In Which It Is Explained That The Biggest Latino Organization Dreads Becoming American

'The Corner' in National Review ^ | April 2, 2006 | Michael Ledeen

[quidnunc]

The Richmond Times-Dispatch, in a thoughtful editorial yesterday, called attention to the email sent out by La Raza, the biggest Latino organization in the United States, first mentioned by The Corner last Thursday:

The e-mail refers to congressional legislation that would, among other things, (a) provide grants to immigrants taking English classes, (b) permit those who gain English proficiency to apply for citizenship one year early, and (c) provide grants to groups offering instruction in U.S. civics and American history. These ideas hardly seem provocative; learning English and American civics used to be something immigrants did enthusiastically. The e-mail about the bill, however, warns that "while it doesn't overtly mention assimilation, it is very strong on the patriotism and traditional American values language in a way which is potentially dangerous to our communities."

(More on the memo here.)

It sounds like La Raza has proclaimed itself un-American, don't you think? They don't want their people to assimilate, and they don't seem to like "patriotism" or "traditional American values."

Somebody might mention this to President Bush…

-snip-

Posted at 07:32 PM

[bilhosty]

"provide grants to groups offering instruction in U.S. civics and American history."

And Jay Bennish will probably get a job teaching civics to immigrants.

[Texas_Jarhead]

Interesting. Thanks. Additional links found at the source are informative as well (including image of La Raza memo).

[floridavoter2]

Everyone contact your senators at the link below. It is very, very easy. Tell them NO amnesty, Yes to border enforcement. E-mail them everyday.

www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[neverdem]

The Hispanic Challenge (To America) A MUST READ Samuel Huntington (Long But Good)

The Mexicans are unlike previous immigrants. This definitely needs to be read by everyone at least once! It should be linked on pertinent immigration threads. Here's an interesting link about Samuel Huntington:

"Strangely enough, despite the fact that he was buddies with Henry Kissinger at Harvard, he is registered as a member of the Democratic Party, and has written foreign policy speeches for Adlai Stevenson, Hubert Humphrey, and Jimmy Carter."

[Rabid Dog]

You are a psychic!

[VeniVidiVici]

The Mexicans are nothing like previous immigrants. For one, most of them are illegal.

Two, they have no desire to assimilate, to build on our society.

[bybybill]

Interestingly that both LaRaza and those opposed to ANY so called amnesty will both be finished if Congress act to seal the border and comes up with some sort of way for those that have been here and established themselves, to stay.

[Thunder90]

La Raza has in it's group, members of the Brown Berets, a Bolivarian circle controlled by Hugo Chavez.

[Mogengator]

Assimilate my ass.

These people have no desire to assimilate.

Anyone who thinks they will assimilate is an ass.

[rscully]

As a first generation Hispanic, I am finding it increasingly irritating to be lumped into the group of Hispanics being currently displayed in the mainstream media. My parents came her legally (paying a dear price for it, I might add), and have taught all 7 of thier children to become solid, American citizens. They taught us to love the USA and all the good we stand for, and they did it successfully. The faces of Hispanics that you are currently reading about are the ones who not only broke the law to get here, but are proud of it. Not all Hispanics are like that. A great many came here to get a chance to live the American dream by hard work, solid conservative values, and by not taking said opportunities for granted. However, (and unfortunately) those are not the Hispanics being currently portrayed, and it quite frankly pissing me off. My family and I are very opposed to illegal immigration, especially in light of the severe security risk it poses. We have contacted our elected officials to give ideas on how to quell it. Two of my four brothers have served honorably in the USMC. We are all living the American dream. Because this is a free country, I'm not going to ask you to more carefully craft your words so that you refrain from lumping all Hispanics into the same category. However, I will ask you to learn from someone who is Hispanic and who is not what the media says I am. I love this country. I proudly fly the American flag and know and practice all of the protocols which ensure it is treated respectfully. I pay taxes. I worship freely. I raise my children with good, solid family values. I am an American and proud of it. Mine is the face of many Hispanics who are being ignored during this very important debate.

[therut]

Oh I agree with you. And you are learing that our MSM will not show anyone like you and your family. Just like they will not show gays who are aganist gay marriage. Policemen who are aganist gun control. You do get the picture. We play aganist a biased media and elite and powerful group.

[Dallas59]

Becoming an American is racist, ridicules, simply not done ...but getting to and living in America is worth dieing for.

[Edison]

I think most of us know people like you and yes we have tended to not differenicate various immigrants when we see these things on tv so thanks for reminding us.

[bordergal]

That's why we try to clarify that this is about ILLEGAL immigration.

The folks who are really trying to lump everyone together, legal and illegal alike, in my view are those who also support open borders. However, if you have any suggestions for better wording, I'm all ears.

[LegendHasIt]

I've been saying "NO AMNESTY for ILLEGALS" for a long time... But I'll modify that;

Any family, even those who came in illegally, that has sons or daughters that will enlist in the military (Obviously this takes a waiver), and complete their enlistment contract satisfactorily, gets 'probationary amnesty' upon enlistment; Once the contract is completed, they get full amnesty and 'go to the head of the line' for Citizenship.

And of course for 99% of us, this debate is not about LEGAL immigrants of any kind or 'hispanics', or anything based upon racism.

It is mostly about not wanting people who leave a society / culture because it is incompetent, corrupt and lacks economic opportunity, coming here and trying to replace our successlful culture with the one that they left.

[Blake#1]

"most of them are illegal". The wagon trains of Americans moving into Mexican California, they weren't illegals?

[LegendHasIt]

"You're a freaking genius.

And you are a failure at sarcasm.

Or understanding what the modern military is like.

While there are parallels between what is happening in America, and the Roman empire, you are really stretching to make THAT one significant.

When I said And of course for 99% of us, this debate is not about LEGAL immigrants of any kind or 'hispanics', or anything based upon racism." I meant the Conservatives that are being painted as racists....

Barring further information, from your tone, I'll have to assume that you are one of the 1% that I didn't include in my statement. (Either that or a liberal troll from the DU)

P.S. Welcome to FR... I'm honored to be the target of your first post on Free Republic.

[AnnoyedOne]

You are partly correct, but it is about more than just that. It is also a question of economics, and how the influx of workers is effecting wage scales and such. Labor cost functions like anything else, by the laws of supply and demand. When the supply of labor exceeds demand, the price of labor declines. When demand approaches or exceeds the level of supply, employers have to compete to get people to come work for them, by offering better wages and benefits. This competition for labor is being stunted by immigration levels, both legal and illegal.

Our economy is cooking, but most Americans do not really feel like it is, and many think we are in a recession. Why? Because the economic boom we are experiencing is making corporations and stockholders happy, but the working class is seeing paychecks which do not increase enough to pay for your gas to work.

Since when is our dependance upon immigration a given? What IS the top end on immigration into this country? What population do we have to get to before we say we do not need MORE people to come here? 500 million? 1 billion? 5 billion? IS there any top population figure? I want immigration FROZEN, and I do not care what race or nationality the immigrants are. The nationality I place first is American, and I pay my government to do the same.