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I don't get it, for all intents and purposes homeless white Americans are far superior to illegal Mexicans as job candidates:
a) they don't have any "immigration" issues or problems to worry about, no constantly looking over their shoulder
b) as American citizens, they automatically qualify for most government assistance programs
c) most have at least graduated high school
d) valid SSN, tax ID number, etc are a given
e) they "blend in" culturally
f) they speak fluent English
And yet they are homeless?? They HONESTLY couldn't land even a crappy poverty $8/hour McJob somewhere? I find that hard to believe , since McJobs are everywhere - it's just that no one wants to work in those jobs. It never fails, I'll drive by a Walmart or other busy suburban parking lot, and always see 1 or 2 homeless Americans off to the side or at the far-end corner of the parking lot pan-handling holding homeless cardboard signs. The other common location is on the corner of highway off-ramps, you'll see young homeless Americans that look PERFECTLY healthy and able just standing there.
As strange as it sounds, I have rarely seen a homeless illegal Mexican, overwhelming majority of them are working at the very least a crappy/dirty manual labor job somewhere, or doing something "under the table" or for cash to provide for themselves.
Has anyone else noticed this? You just don't see homeless illegal Mexicans on the street, but we see homeless Americans everywhere, it makes no sense because with all the advantages the average able-bodied American has over the average illegal Mexican, you would think being homeless would be much less commonplace.
Last edited by UbbyJuice; 07-01-2017 at 09:15 AM..
Mental issues are the largest factor in homelessness. We as a nation chose not to support those that are homeless and they flock to the streets and cities.
No permanent address is one of the biggest factors when not hiring
Mental issues are the largest factor in homelessness. We as a nation chose not to support those that are homeless and they flock to the streets and cities.
No permanent address is one of the biggest factors when not hiring
Exactly, the leading cause of homelessness for singles are substance abuse, high cost of housing, and mental illness and the vast majority have some sort of chronic illness. Their chance of getting a job is very small.
I don't get it, for all intents and purposes homeless white Americans are far superior to illegal Mexicans as job candidates:
a) they don't have any "immigration" issues or problems to worry about, no constantly looking over their shoulder
b) as American citizens, they automatically qualify for most government assistance programs
c) most have at least graduated high school
d) valid SSN, tax ID number, etc are a given
e) they "blend in" culturally
f) they speak fluent English
And yet they are homeless?? They HONESTLY couldn't land even a crappy poverty $8/hour McJob somewhere? I find that hard to believe , since McJobs are everywhere - it's just that no one wants to work in those jobs. It never fails, I'll drive by a Walmart or other busy suburban parking lot, and always see 1 or 2 homeless Americans off to the side or at the far-end corner of the parking lot pan-handling holding homeless cardboard signs. The other common location is on the corner of highway off-ramps, you'll see young homeless Americans that look PERFECTLY healthy and able just standing there.
As strange as it sounds, I have rarely seen a homeless illegal Mexican, overwhelming majority of them are working at the very least a crappy/dirty manual labor job somewhere, or doing something "under the table" or for cash to provide for themselves.
Has anyone else noticed this? You just don't see homeless illegal Mexicans on the street, but we see homeless Americans everywhere, it makes no sense because with all the advantages the average able-bodied American has over the average illegal Mexican, you would think being homeless would be much less commonplace.
Aside from mental illness (which immigrants are no more immune from than Americans), there's another reason. Broad sweeping generalizations follow:
It's cultural. In most cultures, families look out for each other. They'll live many to a dwelling and pitch in in various different ways as long as they need to live there. And it is totally acceptable to live with family even as adult.
Whereas general American culture (mostly whites and blacks) emphasizes "personal responsibility" much more, and will not hesitate to leave their family members to fend for themselves. It's every man for himself, and it's considered an embarrassment to live with parents past 18. Often parents will outright throw their own children out onto the streets right at 18.
The closest thing Americans have to a cooperative living situation is roommates. And unlike living with family, there is no flexibility in how to pitch in. You'd better pay that rent in full every month if you don't want to get promptly evicted.
And before anyone says "That didn't happen to me/I didn't do that to my kids" - ask yourself whether you(r kids) were ever actually homeless and begging on the streets. I've worked extensively with the homeless population in cities known for having many immigrants from various countries, and the majority of them were still natural born Americans whose reality did involve the above two paragraphs.
Just look at the heat millennials get for living with their parents after college. This puzzles many foreigners who come from places where it's long been typical for kids to stay home until getting married and/or able to comfortably afford their own home.
Last edited by ohhwanderlust; 07-01-2017 at 10:19 AM..
Aside from mental illness (which immigrants are no more immune from than Americans), there's another reason. Broad sweeping generalizations follow:
It's cultural. In most cultures, families look out for each other. They'll live many to a dwelling and pitch in in various different ways as long as they need to live there. And it is totally acceptable to live with family even as adult.
Whereas general American culture (mostly whites and blacks) emphasizes "personal responsibility" much more, and will not hesitate to leave their family members to fend for themselves. It's every man for himself, and it's considered an embarrassment to live with parents past 18. Often parents will outright throw their own children out onto the streets right at 18.
The closest thing Americans have to a cooperative living situation is roommates. And unlike living with family, there is no flexibility in how to pitch in. You'd better pay that rent in full every month if you don't want to get promptly evicted.
And before anyone says "That didn't happen to me/I didn't do that to my kids" - ask yourself whether you(r kids) were ever actually homeless and begging on the streets. I've worked extensively with the homeless population in cities known for having many immigrants from various countries, and the majority of them were still natural born Americans whose reality did involve the above two paragraphs.
Just look at the heat millennials get for living with their parents after college. This puzzles many foreigners who come from places where it's long been typical for kids to stay home until getting married and/or able to comfortably afford their own home.
You also have to factor in the size of families. America is a developed country and has been so for a long time. This means an industrialized, urbanized population with small families. Immigrants typically come from peasant societies with no public safety net and large families. As you say, the family is the safety net, made easier by having 12 uncles. This is rapidly changing though as people get more educated and move for school and jobs.
Aside from mental illness (which immigrants are no more immune from than Americans), there's another reason. Broad sweeping generalizations follow:
It's cultural. In most cultures, families look out for each other. They'll live many to a dwelling and pitch in in various different ways as long as they need to live there. And it is totally acceptable to live with family even as adult.
Whereas general American culture (mostly whites and blacks) emphasizes "personal responsibility" much more, and will not hesitate to leave their family members to fend for themselves. It's every man for himself, and it's considered an embarrassment to live with parents past 18. Often parents will outright throw their own children out onto the streets right at 18.
The closest thing Americans have to a cooperative living situation is roommates. And unlike living with family, there is no flexibility in how to pitch in. You'd better pay that rent in full every month if you don't want to get promptly evicted.
And before anyone says "That didn't happen to me/I didn't do that to my kids" - ask yourself whether you(r kids) were ever actually homeless and begging on the streets. I've worked extensively with the homeless population in cities known for having many immigrants from various countries, and the majority of them were still natural born Americans whose reality did involve the above two paragraphs.
Just look at the heat millennials get for living with their parents after college. This puzzles many foreigners who come from places where it's long been typical for kids to stay home until getting married and/or able to comfortably afford their own home.
Great point! I think our culture is changing a bit on that front. I couldn't imagine kicking my kids out on the street if they were in need, and yet that's exactly what happened to me at 19. My mother's husband kicked me out of the house, and she let him.
I will say it was probably a good wake up call for me though. I found I could support myself, and I am not dependent on anyone. I didn't do anything wrong to deserve it though. It was just because he hated me. He was like one of those lions that comes into a pride and kills all the mother's babies.
I don't get it, for all intents and purposes homeless white Americans are far superior to illegal Mexicans as job candidates:
a) they don't have any "immigration" issues or problems to worry about, no constantly looking over their shoulder
b) as American citizens, they automatically qualify for most government assistance programs
c) most have at least graduated high school
d) valid SSN, tax ID number, etc are a given
e) they "blend in" culturally
f) they speak fluent English
And yet they are homeless?? They HONESTLY couldn't land even a crappy poverty $8/hour McJob somewhere? I find that hard to believe , since McJobs are everywhere - it's just that no one wants to work in those jobs. It never fails, I'll drive by a Walmart or other busy suburban parking lot, and always see 1 or 2 homeless Americans off to the side or at the far-end corner of the parking lot pan-handling holding homeless cardboard signs. The other common location is on the corner of highway off-ramps, you'll see young homeless Americans that look PERFECTLY healthy and able just standing there.
As strange as it sounds, I have rarely seen a homeless illegal Mexican, overwhelming majority of them are working at the very least a crappy/dirty manual labor job somewhere, or doing something "under the table" or for cash to provide for themselves.
Has anyone else noticed this? You just don't see homeless illegal Mexicans on the street, but we see homeless Americans everywhere, it makes no sense because with all the advantages the average able-bodied American has over the average illegal Mexican, you would think being homeless would be much less commonplace.
You just don't have a clue, do you? I almost feel sorry for you.
Aside from mental illness (which immigrants are no more immune from than Americans), there's another reason. Broad sweeping generalizations follow:
It's cultural. In most cultures, families look out for each other. They'll live many to a dwelling and pitch in in various different ways as long as they need to live there. And it is totally acceptable to live with family even as adult.
Whereas general American culture (mostly whites and blacks) emphasizes "personal responsibility" much more, and will not hesitate to leave their family members to fend for themselves. It's every man for himself, and it's considered an embarrassment to live with parents past 18. Often parents will outright throw their own children out onto the streets right at 18.
The closest thing Americans have to a cooperative living situation is roommates. And unlike living with family, there is no flexibility in how to pitch in. You'd better pay that rent in full every month if you don't want to get promptly evicted.
And before anyone says "That didn't happen to me/I didn't do that to my kids" - ask yourself whether you(r kids) were ever actually homeless and begging on the streets. I've worked extensively with the homeless population in cities known for having many immigrants from various countries, and the majority of them were still natural born Americans whose reality did involve the above two paragraphs.
Just look at the heat millennials get for living with their parents after college. This puzzles many foreigners who come from places where it's long been typical for kids to stay home until getting married and/or able to comfortably afford their own home.
Excellent post! I couldn't have said it better
Alot of Americans fail to realize that even in the UK it's not uncommon for "children" to live at home well into adulthood. It's the norm in much of Western Europe. Even here in the US it was commonplace up until the 1960s. The Boomers were the first generation to do the whole "Move out at 18" thing ... and IMO it's a major factor behind accumulated debt. People should live at home until they get married (ideally in their late 20s or early 30s), or until they can truly afford their own place and still have money left over to live comfortably after taxes, rent, utilities, etc. That's how I intend to do it and eff anyone who mocks me for it. I'll be better off for my wise planning.
One of the things I most admire about Hispanic culture is their multi-generational households. There is always someone to take care of the kids, to cook home cooked meals, children have direct contact with grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc. In Anglo-American culture we often have both parents working, they eat fast food most nights, the kids are left to their own devices, the grandparents often live in another state and see the grandkids maybe once or twice a year.
Great point! I think our culture is changing a bit on that front. I couldn't imagine kicking my kids out on the street if they were in need, and yet that's exactly what happened to me at 19. My mother's husband kicked me out of the house, and she let him.
I will say it was probably a good wake up call for me though. I found I could support myself, and I am not dependent on anyone. I didn't do anything wrong to deserve it though. It was just because he hated me. He was like one of those lions that comes into a pride and kills all the mother's babies.
I can totally relate. I was basically disowned at 17 because I refused to get a boob job (which my mother said I needed if I was to ever be "marriageable").
I survived and managed to graduate from college without any debt, but I can't say I remember much of what I studied in college because I was too wrapped up with juggling several jobs and in hurrying up and graduating. Good thing my degree is irrelevant to my job now, ha.
Glad you succeeded too, and that you're doing better for your kids!
And yet they are homeless?? They HONESTLY couldn't land even a crappy poverty $8/hour McJob somewhere? I find that hard to believe
What if they live in Washington? They might have been able to get that $8/hour job before the minimum wage went up to $11/hour.
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, since McJobs are everywhere - it's just that no one wants to work in those jobs. It never fails, I'll drive by a Walmart or other busy suburban parking lot, and always see 1 or 2 homeless Americans off to the side or at the far-end corner of the parking lot pan-handling holding homeless cardboard signs. The other common location is on the corner of highway off-ramps, you'll see young homeless Americans that look PERFECTLY healthy and able just standing there.
