Immigration
IMMIGRATION
It would appear that during the mid term elections the topic of immigration will finally be a national hot button for many voters. Because I was an immigrant for 9 years before I became a naturalized US citizen, this subject resonates with me.
Most of us know that for people in the US West and Southwest immigration has been a bone of contention for many years already, but increasingly its growing impact is affecting some very fundamental national parameters, such as secure borders, sharp increases in healthcare expenditures, agribusiness labor issues and the sanctity of laws, to name a few. Maybe the basic reason this issue has reached this fever peak now has to do with the fact that a large percentage of Hispanic immigrants, mostly illegal ones, appear to have no interest in assimilating into the American cultural environment. They may not even try to learn to speak much English, are not eager to get much of an education but do increase the level of petty and serious criminality, wherever they settle down in substantial numbers.
If this observation, for argument’s sake at least, might be considered reasonably accurate, then it behooves us to make sure we understand the reasons for this dismal attitude among so many who frequently and sometimes repeatedly risked life, limb and treasure to get here.
They came because economic conditions are supposedly much better north of our border with Mexico. Once they get here, mostly illegally, they manage to get a menial job somewhere through the large network of established, Spanish speaking, earlier immigrants. No questions asked. Before long they have secured an array of false documentation, giving them access to all kinds of public services, including schooling. With fake driver’s licenses, but no training and no insurance, they are more likely to become a menace on the highways in California and elsewhere, while a certain percentage of them ends up with police records, if not jail time. While they earn cash money, in many cases, they do not pay taxes, yet expect the use of public services they need, including medical.
For a long time now a large number of Americans have been promoting illegal immigration because they feel the USA owes our Hispanic immigrants for perceived past sins, such as taking large parts of the Southwest away from them years ago. These Americans frequently believe the USA to be but a brutal and undeserving country and consequently they justify their expiatory conduct for these national sins by aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Their counsel to immigrants may include not to try to learn English because they won’t need it where they work, nor should they make any efforts to try to assimilate into the American culture because it isn’t worth it. What with bilingual laws still on the books, resulting in Spanish being spoken in educational and public services as well as in stores, telephone companies and other businesses, there is no serious need to even think about assimilating. They are just here for the “easy” money, for which they nevertheless work hard.
These revelations may strike new immigrants as a bit strange but why should they argue with whatever is said as long as they are being cuddled by those misguided, guilt ridden and often very liberal individuals among our American citizens.
As a result, today millions of immigrants form an alien worker contingent in our country that by sheer numbers represents a very serious cultural and political problem. After 30 years or so of this, the sheer size of this alien population in the southwest of the country, often uninterested in and unwilling to assimilate except possibly at no cost or sacrifice to them, yet costing the country billions every year, has reached crisis proportions. In the relevant local areas our own American culture, loud, yet basically friendly, helpful and economically exciting, is in danger of being overwhelmed by them. Many schools have a majority of Spanish speaking students, many of whom may have little interest in learning to begin with, to the detriment of the few local American students who want an education.
When I decided to leave Europe, 8 years after the end of WW II to emigrate to the USA, the American Consulate put me through all kinds of hoops and checked me out thoroughly, including FBI background checks, medical records, education, ability to communicate in English and fingerprints.
So today, I must admit, I certainly detest the fact that millions of people can just breach the border with relative impunity, get jobs here and live reasonably well, at least compared to where they came from. These people have been breaking our laws for years but WE have let them do that. Since the 1950-ies, as far as I know, only one successful program at immigration control was executed under President Eisenhower. But after he retired the effort was pretty much abandoned. We know the results.
The most illuminating and persuasive analysis of this whole problem, that I am familiar with, is contained in a small tome, titled “Mexifornia” written by Victor Hanson Davis, Ph.D. It should be must reading for every thinking American, and every one of our politicians.
The why of this immigration fiasco is now basically irrelevant. The question is: “what do we have to do to regain control of our own borders, regulate this enormous influx of immigrants”.? Simultaneously we need to modify our approach in order to convince those immigrants that becoming US citizens is both in their best interest as well as our country’s. We should also explain to them that immigration implies a desire to become a citizen and requires special effort to assimilate in the culture of the USA. Temporary work-visas would answer very nicely for those who do not wish to become American.
But one of the first things to help young immigrants along is to remove bi-lingual education from all schools. Instead we should offer free English language lessons in those schools during evening hours with the objective of passing minimum proficiency tests as a requirement for obtaining permanent driver’s licenses for instance. American driver’s licenses should not be handed out to anyone who does not speak enough English to read and understand road signs or is incapable of understanding the rules of the road. As a visitor to the USA in
1950-1951, I acquired a US driver’s license but I certainly spoke enough English to qualify on that score. Why not today’s visitors and immigrants?
The idea of bi-lingual education has done immense harm to those prepared to learn a new language after their arrival, but denied that opportunity by well-meaning but disastrous educational methods. This idea of bi-lingual education is now finally being phased out I believe, but many of its proponents are not yet prepared to admit to its failure.
As we now know, the dogmatic, utopian approach of dealing with these “poor”, but enterprising immigrants has been a complete failure far beyond the realm of Hispanic immigration.
In other words, to get our immigration process back on track it needs to contain an effective educational component. For those who work during the day it will mean night school, heavy on language and less so on ways to teach the participants how the country works on a day-to-day basis.
For children of school age who do not speak any English, immersion courses would be desirable and as soon as they can communicate they should be put in grades consistent with their prior schooling. This might well create some problems with older immigrant pupils in the same classes with younger American kids.
But over time these changes should have a beneficial impact on young immigrants as well as our own children who will find in the schools what they expected this country to be all about in the first place. Later on it will be natural and desirable for them to become good US citizens.
It goes without saying that teachers should refrain from opinionating in school about the political aspects of this process. They should be instructed to teach their subjects and to leave their personal biases at home.
We should agree that as a country we have, in effect, basically caused this current Hispanic immigration problem, through misguided policies and philosophies in the past. Hence, we should realize that some concessions, in law, attitude, immigrant processing and politics need to be made.
Consequently and to get back on track we should be magnanimous and extend a one time dispensation for all illegal immigrants already here and employed and invite them to register and receive legitimate entry visas and papers. Fingerprinting etc. should be very much part of the registration process. All illegal immigrants might be invited to pick up forms at the nearest post office to establish their name, date of original registration and personal particulars to be sent to the State’s immigration authorities. The whole process will probably take months but that is to be expected.
Special legislation should be passed to tell all “illegals”, without police records, that they will not be deported but need to be properly registered over a period of time. They may have to pay a fine and be required to enroll in special classes to learn English and re-take driving tests. When applying for driver’s licenses or renewals they will have to submit to a basic language test. We should issue them green-card equivalents but with the stipulation that they can make only a very limited number of short duration trips abroad every year. If they end up in jail they will forfeit their cards and be deported, for ever.
What we should not do in my judgment, under any circumstances, is to hold businesses responsible for determining whether a job applicant is legal or illegal. That is grossly unfair and irrelevant to a business’ responsibilities and it would put a very expensive and time consuming and unreliable burden on the economy that could have nasty consequences.
I believe that a prospective immigrant employee, if offered a job, should be required, as a condition of employment, to get a current statement from the local police department, that would confirm his immigration bonafides. But let’s not burden businesses with what is clearly a governmental responsibility.
These recommendations are necessary to re-establish the basic self-help approach and attitude to life and personal development that made this country the envy of the world and which still is the reason why so many want to come here and escape their current unattractive circumstances wherever they live now.
As a former immigrant myself I can only hope that our politicians will get their act together soon and resolve an issue which has become an embarrassing and national nightmare.
It would appear that during the mid term elections the topic of immigration will finally be a national hot button for many voters. Because I was an immigrant for 9 years before I became a naturalized US citizen, this subject resonates with me.
Most of us know that for people in the US West and Southwest immigration has been a bone of contention for many years already, but increasingly its growing impact is affecting some very fundamental national parameters, such as secure borders, sharp increases in healthcare expenditures, agribusiness labor issues and the sanctity of laws, to name a few. Maybe the basic reason this issue has reached this fever peak now has to do with the fact that a large percentage of Hispanic immigrants, mostly illegal ones, appear to have no interest in assimilating into the American cultural environment. They may not even try to learn to speak much English, are not eager to get much of an education but do increase the level of petty and serious criminality, wherever they settle down in substantial numbers.
If this observation, for argument’s sake at least, might be considered reasonably accurate, then it behooves us to make sure we understand the reasons for this dismal attitude among so many who frequently and sometimes repeatedly risked life, limb and treasure to get here.
They came because economic conditions are supposedly much better north of our border with Mexico. Once they get here, mostly illegally, they manage to get a menial job somewhere through the large network of established, Spanish speaking, earlier immigrants. No questions asked. Before long they have secured an array of false documentation, giving them access to all kinds of public services, including schooling. With fake driver’s licenses, but no training and no insurance, they are more likely to become a menace on the highways in California and elsewhere, while a certain percentage of them ends up with police records, if not jail time. While they earn cash money, in many cases, they do not pay taxes, yet expect the use of public services they need, including medical.
For a long time now a large number of Americans have been promoting illegal immigration because they feel the USA owes our Hispanic immigrants for perceived past sins, such as taking large parts of the Southwest away from them years ago. These Americans frequently believe the USA to be but a brutal and undeserving country and consequently they justify their expiatory conduct for these national sins by aiding and abetting illegal immigration. Their counsel to immigrants may include not to try to learn English because they won’t need it where they work, nor should they make any efforts to try to assimilate into the American culture because it isn’t worth it. What with bilingual laws still on the books, resulting in Spanish being spoken in educational and public services as well as in stores, telephone companies and other businesses, there is no serious need to even think about assimilating. They are just here for the “easy” money, for which they nevertheless work hard.
These revelations may strike new immigrants as a bit strange but why should they argue with whatever is said as long as they are being cuddled by those misguided, guilt ridden and often very liberal individuals among our American citizens.
As a result, today millions of immigrants form an alien worker contingent in our country that by sheer numbers represents a very serious cultural and political problem. After 30 years or so of this, the sheer size of this alien population in the southwest of the country, often uninterested in and unwilling to assimilate except possibly at no cost or sacrifice to them, yet costing the country billions every year, has reached crisis proportions. In the relevant local areas our own American culture, loud, yet basically friendly, helpful and economically exciting, is in danger of being overwhelmed by them. Many schools have a majority of Spanish speaking students, many of whom may have little interest in learning to begin with, to the detriment of the few local American students who want an education.
When I decided to leave Europe, 8 years after the end of WW II to emigrate to the USA, the American Consulate put me through all kinds of hoops and checked me out thoroughly, including FBI background checks, medical records, education, ability to communicate in English and fingerprints.
So today, I must admit, I certainly detest the fact that millions of people can just breach the border with relative impunity, get jobs here and live reasonably well, at least compared to where they came from. These people have been breaking our laws for years but WE have let them do that. Since the 1950-ies, as far as I know, only one successful program at immigration control was executed under President Eisenhower. But after he retired the effort was pretty much abandoned. We know the results.
The most illuminating and persuasive analysis of this whole problem, that I am familiar with, is contained in a small tome, titled “Mexifornia” written by Victor Hanson Davis, Ph.D. It should be must reading for every thinking American, and every one of our politicians.
The why of this immigration fiasco is now basically irrelevant. The question is: “what do we have to do to regain control of our own borders, regulate this enormous influx of immigrants”.? Simultaneously we need to modify our approach in order to convince those immigrants that becoming US citizens is both in their best interest as well as our country’s. We should also explain to them that immigration implies a desire to become a citizen and requires special effort to assimilate in the culture of the USA. Temporary work-visas would answer very nicely for those who do not wish to become American.
But one of the first things to help young immigrants along is to remove bi-lingual education from all schools. Instead we should offer free English language lessons in those schools during evening hours with the objective of passing minimum proficiency tests as a requirement for obtaining permanent driver’s licenses for instance. American driver’s licenses should not be handed out to anyone who does not speak enough English to read and understand road signs or is incapable of understanding the rules of the road. As a visitor to the USA in
1950-1951, I acquired a US driver’s license but I certainly spoke enough English to qualify on that score. Why not today’s visitors and immigrants?
The idea of bi-lingual education has done immense harm to those prepared to learn a new language after their arrival, but denied that opportunity by well-meaning but disastrous educational methods. This idea of bi-lingual education is now finally being phased out I believe, but many of its proponents are not yet prepared to admit to its failure.
As we now know, the dogmatic, utopian approach of dealing with these “poor”, but enterprising immigrants has been a complete failure far beyond the realm of Hispanic immigration.
In other words, to get our immigration process back on track it needs to contain an effective educational component. For those who work during the day it will mean night school, heavy on language and less so on ways to teach the participants how the country works on a day-to-day basis.
For children of school age who do not speak any English, immersion courses would be desirable and as soon as they can communicate they should be put in grades consistent with their prior schooling. This might well create some problems with older immigrant pupils in the same classes with younger American kids.
But over time these changes should have a beneficial impact on young immigrants as well as our own children who will find in the schools what they expected this country to be all about in the first place. Later on it will be natural and desirable for them to become good US citizens.
It goes without saying that teachers should refrain from opinionating in school about the political aspects of this process. They should be instructed to teach their subjects and to leave their personal biases at home.
We should agree that as a country we have, in effect, basically caused this current Hispanic immigration problem, through misguided policies and philosophies in the past. Hence, we should realize that some concessions, in law, attitude, immigrant processing and politics need to be made.
Consequently and to get back on track we should be magnanimous and extend a one time dispensation for all illegal immigrants already here and employed and invite them to register and receive legitimate entry visas and papers. Fingerprinting etc. should be very much part of the registration process. All illegal immigrants might be invited to pick up forms at the nearest post office to establish their name, date of original registration and personal particulars to be sent to the State’s immigration authorities. The whole process will probably take months but that is to be expected.
Special legislation should be passed to tell all “illegals”, without police records, that they will not be deported but need to be properly registered over a period of time. They may have to pay a fine and be required to enroll in special classes to learn English and re-take driving tests. When applying for driver’s licenses or renewals they will have to submit to a basic language test. We should issue them green-card equivalents but with the stipulation that they can make only a very limited number of short duration trips abroad every year. If they end up in jail they will forfeit their cards and be deported, for ever.
What we should not do in my judgment, under any circumstances, is to hold businesses responsible for determining whether a job applicant is legal or illegal. That is grossly unfair and irrelevant to a business’ responsibilities and it would put a very expensive and time consuming and unreliable burden on the economy that could have nasty consequences.
I believe that a prospective immigrant employee, if offered a job, should be required, as a condition of employment, to get a current statement from the local police department, that would confirm his immigration bonafides. But let’s not burden businesses with what is clearly a governmental responsibility.
These recommendations are necessary to re-establish the basic self-help approach and attitude to life and personal development that made this country the envy of the world and which still is the reason why so many want to come here and escape their current unattractive circumstances wherever they live now.
As a former immigrant myself I can only hope that our politicians will get their act together soon and resolve an issue which has become an embarrassing and national nightmare.
posted by Schaesberg at 5:46 PM
