Wal-Mart looks to Hispanic market

FT.com ^ | March 12 2009 | Jonathan Birchall

[1rudeboy]

I’m ok. Still kinda’ wish I was making illegal alien wages, though. :)

[Chinstrap61a]

What you're calling "nativism" is the successful culture and progress of the United States towards advancing and protecting the world.

The people flooding in now come from countries that are, to put it gently, toilets with oppressive governments, brutality, and crime.

Rather that joining with us, they want to turn our country into the northern version of the mess they left.

This must be stopped.

[nyconse]

I don’t want to stick it to them...but I have seen first hand the problems with illegal immigration. Staples in Gwinnett county in Georgia had to change their red shirts become the Mexican gangs kept beating up employees who wore the red shirts...a gang color you understand. The schools were destroyed, taxes went up, the hospitals were on the brink of bankruptcy. I am not kidding my girls and I could not walk to the lake or go to Walmart by ourselves because of unwarranted attention by Mexican men. After an incident in the parking lot where a couple of drunken louts scared the crap out of us, and the police were called, I did not go to Walmart anymore; my husband absolutely forbade me to go near that store. After the incident, my husband talked to the store manager who apologized profusely, but then added ‘we needed to understand that their culture was different in terms of women’. That was that...no more Walmart. He told the store manager that making overtures to 11 year old girls is child molestation in any culture. Anyway, I just don’t think Walmart is a good corporate citizen in many ways and they have implemented policies not good for this country. On one interesting not...the just in time policy practiced by Walmart seems to be on its way out...new local policy going into effect at GM anyway.

[nyconse]

Very funny, George had some nibbles on his resume so I was feeling a bit more optimistic even before the news on Friday. I no longer imagined driving off a cliff-you know. I really think things may get better...maybe we will avoid a depression. I hope you find a great job...hey where are you? There is networking going on FR in terms of jobs.

I read my last post and It’s not right. It’s not exactly how I feel. My kids went to school with the children of illegals-essentially American. Many were nice kids too and so were their parents, but we need to get rid of the gang bangers and keep the decent people...never going to send everyone back...but please let’s get rid of criminals. Then we really do need reform and not for slave labor or votes either...but a policy that benefits the immigrant and the country.

[mimaw]

We had large groups of immigrates come to this country and live in their own neighborhoods speak their own language and kept much of their own culture. However they were out in the open sent their kids to english speaking schools and these kids assimilated without losing their parents culture language and customs. I'm thinking of the large Polish neighborhoods in Chicago and the large Italian neighborhoods in NY and the many Asia conclaves throughout the country. I truly believe it will be impossible physically and politically to round up all illegals and deport them. They will not assimilate as long as they are illegal we need to bring them out in the open and allow the good ones a chance at citizenship.

[Gabz]

We won’t have fence climbing if we make one little change...let companies like Walmart -who knowingly hire illegals -execs up to the CEO go to jail. This would stop all the trouble. Make them pay for their illegal behavior. I would have more sympathy for Walmart if I as a taxpayer did not have to subsidize their low paid workers for insurance, housing and even food while Walmart makes billions;if any company ever deserved unionization, it’s Walmart.

And another one bites the dust. The only reason you feel that way about unionizing WM is that you have fallen for the BS propaganda of the unions.

I doubt you have ever applied for a job at WalMart. I have, and I assure you they make damned sure you are legal. As to low pay, where I live the only jobs that pay a higher starting hourly wage than WM is the night shift at the Tyson chicken plant and to get a job there your best bet is to mis-spell words on your app, not have a HS diploma, and preferably speak accented English.

[mimaw]

Obviously not enough people. When Toyota and Honda started producing great quality cars for less GM had competition. I agree they produced good trucks and suv’s but with the refusal of the government to produce more of our own oil resources those won't sell when gas goes back to 4.00 a gallon. I still don't understand GM’s reliance on the Volt to bring them prosperity, at 40,000 a car how many Americans who have lost a large percentage of their wealth can afford one. We didn't get a bail out nor will we.

[Chinstrap61a]

You're right - but businesses that perpetuate those divisions are betray everyone's future. All of us came from immigrants and all of our families learned good technical English.

Wal-Mart and the other profiteers are only restricting those immigrants to substandard futures.

[mimaw]

It drives me nuts when I see bilingual signs on county and federal buildings. I want English to be and remain the official language of my country. I don't believe in bilingual education. However Wal-mart is a private enterprise that has every right to seek any advantage that does not break the law to expand it's business. They are providing at their expensive a service and a product that they see will be attractive to a large group of consumers. The young legal immigrants are learning English it's the illegals that are slower on the uptake. They don't feel the same stake in our society .

[bigheadfred]

All of us came from immigrants and...Wal-Mart and the other profiteers are only restricting those immigrants to substandard futures.

Yea, verily.

[Chinstrap61a]

I agree with you - but we should also let Wal-Mart and other businesses have to deal with a reduction in their core business though boycotts and direct communication.

All that entities that use Spanish in their business and their packaging and teaching and their cable programming and other functions do, is further the divisions and the eventuality of conflict.

If we want to avoid of the certainty of several million unassimilated and disadvantaged children who will not be able to get the top jobs and the best schools, this has to stop.

Learning an additional set of languages - great. A country with two or more major languages and the separate cultures they support just brings disaster.

[VeniVidiVici]

They will not assimilate as long as they are illegal we need to bring them out in the open and allow the good ones a chance at citizenship

Sorry, I don't agree. Most want just the money. They could care less about America or her past. Remember not long ago when the US played Mexico in LA? Guess who the crowd was rooting for? That's what we're up against.

Get rid of them all and make them do it legally.

[nyconse]

Toyota does not produce great cars anymore...even Honda is slipped. As for gas friendly cars,we are are already kicking Japanese butt...our cars are much more gas friendly...new ones on the way.

[nyconse]

They had illegals working in Georgia two years ago...if they don’t do this anymore than this would apply to any company hires illegals.

[Gabz]

Be that as it may, no company should be forced to be unionized as you seem to believe WM should be. And don’t be so sure those unionized companies aren’t hiring illegals either, neither GM nor the UAW is squeaky clean when it comes to illegals. Of course that is not going to be seen in the media the way the unions make sure such is OVER played when it comes to non unionized companies such as WM.

[nyconse]

I am not advocating forced unionization. However, Walmart has made themselves a target with their policies. I don’t want to have to subsidize this company with my tax dollars...their employees are on food stamps, housing assistance and state medical in many states including Ohio.