Shiny Happy People: Latinos pleased with their lot in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- A new survey by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation has found most Hispanics have a positive view of their lives in the United States, but it also shows that some of them are concerned with the moral values their children are picking up.

Eighty percent of the Hispanics surveyed said they think Latino children growing up in the United States will get a better education than they did in their native counties, and 76 percent believe they will have better jobs and make more money.

The 56 percent who thought they will wind up with the same moral values they have was well over half, but still down from those who believe there will material success in their future.

The study also shows second generation Hispanics are joining the American mainstream.

"The melting pot is at work, as the survey shows that the children of Latino immigrants are English speakers and express views closer to the American mainstream that the immigrant generation," said Roberto Suro, director of the Pew Hispanic Center.

"Assimilation is not a simple, all-encompassing process, and even Latinos whose families have been in the United States for several generations express some attitudes distinct from whites and African-Americans," Suro said.

The report also said Hispanics don't always agree on important issues, particularly if they come from different Latin American countries.

"A Cuban in Miami, a Salvadoran immigrant in Washington and a third-generation Mexican in Los Angeles may all have roots in Spanish-speaking countries, but their diversity in views and experiences in the United States suggests that people should be wary of generalizing much about Latinos," said Mollyann Brodie, director of public opinion and media research at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

But most Latinos -- 86 percent -- agree that discrimination is a problem, and it keeps Hispanics from succeeding in general. The response showed that 78 percent thought it was a problem in the workplace and 76 percent said it also applies at school.

The survey also reported that 35 percent believe they are treated unfairly because of their language and 24 percent attribute it to their physical appearance.

But they said whites and blacks aren't the only offenders. The survey found that 83 percent found that discrimination within the Hispanic community is a problem and 47 percent said it is a major problem.

Colombians at 61 percent and Dominicans at 57 percent are the most likely to feel that way.

The survey was taken between April 4 and June 11 among 4,213 Latinos nationwide, who were selected at random. The margin of error was plus or minus 2.41 percent.

The Pew Hispanic Center, based in Washington, is a non-partisan research organization supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia and a project of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communications.

The Kaiser Family Foundation, based in Menlo Park Calif., is a non-profit independent health-care organization. It is not associated with Kaiser Industries.

Oh man, you ought to move into my neighborhood. Next door neighbor on one side is obsessed with making his car as loud as it possibly can be, and he likes to work on it at night. On the other side is an 80 year old guy who is the meanest, bitterest old man you will ever run into. God help you if you touch one blade of his grass. Like I said, the neighbors across the street are easily my best. I'm from the country, and am moving back out there, I don't think I was cut out for city living.

...the children of Latino immigrants are English speakers...

Hopefully this is not just propaganda (anything with the name "Pew" in it reminds me of that ultra-liberal polling organization that is always featured on NPR), because from my experience, the littlest ones are still speaking Spanish. Bilingual education ensures that they won't know enough English to get productive jobs.

I had a personal relationship with Beelzebub.

He worked construction, drank Bud Light, and drove an El Camino that leaked more oil than the Exxon Valdez.

He also lived right next door to me.

This is a true story...every word of it.

It became a tradition, at our end of the block anyway, to sit outside with the rest of the neighbors on Friday night, and have some coffee or tea, while we watched the police work out the latest domestic disturbance next door.

For the longest time it was a regularly scheduled weekly event.

There was also the time when (I'll call him "Ditz"...come to think of it, we all called him that) Ditz drove to the store in a drunken stupor to get more beer, and on his way home, sideswipped a car parked on the side of the street (our street).

The vehicle was truly hard to miss, the lights on the roof and the distinctive Florida Highway Patrol colors and emblems, made it quite noticeable to the rest of us. That plus the fact that it was always parked seven houses east of us because that's where Trooper Dave lived should have sparked some sort of intelligent response from Ditz.

Did it?

Noooooo...

His reaction was to abandon his vehicle (six doors away from his garage mind you) and flee on foot...with the beer.

He knocked on everyone of our doors, asking us to hide him for the night. No one did, so he spent the night hiding about a block away, in the middle of a clump of sea grapes.

One neighbor did see him leave about 1 AM, and come back with some more beer.

I sold the house and moved as soon as it was feasible to do so.

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