So it turns out that immigration is a big issue to a lot of people. I just looked at some polls conducted, and most Americans want to have less illegal immigrants in the US, but only 3 out of every ten wanted to deport illegal immigrants out.
What got even more interesting was that there was a destint race split between peoples reactions. 19 percent of African Americans want to deport all illegal immigrants out of the US - while nearly double that of whites do. In general, African Americans appeared to be less strict and unwelcoming towards immigrants than whites were.
Do you think this is true where we live? In San Mateo? Are people really becoming less tolerable of immigrants? And is there really a race distinction between who does and doesn't believe what?
for more of the polls and percentages, check out http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/17/poll.immigration/index.html
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7 comments:
I think San Mateo is a pretty liberal open-minded place and thus illegal immigrants are shown a lot of support here. Also, the large number of Latinos in the Bay Area usually show support to immigrants and the fact that there are so many immigrants in this area shows that the community is for the most part welcoming.
Regarding the distinction between races, San Mateo is not very diverse in terms of minority population with African Americans making up about 3% of the population. Even if that group is vocal against immigrants, they are not a very large portion of the city.
Of course it is a big issue, but I don't think people are necessarily against immigration; but they are against illegal immigration. And those who have come into the US through illegal means should go through a process, maybe receive a fine or some sort of punishment, because they are ignoring US laws, firstly, but they slow the process of the people who have filed papers to come legally. Legal immigration and illegal immigration gets all jumbled up and the people answering the polls might not truly understand that there is a difference, maybe.
I think that immigrants and, minorities in general, (race generally plays into this) will definitely be more lenient than people who have lived in the US for generations because they understand the reason why other immigrants, and illegal immigrants, moved to the US or how hard it to survive in their home countries.
I beleive that it is hypocritical for americans to be so vehemently opposed to immigration. while many argue that they are only against illegal immigration, that is the most prevalent type, due to the fact that the pathway to citizenship is so difficult for illegal immigrants. in terms of the bay area, we are probablly more lenient towards immigration due to the fact that we depend on the work of immigrants for so much.
I agree with Eddie, that San Mateo for the most part is a liberal place, and thus we are more tolerable of illegal immigrants. As Greg mentioned, illegal immigrants can help our economy by taking jobs that most people wouldn't want. However, I have a hard time finding arguments against illegal immigration. Maybe the fact that I live in San Mateo has influenced how I view this particular issue. Max you brought up the question of how race can influence how we view illegal immigration, but I'm more curious to see how much living in a certain region or city can influence our beliefs. Are there any statistics or polls for this issue based on where you live rather than race?
good point marc
I agree that San Mateo, located in the Bay Area, is pretty liberal and thus is more accepting of illegal immigrants. I do however think that we need to have stricter policies in terms of illegal immigration, but make the immigration process more feasible.
When an illegal immigrant gets paid minimum wage, or how bout they pay taxes on the income they receive, then one can argue for keeping them ILLEGALLY in the United States. Almost all of our families, be it last year or a couple hundred years ago, came to America legally, even if it was not very hard or it was. Back in World War 2 America turned away a boat load of Jews who were escaping from Hitler, they would not let them come in, and they returned, most to their deaths. Does my argument sound contradictory? Ok, well I do not see any horrible dictators in the countries of the majority of our illegal immigrants. Think about when America sent back that boy from Cuba, that was horrible and he was escaping. These people came in matters of life and death and they did not come to America for the "American Dream," they can to save their lives and would have been glad to become LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS. Ask almost any illegal immigrant in the U.S. now, they would not tell you they would die if they returned to their home country. So yes, I am against illegal immigration, but I would on the other hand not mind allowing immigrants in the U.S. legally with no limits!
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