Mexican Consulate Opens In Downtown Indianapolis. (Shop after shop, sign after sign in Spanish)

WISHTV 8 ^ | 11-2-02

[Joe Hadenuf]

The Mexican Consulate in Indianapolis will be open for business Monday. It's an office that will serve a group of people that's growing rapidly in our city and state. Mayor Bart Peterson's office has worked for about two years with the Mexican government and the state of Indiana to get this consulate opened.

You don't have to look hard to see why the consulate is needed. Drive down Washington Street a few miles west of downtown, and you'll see the fruits of our Hispanic and Latino community's labor. Shop after shop, sign after sign in Spanish. There are now some 34,000 Latinos and Hispanics in Indianapolis, and 60% of them are Mexican.

"We have an education system that welcomes the immigrants and we like the way we are treated because we find that the American community is welcoming in general," said Roberto Curci, La Guia Magazine.

The city even has two publications geared toward this growing community. "The Voice of Indiana," a bilingual newspaper and "The Guide of Indianapolis," a magazine for Hispanics and Latinos. There's even a new Hispanic and Latino yellow pages.

Local businesses are forging ties with that community. Kroger just donated a van to the Hispanic Center of Indianapolis to thank them for translation help that the center has provided for the grocery chain.

"As we change and we are changing as a city, I think it was important for business to recognize that and we have recognized it," said Jeff Golc, Kroger.

The change will continue. Just ask the woman who helps run the grocery store on West Washington Street. New Hispanic and Latino customers come in for her authentic products all the time.

"Like once in a while there will be somebody new that comes. You know, like, "Oh, we just moved here and we came to see how it is." So yeah, we always get new people that come here," said Irasema Delgado, store manager.

The Mexican Consulate will serve three states: Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. It will serve as the Mexican government's primary link with those states on issues such as immigration, trade and economic development.

[monkeywrench]

The govt. gives special loans with tax deferrals to foreigners starting businesses here.

[RWG]

Brewster, Washington looks like tiajuana. Crime and drug problems have increased in Okanogan and Chelan counties. Please don't relate the 2.

[Miss Marple]

So, let's see here: your source for this is an in-law that you don't much like. She is apparently, according to you, bragging about letting fraudulent paperwork at a large corporation through.

Explain to me why you have not called INS to report the corporation.

[Miss Marple]

Also, I am sorry to disappoint you, but I have no relatives who would commit fraud in order to get dates with "hot guys," Mexician or any other nationality.

[muawiyah]

Hey, there's all kinds of stuff goes on in this world just beyond our ken. For example, until I was an adult I thought the name "Smith" was the foreign-sounding one!

On the other hand, how is it you forgot Schricker, Jenner, Capehart, Hartke, and Lugar?

BTW, I grew up in Vonnegut's neighborhood.

[jetson]

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,56523,00.html

[muawiyah]

Hey, the common thread here used to be French and then the place got overrun by the English and their friends.

It is the case in every instance of occurrence that there arises a preferred language and it becomes the language of commerce, trade, culture and government.

I fail to see where any other language is challenging English dominance. Remember, the best paid Mexicans anywhere in the US speak English!

[Morrigan]

Two words: Holy crap!!!

[FITZ]

I have a crappy ass sil who knows this and allows it to happen because she loves those hot Mexican guys(sound familiar?). SHe's had a couple for boyfriends and numerous times they have been DEPORTED!!!

How many of those boyfriends had wives and kids back in Mexico? That's a common reason they quit sending money back home ---most intend to do that but after a few months and they start "dating" again, they lose interest in their families. I've seen cases first hand where that happened ---a woman back in Mexico with 6 kids, no job and the money quits coming.

[glory]

NO kidding Fitz...

I not only lived in Phoenix(I lived on the west side thick in "new mexico"), had relatives in Tuscon, but also was involved with another group of hispanic immigrants in Miami. To top it all off my godmother is a Mexican Indian who is now an American citizen. And as the cherry on the top, my mother is a Brit who waited to get PERMISSION to enter and work in this country and has to go through holy hell to get her green card renewed(she has a Brit friend who has to pay 1k for shots and medical reviews to come back in, she is not yet a permanent resident) while hordes of Mexicans come walzing in across the desert. Oh btw, my immigrant mother and godmother have NEVER accepted welfare--NEVER!! I think I'm probably better qualified than "some" to discuss this so can the condecension discostu...Oh forget it, look nobody is saying it's IMMORAL Discostu for people to want a better life for themselves, but it is ILLEGAL in this country to come over without permission and it's a slap in the face to people like my mother and grandmother who took the time and effort to come here legally. I'd be more likely to believe your idea that they too will assimilate, but in today's world of the PC, I believe it's less likely since this new immigrant group is ENCOURAGED to be different and not to assimilate by the various race baiters in our midst. This is a wild card that I think we have not seen anything like before. From what I have noted thus far, the people squeeling the most about give those poor Mexicans a break are the ones employing them illegally or benefiting from their cheap labor. That wouldn't be you now would it?

[SCalGal]

Loosen up. Hispanics went into a crime ridden city slum and turned it into a nice place to live...then a couple of folks come along and tell you this is a bad thing. It doesn't get much funnier then that.

It's not a bad thing; the bad things will follow, though.

I grew up with mexican families like those - hard working, clean, wonderful people. Unfortunately, when the riff-raff starts moving in, they'll be moving out, and you'll be stuck with worse slums than what were there before. The illegals bring filth, disease, and crime. I saw it happen to los angeles, and now we are completely overrun. Wait and see what happens - give it a few years, and then tell us all how wonderful it is.

[glory]

From my experience in Phoenix, it must have been a real crap hole to now call it improved. Sad, but true. You should see what's been done to neighborhoods that were nice to begin with. Why could not the same ethnic group have KEPT the neighborhood nice to begin with? Can you answer me that? I think what you call an improvment is relative, my guess is it's still not the kind of neighborhood most middle class AMERICAN families(and that covers all races before you try that trick) would want to live in.

[Mamzelle]

The "cute latin women" in my area have large tortilla-tires around their middles. Even the little girls. But the boys sure like to flirt with the blonde natives.

[SCalGal]

But the boys sure like to flirt with the blonde natives.

Starting when the blonde natives are about 8 years old....

[glory]

OH cry us a river discostu. Many people with an opposite position of yours also have Mexican friends and FAMILY! Have you ever considered that your opinion is clouded by the empathy you feel for your friends? Bias goes both ways friend. And despite having my ties to this community, I can still see how this influx is hurting this country at the pace and the way it is happening.
And looking at a neighborhood go from a crap hole to a pigsty is not a big feat. The pigsty may look a little better and have a purpose, but it is still the same old craphole it ever was, just with a prettier face. Go to a neighborhood that was nice and had an influx of poorly paid, illegals and see the "improvement" there. You'd cry at what has happened to neighborhoods in LA, Phoenix, Tuscon from all these "good citizen" immigrants. You know, I expect immigrants to live like this, this is what they are used to and takes a couple generations to want different, but when you figure in the numbers it is changing the face of so many cities and MOST are not for the better, supposedly, like Indy. I think it's wise to figure in how this is shaping our political races as well. Democrats are already taking advantage of this population for their purposes. Hell, my guess is many dems are taking these fraudulant ids to register these people to vote. This is a problem and I don't care how bad that hurts you or your friends feelings. Too bad, time for you and them to put your big boy underwear on and get real!

[glory]

Yeah, no kidding. Cry me a river about these "moral" Mexicans. I can't tell you how many stories I hear of the escapades of MARRIED Mexican men working in this country and sending money back to the Mrs. It's well known if you happen to have any interaction at all with illegals. Not hearsay either folks, my sil is buddy buddy with a bunch of the illegals here and she tells us all the juicy stories. Not isolated, heard them before from my bil working cable in AZ. In that case, they were El Salvadoran immigrants. I actually think they were legal, but spare me this idea that illegals are somehow morally superior because they are poor.

[SCalGal]

...spare me this idea that illegals are somehow morally superior because they are poor.

Such a liberal idea....

If it weren't so tragic, I'd think it was funny that it's finally starting to happen to the rest of the country after all the bashing they've done to us. They just have absolutely no idea how bad it's going to get. Except, of course, the proponents of illegal immigration - they just don't care.

[glory]

There is a problem if those clean, decent neighbors are here illegally. Hey, the 9/11 terrorists were quiet and kept to themselves too--many were here illegally, but in your world, no harm, no foul, as long as they keep the front porch swept. geez!