First, allow me to address our intellectually incompetent representatives:
"thanks for backing me up."
Did I? Let me see. . . You said:
The reason that they have lower incomes and therefore more eligable for economic aid is:
A.) "they don't have the nessicary education
or the means to get that education. (emphasis added)
Everyone has the means to get at least a High School diploma. period. Even adults. Furthermore, you took only one half of that statistic and ran with it like, as Burbank said to describe someone of your mental calibre, 'a morbidly obese teenager squeezed intoa bigwheel.' If you had continued to read, you would have noted it also said
Immigrants are also slightly more likely than natives to have a graduate or professional degree.
Conveniently miss that round boy?
Now, Kevin, I'm sorry. You were saying. . .
"Was it just their Catholocism that made Americans suspicious of Irish immigrants in the 18th and 19th Centuries, or was it also certain stereotypes that prevailed about them...? Drinking, fighting, irresponsible behavior, etc."
Thats only the Irish, and they did not account for anywhere near a majority of all immigrants from that period. Until World War 2, no less than 25% of all immigrants at any time came from Germany. The Irish are really only important because they were so uniformly hated in Europe and America. But you are right, of course, those stereotypes were just as persuasive, though not nearly as often voiced as the objections to their religion.
"I agree, they were perceived as a threat to the moral and social order, but there were economic implications as well, because their "wild" behavior was seen as a threat to a way of life, a staunch work ethic, etc."
I think you're stretching it a tad boyo.
"Even such economic reasoning gets masked today. "Mexicans reproduce like rabbits," "Mexicans can't keep their legs closed," etc."
That's Vince though, he's hardly an example of anyone else's beliefs. He can't even voice his own suitably. He confuses Immigrants with Poor People, and Ideology with Philosophy, Politics with Sociology, and Liberals with Celery. How much an authority is he really?
"Do we really care about the size of a family that is traditionally large?"
We do when those who have such familiar are existing stagnantly below the poverty line and show little or no prospects for improvement. That is, of course, a wild generalization, but not an entirely invalid one.
"We do however have this fear that 1. all of those "Mexican babies" will be competing with "native" Americans for jobs"
No we don't, we fear they won't. The objects against minorities aren't that they are stealing all the good jobs, its that they undermine our economic policy. Competition is supposed to breed success, a phrase I've been parroting on this board for years, but when you have to lower the requirements others must attain to compete, everyone loses. The more responsibility you take for an individual, the less they take for themselves. If they get the message they don't need to try as hard, and can succeed, they will try only as much as they need to.
"2. we're worried that all of those immigrants will become our financial burden through programs of assistance."
Outmoded, unecessary and irresponsible programs of assistance which should be done away with en toto, you forgot to mention.
"Well, I think it's unfair to say they are poor because they are lazy."
I agree, which is why I did not say that. I simply said they were not lucretive, meaning they do not leave the country richer for their having been here.
"No, I have no empirical evidence to support it, but it just simply isn't the experience I've seen and witnessed. Latinos in particular do work I could not imagine doing, and they do it for very little."
Yes, I agree, but that does not make them inherently necessary. I'm moving to VA with the intention of going into construction, that is my real world empiricism. There is nothing wrong with blue collar work, and to be honest, I look forward to it. They are illustrating in their actions, the American work ethic embraced by our ancestors, and I applaud them for it. . .So long as they are also willing to contribute civically as well, because otherwise, they are simple using the system to their own, selfish, benefit.
"Secondly, your information is a bit off if my recollection of the 2000 Census data serves me correctly."
Don't trust me, read it for yourself:
http://www.cis.org/articles/2001/back101.html
"Asian Americans have in fact assimilated quite well into society"
Chinatown is an excellent example of this. I know we have tons of them in California, one in Frisco, another in LA, one in SD. There is even one here in DT Honolulu. This is assimilation at its finest, a standard I wish the Irish had embraced.
"as have African Americans"
Really? Then why the constant cries for affirmative action and repparations? Why the accusations of institutionalized racism?
"(since you suggested a book to me, I'm going to suggest Facing up to the American Dream by Jennifer Hochschild to you)."
I'll read it when I have a chance, but this summer is going to be one that is going to be particularly harsh for me. I'll be offline from the end of this week until late September, but when I come back you'll hear my thoughts.
"But anyway, according to the 2000 Census numbers, Latinos were the least "willing" to assimilate into American society, and furthermore, for such a thing to even happen in respect to their size in numbers, it would take a massive reorganization of American sub-urban lifestyle."
No we do not change in order to make immigrants feel more at home, this is America, and if they are coming for any other reason than to be American, I will do everything I can in order to stop them from coming here.
"Again, have to disagree. This country, IMO, not only SHOULD welcome them, but it NEEDS to welcome them."
Why?
"I don't think the American economy would totally collapse without their presence, but I do however feel that a great deal of our blue collar/agricultural/manual labor depends upon such people."
While record number of naturalized Americans face homelessness and unemployment, while families are eating in soup kitchens though all adult members are working, you think we need to take care of those born to other countries? I say take care of our own, and until we can, everyone else can go straight to hell for all I care. One American life is worth more to me than any ten uitlanders.
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