tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post1382661839795995417..comments2024-02-17T07:59:18.705-08:00Comments on Grad Student Madness: More on the Latino PerilRufushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17762279210783841414noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post-8523186609969869102007-06-22T07:48:00.000-07:002007-06-22T07:48:00.000-07:00I think there was paranoia about every wave of imm...I think there was paranoia about every wave of immigration. I always find it amusing to read old newspaper articles about how the <I> Irish are going to destroy America.</I> <BR/><BR/>Part of the problem is probably also how much the economy has changed in the last few decades. Buffalo, for example, was totally devastated by the removal of the steel industry. It's still a mess in some places. But I think that becoming a post-industrial economy has been tough in a lot of areas. Granted, I've never seen a hispanic in Buffalo. But I assume that there are some places whose social programs are simply overloaded.<BR/><BR/>I can see where the people in those places would want to do something; I just wish they had some ideas that weren't so counterproductive and irrational. Also, I'm not a big fan of solving every problem by making the government bigger and throwing money at it wildly.Rufushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17762279210783841414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10166090.post-14615582651194329812007-06-21T12:42:00.000-07:002007-06-21T12:42:00.000-07:00This whole issue was illustrated beautifully by my...This whole issue was illustrated beautifully by my in-laws, who feel strongly that America should not be packed to the eyes with illegal immigrants, because they're taking something away from "us"... but they don't hesitate to go to Mexico to get their teeth cleaned and their eyeglasses prescribed & made. They see nothing wrong with the <I>maquiladoras</I> because it's just good business sense, to have things made where labor is cheaper. Only, they can't see the good business sense of the folks who are illegally staying in this country. <BR/><BR/>Why go back to a $2/hour factory job when you can do [whatever thing Americans consider too demeaning and low-paid] here for minimum wage or better?<BR/><BR/>And also... for a country that spends so much time crowing about how it was built on the backs of wave after wave of glorious immigration... it seems a little hypocritical to suddenly complain that the system works as planned.<BR/><BR/>In some ways, it looks like Europe is addressing this issue by equalizing many of the factors that make transmigration appealing. The job market is leveling, because it no longer requires special paperwork to travel/work/live in the EU members. Health care is available among all the members, so while there may be some incentive to go to Hungary to get my teeth cleaned, I'm *already living somewhere that will take care of that*. ... and so on. Clearly Europe is not a utopia, but they may be on to something with this equalization business.<BR/><BR/>Australia and New Zealand (and, I think, very soon the UK) have taken the island nation out, becoming HIGHLY selective in which visas they grant. That works, but isn't practical for the US, unless the US implements a limited, but rigidly enforced standard... English competency and no criminal record? (Hypothetically, these things never work according to plan, and I'm not willing to count on Mexico's criminal justice system to keep real tight records.)<BR/><BR/>Is there a possibility that what's uncomfortable about immigrants in the U.S. is the sense of discomfort, being surrounded by so many people who are being openly exploited as cheap labor, both here AND in their home towns? That's gotta be awkward at parties.Hollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10593117152792976823noreply@blogger.com