I have an aquaintance who is a Venezuelan immigrant, who worked hard and waited years for her papers. I asked her today about her views on illegal immigration. She said that they (Mexicans) do not want to learn English, do not want to be Americans. Just want to work hard for a few years and send all the $$ back to Mexico so they can live the high life there in a nice house and big cars. She passed on several things to me:

1) She knows a Mexican woman that knew English very well, but seemed to think it was 'dirty' to speak it, as if betraying her people and becoming one of 'them'. Her boss had interpreters for her, but she never let on that she knew.
2) Another female co worker would come into work late claiming her husband beat her, and she had the swollen eyes from him. Her bosses felt bad and wanted to help her. She would later laugh behind his back and tell the other Hispanics that her tardiness and her eyes were due to the night before she was out late drinking and partying. (Sidebar - Charlotte Observer just had an article about how illegal women that were victims of domestic abuse could get their papers if they reported the crime.)

3) She applied for a job in a Mexican resturant but they would not hire her, even being bi-lingual. They only wanted to hire MEXICANS. (Now where is the racism here?)

4) Another resturant she worked at had illegals and they were all talking about what they would do if ICE showed up (hiding and running). When they asked her, she just shrugged and said she had nothing to run from, she was legal. She was isolated cause she was legal, they snubbed her.

5) Her parents are here in America on Visas and her elderly mother needed dental and medical work done. So they went back to Venezuela and had all their work done there cause it is so cheap. I respected that, cause they didn't have it done here with taxpayers covering it.

6) She said she fears for her country cause of Chavez is so evil. She said the Mexicans have no idea what they have in Mexico, it is not as bad as Venezuela. She is a proud American, a devoted Christian, and hard working woman that knows English very well.

I am so proud of her. And even madder at my country.(president)