Posted on 05/23/2008 6:58:10 AM PDT by Tennessee Nana
LOS ANGELES — Record crowds of immigrants — more than 18,000 in all — took citizenship oaths here Thursday, a showing credited to rising fees, a heated debate over illegal immigration and one of the brand-new Americans raising their hands.
In becoming a citizen, radio host Eduardo "Piolin" Sotelo was taking the advice he has frequently dispensed on the nation's most popular Spanish-language radio show.
"This is a new page in my life," the native of Mexico said as he was swarmed by well wishers and fans clamoring for a photo. "We have to make a difference."
Sotelo, who came to the country illegally 22 years ago in a car trunk, chronicled his own citizenship process as he urged fellow Hispanics to seek citizenship at a time when immigration is still a hot-button issue and a presidential election is underway.
-Snip-
Sotelo, the outspoken host of the Los Angeles-based morning show "Piolin por la manana," has used his syndicated soapbox to rally hundreds of thousands to march for immigration reform and encourage legal residents to become Americans. The show is aired in at least a dozen U.S. markets.
"Now we have one more vote to defend our rights," Sotelo said of his citizenship.
Sotelo went from collecting cans to working in radio but got fired because he was an illegal immigrant. He later got a work permit in Sacramento, where his radio career began to take off.
-Snip-
....Martinez said as he clutched a miniature flag in one hand and his citizenship certificate in the other. "I want to vote. It's time we take action to shape the way the country is being run."
New citizens hailed from some 100 countries, with the largest number, 7,770, from Mexico, followed by 1,882 from El Salvador and 1,477 from the Philippines
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Perhaps it was because of the Amnesty Bill that President Reagan signed.
You are not making friends on FR when you mention their hero, President Ronald Reagan and the Amnesty Bill that he signed in the same sentence. It’s kind of like telling the truth about Bush, some subjects are just not polite anymore.
The answer to the question was obvious.
And sometimes answers are painful but it is from those answers that we learn.
Celebration time ......... for the parasites.
>When I became a citizen, I cried all day.
I was so happy, proud and humbled by the idea that I was now a citizen of the greatest country in the world.<
God bless you, Nana. We are so proud and happy to have you join us. We are the greatest because of people like you.
He has no criminal record because he was never prosecuted for his crimes. On the contrary, he was rewarded a thousand fold over for his crimes.
He can become a police officer, a judge, a politician, can join the United States military and carry a mega-firepower weapon.
He will be entitled to the highest security clearances in the land, because his past in this instance will not be considered. The agencies would be terrified to deny him, there was a court case about denying immigrants (which he now is) about 15 years ago (it was posted in the halls of many aerospace companies).
So Piolin now has more rights than just about any American ever. He is a foreigner who broke in, abused pretty much every law he could, and now is rewarded with access to pretty much everything that 13 generations of my family fought and died for.
When would the people in the government of the United States do that for anyone in my family?
Translated from the parlance of vote-hungry pols, means US taxpayers have another hyphenated voting bloc on our hands........whining about "victimization."
The only thing that helps build the whining hyphenates' self-esteem is copious amounts of US tax dollars, given on-demand.
Imagine... some freepers want LEGAL immigration curtailed!
What is your point in bringing Reagan's amnesty? Do you think there's someone here who hasn't yet heard of Simpson Mazolli?
This is the yearly population growth rate that the US is/has been achieving.
It also Canada's population growth rate, except that Canada reaches that number with a lower birth rate and a higher immigration rate.
Personally my wife & I would've loved another child or two but would've been consigning our entire family to something short of abject poverty if we had done so.
Dual citizenship is allegiance schizophrenia, or treason, by both those who claim it and those who honor it.
Make a choice without cowardice and live in that country.
Nationalism is not evil.
Good neighbors co-exist peacefully everywhere.
Perhaps it’s because Bush and his elite open borders friends and family have made American citizenship all but pointless. Not to mention Bush suggesting Americans are lazy while his good neighbors entering illegally from Mexico by the millions, are all hard working people.
How did he get the “work permit” if he was in this country illegally ???
I simply provided an answer to the question.
There is something about having that Naturalization certificate that changes the thinking of about 99 percent of the folks who get them.
Not all new citizens can be counted in the rat column.
many new citizens because of their strong Christian beliefs can not vote for politicians who harbor positive views of abortion.
Once the Certificate of Naturalization is handed out it is a pride in America thing to see many of the grown men and women weep with joy.
Just the lowly opinion of a red state wannabe.
Amen to those comments.
There is something about having that Naturalization certificate that changes the thinking of about 99 percent of the folks who get them.
Not all new citizens can be counted in the rat column.
Many new citizens because of their strong Christian beliefs can not vote for politicians who harbor positive views of abortion.
Once the Certificate of Naturalization is handed out it is a pride in America thing to see many of the grown men and women weep with joy.
Just the lowly opinion of a red state wannabe.
Then you must have proof for your ‘answer’. Prove it.
If you cannot substantiate your claim, why did you make it?
1988 s/b 1986
Well, there is at least one answer in your comment - the question being how seriously should Americans take any future promises from the WH & Capitol Hill that they’ll secure the borders if we just grant ‘em ‘just one last amnesty’.
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