Thread: I had a talk about Legal Immigration at the Farmer's Market

with the coffee lady. I have been talking to her for a few years. She is 70, and originally from Tanzania. She was in New York for years and so was the rest of her family. They are working class.

I asked if the process was crazy or impossible. She said that it took effort, but that it was worth it. She said the test was reasonable if you learn some English and study. Her entire family became legal citizens.

She does not understand why the Mexicans complain so much. She said she does not think they even try.

It is interesting to get first hand stories.

My parents from Germany (LEGALLY) said the same thing.....We never heard German spoken in the home (Except when secrets were been told) and we had an American Flag outside our home forever....We grew up with a PRIDE in America

She does not understand why the Mexicans complain so much. She said she does not think they even try.

How does she know they're from Mexico and not somewhere else?

I do think that the overall mores have changed over the last century or so. When people immigrated here legally and purposefully, they put a lot more effort into respecting the culture, the rules, the language, etc. and made a determined effort to learn what needed to be learned. The influx of largely illegal people, has really downplayed those factors as, to them at least, it's more a matter of income/jobs. In my eyes, it's more a chicken vs. egg thing: if you come here for the job/money, but don't have the 'other stuff' under your belt, your capacity to succeed here is very limited and negligible. But, if you come here with that background and context in hand, and respect it's importance, the doors to success are 'wide open' and virtually unlimited if you're willing to work hard enough.

(Just IMHO, of course)

She knows they are Mexican because they live around her. She was complaining about how run down her area has become.

The farmers market in DeKalb, is almost all foreign workers, but I think legal citizens. I have talked with some from India, Africa, Turkey, Spain, etc.

Ah, ok. Usually sheer proximity is a pretty good indicator.

My MOTHER'S family, originally Ukranian ESCAPEES from COMMUNISM, did NOT complain either. They WENT to WORK to LEARN English, get jobs, worked HARD to SAVE money, and after TEN long, arduous years, were able to LEAVE their New Jersey slum home and PURCHASE a FARM near Candor, NY, where they have REMAINED and PROSPERED EVER since! TOO many of TODAY'S immigrants WANT the American Dream, but they want it on THEIR terms, NOT AMERICAN terms, and this is WRONG! They act like SPOILED kids--and believe me, they ARE spoiled!