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Bad economy forcing immigrants to reconsider U.S.

 
 
Woiyo9
 
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 11:20 am
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Pedro Pablo slowly folds up his American flag blanket and stuffs it in his duffel bag. With it goes his American dream.
Pedro Pablo, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, headed home recently due to the bad U.S. economy.

"I left my family and lost four years with them. I will ask them to forgive me," he said.

Pablo is an illegal immigrant from Guatemala who came to the United States to support his wife and five sons back home. When he arrived, construction jobs were plentiful. Over the last year, he says, he's worked three days.

He recently boarded a bus with a one-way ticket home, paid for by the Guatemalan consulate in Los Angeles. "I thought I could get ahead here. I regret coming." Video Watch day laborers head home ยป

Across the United States, tens of thousands of immigrants -- those here legally and illegally -- are facing a similar dilemma: Do they continue to search for jobs in a struggling U.S. economy or return home to an even bleaker economic situation?

"Things are very dire, and I think it's impacting those at the very bottom even more so," said Abel Valenzuela, a professor at the University of California-Los Angeles who has spent years studying day laborers.

"Day laborers are being really, really impacted."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/10/immigrants.economy/index.html

Laughing
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Type: Discussion • Score: 6 • Views: 1,701 • Replies: 17
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squinney
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 11:30 am
Well, maybe this will finally answer the argument that illegals are taking American jobs. We'll see how many American teens and twenty somethings show up to pick our tomato's.
CoastalRat
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 11:38 am
I guess if I were an insensitive, uncaring twit I'd say that at least this is one good thing coming out of our economic downturn. But since I am not, I'll just say that I hope he gets a job back in Guatamala and tells all his friends not to come here.
0 Replies
 
BigTexN
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 11:38 am
@Woiyo9,
Quote:
I think it's impacting those at the very bottom even more so


I fired my yard guy last summer.

He wasn't an illegal but he was one of those "at the very bottom".

I'm still waiting on my stimulus check...

BTW, did you catch the story about the poor Arizona rancher who is being sued by 16 illegals for $32 million?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/09/16-illegals-sue-arizona-rancher/

If they aren't going back, they are quickly learning how to play the system!

Uno lawsuit lottery ticket por favor... Gracias!
0 Replies
 
Woiyo9
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 11:47 am
@squinney,
Your arrogance is noted. All you care about is "YOUR TOMATOES" so it is important to you to make sure we have illegal, non tax paying poor smucks picking them for your.

Instead of some American child, sitting around playing with their X-Box, or some American unemployed "bum" living off your welfare check, maybe you can hire them to pick your tomatoes.
squinney
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:00 pm
@Woiyo9,
I have been quite outspoken on this forum about my desire for illegals to be sent home. I have stated that illegal is illegal, follow the rules if you want to come, but don't sneak in by cover of night and then raid our already overstressed system.

The argument back to me has been that we then won't have anyone to pick our tomato's, or if they do the cost of my BLT will be outrageous. We need the illegals to be here. I disagree, and think that if we need more tomato pickers, the government should open more slots in the immigration process so they enter legally.

I grew up on a farm. Besides animals, we had a HUGE garden that still needed tending after the animals were cared for and the hay was put up. I know what it takes.

My children do not, nor do any of their friends or millions of other kids that soon won't even be needed at McDonalds due to the economy. They have no idea.

My first post was an "I guess we'll finally see how this plays out."
Thomas
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:06 pm
@Woiyo9,
I find it interesting to observe how quickly a thread that starts with an article about immigrants turns into a thread about illegal immigrants. Not that I see the difference as very important morally. Indeed, busting illegal immigrants is about as high on my priority list as busting illegal sitters in the wrong half of a segregated bus. Still, the near-silence about the existence of legal immigrants is interesting.
squinney
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:18 pm
@Thomas,
The second sentence of the article states that Pedro is an illegal immigrant.
CoastalRat
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:19 pm
@squinney,
Yeah, what Squinney said. I was just a bit slow.
0 Replies
 
Thomas
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:22 pm
@squinney,
Sure. But Pedro is only the lead-in to the article, the message of which is about immigrants in general. (Also see the title.)
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:27 pm
@Thomas,
Actually I just read this article elsewhere and the focus was on illegal (although they did mention legal) immigrants and this particular individual was illegal.

I think that might be why the illegal subject was brought up.
0 Replies
 
Woiyo9
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:27 pm
@Thomas,
See the Title? That's CNN's attempt to spin the reality.
0 Replies
 
Linkat
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:28 pm
@squinney,
I think the slant was there was not enough work for even the illegal immigrants (or legal if you want to argue) so there wouldn't be work for tweens either.
0 Replies
 
Woiyo9
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:29 pm
@squinney,
My apologies then Squinney.

Based upon your analysis therefore, the children should have plenty of time to work the farm, like you did.

I do not buy that "NO AMERICANS" will pick tomatoes.

When you are unemployed and have any self esteem, you will pick tomatoes if you have to.
Thomas
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:34 pm
@Woiyo9,
Back in Germany, we went through the same discussion and the same remedies, with "tomatoes" replaced by "asparagus" and "Mexican day laborers" replaced by "Polish day laborers". In general, jobless Germans didn't last in those jobs for a week. But I agree with Squinney: it's good to get the empirical evidence in.
dyslexia
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:36 pm
@Thomas,
it has been brought to my attention that Bernard Madoff is an illegal immigrant and is part of a cabal on wall street with devious intentions towards america's banking/credit industry.
0 Replies
 
squinney
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 12:54 pm
@Thomas,
I expect the result will be the the same here as in Germany except that few of us would ever put asparagus on our burgers while grilling out on July 4th. That will be the real test.
0 Replies
 
Foofie
 
  1  
Reply Tue 10 Feb, 2009 06:54 pm
Having a world-wide recession is one heck of a way to get immigrants in western nations to go back home. This reminds me of the expression, "throwing the baby out with the bath water."
0 Replies
 
 

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