Absolutely. The children of Mexican immigrants are learning English and American history in our schools.
Patriotism is a necessary ingredient to preserve a civilization and patriotism requires time and nuturing to take root.
Patriotism takes only one generation and often times less. My great grand parents got off the boat without the ability to speak English, but their son and my grandfather, only 17, lied about his age to join the navy and fight in the Pacific in WW2. My uncles fought and died in Korea and Vietnam and my brother fought in the Gulf War. Your family did the same. Today illegal immigrants are fighting in Iraq
komo news | Illegal Immigrant GI Granted U.S. Citizenship
And some have given their children .
Spc. Zeferino E. Colunga, 20, of Bellville, Texas, died on Aug. 6 at Homburg University Hospital in Germany. Colunga was initially evacuated to the 28th Combat Support Hospital in Iraq on Aug. 4. He was then evacuated to Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center and later to Homburg hospital for further evaluation. He remained at Homburg until his death. His death was unrelated to the recent cases of pneumonia in Southwest Asia. Colunga was assigned to 4th Squadron, 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment, Fort Polk, La.
Colunga's father was deported back to Mexico four months after his death for being an illegal alien.
There are over 30,000 non-citizens in our military today. Some have been granted citizenship for their service posthumously.
I believe the vast majority of illegals come to America to find a better life for their families. I believe the current quota limitations on immigration leave these people little choice but to cross the border without permission. Too many heartless, and selfish Paleos equate that act with treason, terrorism, and identity theft. Their hyperbole leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
It doesn't matter why illegal aliens are coming to America. They are still violating our immigration laws by not coming here through legal channels, or by overstaying their visas. Every foreigner who wants to come to America has the same choice to make: do it legally or do it illegally. Nobody is forced to violate our immigration laws. It is always a personal decision to do so.
I'll agree with that statement if there is a reasonable filtering process to separate the wheat from the chaff. I don't know how much you've seen of illegal immigration and illegal immigrants, but I've seen plenty. Mrs. Vigilanteman, you see, is from southern California and I lived there awhile myself. The sad truth of the matter is that for every immigrant such as my friend Richardo, there are at least 10 which have nothing more in mind than exploiting the system. Ricardo was born in the U.S., his family came here illegally in the late 1950's when there was still a trickle, not a flood. They worked, they earned citizenship, they encouraged their children to become Americanized and they set the example where possible. Ricardo understands, but doesn't speak much Spanish. His mother became the manager of a department store where my wife worked and spoke with only a hint of an accent.
While I agree with your statement that legal immigration should be easier (and I think of people like Ricardo's family), it cannot be done without cracking down on illegal immigratation. I've spent half my adult life living in Japan and know more than a few legal immigrants who feel like chumps because they took the time and trouble to come here legally only to find so many people like you and like our government, make little or no effort to distinguish between the legal and illegal variety.
Unlike some of the paleos, I also feel that military service (demonstrated loyalty to the U.S.) should be a path to legal citizenship but for the immediate family-- spouse and minor children-- not for multi-generations of shirt-tail relatives. In today's world of relatively cheap air travel (and cheaper travel to Mexico), family reunification should not be used as a catch-all reason to jump the politically-protected to the front of the line. Our idiotic immigration policy needs to pick and choose among would-be immigrants who will contribute to the fabric of this nation and not just those who will milk it. A sensible debate is needed somewhere between the point of "zero" and "open borders." Switzerland (with a 20% foreign workforce) and Singapore (with a more stringent policy) both have multi-ethnic societies and a sensible immigration policy. We do not and, by failing to do so, risk further Balkanization.