New Immigrants, letter to the editor...

[spookyturtle 9,465]

ORANGE COUNTY ( CALIFORNIA ) NEWSPAPER - New Immigrants

This is a very good letter to the editor. This woman made some good points..

For some reason, people have difficulty structuring their arguments when arguing against supporting the currently proposed immigration revisions. This lady made the argument pretty simple. It was NOT printed in the Orange County Paper...................

Newspapers simply won't publish letters to the editor which they either deem politically incorrect (read below) or which does not agree with the philosophy they're pushing on the public. This woman wrote a great letter to the editor that should have been published; but, with your help it will get published via cyberspace!

From: "David LaBonte"

My wife, Rosemary, wrote a wonderful letter to the editor of the OC Register which, of course, was not printed. So, I decided to "print" it myself by sending it out on the Internet. Pass it along if you feel so inclined. I sincerely hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the nation!!

Here is her letter, written in response to a series of letters to the editor in the Orange County Register:

Dear Editor:

So many letter writers have based their arguments on how this land is made up of immigrants. Ernie Lujan for one, suggests we should tear down the Statue of Liberty because the people now in question aren't being treated the same as those who passed through Ellis Island and other ports of entry.

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people like Mr. Lujan why today's American is not willing to accept this new kind of immigrant any longer. Back in 1900 when

there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to the United States, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in New York and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground. They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new American households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home.

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labor laws to protect them. All they had were the skills and craftsmanship they had brought with them to trade for a future of prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. My father fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany , Italy , France and Japan . None of these 1st generation Americans ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from. They were Americans fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan . They were defending the United States of America as one people.

When we liberated France , no one in those villages were looking for the French-American or the German American or the Irish-American. The people of France saw only Americans. And we carried one flag that represented one country. Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be an American. They stirred the melting pot into one red, white and blue bowl.

And here we are with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes the

entitlement card and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country. I'm sorry, that's not what being an American is all about. I believe that the immigrants who landed on

Ellis Island in the early 1900's deserve better than that for all the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they

would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags.

And for that suggestion about taking down the Statue of Liberty, it happens to mean a lot to the citizens who are voting on the immigration bill. I wouldn't start talking about dismantling the United States just yet.

(signed)

Rosemary LaBonte

http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/newimmigrants.asp

http://www.saynotoillegalimmigration.com/2008/01/14/new-immigrants-letter-to-editor-ignored-by-orange-county-register/

http://www.resistnet.com/group/federalformsdocumentscontacts/forum/topics/a-letter-to-the-orange-county?xg_source=activity

Edited November 18, 2010 by spookyturtle

[nab 74]

let's not forget about those who become USC and suddenly get amnesia... those who believe no others should come after them, like somehow they were entitled but no one else is. example, a german lady i know (married to a USC) feels my husband shouldn't because he is pakistani!

i understand what the letter is saying but i dont think pride in your heritage is a bad thing. i am proud of being native american, dont i have that right? so why doesnt someone have the right to proud of their irish roots or mexican roots or brazilian, or french?

there is difference in pride in heritage and allegiance to country.

ps

if there is concern about "allegiance", require immigrants to give up citizenship in other country (i.e.USA would not allow dual citizens)

Edited November 18, 2010 by nab

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Who said immigrants don't have a right to be proud of their roots?

Those "Classic" Immigrants didn't forget where they came from when they formed "Germantown", "Chinatown" etc.

They saw themselves as "Americans of Irish Descent", not "Irish-Americans" and they were proud to be Americans.

They stood in line to be inspected, cataloged & recorded, in short they waited their turn.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

Pride's got nothing to do with it.

I don't know where you live, but I challenge you to drive around on October 3, at Germany's "Day of the German Union," a day that is very close to the Germans, and count the German flags you see in yards and on cars.

Do the same on April 23, St. George's Day, and count all the English flags you can spot.

Then, one more time, do the same on May 5, "Cinco de Mayo," and you'll understand what the difference between people who came here to become Americans and people who like to continue being what they have been all along.

That's what this excellent article is all about. People used to come here to become Americans by assimilating fully. That is what has changed just lately.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

let's not forget about those who become USC and suddenly get amnesia... those who believe no others should come after them, like somehow they were entitled but no one else is. example, a german lady i know (married to a USC) feels my husband shouldn't because he is pakistani!

i understand what the letter is saying but i dont think pride in your heritage is a bad thing. i am proud of being native american, dont i have that right? so why doesnt someone have the right to proud of their irish roots or mexican roots or brazilian, or french?

there is difference in pride in heritage and allegiance to country.

ps

if there is concern about "allegiance", require immigrants to give up citizenship in other country (i.e.USA would not allow dual citizens)

I think you totally missed the point of the letter.

[Geode 3]

My father arrived at Ellis Island from Rumania in 1923. He became a citizen in 1943, the year I was born and the year he left the US to fight in Italy in WWII. He returned home after the war. In our house we did not speak Rumanian. We did not learn Rumanian culture. My father never talked about returning to Rumania. We never flew a Rumanian flag. When he spoke of home he meant the house we lived in. When he spoke about America he told me about the debt that I owed to my country. He would talk about freedom of speech, religion and assembly (though he never used that specific word). He told me what a great country this was and he believed it. He would often say: "My country, right or wrong." (That phrase is probably not politically correct anymore but that is the fault of politicians, not America.)

It is obvious, I think, that I am a first generation American. I am not Rumanian-American. I am an American and I am proud to say so. Immigrants are the greatest "natural" resource America has. They are welcome here and should be. Many who come are not in the country legally. I think I understand why they take that risk, but they are not an asset to the country whose assets they want. Others proclaim allegiance to another country while taking what can be had from America. I can not see them as different from a thief. We have all heard: "America, love it or leave it." There is nothing wrong with the sentiment, but that phrase, like the one above, has been misused by groups seeking their own interests.

Maybe I should stop trying to get to some point and just say: If you come to American and want to stay, become an American.

Edited November 18, 2010 by Geode

[nab 74]

{snipped}

They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. {snipped}

Pride's got nothing to do with it.

I don't know where you live, but I challenge you to drive around on October 3, at Germany's "Day of the German Union," a day that is very close to the Germans, and count the German flags you see in yards and on cars.

Do the same on April 23, St. George's Day, and count all the English flags you can spot.

Then, one more time, do the same on May 5, "Cinco de Mayo," and you'll understand what the difference between people who came here to become Americans and people who like to continue being what they have been all along.

That's what this excellent article is all about. People used to come here to become Americans by assimilating fully. That is what has changed just lately.

sorry but i disagree

you're telling me in the 50's that people came here and learned english? or were there families who at home spoke italian with parents and grandpaents and out in public they spoke english? same with germans and so on.

just seems we have more bigots now than we had even in the 70's. wouldnt archie bunker be proud

if we have this "one culture" (NWO?) then why do we have (as someone else said) chinatown, germantown, washington heights (domincan area), and so on. here we have german village, italian village and so on.

Edited November 18, 2010 by nab

[nab 74]

My father arrived at Ellis Island from Rumania in 1923. He became a citizen in 1943, the year I was born and the year he left the US to fight in Italy in WWII. He returned home after the war. In our house we did not speak Rumanian. We did not learn Rumanian culture. My father never talked about returning to Rumania. We never flew a Rumanian flag. When he spoke of home he meant the house we lived in. When he spoke about America he told me about the debt that I owed to my country. He would talk about freedom of speech, religion and assembly (though he never used that specific word). He told me what a great country this was and he believed it. He would often say: "My country, right or wrong." (That phrase is probably not politically correct anymore but that is the fault of politicians, not America.)

It is obvious, I think, that I am a first generation American. I am not Rumanian-American. I am an American and I am proud to say so. Immigrants are the greatest "natural" resource America has. They are welcome here and should be. Many who come are not in the country legally. I think I understand why they take that risk, but they are not an asset to the country whose assets they want. Others proclaim allegiance to another country while taking what can be had from America. I can not see them as different from a thief. We have all heard: "America, love it or leave it." There is nothing wrong with the sentiment, but that phrase, like the one above, has been misused by groups seeking their own interests.

Maybe I should stop trying to get to some point and just say: If you come to American and want to stay, become an American.

i understand your passion.

it is much more hard to become an american now (as you can see from the process)... sometimes it is easier for a young person to pay someone a lot of money and to risk their life getting here (because to a person who is young they think they will live forever till that first or second brush with death) if they have a family of 12 siblings and parents who are starving, they will do all they can to come here for a better life. they do not realize at that time they are messing up their chances to become legitimate citizen and that is such a shame!

for every hard working alien who works 12hrs a day for low pay and never misses a day, who puts up with the garbage that some people put them thru because they know they can take advantage, i would LOVE to ship a lazy 3rd generation welfare bum to a poor starving country and let them fend for themselves. tell them, when they save up $1500 on starvation wages from working in that country, find soemone to bring them in a rickety little boat across the ocean for 3 days and nights with many others and watch as several of their friends fall and drown, with no ID, no money, and no place to go, once they reach shore we'll be glad to give them a job working double hard at half the pay of their american counterparts.

hmmm that could solve welfare problem.... 1 year on welfare then out of country.

just my opinion but someone who risks their LIFE to come here should be more entitled to be here than someone who for three generations have sat on their asses sucking off our teats

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

just my opinion but someone who risks their LIFE to come here should be more entitled to be here than someone who for three generations have sat on their asses sucking off our teats

Should someone who risked their life to enter the US illegally (and works ####### jobs, long hours for minimal wages most of which gets wired out of the country thus not supporting the local economy, oh and doesn't pay taxes on those wages) be more entitled than someone like myself who has worked at the same employer for 14 years, paid taxes and supported the local economy and may be a bit lazy (who really likes housework anyway)?

Now if you say that's not a fair comparison then I say diverting attention to welfare recipients is the unfair comparison as it's skewed in favor of the illegal immigrant.

[alienlovechild 75]

just seems we have more bigots now than we had even in the 70's. wouldnt archie bunker be proud

Interracial marriage stats say otherwise.

All in the Family wouldn't be allowed on TV because ethnic humor isn't acceptable except for a couple of groups and they're the ones telling the jokes.

When's the last time you heard a Polack joke?

[Geode 3]

Nab, what you say has merit. We are all immortal until that first or second time you find yourself wondering what the hell happened. There should be many things in this world. A way for the person who risks everything to get to America to become and American if they want it. A way for that same person to be returned to his original country if he does not. Coming here, working and sending the money to family in another country is harmful to America and Americans. Why should be allow it? Yes, there are now third or maybe more welfare generations. That to is harmful to America and to Americans. If I had an answer to either problem I would announce it. I do not. Neither do any members of the group we call politicians. I can ask questions. How is it that we have people on welfare, people perfectly capable of working but unwilling, and at the same time people risking their lives to come to America to take any job they can find? Why do we, as a society, give one group money and the other a hard time?

I don't know the answers. I am an electronic technician. I am not, thanks be to God, a politician. Maybe, when things get bad enough, we will find an answer.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

if we have this "one culture" (NWO?) then why do we have (as someone else said) chinatown, germantown, washington heights (domincan area), and so on. here we have german village, italian village and so on.

We had areas were various groups of immigrants lived with others from their home country, but they were far more assimilated than they are today. Today we change everything to accommodate the immigrant rather than encourage assimilation. You didn't see Italian flags flying higher than the American flag. Today you don't have to learn English, the rest of the country has to learn Spanish. Big difference.

[nab 74]

Should someone who risked their life to enter the US illegally (and works ####### jobs, long hours for minimal wages most of which gets wired out of the country thus not supporting the local economy, oh and doesn't pay taxes on those wages) be more entitled than someone like myself who has worked at the same employer for 14 years, paid taxes and supported the local economy and may be a bit lazy (who really likes housework anyway)?

Now if you say that's not a fair comparison then I say diverting attention to welfare recipients is the unfair comparison as it's skewed in favor of the illegal immigrant.

some employers tell illegals they have to 'pay taxes' so they still lose out 'tax money' even if our govt isnt getting it. these companies would be paying income tax on the business they are doing (even if lining their pockets with tax money from workers). also, some illegals work under the SS# of a legal relative they live with so taxes ARE getting paid, but the illegal is not getting credit for it.

it's not the right way, but in many cases taxes ARE being paid... and there are MANY 'americans' working under the table where taxes are being avoided. look at some of the 'poorest' counties in ohio then drive those areas and look at homes and cars. that is not just an 'illegals' problem, that is an employer issue.

another way taxes are paid are in sales tax... becasue while they are here they are consuming, for themselves and to send back to their countries.

every illegal i've known were hard workers, never expect anything for nothing, definitely do not strain our public services (being illegal they avoid hospitals, police, public agencies). i grew up in a poor area and the descriptions of illegals fit more the welfare bums there instead. my father used to get so angry at not being able to find good workers when there was so much unemployment in that area... as an adult i understand that anger. try to give them a decent job with decent pay = they dont want; they just want a handout. welfare was supposed to be a handUP but for some it's a way of life.

instead of worrying about what language an immigrant is speaking or whether he changed his name to fit in how about instilling hard work ethic ... THAT to me seems to be what has been lost. hard work built this country, hard work made it powerful, and now the lazy are bringing it down. as well as people who are too scared and too lazy to fight wrongs... trying to control a wild rant here

so i have nothing against someone being proud of being a mexican-american, or irish-american and waving a flag on the may 5th or whatever ... i DO have a problem with lazy bum-americans

[nab 74]

Should someone who risked their life to enter the US illegally (and works ####### jobs, long hours for minimal wages most of which gets wired out of the country thus not supporting the local economy, oh and doesn't pay taxes on those wages) be more entitled than someone like myself who has worked at the same employer for 14 years, paid taxes and supported the local economy and may be a bit lazy (who really likes housework anyway)?

Now if you say that's not a fair comparison then I say diverting attention to welfare recipients is the unfair comparison as it's skewed in favor of the illegal immigrant.

oh and didnt answer your question... no definitely they should not be "more entitled" than you as an american but definitely they should NOT be banned from ever becoming a citizen. i think they should have it counted as a benefit to them that they risked life and limb to get here on their petition that they want to become a citizen so badly. i think someone who so desperately wants to be an american has proven themsleves worthy to have a petition given to them. i would not even be against having an agency that would help them assimilate into "american culture" with ESL classes and job placement... agency could even be funded with taxes collected from the aliens .

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

let's not forget about those who become USC and suddenly get amnesia... those who believe no others should come after them

Yeah, I remember that. When I came out of my naturalization ceremony, I saw a lot of different folk sitting in the waiting area at the immigration office. And I couldn't help but think to myself: fcuking foreigners.