What happens when immigrants go away (Let's try it and see!)

Miami Herald ^ | Tue, Oct. 02, 2007 | Editorial Staff

[AmericanExceptionalist]

In reality, most southern and eastern European immigrants lived in self-segregated ghettoes (many of which remained for three generations). Most came solely for economic opportunity (not to "become American: whatever that means) and many initially came here with the idea of staying temporarily.

The part about "southern and eastern European immigrants" having resided in "self-segregated ghettoes" when they came to America 100 years ago is certainly true. And it is equally true that these autonomous communities existed for generations. (Many large cities, even today, have their own "Chinatowns." And "Little Havana" is, of course, a Cuban-American enclave in Miami.)

For quite awhile, this segregation was surely a reaction to bigotry by many native-born Americans. For instance, signs that bitingly declared, "Irish Need Not Apply"--or those with similar insults toward Italians or Poles--were once commonplace.

Fortunately, however, that mean-spiritedness is largely a thing of the past. And even those living in ethnically segregated communities today have assimilated to a reasonable degree.

I am less clear, however, as concerning your observation that "many [immigrants] initially came here with the idea of staying temporarily." What evidence do you have to support that view? (It has always been my impression that those who landed at Ellis Island had much more than temporary American status on their agendas.)

And the belief that late-nineteenth-century and early-twentieth-century immigrants did not especially wish to "become American" strikes me as odd. In order to gain their coveted American citizenship, they were required to renounce all other rulers and principalities--including those of their native lands--and, so far as I am aware, they did so eagerly.

[AmericanExceptionalist]

The left wants to end illegal immigration. They want to disolve the border altogether.

You are exactly on target!

Unfortunately, there is a portion of the right--the Big Business portion--that is also opposed to our cracking down on the illegals. And between these two unlikely bedfellows--the transnationalists on the left, who view national sovereignty as a mere social construct (and an intolerable one, at that); and the cheap-labor cheerleaders on a portion of the right--well, the prospects for our turning back the illegals do not appear so good.

[Clemenza]

Italian immigrants were once referred to as "Golondrini" (Swallows), because they used to travel between North and South America on a regular basis.

I remember in my class on migration we learned that 20% of Italian immigrants returned to Italy. Figures were lower for scandanavian immigrants, I recall. Thomas Sowell also talks about this in "Migrations and Cultures."

[DieHard the Hunter]

Crikey! That is so sad, it’s downright Hell-Funny!

[AmericanExceptionalist]

I remember in my class on migration we learned that 20% of Italian immigrants returned to Italy. Figures were lower for scandanavian immigrants, I recall. Thomas Sowell also talks about this in "Migrations and Cultures."

I was not aware that the percentages were quite so high. But I will have to defer to Mr. Sowell on this. He is certainly a scholarly person. And, presumably, he researched this matter thoroughly before commenting upon it in his book.

Even so, that means that four out of every five immigrants from Italy remained here, to become Americans; and an even higher percentage of Scandanavians did so.

For too long, members of many ethnic groups were excluded from mainstream society. Fortunately, this form of anti-assimilationism is just about dead.

The left-wing variety of anti-assimilationism---a.k.a. "multiculturalism"--is certainly no improvement.

[jabbermog]

Sorry to go off topic a bit (we have the same illegal problem) but I couldn’t help scrolling back to this comment.

You have a General Election next year . I take it President Bush is retiring , and your Republican Party is gearing up to choose a replacement .

The only candidates that get a mention here is Giuliani and that Fred Thompson . Are there any others running ? Who chooses ; the Republican Party members or a committee ?

[fweingart]

Are there any others running ?

Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo.

[fweingart]

But WE get to decide who enters OUR government.

And a fat lot of good it does us!

We get establishment Republicans, by and large, who end up crawling into bed with the Democrats and converting to Satanism.

[ZULU]

Well, who votes them in? How many posters on this board are active in primary battles? Especially the smaller ones like for local and state office which start people like JulieAnnie, Chuckie Hagel, Orrin Boobyhatch, and Dickie Lugar on their careers?

How many are willing to desert a sinking ship if a lib gets nominated as a Republican and work for a third party?

If JulieAnnie or Juan McCainez get nomianted in 2008, the funeral is over, the wake has begun and the Republican Party is dead as a doornail.