Thread: More Americans have immigrant friends, survey finds

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cf ... -05&cat=AN

More Americans have immigrant friends, survey finds
By JAMES W. BROSNAN and GUIDO H. STEMPEL III
Scripps Howard News Service
November 02, 2005

- More Americans say they have a friend or acquaintance who is an immigrant and those who do are more likely to favor a guest-worker program for foreigners.

That's a finding of a poll of 1,005 U.S. residents by the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University.

The poll found that 75 percent of Americans have a friend or acquaintance who is foreign born, up from 61 percent just 10 years ago when Ohio University asked the same question.

Fifty-eight percent say immigrants live in their neighborhood, up from just 44 percent 10 years ago.

Immigration is an exploding political issue, with Congress expected early next year to debate steps to control our borders as well as what to do with the estimated 10 million to 11 million illegal aliens already in the United States.

The new Scripps poll suggests Americans may be sending a mixed message to their lawmakers.

Nearly half - 45 percent - want immigration decreased, and 34 percent want it kept level. Only 11 percent favor more immigration.

But those polled also said by a 50-40 margin that they favor a guest-worker program for foreigners who have jobs here.

Fifty-four percent of people who know an immigrant favored a guest-worker plan. But 50 percent of those who said they don't know an immigrant opposed such a plan.

For one of the lawmakers struggling to find a consensus on immigration reform, the message was not surprising.

"Some see it as an economic issue. Some see it as a humanitarian issue and some see it as a national security issue. That's what makes it so complex," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

Cornyn is sponsoring legislation that would permit guest workers but only if they periodically return to their country of origin.

Richard Vedder, an economic historian at Ohio University, said the poll reflects the ambivalence Americans have always had about immigration.

Benjamin Franklin complained about the Germans overrunning Pennsylvania in "droves." In the early 1880s, as New Yorkers were raising money for the base for France's gift of the Statue of Liberty, Congress passed a quota on Chinese immigrants of 105 a year.

"Some people say, 'I don't want immigrants who are going to come and stay and be a part of our country. I am willing to have them come and do some of our dirty work,' " said Vedder.

A spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which opposes guest-worker legislation, suggested the poll results would have been different had respondents been asked if they favored "amnesty" for illegal immigrants.

"The largest share would prefer to see immigration decrease and a very large majority would oppose any increase," said Jack Martin, special-projects director for the group.

But a spokesman for the National Immigration Forum, which supports guest-worker legislation, said the poll shows that Americans recognize the role illegal immigrants are playing in the economy and want government to be more effective in controlling the flow.

"They see it every day. They're here. They're coming to work. I think what the American people are upset about, quite frankly, is the illegality more than the immigration," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the forum.

The survey was conducted by telephone from Oct. 9-23 at the Scripps Center in a project sponsored by Scripps Howard News Service and the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. The survey has a 4 percent margin of error.

(James W. Brosnan is a reporter for Scripps Howard News Service. Guido H. Stempel III is the director of the Scripps Survey Research Center at Ohio University.)

"Some people say, 'I don't want immigrants who are going to come and stay and be a part of our country. I am willing to have them come and do some of our dirty work,' " said Vedder.

Who says that? I don't know anyone who says that but illegal employers.

I don't want them coming here to "do some of our dirty work".

I don't want them coming here to do any work until our population is fully employed, there is no welfare for able-bodied people, our manufacturing returns, our wages and salaries increase, our savings explodes, our assets exceed our debts, the US Budget is Balanced, social security is ROLLING in dough, every American who wants health insurance can afford it, there is no wait in the emergency room, our schools are totally emptied of foreign nationals, and there are no illegals shopping at Wal-Mart.

Until then, get them out and keep them out.

It's very simple.

I don't trust this information, because as I've said 100 times, and as I will say 100 more times if necessary, our family almost has more Hispanic friends than American friends. In fact if I wrote down the names there could be more Hispanic than American names on our "friends" list. In Miami, there aren't any Americans left to have as friends. Now that we're a little farther north, we've been able to have both as our friends.

I feel strongly that this is brainwashing, Bushwashing, pro-illegal immigration information.

I care for and enjoy our Hispanic friends tremendously. I STILL AM DEAD SET AGAINST A GUEST WORKER PROGRAM. I do not want to see my country reward illegal behavior by an American or anyone from anywhere.
NO. NO. NO.

Our country needs to straighten up and operate according to some standards that are not Bush level standards. We need to raise the bar,
as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

Right On Legal!!!

And often times, Hispanic Americans are caught up in this and I feel very bad for them. THEY need to stand up and speak out against illegal immigration because they lose jobs, wages, salaries, etc. just like every American.

You said it, Sister, and fellow wearer of red, white and blue arm bands and head bands at the upcoming protest in Florida for which we have yet to hear the date for.

By the way, have you ever noticed that I speak English a little bit strange ?

I have, and I try to correct my posts as much as possible. From living in Miami, I definitely have a wrong twist to my words. They don't always come out in the proper order which they should according to proper English.

This is another danger to Americans!!! Your English will get all twisted up as surely as it happened to me!!! Don't let it happen to you !! Take care of and be proud of your English language!!

When we moved from Miami, our children were speaking Spanglish. It sounded bad, it did not sound well educated. They couldn't help it though.
I am happy to say, that living in a more English speaking enviroment, their English is all straightened out. Whew. That was scarey.

P.S. I love to hear the beauitful "accent" of someone from another country who has learned to speak English. That, I love, and appreciate.

But it is one thing to have that beautiful accent because you have come from somewhere else, and quite another thing to have been born and raised in America and to sound like you just passed through Ellis Island two weeks ago. (That's how our children were sounding!!)

By JAMES W. BROSNAN and GUIDO H. STEMPEL III
Scripps Howard News Service

These guys are probably working for the pro-illegal group who are out to spread propaganda any way they can. This is pure crap.