is bensonhurst still a good neighborhood? (New York, York: live in, fence, legal)

[mead]

Illegal immigration and massive (legal) immigration is allowed to continue because it is supported by both liberals and conservatives in this country.

Conservative groups support illegals because they are a cheap and steady supply of labor which is good for big business

Liberal groups support illegals because they get to replay Tammany Hall all over again in every city in the country with boatloads of new immigrants. All of these diversity advocacy groups would likely go out of business within a couple of decades if the flow of new immigrants was ever slowed or stopped.

I know plenty of illegals in my neighborhood and even my building. As individuals they are nice people (as are most people on an individual level). However when you have millions of them here not speaking the language and assimilating into American society then that is what leads to larger societal problems that this country is bound to face in the future. You only have to look at the riots that took place in France in the recent past to see that occuring.

Originally Posted by BronxPride

Ha! Really mead, come on. There is an estimated 7 million (on the low count) illegal immigrants in this country. If they were all rapists & criminals I don't think our President, Senators and Congress persons would be promoting a comprehensive immigration bill. I'm not in favor of illegal immigration, and I think our laws should be enforced. All I'm saying is that Americans need to look within and search for the root of the problem. To me its all simple economics, supply and demand! In suburban neighborhoods you see workers, that may or not be here illegally, grouped up waiting for someone to pick them up and give them work. Why is that? They know someone will give them work if they wait long enough. I don't understand why the backlash is on illegal immigrants when in fact it should be targeted to American businesses such as factories, restaurants, construction companies, etc. that hire undocumented immigrants.

[BronxPride]

I agree with your viewpoints except on liberals. LOL

Originally Posted by mead

Illegal immigration and massive (legal) immigration is allowed to continue because it is supported by both liberals and conservatives in this country.

Conservative groups support illegals because they are a cheap and steady supply of labor which is good for big business

Liberal groups support illegals because they get to replay Tammany Hall all over again in every city in the country with boatloads of new immigrants. All of these diversity advocacy groups would likely go out of business within a couple of decades if the flow of new immigrants was ever slowed or stopped.

I know plenty of illegals in my neighborhood and even my building. As individuals they are nice people (as are most people on an individual level). However when you have millions of them here not speaking the language and assimilating into American society then that is what leads to larger societal problems that this country is bound to face in the future. You only have to look at the riots that took place in France in the recent past to see that occuring.

[KRISTINsf]

Originally Posted by mead

Yeah I kind of graduated high school about a decade ago.

Have you ever even visited NYC? Because its clear you don't live here.

Also why do you keep on trying to portray yourself as some type of victimized minority when you're a Chinese girl living in San Francisco? Not exactly the most discriminated against group in my book.

I suggest we round the "illegal" immigrants up and send them off to where they belong! All than will be well in Benonhurst, your precious Italian neighborhood.

[LiSuffolkgal]

Well I lived in bensonhurst along the 86th street section for quite some time and in the 80's - early 90's it was ok I mean I could walk all over I could go out in the day shopping along the avenue or go out at night to the local areas with friends and feel safe but then last year when visitng a friend in my own neighborhood the streets that I walked for many years changed because she and I were held up at gun point and that scared the hell outta me needless to say we are both ok thank God we only suffered emotional damage but after that happened I realized my once comfortable neighbohood was no more and it was a wake up call and I moved
They never found the guy but crime is all over garbage moves into good areas all the time and nothing is being done about it
in my opinion bensonhurst used to be nice but now its changed too much and I have no desire to ever go back there

[Guywithacause]

I wonder what "garbage moves into good areas all the time" is code for? Hmm.....regarding your gun point trauma....the crime has moved from the hands of the Mob in Bensonhurst to regular folks. I don't see how that makes the neighborhood worse...I say it makes it better..as I would take the petty nonsense crime than the all encompassing, Mob based crime that was deep in the city, entrenched in politics, corruption at the highest levels, police, businesses, everything.

[Fred314X]

I live in Midwood, which is a reasonably short walk from Bensonhurst. If there's something wrong with that neighborhood, then it's being kept pretty well hidden. I know that if I was looking to move, I certainly wouldn't cross it off my list.

Incidentally, while Bensonhurst still has that reputation as an Italian neighborhood, there are almost as many Russians (both Jewish and not) and Chinese in the area these days.

[DjRey]

I got to agree with vincent on this one.I'm a Latino brother from Cali and PR. And it really isn't cool the way some of these illegals act when they get here.Alot of them really do do some blatant disrespectful,3rd world mentality stuff.Some are cool though,some are not.Cali does have alot of illegals and gangs.After this first generation comes through in NYC,you'll probably start seeing alot more hispanic gangs for Mexico and Central America in NYC. That's gonna really suck for NYC.

[WhiteLake Gypsy]

So how are you racist, when bensonhurst is made up of a melting pot of immigrants, from all walks of life, italian,irish, and jewish etc....
Whats the big diff if hispanics move on in?

[brinked]

Fred, you cant compare midwood to bensonhurst. Midwood on ocean ave and ave J I was robbed 2 times In a year while visiting my gf there. I lived in brooklyn my entire life in williamsburg and now bensonhurst and only been robbed two times...which were midwood.

[Woozle]

These problems occur everywhere when barely literate peasants move to urban areas in search of jobs. Medieval European cities were far more criminal and violent than 20th century New York City, if you can imagine that, and Irish (see Gangs of New York), Jewish and Italian (millions of mob movies) immigrants to the city in the 19th century invariably got involved in criminal and anti-social behavior in large numbers. Urban underclass = crime. Regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or historical period.

Which brings me to my point. We have problems large enough with our own urban underclass. Why do we keep importing more of those?

Perhaps we should consider merit-based immigration, the way Australian and Canadian immigration laws are structured, but improving on them.

How about making every prospective immigrant take the SAT test and take in the top 300,000 scorers every year, or whatever the annual quota for legal immigrants currently is? And, of course, putting a stop to illegal immigration (just build the damn fence for starters).