Why are there so few illegals in Pittsburgh? (Allentown, Lancaster: unemployment, high school)

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

My last neighbor was an illegal resident from Honduras.

Aside from regularly beating his girlfriend (The police didn't care.) he was alright.

[ElijahAstin]

Other than Puerto Ricans (who are U.S. citizens by default), Latinos in general seem to shy away from Pennsylvania, although this has started to change in the past few years.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Other than Puerto Ricans (who are U.S. citizens by default), Latinos in general seem to shy away from Pennsylvania, although this has started to change in the past few years.

That's not totally accurate, the Mon Valley and coal mining regions of Pennsylvania have attracted waves of immigrants from Asturian region of Spain and Donora still has a Spanish Club.

[bradjl2009]

1. Pittsburgh already has a lot of working and lower class people who will gladly take the jobs illegals tend to in other cities. (Most of the people who have left Pittsburgh were educated while the uneducated and working class generally couldn't afford to move)
2. The type of jobs that are being created here generally require some degree or training.
3. Many jobs that illegals take in other areas have strong union backing here.
4. Pittsburgh didn't experience a housing boom and didn't gain jobs in the related low wage areas because of it.
5. The economy was flat from 1980-2005 when the country's illegal population exploded.
6. There are very few services here that cater to them here and I think the populace of the area isn't the most friendly to them.

I saw in an article from a newspaper in Harrisburg that the representative in Butler County is trying to get his law against illegals passed. I know it's not a problem but I think it would be a good idea to pass a law of some sorts to keep them from wanting to come to PA so we don't need to have this fight in PA once it does become a problem as in other states.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

That's not totally accurate, the Mon Valley and coal mining regions of Pennsylvania have attracted waves of immigrants from Asturian region of Spain and Donora still has a Spanish Club.

Spaniards are not Latino.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latino_(demonym)

I never knew SW PA was a destination for Spanish immigrants though. Very interesting.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

That's not totally accurate, the Mon Valley and coal mining regions of Pennsylvania have attracted waves of immigrants from Asturian region of Spain and Donora still has a Spanish Club.

Spain is in Europe and European Spanish and Spain is not like Latin America.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by MeinGlanzendMotorrad

My last neighbor was an illegal resident from Honduras.

Aside from regularly beating his girlfriend (The police didn't care.) he was alright.

Sounds like an upstanding type of guy we should want to see more of in Pittsburgh........

[Benzman66]

I think there are more illegals in the burgh than you know about. A lot of Mexicans & Indians. Just ask anyone from the Catholic Charities office.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Other than Puerto Ricans (who are U.S. citizens by default), Latinos in general seem to shy away from Pennsylvania, although this has started to change in the past few years.

Besides Philly, most of the state until recently has had an average at best economy compared to the rest of the country.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

Spaniards are not Latino.

Fair enough, but Mexicans are, and Etna and Sharpsburg had a wave of Mexican immigrants at the beginning of the last century. I knew to look it up as I've seen the Mexican children in my mother's grade school class picture.

Immigrants: Pittsburgh's Changing Face - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review