Posted on 08/24/2015 7:32:18 PM PDT by markomalley
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush rebuffed claims that the phrase “anchor baby” is offensive towards Hispanics, saying the media needs to “chill out” and that in any case the term is more targeted at Asians anyway.
Bush first used the phrase “anchor baby” last Thursday on a conservative radio talk show, saying he supported greater efforts to prevent pregnant women from coming to the U.S. solely to give birth here. The term was dubbed offensive by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and much of the media suggested the term was anti-Hispanic.
But at a Monday appearance in McAllen, Texas, a majority-Hispanic city on the Mexican border, Bush said the idea he was attacking Hispanics was “ludicrous,” in part because anchor babies are a primarily Asian phenomenon.
“What I was talking about was the specific case of fraud being committed in organized efforts — and frankly, it’s more related to Asian people — coming into our country, having children in that organized effort, taking advantage of a noble concept, which is birthright citizenship,” Bush said.
WATCH:
(video at link)
Bush added that the media needed to “chill out” and stop attacking politicians for every word they use. He also cited his own life experiences to rebut the notion he is anti-immigrant.
“My background, my life, the fact that I am immersed in the immigrant experience, this is ludicrous for the Clinton campaign and others to suggest that somehow I am using a derogatory term,” he said. Bush’s wife, Columba, is a Mexican immigrant.
Bush’s mention of Asian anchor babies reflects a genuine phenomenon also known as “birth tourism.” Birth tourists, mostly of Asian origin, deliberately plan to travel to the United States right as they are about to give birth. These children are still typically raised overseas, but thanks to their U.S. citizenship they will be able to freely return to the U.S. when they grow up, and potentially facilitate immigration for other family members.
While there aren’t official tallies for the phenomenon, the number of anchor babies resulting from birth tourism is estimated to be in the tens of thousands each year.
While Bush described anchor babies as a mostly Asian phenomenon, he otherwise discussed immigration Monday mostly in terms of the southern border. Bush called for the increased use of unmanned drones to conduct border surveillance, and he also called for unspecified policies to deter unaccompanied Central American children from showing up at the border, as thousands have in the last several years.
You make a great point. Life begins at conception.
I don’t remember seeing one poster on FR who favors Bush.
Wtf is he smoking? Is he taking to heart Kerry’s right to be stupid too? It might work with lo info voters...?
Wow, Jeb not only put his foot in his mouth, but now he’s pulling it out through the other end....
The media & the republican party have been talking Jeb up forever.....looks like they were just making it all up.
Lets see if I get this:
Spics are good illegals
Chinks are bad?
There goes the Asian vote.
Yeb violated a political iron law: the Rule of Holes, and it doesn’t look like he even knows he did it.
With Jebbe the Hut in the race we need to come up with a quadruple facepalm image.
Silly comment by Jeb. Asians actually vote Republican (50% - 49% last time).
Hasta luego Yeb!
When Jeb pries a stone from the bottom of his shoe, he is performing minor brain surgery....”dumber than a box of rocks” doesn’t satisfy the equation that is the sum of Jeb.
oh man, this guy is crashing and burning, big time... “stay out, da Bushes”
Heard an interesting report on this Asian phenomenon. Apparently these parents(mother) pay as much as $50,000 to come into the country, stay long enough to have the baby and then go back to China with a valid US Passport for the future. When the kid grows up, they can go to school here, get a job, perhaps bring in other family members, etc. What was not mentioned in the report is that the Chinese could train these “citizens” to be sleeper agents and infiltrate them here 20 or 30 years after they were born. My late husband who fought in Korea against Chinese troops, said never forget the oriental capacity for patience.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.