Thread: GENO'S: WRAPPING UP A FEW LOOSE ENDS

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Posted on Mon, Jun. 26, 2006



Deborah Leavy | GENO'S: WRAPPING UP A FEW LOOSE ENDS




SINCE I first wrote about Geno's three weeks ago, the story has bounced off satellites and gone around the world, picked up by everyone from CNN to the China Daily.

Joey Vento is now famous way beyond the neighborhood, and so many people have flocked to his place that his cheesesteak emporium actually ran out of rolls one day.

I got an unprecedented amount of e-mail, some of it nasty, but there were a number of thought-provoking letters from both sides that I want to try to respond to. Emotions are high, but let's inform the debate with some facts.

Whichever side you're on, it's clear that Joey Vento has struck a nerve. What is it about the immigration of people from Mexico and Central America that has so many people so upset? Is it so different from the immigrants who came from Europe years ago?

People pointed out that today's immigrants come here illegally. They forget that when Joey Vento's grandparents, and many of ours, came to America almost 100 years ago, their numbers were unrestricted and no visas were needed. More than a million immigrants came from Europe every year in the early 1900s.

And wherever they went, they faced discrimination. "No Irish," and worse, signs said. Immigrants were called names and sometimes faced physical violence.

So they stuck together, living among people who had come from the same country, and sometimes even the same town. They spoke their own language and cooked their own foods.

Their children learned English in school, and helped their parents learn. And as they became assimilated, they ventured out of the neighborhoods, first to work and eventually to live.

Which brings us to South Philly, once a solidly Italian neighborhood. Many of the children and grandchildren, like Joey Vento, have left for the suburbs. In their place have come new waves of immigrants, now primarily Mexicans and other Latinos.

While Joey's grandfather came through an open door to America, the door is shut tight for new immigrants without special skills.

There are only 5,000 visas for low-skilled workers for the entire United States, while the economy is creating 400,00-plus jobs in the low-wage, low-skill sector, according to Douglas Rivkin of the National Immigration Forum. Undocumented immigrants quickly get jobs.

"We have an increasingly aging and better-educated workforce, but we haven't updated our immigration system to reflect the realities of our labor market," Rivkin said. "We've been restricting immigration ineffectively rather than managing it effectively."

The next thing people assume is that because immigrants have come illegally, they are more likely to break the law. It's not true.

Studies by criminologists and sociologists show that immigrants, including those here illegally, have lower violent-crime rates than first- and second-generation Americans. Most immigrants are a self-selected group who come here to work hard and live the American dream. They also want to keep a low profile and not be picked up by police.

People also complained that Spanish-speaking immigrants don't want to learn English.

While they may speak Spanish among themselves, studies show that immigrants are learning English at a faster rate than did the Italians and Polish immigrants who came here a century ago. They are also assimilating faster than their early-20th century counterparts, moving to the suburbs and intermarrying with non-Hispanics.

Everyone agrees the current immigration system isn't working. People who want to better their lives through hard work can't come in through the front door.

They are often exploited by employers who pay them less because they are undocumented, depressing the wages of U.S. workers, and forcing immigrants into crowded housing resented by their neighbors. No wonder people are upset.

Think of how much better it would be if immigrants could be brought out from the shadows and allowed to work toward citizenship, their contributions to this country recognized.

The visa system should be reformed to reflect the reality of the job market, letting skilled and unskilled workers bring their energy and ambition, and their culture, to our nation.

It won't resolve all the issues, but it will surely solve some of the problems.


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Deborah Leavy is a public policy consultant. E-mail her at deborah.opinion@gmail.com.





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ynews/news/opinion/14903123.htm

The next thing people assume is that because immigrants have come illegally, they are more likely to break the law. It's not true.

Oh yea ? Who says ? You ? What about stolen ID's, what about falsifying other documents, what about walking into hospitals for health care and walking out knowing darn well you have no plans to pay for it, what about breaking code enforcement laws, over-crowding apartments and houses with friends and relatives driving up the cost of housing for Americans which in some places, such as Florida already has a HUGE problem with a lack of affordable housing for American Citizens. What about driving without a license and driving without insurance and taking off from the scene of an accident. Are you SURE you want to stand by this statement ?

Any chance you might ADMIT the TRUTH about how all these things effect the lives of Americans, many of whom are struggling as it is ?? Come on, Lady. You're not fooling U.S..

how about 60% of HUD housing is home for illegal invaders, that and food stamps, free health care etc. thats how they live on low wages. We Pay

OK, this was only supposed to be a short break for me, but...couldn't stand it, so I just emailed Ms. Leavy a very professional email with many of my favorite links with factual info. I'll let you know if I get any response.

BS!!!!!

Deborah Leavy is a public policy consultant.
For who? Laraza?

Our parents and grandparents that came to this country got nothing for free, they had to work for it and earn their way and speak the language and educate themselves to make it in this country and help build it into what it is today. These illegal aliens of today do none of this, they want a free hand out and feel they are actually entitled to it. These are not the same immigrants that our forefathers were.

Do these people ever get tired of spouting the same ole s***?

Studies by criminologists and sociologists show that immigrants, including those here illegally, have lower violent-crime rates than first- and second-generation Americans. Most immigrants are a self-selected group who come here to work hard and live the American dream. They also want to keep a low profile and not be picked up by police.

Oh yeah? What % of the U.S. prison population are illegal immigrants? What % of the prison population in the county of Los Angeles are illegal immigrants? How many sexual predators, alcoholics, murderers, etc are in the illegal immigrant population????? The illegal immigrants being about 3% of the total population.
Leavy, where do you get your facts and figures, Vicente Fox????

Originally Posted by lsmith1338

Our parents and grandparents that came to this country got nothing for free, they had to work for it and earn their way and speak the language and educate themselves to make it in this country and help build it into what it is today. These illegal aliens of today do none of this, they want a free hand out and feel they are actually entitled to it. These are not the same immigrants that our forefathers were.

So true. They also came knowing they'd have to take care of themselves, the government wasn't expected to. No welfare, social security, food stamps, etc.