Thread: Looking for unity on immigration issues ...African Americans

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/n ... 050396.htm

Posted on Sun, Nov. 19, 2006

SPENCER MEMORIAL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Looking for unity on immigration issues
Event looks at impact on African Americans
FRANCO ORDOÑEZ
fordonez@charlotteobserver.com

More than a dozen Charlotteans, many frustrated with growth of the illegal immigrant population, met Saturday to discuss how African Americans are impacted by the growth of the undocumented community.

Maria Macon, chairwoman of the Millions More Movement of Charlotte, which hosted the event at Spencer Memorial United Methodist Church, said that, until now, African American voices have been mostly left out of the immigration debate.

Tensions exist between some groups of African Americans and Hispanics over competition for jobs, decreased wages and the disbanding of certain historically black neighborhoods.

Queen Thompson, 60, worries about a strain on schools and hospitals.

"There must be some regulation on the number of people who can come to a community," said Thompson, a counseling psychologist from east Charlotte.

The symposium also demonstrated that illegal immigration issues extend beyond Latin America.

Rosaline Russell, a native of Liberia, said many people from Africa come to the United States in search of a better life.

"It's not just a Hispanic issue," said Russell, 29, who moved to the United States eight years ago and is now a U.S. citizen. "It's also a West Africa issue, an Africa issue. It's an everybody issue."

Macon said African Americans are suffering economically because of the growth of the illegal immigrant community, but that the groups can work together to improve lives and working conditions.

"It's important that we speak up because we have gone through some of the same things the Hispanic community is going through," she said.


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Franco Ordoñez: 704-358-6180

Macon said African Americans are suffering economically because of the growth of the illegal immigrant community, but that the groups can work together to improve lives and working conditions.

Somebody please explain to me how she could possibly make this statement.

EVERYBODY is suffering economically because of the growth of the illegal immigrant community

The African American areas in town are now being divided in half as the Hispanics are infiltrating their neighborhoods. There are multiple families living in one home causing problems for the neighbors. I have heard complaints from them in the North Miami Dade areas. They complian about cars parked all over including thier properties, unsupervised children running all over, excess garbage and loud music and parties well into the early morning. The African Americans just want to keep their areas like they were for generations.
I think that they summarized the best when someone spray painted save our hoods on a billboard that was for stopping illegal immigration.

I spent the last 7 years living in a part of Colorado that was famous for having a large Black population. Whites were about 1/2, and the races often lived in the same neighborhoods and were cordial. Some Blacks were sterotypically poor, but a good many were stable, prosperout middle class. Some even attained wealth, high professional rank, and polical power, built large churches and endowed charities - something for them to be rightfully proud of. Over those years, the area has turned into little Mexico, and now we are seeing 'Black Flight' as well as 'White Flight' - the police love to chat about the odd behavior of the newcomers. They flee traffic stops, for example. I bought my house from Mexican nationals who were in a hurry to get back. They abandoned a debt, a bank account, and a car, such was their hurry, but they were replaced by many more. Coincidentally, the area is also the epicenter of the Colorado foreclosure crisis.

We also had the loud music outdoors and kids out at all hours phenomena.

Loncherias are now all over, also little men with pushcarts, and the trash you leave out is gone through if it looks like there's any scrap metal or useable stuff. As the years went by, my high school kids found it harder and harder to get summer and after school jobs - the jobs were there, but filled with guess who? This is also frustrating for the Black kids and others who are looking for entry level jobs to get on their feet. Jobs that are not normally considered careers are now being used by the newcomers to support families. And with their large families, if they have 4-6 people working, that can add up to two of our middle level incomes, so that's how they're renting and even buying houses.

All the phone menus seem to have 'press 1 for English' - at least I don't have to press 2 for English, yet.

Since then I have moved, not to flee any ethnic situation but merely to get back to a community where we used to enjoy living now that the kids are all moved out. By historical coincidence, the area if 99% white (former hardrock mining area), but when you go to the Burger King or McDonald's, guess who's working there? How can this be?

BRoss,

You talking about my hood? The curb side scavengers. I hate discarding anything that looks useable. My uncle is a welder so my scrap goes to him. The metal collectors are thieves. They even steal gas meters off of business that are unoccupied. They come on your property and take anything they can break off or remove that doesn't take a lot of time.

Dixie

I first noticed something odd when I had a subaru justy that threw a rod and had to be hauled off as I could not find anyone willing to put a new engine in. A lady who didn't speak much English came to the door and asked if she could have it I thought they were looking for a car they could fix up and tried to explain about the thrown rod ruining the engine. Now I realize they wanted it for selling off parts and metal.

This spring I had a water heater replaced in preparation for trying to sell me house. I was going to call the local trash company for a special pickup but the following morning, a Mexican-looking gentleman came by with a pickup truck and hauled it off quickly. He had other metal stuff in the pickup bed.

BR,

Sounds like you lived near Stapleton airport in East
Denver near the Museum of Natural History. I had
some friends who lived there & it was a solid middle
class black neighborhood in the 80s. My friend swore
he would never flee & now he lives up in The Peoples
Republic of Boulder.

Actually I lived at 6th & Memphis Street, zip 80011 and have been following the decline in my house's value on Zillow. 80011 is the zip code that begins east of Fitzsimmons and goes out almost to the edge of the city, and goes above and below the Adams/Arapahoe county line. The nearest major intersection to me was Sixth and Buckley. So, your guess is VERY close. But, it's all North Sonora now.

Another sign: I asked in the KMart at Colfax and Chambers where the restroom was now as they had just remodelled. The lady pushing the broom didn't know enough English to tell me.

Yet another sign: the workers at the Burger King, same intersection, could not seem to run my perfectly good card for a purchase. They apparently were running it as a debit (which it technically is and says so on the front) while you have to run it as a credit. They didn't know enough English for me to explain and we had a hard time getting my card back from them, as they were all gathered around discussing the situation in Spanish. When I finally got my card back, I went up Tower Road to a Wendy's, where an African American young woman had no trouble running my card.

BR,

You are too kind -- my guess was way too far west
& north. My friend lived near Monaco, MLK & 23rd.
I remember walking to City Park to hear Nelson
Rangell play in the summer.

I used to park at his house & he would take me to
Stapleton for business trips (shows you how long ago
it was.)

I lived in Broomfield & after growing up in a 30%
black city in NC, I had to go down there to get my
fix once in a while. Boulder & Broomfield were just
way too sterile for me. But it was a good time & I
have lots of fond memories. Sorry to hear it's going
down the slide with a lot of the US.

One of the places that Blacks and American Hispanics who are middle class are moving to is http://www.gvrco.com/greenvalley.asp?cid=1 and similar places.