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Americans typically welcome immigrants.

There are some exceptions--the Irish & Chinese come to mind. Congress actually passed laws prohibiting Asians from entering the country in the mid-1800's. (I believe the Japanese were excluded from this prohibition.) Large numbers of Chinese immigrated/ were brought to this country as laborers on the trans-continental railroad. The Irish who immigrated during the years of the Potato Famine met a lot of resistance (partly because of their religion/ partly because they flooded the labor market) and concerted efforts were made to block them from jobs as in the No Irish Need Apply signs that hung in shopfront windows, etc.

IMO, waves of immigration meet significant resistance. But, at an individual level, I do think that most Americans welcome immigrants w/ the caveat that the immigrants must demonstrate that they want to assimilate into American society, learn our language and and adopt a national identity of being American w/ their cultural identity being secondary to that.

I'm referring to today. Today Americans are FAR more welcoming and acceptant of immigrants than ANY time in the past.

In the past, immigrants were always viewed solely as a source of cheap labor and resented as somehow second class human beings. From the Scots-Irish and Germans of the 1700's to the Italians, Eastern Europeans and Jews of the early 1900's all immigrant groups suffered from cruel oppression and exploitation.

Only most recently have American attitudes changed, perhaps because more Americans identify with recent ancestors who came here and were given the treatment by nativists.

"But, at an individual level, I do think that most Americans welcome immigrants w/ the caveat that the immigrants must demonstrate that they want to assimilate into American society, learn our language and and adopt a national identity of being American w/ their cultural identity being secondary to that."

True. On the other hand, it is normal for people who arrive in a new culture to gravitate towards other individuals who came from the same Country, share the same language, religion, customs, etc.

I think the difference between a lot of the earlier immigrants who came here, and some - but not all - of the newer ones is the earlier ones wanted to BE AMERICAN. If they couldn't speak ENglish themselves, they made sure their children learned it. They practised their own customs at home or in their local communities, but considered themselves Americans first and foremost - not Irish or Italian or Polish.

On the other hand, a lot of Hispanic Americans are decent, patriotic citizens who work long hours, frequently at several jobs. One of the first American soldiers killed in Iraq was an illegal alien from Honduras who walked all the way to America as a young child because he wanted to be American. Not all Hispanics - or even a large number of them, are part of the lunatic Aztlan group.

The key factor here is border control and enforcement of our immigration laws. Its especially important in light of the new threat from Islamic terrorists. The other factor is language. This bi-lingual crap has got to go or we will wind up like Canada - a Balkanized nation based on language.