Obama is announcing immigration reform ....

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Why do you think they won't assimilate/integrate?

I don't live near the border.
There are a lot of Hispanic people in my area that do not speak English at all, and those that do speak it poorly. Not all of them, but a lot. Many of them were born here in the US.
That would be the reason that I don't think that most of them will not assimilate.

a reply to: butcherguy

When dropped into a culture where you are shunned, it must be incredibly difficult to assimilate. I can imagine how much I would resent having it insinuated that i was an "illegal". It just doesn't make one feel very welcome.

When I lived in Laramie there was a Mexican family that owned a restaurant that served the worst Mexican food you can find outside Panch's Mexican Buffet. They settled there in the 60's and started a family after moving through the area during migratory farming gigs (beet farming in Idaho took them up north). Their son, first generation born in the US, worked for me. Knucklehead like any 22 year old guy, but he didn't speak any spanish at all. Which was horribly offensive to me.

I was wondering how you could prove you were here for five years

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Many European immigrants in the past were shunned, I grew up in one of those neighborhoods, of immigrants, in a household that seldom spoke English.

I also have dozens of Hispanic cousins in Cali, who came here legally

originally posted by: Stormdancer777

I was wondering how you could prove you were here for five years

THAT is the 5 million dollar question !!!

I bet Obama doesn't know the answer either.

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
I was wondering how you could prove you were here for five years

There are a lot of parts of the plan that look good on paper but in practice are going to be hard to implement. It will require lots of resources to do 5 million background checks and unless new funding and resources are allocated it will put pressures on the relevant agencies. I wonder if congress will be willing to fund it or how that is going to work if they don't.

a reply to: xuenchen

If he doesn't grant amnesty towards all those currently in prison for their crimes he's a hypocrite. How can you pardon one type of crime and not the other? (Yes, I'm being obtuse. However it doesn't change the fact that Obama circumvented the constitution to grant amnesty to criminals.)

It's funny how he says, "They're not criminals" when they are exactly that. They broke a law, something that makes one a criminal.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

When dropped into a culture where you are shunned, it must be incredibly difficult to assimilate.

One of my great-grandfathers came to the US from Holland. He learned to speak English and refused to speak Dutch to his children (all of which were born in the US) until they had grown up speaking English.
Difficult, maybe so.
I have a coworker that is Hispanic. He speaks English, but none of his siblings do. They have lived in the US for at least 30 years. They were citizens before they arrived in the mainland.... They are from Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the US.
Assimilation. Hmmm.
Anyway.... I looked to verify the ethnic makeup of the city that I live on the outskirts of, Reading, PA:

As of the census of 2010, there were 88,082 people, 29,979 households, and 19,257 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,988.0 persons per square mile (3,467.8/km²). There were 34,208 housing units at an average density of 3,490.6 houses per square mile (1,346.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 48.4% White, 13.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 30.1% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 58.2% of the population. 31.97% of Reading residents identified as Puerto Rican in the 2010 Census, the highest percentage Puerto Rican population of any municipality in Pennsylvania.

Wikipedia: Reading, PA
My point would be that the Hispanic community here isn't shunned.... they are the majority.

a reply to: butcherguy

Not quite on topic...

....but my mom tells me stories about how Pops (my great grandfather) would put her in his lap and since the Star Spangled Banner to her in this thick, Eastern European accent. She says he would usually cry while singing it to her. He liked to drink, and had a big old nose.

You made me have a smile. Thanks.

I should add: my wifes ancestors have lived in the Panhandle of Texas for hundreds of years. They used to hunt buffalo. When Mexico owned Texas they transitioned from being Apache to being Mexican. My wife speaks very fluent spanish. My in laws have almost forgotten English because they speak Spanish to each other. They were both born in Texas (Muleshoe, TX). They are 100% American. My father in law's dad served in the US Army, and the MIL's dad served in the Navy. I would say they are assimilated despite speaking Spanish. They are us.

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: butcherguy

Not quite on topic...

....but my mom tells me stories about how Pops (my great grandfather) would put her in his lap and since the Star Spangled Banner to her in this thick, Eastern European accent. She says he would usually cry while singing it to her. He liked to drink, and had a big old nose.

You made me have a smile. Thanks.

it almost brought a tear to my eye. Thanks for sharing that.

a reply to: john452

Kinda like Obama care.

A fee to go into Mexico? Pilot program underway
www.10news.com...

originally posted by: Stormdancer777
A fee to go into Mexico? Pilot program underway
www.10news.com...

That's funny.
When you leave PA, it is free to go into New Jersey.... you have to pay to leave New Jersey when you cross the bridge back into PA.

originally posted by: Night Star
a reply to: Daedal

Politics aside, we are talking about ordinary people and families.

Ordinary people and families who cut to the front of the line ...

There is no line...the system is broken..

These people are more than willing to get in the back of the line once someone shows them where it is.

Ya know what is interesting?

Obama explained a simple truth...The GOP, now with both houses of congress, can do what they have been promising (for decades)...Immigration Reform...and IMMEDIATELY invalidate this executive order..

That's it...they just have to pass an immigration reform bill and it will immediately gut and invalidate Pres. Obama's action.

SO...why haven't they done it? Despite repeatedly promising to?

Cuz the GOP want both things...The Immigrant vote and to make their far right base happy.

Well...they won both houses...it's time to wear their big boy pants...Pass an immigration reform bill like they have been promising for over a decade...and President Obama's executive action is immediately over-written and nullified.

House Speaker John Boehner has promised repeatedly that the House would take up immigration reform. He has repeatedly broken that promise.

He promised it in 2012, noting even back then that “this issue has been around for far too long.”

He promised it in 2013, after the Senate had passed its own comprehensive reform bill with Republican support.

He promised it again in 2014, releasing a set of principles that included a path to legalization. “Some want to call it amnesty,” he told the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time . “I reject that premise … If you come in and plead guilty and pay a fine, that’s not amnesty.”

jaybookman.blog.ajc.com...

1. A true immigrant moves to a country legally and goes through the hoops required to obtain citizenship. They do so with the understanding that they will integrate into the community, learn the language and BECOME a citizen and follow our laws. They also contribute to the country as an asset...not a taker.

2. But they are an "illegal invader" (my words) if they come here illegally, don't go through the legal process required, do not integrate, do not learn the language, want signs in their language, need to press "1" to hear the voice mail in their language and come here to take what others have built such as jobs, health care, etc. and not follow or wish to change our laws to suit them personally. When they fall into this category...they choose NOT to become a citizen, but a burden.

THAT to me, is the difference. And from what I know, as little as that may be in the grand scheme of things...the latter is the majority of those already here illegally. If they fall into category #2...go to category #1 and start over.

Now...why is this simplistic but factual description ignored by the Dems? They wish to harvest votes. It is truly that simple. If immigrants would never be permitted to vote, including their offspring...the Dems would forget all about the topic.

Anyone care to disagree?

delete

a reply to: Indigo5

the system is broken..

I am interested in finding out more about this.
It sounds like a catch phrase, but hey, I am willing to listen.

If the system is broken, that means that it broke at some point. When did it break?

a reply to: Indigo5

What about the current laws and systems are broken?

Selective enforcement seems to be the biggest problem.

originally posted by: muse7
Very good speech and I agree with the Executive Action.

Something needs to be done period, and instead of having these 5 million people living in the shadows, working under the table, driving without licenses and insurance why not grant them a work permit as long as they can prove that they have been living here for 5+ years, are not felons and have children that are U.S. Citizens?

It's time for Republicans to put up or shut up.

They want something done? Then they can pass a comprehensive and humane bill to deal with these people.

Also this is not a green card or citizenship.

This is temporary relief status that will last for 3 years to parents of children that are U.S. Citizens

I wholeheartedly agree!
I think it's a very, very good move all around.

a reply to: butcherguy

In the late 70's, I think. When the CIA decided to take an interest in South and Central America. It became a playground for them to exploit for whatever reason they use.

Take the current problem in Mexico: the CIA and DEA chose to back 1 cartel over the others, and turned Mexico into a warzone. The people who live there, powerless to stop the problems because they are unarmed, have a choice: risk their lives staying in Mexico, or come here to be treated like subhumans.

I know which one I would choose.