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After having a conversation with a diverse mix of educated people up here in Michigan the other day, I began to realize that Americans vary greatly in their views of what an illegal immigrant is.
I was surprised at just how many people get a "mental image" of a 60 year old sweet little Hispanic grandma working her fingers to the bone in some rich, greedy American's homes just to have a few pennies to send to her poor starving grandchildren in Mexico.
They couldn't understand what the "big deal is" about illegals!!
THESE Americans are a big part of the problem!
What do YOU think of when you hear the term "illegal immigrant?"
After having a conversation with a diverse mix of educated people up here in Michigan the other day, I began to realize that Americans vary greatly in their views of what an illegal immigrant is.
I was surprised at just how many people get a "mental image" of a 60 year old sweet little Hispanic grandma working her fingers to the bone in some rich, greedy American's homes just to have a few pennies to send to her poor starving grandchildren in Mexico.
They couldn't understand what the "big deal is" about illegals!!
THESE Americans are a big part of the problem!
What do YOU think of when you hear the term "illegal immigrant?"
Someome poor that is willing to risk their lives to have a better opportunity here.
After having a conversation with a diverse mix of educated people up here in Michigan the other day, I began to realize that Americans vary greatly in their views of what an illegal immigrant is.
I was surprised at just how many people get a "mental image" of a 60 year old sweet little Hispanic grandma working her fingers to the bone in some rich, greedy American's homes just to have a few pennies to send to her poor starving grandchildren in Mexico.
They couldn't understand what the "big deal is" about illegals!!
THESE Americans are a big part of the problem!
What do YOU think of when you hear the term "illegal immigrant?"
Lawbreaker comes to mind-------along with their enablers who, IMHO, are traitors.
1) The worker who comes here to make more money for their family back home.
2) The worker who comes with their family to give their children a better chance of education and getting out of poverty.
3) The one that comes here to live as free as they can off the American tax system, but lay low.
4) The criminal.
It just so happens I think the large % of illegals are in categories 1 and 2.
First I get an image of a younger man in his mid 20's to early 30's, little to no education, sometimes skilled at a labor trade...sometimes not, willing to work hard for a very competitive wage (off the books mostly to limit taxes paid) and saving his money to bring the rest of his family across the border.
Second I get an image of a young man in his late teens to early 20's, wearing a backback, avoiding police and immigration agents in his quest to deliver the backpack to a drug dealer in a larger urban city. Once delivered, he is free to work for the drug dealer, return home with his cash to make another run, or possibly (but not likely) become another lowly paid construction worker sending money home to his brothers and sisters.
I have known a few abuelitas that are illegals, but most arrived in their childhood and just stayed. Not many INS roundups of housewives, only job sites get raided as a regular practice.
My 'mental image' of an illegal immigrant is a young Mestizo who works on a construction site for about half the wage of any American. He is exploited by his employer but won't say anything about it because half an American wage is better than DOUBLE the wage he was earning back home.
While he realizes that his presence here is causing animosity from the 'natives', he figures the money he's making is worth the risk of trouble. He looks forward to making enough money here to return home and buy himself a little false security.
I work with him, I DON'T hate him. I tell him that there are over 20 million of his compadres here and it's causing turmoil. He shrugs his shoulders and asks me "What can I do?"
I tell him to go home, knowing that answer won't be heeded.
1) The worker who comes here to make more money for their family back home.
2) The worker who comes with their family to give their children a better chance of education and getting out of poverty.
3) The one that comes here to live as free as they can off the American tax system, but lay low.
4) The criminal.
It just so happens I think the large % of illegals are in categories 1 and 2.
Having PERSONALLY known MANY illegals, I agree with this, with the added stipulation that MOST illegals come from a society in which "the law" isn't very well respected (because it isn't very RESPECTABLE). So these illegals see little 'moral' imperative to respect OUR borders, when they can SEE that WE don't. So it's mainly just an economic decision--not much different than moving across a state line. We can't expect them to voluntarily 'control' their immigration, when our authorities are obviously OK with it...
My 'mental image' of an illegal immigrant is a young Mestizo who works on a construction site for about half the wage of any American. He is exploited by his employer but won't say anything about it because half an American wage is better than DOUBLE the wage he was earning back home.
While he realizes that his presence here is causing animosity from the 'natives', he figures the money he's making is worth the risk of trouble. He looks forward to making enough money here to return home and buy himself a little false security.
I work with him, I DON'T hate him. I tell him that there are over 20 million of his compadres here and it's causing turmoil. He shrugs his shoulders and asks me "What can I do?"
I tell him to go home, knowing that answer won't be heeded.
Having PERSONALLY know many illegals, I agree with THIS, TOO. The individual illegal simply doesn't feel 'guilty' for violating a law HE sees as widely ignored. He wants to work, and he CAN--and he can make many times more HERE, than THERE. And if the "locals" don't stop him, why should HE worry about it? In HIS culture, the 'law' is a very corrupt concept, MOSTLY put in place to protect the interests of the "rich" at the expense of the 'poor". It's easy for him to ASSUME that it's the same way here. I have a sinking feeling that, increasingly, he may be RIGHT. Meanwhile, he'll probably stay and 'ride out his winning streak' as long as he can. He's unlikely to 'deport' himself simply because SOME of 'us" are upset with him. He can SEE that plenty of "us" are GLAD to have him here...
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at just how many people get a "mental image" of a 60 year old sweet little Hispanic grandma working her fingers to the bone in some rich, greedy American's homes just to have a few pennies to send to her poor starving grandchildren in Mexico. 
