[FITZ]

The Hispanics in the New Mexico area have been here longer than the US has been a country.

Which makes them NON immigrants. Hispanic American and illegal immigrant are two different concepts. I can't think of very many --if any Hispanics in this area who believe in unrestricted immigration and not many who have lived here for generations (some descended from Spaniards not Mexicans) consider themselves to be from Mexico.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"The Hispanics in the New Mexico area have been here longer than the US has been a country."

Actually, Hispanics settled in this continent long before Anglos. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US.

"Which makes them NON immigrants. Hispanic American and illegal immigrant are two different concepts."

It may make them non-immigrants, but it doesn't allow them the use the term American, without the hyphen?

[Doctor Stochastic]

Some people attack the New Mexico natives (Hispanic, and to a lesser extent Indian) for such things a speaking Spanish, being Spanish, being Catholic, not being Catholic, etc. Many of the posts complain about "Hispanics" rather than about illegals.

There seems to be an attempt to drive people out of the Republican party; it's working. Sometimes it seems that the "Conservatives" would rather be in an ideologically pure minority than to have to govern.