Immigrants: Diversity or Devastation?

[marquise1911]

Everywhere you turn the news is blasting new reports about the immigration situation in the U.S. In a report posted by CNN 49% of Mexican citizens surveyed say they plan to migrate to the U.S. by any means necessary. Alarming! My father was born and raised in Haiti and my mother was born in Marseille, France. I myself am American born. So I see both sides of the issue. I see the needs of foreigners to move to countries where they have a shot at a better life, but I also see the problems and strain their migration is placing on the U.S. economy. The fact that I had to learn Spanish just to be concidered for job in Miami, Fl, USA <<- is a big issue to me. So to all, what do you see coming of this immigration crisis? How will it affect the black community.???

[teena]

We are already no longer the largest minority, so I am concerned that our issues will get pushed further back.

But at the same time the influx of immigrants coming in search of the American dream will force AA's to step up our game(long overdue).

[BlueWinter]

I agree with both of the previous posters but the question is will we step up our game. We should have been stepping up our game from the get go!

Secondly, another part of the immigration battle is the kids. The child is american citizen but the mother isn't. The mothers and fathers are being deported, leaving the child to the fate of child welfare system. And in New York, the Administration of Children's Services is already very broken.

Just my two cents.

[marquise1911]

Originally posted by teena
We are already no longer the largest minority, so I am concerned that our issues will get pushed further back.

But at the same time the influx of immigrants coming in search of the American dream will force AA's to step up our game(long overdue).

We are not stepping our game up enough. At least I feel. Why is it that AA's are on the forefront of the Anti-Immigration movement, when we ourselves immigrated (by force of course) to America and we should be the last to throw bricks?

I'm all for border control, but I will not be like many blacks who smack "Save the U.S., Stop Immigration" bumper stickers.

At the same time, I will not teach my children spanish. I will not stand for the pledge of allegiance in Spanish. I will not pay the extra taxes to have secondary road signs put up in spanish. This is still America!

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by marquise1911
At the same time, I will not teach my children spanish. I will not stand for the pledge of allegiance in Spanish. I will not pay the extra taxes to have secondary road signs put up in spanish. This is still America!

What if your kid(s) tell you that they've decided to take Spanish as their second language? You do realize that many kids in Europe and Asia take a second language (usually English, because that's good if they want to go into business), don't you?

[honeychile]

Originally posted by teena
We are already no longer the largest minority, so I am concerned that our issues will get pushed further back.

But at the same time the influx of immigrants coming in search of the American dream will force AA's to step up our game(long overdue).

FWIW, I'm with you.

The illegal aliens who are here CHOSE to come here, unlike the vast majority of the AA population. Upon CHOOSING to come here, they should, at the very least, learn the language! I firmly believe that most people should learn a second language, but I don't think that Spanish needs to be everybody's second language. I'm going to leave this argument here at this time.

[_Opi_]

Are we talking about immigrants or ILLEGAL immigrants..because both groups can not be put in the same category. Immigrants have and will continue to contribute to this country. After all, the country was "discovered" by a bunch of immigrants, right?

Taualum, not just Europe and Asia..but people from other parts of the world have taken classes in English (mostly due to previous British colonization influences) .

[Kamryn]

By JESSICA GOLDEN, ABCNews.com


APManuel Baretsch didn't know he was in the U.S. illegally until he was jailed when trying to learn his Social Security number.

Jump Below:
· Immigration by the Numbers

More Coverage:
· National Guard to Patrol Border?

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(May 19) - Manuel Bartsch has dreamed of graduating from high school and going to college for as long as he can remember. Half of that dream came true Friday, when he graduated from Pandora-Gilboa High School in northwest Ohio.

The other half of the dream hangs in the balance. The 18-year-old faces deportation, because unknown to him until six months ago when he was jailed for more than two weeks by immigration officials, he is not a legal U.S. resident.

Manuel is an ordinary 18-year-old. He can be found working out on his school's football fields or hitting golf balls with his friends. It wasn't until December 2005 that he realized he was different. He needed his Social Security number to take the college boards and realized he didn't have one -- and it was only then that he learned was not a legal resident of the United States.

He was living with his step-grandfather at the time. The older man had brought him to the United States from Germany, where Manuel had gone through a difficult childhood living with an alcoholic mother and then suffered the death of his grandmother, who was his legal guardian at the time.

Manuel arrived in Ohio in 1997 with his American-born step-grandfather on a temporary visa. Manuel didn't realize it, but the man had never adopted him legally. His legal troubles started when he got a letter from his local immigration office. The letter informed him that he had filled out the wrong form when he applied for a Social Security number. They told him to come in for an appointment to straighten it out.

Manuel was excited about the possibility of getting the Social Security number so he could take his college boards, but when he showed up for the interview he got a shock.

"I got there and they handcuffed me and brought me to jail," he said. He spent the next 16 days behind bars.

Manuel has impressed a lot of people -- leading friends, teachers and politicians to rally together to support him.

"Everyone has been behind me 100 percent," Bartsch said. "I think this experience has brought a lot of people together."


Immigration by the Numbers






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News Interactives: State-by-State Counts | Hispanic Migration

Photos: AP, Getty Images, KRT | Sources: AP, Pew Hispanic Center, uscis.gov

In April, Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine introduced a special bill to help Manuel gain legal status.

"In my opinion, Manuel's status in this country must change," the Republican senator said. "Through no fault of his own, Manuel is not a legal resident of the United States. Had his step-grandfather adopted him, Manuel would be an American citizen today. And, if his step-grandfather had moved to legalize Manuel's status at some point before he turned 18, he would not be subject to deportation today."

Other politicians have shared DeWine's support for the teenager, passing resolutions throughout Ohio urging immigration authorities to let him stay.

DeWine also convinced Senate Judiciary Committee Immigration Subcommittee Chairman John Cornyn, R-Texas, to request a report on the case from the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because of that request, the teenager cannot be deported this year, even if a judge were to order it.

Manuel's future is up in the air. He waits on the outcome of the ongoing legal proceedings, hoping something will be done so he can attend Ohio Northern University, where he was recently accepted and where he hopes to pursue a business or economics degree.

His lawyer, David Leopold, who accepted this case pro-bono, said he's watched Manuel grow up throughout this ordeal.

"He's really become a man throughout this experience," he said.

Leopold also said that included in the immigration bill currently being debated in the Senate is a clause called the Dream Act. This would allow citizenship to Manuel, since he came to the United States before he was 16.

"If the immigration bill passes, it will be a very good thing for Manuel," he said.

As Manuel walks across the stage tonight, he will no doubt get loud cheers.

"It wasn't expected for me to graduate, so tonight means a lot to me," he said.


05-21-06 12:54 EDT

[marquise1911]

Originally posted by Taualumna
What if your kid(s) tell you that they've decided to take Spanish as their second language? You do realize that many kids in Europe and Asia take a second language (usually English, because that's good if they want to go into business), don't you?

If they decide to learn spanish it will be their 4th language, because like I was they will be fluent in french and creole and then english. so if spanish comes...??? they won't be learning it from me.