Illegal Immigrants

[Monica]

After the massive protests sparked by anger and outrage, the question 'what's next?' looms large.

http://cbs13.com/national/local_story_091143519.html

I'm just wondering what everyone's opinions are on this issue. I am for the most part conservative, and for what I don't agree with conservatives on it's usually middle or leaning to the right in a way. (Dunno why but that's how I am lol, not a fanatic conservative, but NOT liberal)

Anyway, the conservative in me says "They're illegal and criminals and don't pay taxes so they should be deported. The other half says "I don't really care but they should at least learn English and not expect people to learn Spanish when THEY snuck into OUR country, that's backwards!" So I suppose the second half wins this one, if they come here, learn English.

[goKi]

That's one of the first things that i noticed when i came to the USA. So much is written in Spanish, even the ATM gives you an option to select Spanish. Down here, EVERYTHING is in English, except on odd occasion (say, a foreign store), and in Asian districts in large cities. It's near on impossible to live in Australia without a good understanding of English.

[MacWeirdo42]

I'm also torn on the issue, but in a different way. On the one hand, there wouldn't be any illegal immigrants if businesses wouldn't hire them. Very simple - no jobs = no immigrants. Therefore, if you want to blame anyone for the problem, blame the people who look the other way in hiring them.

On the other hand, though, the simple fact remains that being illegal immigrants, they have no rights. No right to minimum wage, no right to safe working conditions, no right to health care... And they're one of the largest groups that are the targets of crimes, including robbery and murder, simply because an illegal immigrant is FAR less likely to report a crime (for fear that they'll be found out and deported if they do).

As for the English thing, living in basically a bilingual town (McAllen is right on the border), it doesn't bother me as much. If we want to make it an issue, we should make English the official language, but as we don't have one, I don't see how it's something to complain about.

[Monica]

I'm also torn on the issue, but in a different way. On the one hand, there wouldn't be any illegal immigrants if businesses wouldn't hire them. Very simple - no jobs = no immigrants. Therefore, if you want to blame anyone for the problem, blame the people who look the other way in hiring them.

On the other hand, though, the simple fact remains that being illegal immigrants, they have no rights. No right to minimum wage, no right to safe working conditions, no right to health care... And they're one of the largest groups that are the targets of crimes, including robbery and murder, simply because an illegal immigrant is FAR less likely to report a crime (for fear that they'll be found out and deported if they do).

As for the English thing, living in basically a bilingual town (McAllen is right on the border), it doesn't bother me as much. If we want to make it an issue, we should make English the official language, but as we don't have one, I don't see how it's something to complain about.

I know, but I wouldn't expect to go to Japan or France or Somewhere where I know what the majority language is and expect them to incorperate English into their lives, it just doesn't make sense and would just cause trouble and confusion. I would learn as much of their language as possible, official or not.

[Rainman]

That's one of the first things that i noticed when i came to the USA. So much is written in Spanish, even the ATM gives you an option to select Spanish. Down here, EVERYTHING is in English, except on odd occasion (say, a foreign store), and in Asian districts in large cities. It's near on impossible to live in Australia without a good understanding of English.

Well, that's because Australia is a basically an island to itself. We have a lot of spanish speaking countries to the south.

I agree that they should learn English, but that's not always so simple and in the mean time they need to be able to function.

I don't really have any set opinion on immigration. We are an immigrant nation so I don't think we should totally shut ourselves off.

[Dart Zaidyer]

You know the only people who are protesting a crack-down on illegal immigrants?

Illegal immigrants.

[Beldaran]

They seem to feel no pressure to learn english. I feel an equal lack of pressure to know Spanish. The only time I will have a problem with it is if they aren't required to learn english be americans are required to learn spanish. Fuck that.

Also, business owners who hire an illegal immigrant should lose their business and have all the money donated to charity.

[goKi]

Well, that's because Australia is a basically an island to itself. We have a lot of spanish speaking countries to the south.

I agree that they should learn English, but that's not always so simple and in the mean time they need to be able to function.

I don't really have any set opinion on immigration. We are an immigrant nation so I don't think we should totally shut ourselves off.

Let me see if i can find a percentage of Australian residents who were born in Asia.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/...k/geos/as.html

There we go, scroll down. It's a little dated (i think it was 7% in about 1997, apparantely, predictions say that by 2020, 1/4 of Australian residents will be of Asian descent.)

For comparison, 12% of US citizens are Mexican. Given that doesn't include the illegal immigrants. Not a huge difference in percentage, but we don't feel the need to adapt our way of life to suit theirs.

[Beldaran]

Also, unlike mexicans, Asians don't complain that an entire nation won't learn their language just to accomodate their unwillingness to put effort into integrating into a new culture.

[slothman]

Since English is the defacto language I would say that any immigrants, legal or not, should learn it.

I would say to throw them out, more jobs for legal people, but I am also for the original US way of letting all in.
Or I don't know.

Of course in either case employers should get fined/jailed for giving them jobs.