Posted on 11/22/2002 3:20:37 PM PST by 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.
Have you been to Ciudad Juarez or Tijuana lately? If Mexico hasn't been able to improve it's own neighborhoods, how do you think it's going to improve ours? What will these same people do differently here that they couldn't do in Mexico? Why will the Mexican Consulate be so useful to have here when the Mexican government hasn't done much good in Mexico?
I am surprised you recognized my style, the brutal truth.....Sugarcoating issues is not my style.....
Interesting how the immigrants seem so headed in the wrong direction ----all the jobs are going to Mexico but they're headed to the USA in every higher numbers than ever. It doesn't make sense.
W-E-L-F-A-R-E
LOL! Now I'm getting a lot better understanding of how you folks think.
I'm sure you're very familiar with Tijuana and Juarez; they've been catering to every sort of deprevity American's want to purchase/participate in down there. (Actually, those two areas make a far worse example for American's then they do Mexicans.)
Should you wish to expand your knowledge into what has happened in Indy you should visit Indy instead. Okay, you won't be able to get to know small farm animals or underage girls but you might find the experience enlightning.
Then again, you probably wouldn't...it doesn't fit into your agenda.
You should go back to ""I didn't realize..."
It's far more believable.
Then how do you explain the Consulate? Who do you think it's going to serve? Long term Americans not from Mexico???
Not that many Americans go to those places anymore ---go to Juarez and see for yourself. The tourism is pretty much over --and for good reasons. You can't blame those places on America.
You obviously don't really know what Mexicans really want or say. Most of them would actually prefer to stay in Mexico. Most don't really want to leave and come to cold northern towns ---they do because Mexico no longer has hope for them.
Those places would have never existed without one thing, American money. And that American money was coming across the border in the hands of Americans who were willing to buy anything, eat anything and make love to anything.
As I put people in jail for fraud, you stand in line getting your pockets picked.
Wake up man.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.