Other differences(re: our immigrant ancestors):
1. My immigrant ancestors worked to make a living and provided for their families.
2. My mother's family spoke a Russian dialect in their house, but the only place it was spoken or written outside of the home was their Church.
3. My ancestors came here with the expectation of better economic lives for themselves and their descendents, which included adapting to being Americans. The plan wasn't that tax-financed programs subsidized low-income wages (which shifts part of the burden to pay workers to the tax payer).
This aspect or things bothers me more, the more I think about it. I'm paying for part of the wages of these immigrant workers through taxes. You think the powers that be want these people to move up and demand higher wages and have the immigrant kids compete with the elite for places in the best universities or for jobs...no way. They're here to keep the wage pressure on the lower and middle classes.
And nobody should say it can't happen to them, their job is too important. Have you spoken to any high end computer programmers lately who have seen their work shipped to Pakistan or other "friendly" places?
Or better yet, have you seen the scads of H1-B visa holders that come HERE and displace technology workers because they think 20K a year is good money?
I've seen them at a company I did consulting work for. They live 6 to 8 in a 2 bedroom apartment, ride to work together in ONE car and make no attempt to assimilate or socialize with anyone else. And of course the women wear their 'traditional' garb and won't look you in the eye.
Assimilate or get the F*** out!