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My husband is from the UK and just finished getting his US citizenship. His first year, he was sponsored on an H-1B work visa that kept him in the city where his high-skill job was. Once we got married, he switched his visa to "family" rather than "work" and it was easier to move around. We're now living out in the middle of nowhere, a pace most rural people would still call the boonies. Since he's western and white, he blends in fairy well with the other white locals and the few other immigrants in the area (2 from Ireland and 1 from Norway)... I only have to interpret for him every now and then when the Queen's English and American English conflict or the accent is too hard for people to understand
With that being said, I do think that it is easier for white, English-speaking immigrants to assimilate into rural areas. Being highly-educated can work against you sometimes, as people can resent your "fancy book-learning". And I do think it's easier for any white immigrant to be accepted into a smaller community, even if they don't speak English well/at all. At least that's been my experience in many areas throughout this country. It's interesting to note that there are as many Asian fisherman as Russian & Scandanavian, but they don't seem to immigrate to Alaska as much and definitely not out into the bush.
It's interesting to note that there are as many Asian fisherman as Russian & Scandanavian, but they don't seem to immigrate to Alaska as much and definitely not out into the bush.
I would say it is because Russians and Scandinavians are used to brutal winters
That's possible Indigo, but if those Asian fisherman are out fishing in the straits, I'd say they're plenty used to cold and adverse weather
Outside of the two cities that have miitary bases, you rarely find anyone who is not an Alaska native or caucasian. I think I can count on one hand the amount of blacks, hispanics, asians and middle easterners I've seen outside of the military contingent. You'd think with the fishing and oil field jobs there'd be a few more who come and decide to stay - it's odd.
Outside of the two cities that have miitary bases, you rarely find anyone who is not an Alaska native or caucasian. I think I can count on one hand the amount of blacks, hispanics, asians and middle easterners I've seen outside of the military contingent. You'd think with the fishing and oil field jobs there'd be a few more who come and decide to stay - it's odd.
Then it must be a connection to native community thing. Plus, most people do not like being a minority, especially, a microscopic minority.
I agree that some of the answer does depend on the availability of public transportation. That's a very valid point.
Now, on to the point where I may get bashed. My own personal thinking is many immigrants come here illegally. It's easier to blend in with others in their race who are here legally when they are in larger cities. Just think - It's easier to hide in Illinois. Where as in Alabama, it isn't so easy. Heck, they can get deported after being caught in a speed trap or something like that. And we all know about speed traps and slow crime days in the south, lol. Plus in many rural areas, there just aren't a lot of immigrants so they'd stick out like a sore thumb.
I believe I read that some 40 percent of illegal immigrants are people who flew here on tourist or student visas and overstayed their visas. The image of an illegal immigrant, I know, is of a Central or South American or Caribbean person who is easily identified, but t'ain't true.
One German friend jumped his visa in New York City and worked translating and tutoring German. In a city, the chances of finding a like or multiple ethnic enclaves are just so high. He went back, satisfied with his U.S. stay, after a few years (and the social benefits in Germany were extremely lush- free college, subsidized housing, etc., at least according to him, then).
If I moved to another country, I'd expect to go to a major city, for work, and the possibility of like-speaking or national friends and connections. I think I'd only go somewhere obscure for a specific job already in hand, and maybe not then unless I saw it as time-limited, as so many immigrants do see working in the U.S. as time-limited to get money to the family or to get it together for a business back home, etc.
I see Central American-looking men, maybe a dozen, working at the local farms (small family farms) and I wonder where they live, and they'd need a car to get anywhere. I wonder why local teenagers aren't doing some of that work as summer jobs.
I believe I read that some 40 percent of illegal immigrants are people who flew here on tourist or student visas and overstayed their visas. The image of an illegal immigrant, I know, is of a Central or South American or Caribbean person who is easily identified, but t'ain't true.
One German friend jumped his visa in New York City and worked translating and tutoring German. In a city, the chances of finding a like or multiple ethnic enclaves are just so high. He went back, satisfied with his U.S. stay, after a few years (and the social benefits in Germany were extremely lush- free college, subsidized housing, etc., at least according to him, then).
SO VERY TRUE
The issue is everyone is talking immigrants as if they are some people of certain races or nationality. This is clear racisim. Immigrants comes in all COLORS, NATIONALATIES, RACES, and LANGUAGES.
Its like if Immigrations came to town and asked people to point out the illegals and instead of pointing out the person from Canada, England, France, Sweden who are all in the country illgally, they point out the guys who looks mexican even though their family has been US citizens since the creation of this country.
The image of an illegal immigrant, I know, is of a Central or South American or Caribbean person who is easily identified, but t'ain't true.
Give me a break. Of course not all illegal immigrants are from south of the border, but it's obvious to anyone that the majority of them are. According to the Pew Hispanic Research Center and the GAO 81% of all illegal immigrants are either from Mexico (57%) or some other Latin American country (24%). Perhaps it isn't politically correct to say so, but those are the facts.
Today, about 45% of illegals are what are called "visa overstayers". The percentage of "visa overstayers" as a portion of the illegal population has actually dropped as just outright illegal border crossings have increase since 1994.
Give me a break. Of course not all illegal immigrants are from south of the border, but it's obvious to anyone that the majority of them are.
The OP said "Immigrants" not Illegal Immigrants. Some have made this a racist political post. Why do immigrants prefer urban versus rural areas? they don't. It's just that many only see immigrants that don't look like them as immigrants. They couldn't tell a English immigrant from an american citizen unless they knew the person or that person spoke. That doen't mean there are no immigrants around them, only that they have no physical feature to give them any indication of that person being from another country. For all they know, half the population could be immigrants who just so happen to be from countries that have the same physical looks.
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