Thread: Ideas Run The Gamut at Immigration Forum

http://nwitimes.com/articles/2006/11/18 ... 18b424.txt

Ideas run the gamut at immigration forum

IMMIGRATION: Illegal immigrants, English competency some of the hot topics

BY MARY WILDS
Times Correspondent

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, November 18, 2006 12:47 AM CST

GARY | Moderator J. Allen Johnson set the ground rules: "No throwing chairs, no tomatoes," he joked as he faced the crowd before the immigration forum held Friday night at Indiana University Northwest.

Johnson said that part of being an American is listening to what others say while showing respect. And showing respect was part of what the Friday forum was about.

It was the third forum on immigration sponsored by the Race Relations Council of Northwest Indiana. Immigration, Johnson said, is always an "emotional topic," and the panelists who came to speak that night had diverging views on the issue.

They included Yeh Ling-Ling, of the Diversity Alliance for a Sustainable America, California; M. Ali Kahn, American Muslim Council, Chicago; Becky Williams, Helping Our People Excel, Michigan City; and Joe Claus, who described himself as a citizen-participant at Race Relations Council meetings and a member of one of its study groups.

The council had invited a local Hispanic organization to send a representative, but the group declined.Illegal immigration was the topic for most of the night, and much of it revolved around Mexico and U.S. policies.

Yeh Ling-Ling, an immigrant, said she is a proponent of legal and "sustainable" immigration. She voiced concerns over a population explosion fueled by immigration and the impact it will have on education, infrastructure and social services.

She also contended Mexico wants to extend its borders north if the Mexican-born population swells to large enough levels.

Claus spoke on the subject of making English the national language, an idea he supports.

"I think it's disgraceful when Americans who speak out on this issue are called racists," he said.

Kahn, who emigrated to the United States from India when he was a boy, had what he called a more compassionate view of illegal Mexican immigration.

"My heart is there" when he views the issue, Kahn said. "(Mexican immigrants) are poor, they're starving. America (used to be known) as a compassionate nation, I'd like to see us get back to that."

Kahn also addressed the concerns of the Muslim community, saying legal Muslim immigrants who've qualified for citizenship are being denied the chance to become Americans in the wake of Sept. 11.

Williams, a black teacher who brought her elementary school class to the forum, had other concerns, namely those linked to what she called "forced immigration."

Black Americans "were brought here in chains," she said, lived in poverty for generations, and today are still denied the help they need to get ahead and "compete in a global economy."

"We as African-Americans have to get our story out there," she said.

If America gets any more compassinate, we will be in danger of losing our country, Compassion as well as charity should begin with Legal American citizens who need our help, other countries should have compassion for their own. If everyone country took care of their own we would all be ok.

"(Mexican immigrants) are poor, they're starving. America (used to be known) as a compassionate nation, I'd like to see us get back to that."

Total BS. They're on the Florida Turnpike going to Disney World every weekend in their SUV's no less. They can afford it because they don't have any medical bills.

And that is the truth.

Well, its not just that they don't pay for their medical bills. A person can do quite a lot when they live 10-20 to a house or apartment.

His Dethroned Royal Highness would probably say, "If it works maybe you racist vigilantes should try it."

Originally Posted by LegalUSCitizen

Well, its not just that they don't pay for their medical bills. A person can do quite a lot when they live 10-20 to a house or apartment.

His Dethroned Royal Highness would probably say, "If it works maybe you racist vigilantes should try it."

1. And work under the table for cash and don't pay taxes.

2. And get "fresh credit" for buying cars because there are no recent credit activities on their "new" social security numbers.

3. And qualify for most forms of food stamps, emergency housing assistance and "La Raza" style raced-based assistance white people don't get.

You won't see poor working class whites get the type of assistance that they do!

http://nationalserviceresources.org/fil ... aIntro.doc

National Council of La Raza

What is the National Council of La Raza?

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) – the largest national constituency-based Hispanic organization in the U.S. – is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan, tax-exempt organization established in 1968. Its mission is to reduce poverty and discrimination and improve life opportunities for Hispanic Americans. Headquartered in Washington, DC, NCLR has field offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

How does NCLR work toward achieving its mission?

NCLR works through two primary, complementary approaches:

Capacity-building assistance to support and strengthen Hispanic community-based organizations: providing organizational assistance in management, governance, program operations, and resource development to Hispanic community-based organizations nationwide, especially those that serve low-income and disadvantaged Hispanics.