Can we seriously equate today's immigrants with those of a hundred years ago?
To compare the current immigrant population with that of a century ago is grossly insulting to the latter. Those early immigrants, almost exclusively European, came to America equipped not merely with the skills required to contribute to the development of this growing nation but, most importantly, a burning desire to embrace and honor it's institutions. Today's immigrants, many of whom are illegal, are, for the most part, without skills or education and, furthermore, feel no particular sense of loyalty to this, their adopted country. Ironically, despite the fact that Europeans founded modern America and introduced all of it's institutions, it is now more difficult for Europeans to enter this country than it is for those from elsewhere.
Suze2008-02-12T18:29:26Z
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Welcome to the new breed of immigrant:
They want to BE in America, NOT BE AMERICANS!
It's how they got here that's truly disturbing. Let's face it, the Mexican government isn't sending their best and brightest! Mexico successfully encourages the mass exit by printing and distributing a HOW-TO booklet on becoming an Illegal. What other country pulls this scam?
Today's immigrants are not committing a genocide on the local population. And since there were no laws back then, it was hard to be illegal.
That being said, the current immigration law is an absolute disaster. If the law would be fair and have a reasonal path to legal immigration, then there would be less illegal and more legal immigrants.
I do agree with you that it's almost impossible for Europeans to immigrate in the USA. It really bothers me that all the talk is about amnesty for illegals while people who respect the law have no real perspective of even getting a green card.
I agree that there is a difference in assimilation and loyalty. And no, we cannot equate today to 100 years ago. Likewise, we cannot compare 100 years ago to 200 years ago. Yes the immigrants 100 years ago were mostly European, but please don't forget the Africans brought against their will from the 1700's - 1850's, and the Chinese wave of immigration 170-ish years ago. Both groups made MANY contributions that helped to build our country. It was not just the Europeans.
You are very wrong. You stated that the past immigrants came here skilled and fully educated. That is a false statement, one of which you can find to be correctly wrong in many textbooks. There were many immigrants, most specifically from east and southern europe, who came without essential 'skill's. Americans (forgetting that years earlier they too had grandparents who migrated) protested against these new peoples. Since they had no new skills that could take them up the social ladder many immigrants succumbed to work in factories. they lived in slums and all that jazz. as years past, they assimilated and worked their way up. i believe todays immigrants are going through similar barriers although it is harder with all the more protests and legal limitations.
iuYou are talking about the USA and its the same over here in the British Isles. They are coming in their thousands, and its now the turn of Rumania, and the other Eastern bloc Countries. This Government we have do not put and block on this insane move, but seem to encourage it. We live in a very small Island, which is now being covered in Housing, and eating all our green fields and Countryside away. We will soon be living among a suffication of bricks and cement. But does anyone care....NO of course they dont !