all the Vietnamese, the Germans, the Chinese, Greek, Polish and many other immigrants who learned English quickly because they didn't watch television exclusively in Spanish and don't use the excuse they have no time.
Do you have some data to support this? How long did it take these groups to have proficiency numbers above those of Mexican immigrants today?
So why do you get all defensive when I'm talking to some other guy?
I wasn’t defensive. But, the baseless accusations of racism have really become tiresome. Your side complains about anti-illegals painting all illegals and their supporters with the same brush. Yet, you assume that all who oppose illegal immigration do so on the basis of race/ethnicity, when nothing could be further from the truth.
Well she's here legally because your dad brought her - so her situation doesn't apply exactly to this forum but someone here 28 years could learn English if they had tried.
Look at all the Vietnamese, the Germans, the Chinese, Greek, Polish and many other immigrants who learned English quickly because they didn't watch television exclusively in Spanish and don't use the excuse they have no time.
Your mother chose to stay in her language barrio, but in her case she has family translators to make it easy for her. A motivated adult can learn a foreign language in just months.
Really how hard is it to say a few basic phrases in another language and then go on from there?
I suppose she simply had no motivation, but like I said she knows a little as she has no issue in stores and restaurants the problem arises in having conversations about other things. As for the other immigrants you mentioned not sure if they have learned as fast as you claim; the Polish where my mother worked at for years knew very little or none. Not that I excuse my mother it's not like she was poor and had to work long hours. I understand why some illegals can't learn because many work long hours or have more than 1 job in order to make a decent living (that wasn't the case with my mother).
What is all this talk about Hispanics not learning the language when various reports show that while Hispanics have learned English slower than other immigrants, they have learned it faster than previous immigrant groups and quickly assimilate English though the generations? A person may perceive that certain groups are refusing to learn English but objectively that isn't happening in any overall sense or any immigrant group.
Baseless accusations of racisim are pretty disgusting.
I see we agree on something. I know “real” racism -- not this manufactured pro-illegal BS. So, yes, I know when it’s unfounded, and only used to garner support for an agenda.
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