[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.

[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.

[McGavin999]

No, actually, you are not being ignored, you are a part of us already. One of the worst parts of all of this is how people are now looking at legal immigrants and throwing them in with the illegal. The overwhelming numbers of the illegals has made it almost impossible for the legal immigrants to get in. That is what is so fundementally unfair about all of this.

[bpjam]

Growing up, my best friends were second generation Mexicans. They all went to college (which their parents paid for it when they didn't earn scholarships) and the parents basically worked like dogs to get their kids a better life and make sure they were Americans. And none of them grew up militant, socialist or racist (and some of them inter-married). Pretty much the American dream.

It's literally stunning that there are no voices being aired in the media which represent those Americans of Mexican decent who didn't either break the laws or want to see California handed back to Mexico. The media doesn't want to see Arabs who love America or Mexicans who love America. Kind of gets to the problem with the media doesn't it? They can't stand to see people who love America.

[truemiester]

"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."

It is people like you (and your parents) who make America work.

In 28 + years of service I have seen intense loyalty and devotion to the American dream by people who came to this country with the idea of becoming American. They pass that on to their children. They (and your family) make a proud additon to the fabric of America.

In all the retoric, many on this site (myself inlcuded) talk about Illegals, but have repect for those who work to become legal immagrants then American citizens.

[hdstmf]

Your parents were/are great people. They are to be honored. There must be many more like them among the illegal immigrants, but their status forces them to remain in the shadows. I personally love the Mexican culture, but I cannot replace my own with it. The roots of our problem is the Mexican government corruption that creates conditions of high unemployment, low wages, and all the other third world conditions. If millions of your people are forced back to Mexico the government will quickly collapse. Maybe that would be a good thing in the long run. My position is hardening because I refuse to let this mess destroy my country. Thank you for your service sir. God bless you and your family!

[litehaus]

"Mine is the face of many Hispanics who are being ignored during this very important debate."

Not ignored, appreciated, but as in the ol' saw---The good a man does dies with him etc etc ....My folks were 'boat people','Ellis Island people' also....