Posted on 09/21/2008 7:14:18 PM PDT by buccaneer81
Latino immigrants increasingly pessimistic about life in U.S.
By Hernán Rozemberg - Express-News
The combination of a lack of jobs due to a worsening economy and an unprecedented series of governmental work raids have got immigrants down in the dumps, according to findings in a new survey.
The Pew Hispanic Center, a nonprofit research think tank based in Washington, concluded that Hispanics across the country, and in particular immigrants, are increasingly concerned about staying employed and being deported.
According to Pew's annual national survey of Latinos, nearly two-thirds of Latino immigrants said their lives have worsened over the last year and nearly as many fear that they, their relatives or their friends could be arrested at any time and shipped out of the country.
“There has been significant deterioration in the mood of Hispanics,” said Susan Minushkin, the center's deputy director. “Immigrants in particular are much more pessimistic.”
Respondents indicated that increased societal tensions have made them targets of ethnic discrimination and that's why they've had a harder time finding and keeping jobs and homes.
Additionally, 10 percent of immigrants said they were stopped by law enforcement officers and asked about their immigration status. That was the first time the question has been asked, so it's unknown if that is a trend or not.
Most answers varied in percentage depending on whether respondents said they were born here or not, but all Latinos showed vehement opposition to the government's ongoing illegal immigration crackdown.
Eight out of ten are against local police acting as immigration enforcers and nearly just as many disapproved of work-site raids. Majorities also opposed the criminal prosecution of unauthorized workers and the employers who hire them.
Opposition levels decreased when respondents were asked about a voluntary program allowing employers to check government databases for the immigration status of potential hires. Fifty-eight percent of U.S-born Latinos don't support employers signing up, while 63 percent of immigrants don't like the idea.
“This is the only enforcement measure where we find a difference between native- and foreign-born Hispanics,” Minushkin said.
Regarding fears of deportation, 53 percent of immigrants said they worried “a lot” about it, up from 43 percent last year.
The survey also ventured into the political arena, asking Latinos about their preferences. Backing other study results showing Hispanics mostly lean Democrat, 49 percent said the Democratic Party looks out for them — 7 percent said the same of the GOP.
The survey results were not surprising to the Federation fro American Immigration Reform — the country's leading anti-illegal-immigration lobby group — which noted that increased pessimism among illegal immigrants means increased optimism for the country.
“If you're in the country illegally, you should be concerned about law enforcement, just like if you don't pay your taxes you should be worried about the IRS knocking on your door,” said Ira Mehlman, spokesman for the Washington-based FAIR.
The survey of 2,015 Hispanics — U.S.-born and foreign-born, though immigration status was not asked — was conducted June 9 to July 13. The margin of error is 2.8 percent.
I love it when a plan comes together....
Good. Don’t mean for it to feel comfy. If you came here legally, that’s one thing. Your opportunites should be plentiful. Illegally, tough noogies.
In other news drug dealers opposed the criminal prosecutions of meth lab owners....
L
Latino’s increasingly pessimistic about life in Mexico.
There, fixed it!
“immigrants” have nothing to worry about.
Illegal immigrant law breakers afraid that they will get caught breaking the law.
And I am supposed to feel bad about this because....?
Yup life here sucks for criminal invaders!
Sounds like it is the time for the millions of Mexican visitors to grab their Mexican passports out of the storage box and put their international drivers licenses in the memento box and head back home.
P.S. The ones still in prison can follow as their sentences are finished.
“There has been significant deterioration in the mood of Hispanics,”
Hope they are writing letters home.
Immigrants dont get deported...
Illegal aliens do...
Meanwhile, the Filipinos who mostly came here illegally are doing just fine... could it be because they are *educated* ?
Don’t let the door hit ya where the Lord split ya.
Woo Hoo! I am glad they got the point!
McCain or Obama will change all that in January.
There, fixed it for you.
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