Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.
Trending News
What Do You Think Of My Idea For Why Anti-Immigrant Sentiment Is So Great In America Today?
Although immigrants provided necessary cheap labor at the time in the early 1800s when it was high Europe was a hotbed of radicalism. But American workers weren't radicalized, because they had the Western safety valve(the comfort of knowing if conditions at work ever got that bad they could get a home out West) and could compare themselves with slaves and feel lucky, because of that. Notice how abolitionist states called themselves "free states" and non-slave labor was called "free labor". This emphasis on "free" in contrast to "slave" labor sends the message that workers are fundamentally "free". You still see this attitude with people who say the homeless and unemployed should just "get a job" and who don't see worker's rights as being that important because "they chose to work there", ignoring that whether a person really has a choice depends on what other options are available. The word "free" created a black-and-white(no pun intended) distinction in people's minds about whether a worker was free or not.
The industrial ruling class liked the immigrants for cheaper labor, but didn't like that the immigrants tended to be more pushy and more likely to get involved in worker's activism, so naturally stigmatizing immigrants(characterizing Irish as Papists and drunks for example) as the Know Nothing Party did played into the ruling classes hand. Most Know Nothings wound up joining the Republicans later. The Republican Party was heavily influenced by business even back then. Since it ultimately served businessmen if American and immigrant workers didn't get along and because stigmatizing immigrants would indirectly stigmatize worker's activism the more anti-immigrant Americans would've been a valueable demographic ally in the Republican coalition along with abolitionists, frontier settlers, businessmen, and ultimately ultramoralists(as a result of stereotypes of immigrants including being drunks or being promiscuous).
As a result anti-immigrant sentiment was promoted by the wealthier, more powerful segments of American society in politics and the media and so this persists today even stronger than anti-immigrant sentiment in other countries.
"So Great" does not mean great like I support it but great as in great numbers feel that way. I'm pro-immigrant.
@Daisy,
I suppose you think at some point everyone in America got total amnesia so that what happened just before(and consequently the things just before that and so on and so forth which is called history) would no longer matter.
What makes you think they are getting free health care? Obama's health care bill explicitly excluded them. Unless you mean emergency rooms, but stop and think if you'd really be comfortable if we refused health care to say a child otherwise about to die because his parents were illegal immigrants? You're complaining about something you probably wouldn't even change given the chance.
"It's more about people being fed up with the illegals getting free health care while we tax-paying Americans sometimes have to go with out and end up owing staggering medical bills."
I agree that's a problem. Instead of getting mad at the illegal immigrants wouldn't it be more productive to get mad that they're not giving us health care. Paying your way through life is all we
@ Daisy,
Calm down.
@ Craig,
"There is nothing in the news regarding any American having a problem with LEGAL immigrants."
Because we all know that the news always reports things in the exact proportion that they happen. That's why you hear more stories about people not committing crimes than committing them...Oh wait...You don't.
Plus-You're forgetting context. I've heard people say many things that reveal that their problem is with immigration in general and in particular Mexican immigrants. What about all the people complaining when immigrants speak Spanish to each other but never complaining about other languages. I mean seriously nobody has the duty to make sure any stranger within earshot will be able to understand them, and the fact that two people are speaking Spanish to each other does not mean they have not learned English or that they are illegal. Such reactions show racist assumptions and a general anti-immigrant attitude not a solely anti-illegal immigrant attitude.
And BTW, what's with t
@ Coked up,
Exactly!
When people talk about illegal immigration all their anger tends to be expressed towards the illegal immigrants.
Not the employers, not the companies that profit off of cheap labor. Not the companies that bribe Mexican(and other governments) politicians not to pass more stringent labor laws which would lead less people to need to immigrate.
Correction(and Yahoo, please, please fix it so it stops typing when it reaches that point!):
"And BTW, what's with the ALL CAPS and all the repeating illegal over and over again as if that proved anything. Calm Down. Is feeling all this anger making you happy somehow?
Seriously why can't people discuss politics without getting angry at each other, insulting each other, using all caps, accusing each other of having alterior motives, etc.
12 Answers
- NehaLv 41 decade agoFavorite Answer
Bringing unwilling slaves over on a boat in chains is no longer an issue. In fact, that hasn't happened for generations. The illegals today come voluntarily and benefit greatly by having an Anchor baby or ten. Coming from a country with overpopulation I can say that having babies when you can't afford them is child cruelty but in America, the taxpayers pay so illegals can have babies. So they keep coming and have more.
I entered the US on a legal student visa and followed all their rules of residency and immigrant regulations. After University graduation, I got a job and after the 5 years became a citizen.
It's puzzling how people can enter the US illegally and think its ok because they want a better life. WHO DOESN'T???
I came to get a better life but the difference is--I did it legally.
There is a difference between immigrants and illegals. If you cannot come to this country legally then you are either wanted by the Mexican law or you will be wanted by American law, if not both.
Illegals are not proud people, they are a disgrace and an insult to all legal immigrants.
- LorealLv 51 decade ago
Interesting, but wrong because back then has nothing to do with today. Today it's all about GLOBALISM: The partnership between government, business and banks, who do run our country for profit, and illegal aliens have made much profit for them. These powers win while the people always lose with globalism. Truth is both Democrats and Republicans are Corporate Globalists.
Anyone who says illegal aliens don't get health care but for emergency, are incorrect, it's a myth that the globalist media has repeated. Call your local welfare office or go there and they will give you a list of all the county health clinics, then go to a clinic where there are flyers that the undocumented are entitled to all medical services. There are small clinics and big ones with primary and specialty services. As in CA, gov. clinics are filled with illegal aliens, and many who work there including lab techs are not yet citizens though legal. Illegals are also eligible for SSI (due to various disabilities/illnesses). We have in Ca WAY too many illegal and legal immigrants and is obvious to everyone. Citizens pay high taxes for the many non working illegals and legal immigrants on free benefits.
- craig.winter41Lv 61 decade ago
THERE IS NO "ANTI-IMMIGRANT SENTIMENT IN TODAY'S SOCIETY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for yelling, but I'm so sick and tired of people, mainly liberals, purposely using the term "anti-immigrantion". There is nothing in the news regarding any American having a problem with LEGAL immigrants. The problem is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. Get it? ILLEGAL ILLEGAL ILLEGAL ILLEGAL!!!!!!!!!! If you can show one person in the public eye saying they have a problem with legal immigrants I will give you a million dollars. You claim to be "pro immigrant", how do you feel about ILLEGAL immigrants? By the way, I don't know what world you live in, but when you make a statement such as "What about all the people complaining when immigrants speak Spanish to each other.....", you reference stereotypes that aren't there. It used to be where an immigrant had to learn English in order to gain citizenship. I have heard people complain about the use of federal funds to decrease the need to even learn English, by changing things that used to be only printed in English. Also, your analogy about committing crimes vs. not committing crimes makes no sense. I'm talking about the concerted effort by the left to use the term "anti-immigrant" by all means, even though creating an imaginary bias towards immigrants only benefits the liberals. I can't fault any hard-working, legal immigrant for feeling unwelcome when they listen to this nonsense. It's not just a matter of semantics, but it offends me every time I hear it. You even go so far as to give an example as some sort of counterpoint about a child of illegal-immigrant parents dying, as if there are a lot of people who have a problem with that child getting treated with the taxpayers picking up the tab. It doesn't take a genius to make a rational point to help their arguments, but by making the broad generalizations you do are unfair and have no basis in reality. They are just your misguided opinions. Finally, you make an assumption with my frame of mind by misunderstanding my use of capital letters. As to the answer to your question about "feeling anger making me happy", once again you couldn't be more wrong, just like your assumption that "anti-immigrant sentiment" is "great in America today". Now you should try to psychoanalyze my use of quotation marks.
- Anonymous5 years ago
The direct reason would probably be that most illegal immigrants are Hispanic and therefore Catholic there would be an increase in Catholics as the Hispanic Population increased. This BTW really does'nt matter if they are legal or not. I just depends on wording and who you want to piss off today. I think a more correct statement would be. As Hispanic population increases so does the percentage of Catholics to other religions. Just like if more Asian people started moving here it would stand to reason that the Buhdist population would grow to.
- How do you think about the answers? You can sign in to vote the answer.
- Daisy ❀✿❀✿❀Lv 71 decade ago
All wrong. None of that has anything to do with why anti-immigrant sentiment is so strong today. Key word being TODAY!!!!
It's more about people being fed up with the illegals getting free health care while we tax-paying Americans sometimes have to go with out and end up owing staggering medical bills.
It has to do with our American children having to be stuffed into classrooms being taught be teachers paid with our tax dollars why the illegal's many many many children over flow those classrooms getting their education for free.
Soooo many more reasons and you didn't hit on any of them.
If this is homework, rip it up and start over.
IT IS THE ILLEGALS WHO MAKE IT BAD FOR THOSE WHO COME HERE LEGALLY.
- 1 decade ago
Ok, this is my view we cant kick them out so national them so they can pay axs and will have the correct documnets while also putting drones on the board with shoot to kill instead of a fence which isnt realistic;)
also it sucks cause i see alot of cool jobs but they say you need to be bilingual and i wouldnt mind the low pay so basically they are taking up the good jobs even if the pay sucks .....
- Anonymous1 decade ago
You are one confused misinformed highly uneducated crybaby, that's a given.
- 1 decade ago
I agree with this. But racist hate and fear have been around much longer. I think it has helped influence people who otherwise would not have any hatred for immigrants. Free education is an AMERICAN VALUE and if you are against it you are ANTI AMERICAN. Only uneducated people would want to get rid of public schools. GOD DAMN SOME PEOPLE ARE STUPID!
- 1 decade ago
wow, you sure are racist, along with all the other losers that confuse immigrants with illegals.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
*Anti-illegal immigrant sentiment*
