Julian Castro and Anti-Illegal Immigrant Sign? (San Antonio, Van: school, best, dental)

[Merovee]

So this issue has nothing to do with immigrants. I am also doubting Mayor Castro approved or would have approved the siesta scene.

For those who have no clue as to why this type of caricature is offensive to some, the cultural naivety serves as an example of the gulf between different cultures here even if the different cultures here have more in common than not. We are more alike than not as Texans and Americans. So it is understandable some would have the opinions they do especially since outsiders to modern Tejano culture are not expected or required to immerse themselves within our culture much less understand our sensitivities or grasp the immensity of our history within this specific region.

Every culture has a right to be depicted according to their wishes which is why the mural will no longer include these offensive images.

If you ask me though, Gabriel Velasquez approached this with inelegance when politeness and patience most likely would have achieved the same result. I wont be voting for him if he decides to run since my district would better benefit with a representstive willing to continue the progress made in making my side of town more liveable instead of someone wanting to fight battles of the past.

[Azure110]

Who cares what the mural will be of? It will be graffiti covered soon.

[txtea]

Originally Posted by MattTx

Who cares what the mural will be of? It will be graffiti covered soon.

LOL. True. How fitting.

[zapanther]

its been going on forever and it will not stop.

[The Black Irish]

What upsets me is when illegals commit horrendous crimes. Especially against children and women. It seems to happen all the time. As far as Castro is concerned he will not be getting my vote due to the street name changing fiasco.

[Rasero]

Well my goodness, I posted this question and then check back a few days later and y'all are arguing about illegal immigration. I just found the story on msnbc.com:

U.S. News - 'Sleeping Mexican' mural proposal in South Texas draws protests

As previous posters mentioned, it does have more to do with the caricature of Mexicans back in the day as being lazy. The majority of Mexicans I know here in the States and in Mexico are very hard-working. But like any group of people, you also have your fair share of lazy folks in the mix as well.

Anyhow, that must have been what my wife heard on the radio... not sure where the Julian Castro reference came from (maybe he was supporting the idea of the of mural).

In regards to illegal immigration, it wasn't really the purpose of my thread but I'll comment on it anyway. The only thing that bothers me about that issue is the demonization of the illegal immigrants themselves, as if they were somehow innately evil people. I know quite a few of them personally, and their stories, and I take a much softer approach (I am compassionate and try to see why exactly it was that compelled them to move here); however I do also promote stronger border security and allowing more guest worker programs so they can come and work here legally to fill in the gaps of all of those illegal immigrants who've left the farms as a result of stricter enforcement. My wife's grandfather who passed away last year, was a guest worker in the fields back in the 1950's and came up here frequently during the harvesting season, then would go back to Mexico to be with his family. In his old age he gained residency and was able to come up and visit his family in the U.S. very easily (he passed away in Mexico). That's ideally how it should work. Many Mexicans would really rather be with their families in Mexico than stay here indefinitely. If we opened up the opportunity for that to happen (not amnesty, just granting a lot of them guest worker visas to allow them to come and go without having to pay COYOTES!) I think it would be very mutually beneficial to both countries.

I'm all for permanently deporting those who have committed grave criminal acts and such while living here. I'm also for putting a bunch of U.S. soldiers on the border to not only stop the flow of illegal immigration but the drugs as well.

[xsa210tx]

Originally Posted by Rasero

The only thing that bothers me about that issue is the demonization of the illegal immigrants themselves, as if they were somehow innately evil people.

When you have millions of Americans out of work, states going bankrupt, us citizens picking up their tab for all the services they get, all the overcrowding in our public schools, all the millions of Americans being turned down for jobs because they don't speak Spanish, and all the goodies and things afforded to their children who are born here.....you're damn right people are upset!

It has nothing to do with them as a human person. They are human beings...but they are KNOWINGLY breaking the law...they know very well what they are doing and they know they can do it because our system is broken and allows for these things to happen.

Originally Posted by Rasero

If we opened up the opportunity for that to happen (not amnesty, just granting a lot of them guest worker visas to allow them to come and go without having to pay COYOTES!) I think it would be very mutually beneficial to both countries.

Why have guest workers come here when there are well over 10 million here illegally (without guest worker visas) who can come in here and work the system as it is now...... ? We could issue as many guest worker visas as we want, but it won't solve the problem.

[Merovee]

One issue is whatever "facts" one side uses in this debate (the national one not this thread per se) the other side does not agree.

For instance a 2006 Texas Comptroller study revealed undocumented aliens put more into the system than they take out. So it just might be both sides are operating with a narrative that might not be totally factual.

A second issue is that undocumented immigration was and is considered a violation of civil law and not criminal law. Certain factions in some states are trying to or have passed laws to make it a criminal offense. Thus depending when and where they came not all undocumented immigrants are criminals. The rhetoric used by some only tends to further skew their narrative.

Criminal or not is decided by jurisprudence which can always change.

Another issue is many arrive to benefit an American corporation which can pay them less, get rid of them when they want or let the system do it for them, then hire more cheap labor without ever having to honor their workers.

Ultimately while some Republicans are openly in disfavor of illegal immigration another wing, those in favor of big business, secretly desire a source of cheap labor. A broken system allows a never ending stream of this. Democrats are the same with some secretly in favor of unions to the point they realize immigrants, legal or not, take away from their labor and pay goals.

So the system won't be fixed when some do not want it fixed to their advantage. Ours too in that food prices would drastically rise without undocumented labor. I think the system should be fixed for many reasons (so our country can honor those it's corporations hire and for safety) but it won't when one side wants to scapegoat the undocumented labor and the other feels bad over their treatment without either side moving beyond emotions to discover a more balanced view.

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by The Black Irish

What upsets me is when illegals commit horrendous crimes. Especially against children and women. It seems to happen all the time. As far as Castro is concerned he will not be getting my vote due to the street name changing fiasco.

You should be upset when anyone commits such heinous crimes. Blacks, whites, and Asians who are legal citizens have also been known to commit these types of offenses. So why single out illegal immigrants? You make it sound as if these "illegals" are the only ones comitting these crimes. Nothing could be further from the truth. And incidentally, by "illegals" are you referring to all illegal immigrants or just those of the Hispanic variety? Because there are also many Asian, African and other "illegals" in this country.

In my view Castro was and probably still is the best candidate for Mayor that we've had in awhile with the exception of Hardberger. So if he runs again he'll likely get my vote.

[bresilhac]

Originally Posted by Merovee

Immigrants, legal or not, commit less crimes than citizens. It is usually the second and third generation of immigrants who begin to commit crime. I suppose the first generation works hard for the American dream while the second and third who become citizens are disillusioned with working 2 or 3 jobs like their parents.

Of course if I was the type who becomes emotionally affected by hearing of one immigrant doing a heinous crime then correlated that with all immigrants because that was the message I was given, then found out the truth, I might just come to the conclusion that others were trying to manipulate me emotionally without actual facts.

Exactly. And who would you say has been doing the majority of the emotional manipulating in this entire immigration debate? The GOP maybe? No, they wouldn't do that would they? (sarcasm)