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I'll jump in. Until he clarified his locale, I thought it was my own area code, which would be in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles.
My timeline is similar, but 16 years. The big dividing point for our neighborhood began with the devastating Northridge earthquake in 1994, which killed 2 of my immediate neighbors, and caused a huge amount of damage to all the houses in our then blue collar to middle class family neighborhood. Due to the devastation and scariness of this natural disaster (there were aftershocks for months...), all our professionals left the second they could, and many others couldn't afford to repair their homes even with FEMA. Foreclosures abounded. The government programs put many first time owners in these houses. A good thing, until....
They all left and rented their houses to their illegal friends and families. Illegals do not speak English at all, and have no knowledge or even interest in obeying American laws. Cute little middle class houses became -a term I learned here!- "clown houses" of 18 people in a 2-bedroom place, with their attendant cars and commercial trucks all parked in their front yards and all over the block. The people behind us illegally divided their R1+1 property into 5 separate rentals, including some in the garden shed and laundry alcove!
The gangs suddenly aggrandized, and for the first time in the oldtimers of the block's memories, vandalized right and left up and down all the streets with graffiti. Mexican music blares at stadium/arena p.a. system levels at all hours, people screaming outside at all hours, and the surrounding businesses all moving and becoming Spanish language only (no pretense of "bi-lingualism.")
This is a very dramatic "before and after" the arrival of illegals to behold in a neighborhood. I joined Neighborhood Watch and several other neighborhood activists' groups, so that I could do some good for everyone here instead of just complaining. By the by, the police never come for "quality of life" issues: they're too busy with the expanded gangs presence.
Yes, we'll be moving when my husband retires, but an interim move would be too costly. My cars (and many of my immediate friends and neighbors' cars) have been totalled by illegals driving without licenses. Foreign nationals spit at me when I walk by. One would have to speak 5 different languages to be able to converse with all the folks on our block who speak no English whatsoever. Because of our experience here in Los Angeles, we will forever be leary of living around foreign nationals again, because of what their illegal friends and relatives did to destroy our quality of life here. We started out naively thinking most all people were okay, and unfortunately learned otherwise.
Because of our experience here in Los Angeles, we will forever be leary of living around foreign nationals again, because of what their illegal friends and relatives did to destroy our quality of life here. We started out naively thinking most all people were okay, and unfortunately learned otherwise.
Despite my being first generation US born; I catch your drift
Note though the variety of 'immigrants' as you described were probably low class in their home countries--------people with Middle Class values of any ethnicity tend to assimilate quickly.
Dear stsmith it would be interesting if you shared with us your fellow forum users your story, how has illegal or legal immigration affected you personally, what made you be so afraid of it?
Respect!
Ya know, just because a person wants everyone to follow the laws of thecountry does not mean they are afraid of illegals. Some of us actually believe in the rule of law and don't appreciate illegals invading the country as they are.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,434,007 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by ArizonaBear
Despite my being first generation US born; I catch your drift
Note though the variety of 'immigrants' as you described were probably low class in their home countries--------people with Middle Class values of any ethnicity tend to assimilate quickly.
I agree, I wanted to immigrate legally to the USA when I was younger, I did my homework, learnt english and I studied a booklet on how to immigrate legally to the USA throughly, I dropped the Idea because Mexico started to be a better country to live as it was when I was even younger, also because I could listen her call me telling me to stay home and improve the house.
For what I've learnt in this forum from your opinions which I really appreciate the main problem is that too much is too much, maybe if you had few ilegal immigrants most people would feel sympathetic for them and tried their best to help them assimilate into American society but if America is being receiving immigrants from the 4 corners of the world everyday, it is something to be worry about.
However I would like to say that I still think is not right to hate illegal immigrants, we should hate illegal immigration only imho and the forces that make it possible, illegal immigrants can't be just put in a basket and label all of them as parasits who want to suck the country dry.
Last edited by Travelling fella; 10-20-2007 at 06:50 PM..
For what I've learnt in this forum from your opinions which I really appreciate the main problem is that too much is too much, maybe if you had few ilegal immigrants most people would feel sympathetic for them and tried their best to help them assimilate into American society but if America is being receiving immigrants from the 4 corners of the world everyday, it is something to be worry about. .
This is EXACTLY right. I've known illegal immigrants for decades. Some went on to become legal, others wanted to remain Mexican citizens in order to hold on to property they owned at home. But most illegals were resigned to their status--not full citizens, but free to live here indefinitely, and to do far better than they had back home. They didn't compete with most Americans, and in the past really DID do the jobs no one else wanted (mostly agriculture). As a result, no one seriously objected to their being here.
Things are different now. Illegals really ARE competing with, and undercutting, Americans. Entire industries have dropped drastically in pay and benefits due to this unfair competition.
No wife and mother can compete with a "cute young girlfriend", if she has an unfaithful husband. And no skilled tradesman can compete with "cheap" labor if he has an "unfaithful" employer. And, in either case, this will cause anger, frustration, and hatred. That's human nature.
Your Home value has gone down by 100k? You must be living in the cuts. Here in the Bay Area, as you know is very Hispanic heavy. At one point a lot of homes tripled in value. And how did you know that the people who did those things to you and your family are Illegal Immigrants? Did you ask them for their documentation?
I'm not sure what you mean by "living in the cuts". When I purchased my home it was in a very modern, upscale middle class neighborhood. At the height of the housing boom we used to get calls from realtors with clients who were looking for property, in our area, with all of the amenities that our home has (i.e.- sq. footage, pool/spa, etc.) My sister is in real estate and she tells me that part of the housing bust is because of people (mostly illegal) defaulting on sub-prime loans. Her account is fairly accurate of what I have read. My sister in law is a loan officer and she pretty much said the same thing. Is this entirely the fault of the people who took on more houses than they could afford? Partially, but also the greedy lending institutions that accept improper documentation, stated income, etc. are to blame.
As to the your other question; I have no idea who vandalized my cars or who has repeatedly sprayed my house with graffiti. I only know that the graffiti was in Spanish. Naturally the cowards who did this did it at night or when no one was home. As to the pervert who was leering at my daughter I did later find out that he was an illegal who had prior offences against children. A friend who is on the force told me that the creep was deported as soon as he was released from the hospital.
Look, I get that you’re Hispanic. You seem like a pretty bright kid but you need to look at the big picture. I have stated over and over that the issue of illegal immigration is about respecting the laws, cultures and norms of our society.
If the bulk of illegal aliens were blond haired blue-eyed Caucasians from Germany, and they were behaving in the same manner, I would feel the same way.
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
3,162 posts, read 11,434,007 times
Reputation: 1463
Quote:
Originally Posted by stsmith
I'm not sure what you mean by "living in the cuts". When I purchased my home it was in a very modern, upscale middle class neighborhood. At the height of the housing boom we used to get calls from realtors with clients who were looking for property, in our area, with all of the amenities that our home has (i.e.- sq. footage, pool/spa, etc.) My sister is in real estate and she tells me that part of the housing bust is because of people (mostly illegal) defaulting on sub-prime loans. Her account is fairly accurate of what I have read. My sister in law is a loan officer and she pretty much said the same thing. Is this entirely the fault of the people who took on more houses than they could afford? Partially, but also the greedy lending institutions that accept improper documentation, stated income, etc. are to blame.
stsmith you might want to check this website it has a lot of information about what's happening with america's economy right now.
I'll jump in. Until he clarified his locale, I thought it was my own area code, which would be in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles.
My timeline is similar, but 16 years. The big dividing point for our neighborhood began with the devastating Northridge earthquake in 1994, which killed 2 of my immediate neighbors, and caused a huge amount of damage to all the houses in our then blue collar to middle class family neighborhood. Due to the devastation and scariness of this natural disaster (there were aftershocks for months...), all our professionals left the second they could, and many others couldn't afford to repair their homes even with FEMA. Foreclosures abounded. The government programs put many first time owners in these houses. A good thing, until....
They all left and rented their houses to their illegal friends and families. Illegals do not speak English at all, and have no knowledge or even interest in obeying American laws. Cute little middle class houses became -a term I learned here!- "clown houses" of 18 people in a 2-bedroom place, with their attendant cars and commercial trucks all parked in their front yards and all over the block. The people behind us illegally divided their R1+1 property into 5 separate rentals, including some in the garden shed and laundry alcove!
The gangs suddenly aggrandized, and for the first time in the oldtimers of the block's memories, vandalized right and left up and down all the streets with graffiti. Mexican music blares at stadium/arena p.a. system levels at all hours, people screaming outside at all hours, and the surrounding businesses all moving and becoming Spanish language only (no pretense of "bi-lingualism.")
This is a very dramatic "before and after" the arrival of illegals to behold in a neighborhood. I joined Neighborhood Watch and several other neighborhood activists' groups, so that I could do some good for everyone here instead of just complaining. By the by, the police never come for "quality of life" issues: they're too busy with the expanded gangs presence.
Yes, we'll be moving when my husband retires, but an interim move would be too costly. My cars (and many of my immediate friends and neighbors' cars) have been totalled by illegals driving without licenses. Foreign nationals spit at me when I walk by. One would have to speak 5 different languages to be able to converse with all the folks on our block who speak no English whatsoever. Because of our experience here in Los Angeles, we will forever be leary of living around foreign nationals again, because of what their illegal friends and relatives did to destroy our quality of life here. We started out naively thinking most all people were okay, and unfortunately learned otherwise.
My heart goes out to you. Good luck
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