Thread: Ruben Navarrette: A Crisis Of Our Own Making (REPLY ?)

RUBEN NAVARRETTE JR. THE UNION-TRIBUNE

'A crisis of our own making'

October 22, 2008

It is remarkable that so many of those who rail against illegal immigration don't really understand the terrain. This includes folks at Washington, D.C., think tanks who write about immigration without interacting with actual immigrants, TV commentators who remake themselves for higher ratings, and opportunistic politicians who spin anger and prejudice into votes.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who actually know what they're talking about. They have logged long hours and done their homework, which might include interviewing real people – hundreds of them on both sides of the border.

They include Douglas Massey, a Princeton sociology professor and nationally acclaimed expert on immigration who for more than 20 years has monitored the U.S.-Mexico border, tracked immigration patterns, chronicled the Mexican migrant experience, and studied both the Mexican communities that cast off migrants and the U.S. communities that receive them.

Massey recently shared some of what he has learned in a lecture sponsored by the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at the University of California San Diego. If there is one thing about which he is absolutely sure, it is that we're not facing an invasion but rather what he calls “a crisis of our own making.â€

What BS....it is always our fault, nobody can take personal responsibility, but they are good at excuses.

gringos is a racially derogatory term for white americans.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

gringos is a racially derogatory term for white americans.

W

What do you expect from racists? Actually I am surprised the San Diego Union Tribune has kept Ruben Navarette around since their editorials have flipped concerning illegal aliens.

Did Massey speak with or collect stories from Americans who have been victims of illegal aliens, guess they don't count.

For generations, immigrants have gone home with regularity,

Ya.....men came, worked the season and left immediatly back home. Now they bring the whole family along and stay for the rest of the goodies. Even then there were good employers and employers who exploited them. But they did go back home.....some never to return again if the employer was really bad.

Many learned English and never left where they were working as to not draw attention to themselves and keep a low profile. They never drove a vehicle unless it was a business truck or something and just on work land, not on the highways. I lived near an illegal draw point and you never had the men hanging out in massive groups or causing any problems. Don't recall any problems with drugs or guns or anything. They usually developed a reputation as being a good worker and didn't cause any problems which was good for the employer because he stayed under the radar as well. Then they knew next year, they had a job waiting for them. I saw many leave and move north to pick apples or whatever and go home in the slow times. Sometimes if an employer really liked the guy......he'd do what he could to get the person legal and have the family join them and make it possible for them to be working all year. One person and their immediate family.......not a dozen different ones with their entire extended family. Many did start out illegal but if they earned the respect of a good employer they usually had his help in getting legal. Many were satisfied with that, others took on night school and such to earn their diploma and whatever to move up.

My father worked with a guy and that's how he got here legally eventually and I went to school with his kids. He left the onion farm and worked with my Dad at the factory, but his wife took his place at the farm because he was so thankful for the chance he didn't want to leave the farmer short any workers. We had quite a few hispanic kids at our school and in all honesty I can't think of one who caused any problems. They were liked and respected in school, spoke English.....I mean all the good parts of how many saw hispanics. Good, honest, family people who worked hard and took care of their family......law abiding on down the line.

No one was more surprised than me when I saw this different side. Rude, crude, demanding......on down the line. One person told me it's because they are from a different part of Mexico and they are different there. I couldn't tell you, because I honestly don't know. All I know is they are different. The world see's Americans as a certain way, sometimes good and sometimes bad, depending on the experience. One minute we are the kindest giving nation and the next loud mouthed and bossy. Both are probably quite accurate.....so it's not that difficult to see a totally different group emerging that differs from what we saw before.

I would say, people here looked the other way because there wasn't any problems. We didn't have the gangs and violence, the over-burdened schools and hospitals, the refusal to speak English and all that. But with so many and with this new attitude and all the issues it brought and the MASSIVE numbers......it became a problem. Water is a good thing but it's not when you're drowning. Had nothing to do with what color they were or anything they claimed it was.

We were already dealing with the biggest number of legal immigrants from all over the world so it just didn't wash. I think things were pretty good till people started changing everything America was.....to where nothing was sacred. Language, rule of law, anything.......and seeing our country turn into a 3rd world nation right before our eyes in a very short time. Start talking taking over the country and well.......doesn't sit well.

Originally Posted by Bowman

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

gringos is a racially derogatory term for white americans.

W

What do you expect from racists? Actually I am surprised the San Diego Union Tribune has kept Ruben Navarette around since their editorials have flipped concerning illegal aliens.

This jumped out at me too. It pisses me off that it's ok to call us honkys, gringos, whitey, cracker, ghost, etc...reverse racisim at it's finest!

As a proud gringo of non-Hispanic white persuasion, I think the point of this editorial is that over the recent years, with the continued laxity of border and law enforcement, continual need for cheap labor, very few gringos know what is going on, as laws are broken daily with a nod and wink style of carrying out laws. And the illegals are at the point where they are pushing the envelope as no one seems to have stopped them cold.

I would say, people here looked the other way because there wasn't any problems. We didn't have the gangs and violence, the over-burdened schools and hospitals, the refusal to speak English and all that. But with so many and with this new attitude and all the issues it brought and the MASSIVE numbers......it became a problem. Water is a good thing but it's not when you're drowning. Had nothing to do with what color they were or anything they claimed it was.

Perfectly stated, crazybird.

I have sent emails to the editor and the readers representative at the San Diego Union and ask them why they allow Ruben Navarrette to use the racist offensive slang word "gringos" in their paper.

Here are the email addresses for the editor, readers rep. and letters to the editor if you would care to add your voice to this issue. You must include your name, address and phone number for a letter to the editor to get published.

Bill Osborne (senior_editor_s.d.u.t.) <bill.osborne@uniontrib.com>

Goodhue Carol (Readers_Rep.) <readers.rep@uniontrib.com>

Letters to editor sdut < letters@uniontrib.com>

Navarrette Ruben <ruben.navarrette@uniontrib.com>

JohnDoe2
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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source

grin·go (grÄ*ng'gÅ