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The 'immigrant problem'

In polite conversation recently, I heard a guy refer to "an Asian problem" in his community. I pressed to know what he meant by that, and he didn't offer much in the way of a "problem." The "problem" seemed to be that "Asians" were visible in his community, that they were here.

Oh, well. That's how it is with some people. A lot of the rhetoric about our "immigrant problem" -- the illegality of their entry into the United States, the cost to taxpayers, the refusal of immigrants assimilate and learn the nation's dominant language -- seems to be a cover for general discomfort with having immigrants here at all, and all around us. The plaint about language -- or the alleged refusal of many immigrants to speak English -- is most overstated. English is the world's dominant language and the number of its speakers grows by millions every year.

And it's baloney that immigrants refuse to learn to speak it. I'll finish this entry with a note I received from an old friend who is teaching ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) at an elementary school in Baltimore County. I asked how she liked her job, and this was her reply:

"In a school of about 330 students, we have 72 students in pre-K through grade 5 whose second language is English, and they come from all over -- China, El Salvador, India, Iran, Ethiopia, Bulgaria . . . I pull out my small groups for a half-hour of English grammar and vocabulary instruction each day. I love the kids, and their parents are great to work with because they come from cultures that still value education. They hold teachers in high esteem -- imagine that. Plus, they have sacrificed so much to come here, trying to find a better future for their children. I'd never be brave enough to leave my homeland and my extended family, so I admire folks who have that much courage."

Posted by Dan Rodricks at 11:15 AM | | Comments (7)
        

Comments

Liberal Rodricks singing the joys of multicuturalism...
He fails to mention the crime caused by many of these immigrants. I have some as neighbors unfortunately. They drive illegally, bring their customs such as changing oil in the front yard, letting it just pool on th e lawn, spray paint auto parts on sidewalks, throw trash all over the place, drag the living room furniture out onto the proch and sleep there all hours of the day and night, drink heavily and trow the bottles and cans in the yard. Yeah they aren't a problem Rodricks, they're a real joy to have and really add value to our country... (writer rolls eyes) You probably have some cleaning your house and mowing your lawn so iti s not a problem for you.

Hi Dan, first time commenter, longtime reader.

With all due respect, I just wanted to say to the person who commented above me: my friends have some caucasian neighbors who do the same things, plus setting off illegal fireworks in their backyard (and laughing at the resulting fire in the community dumpster.) Being a lazy, slovenly ass knows no race.

I agree that people who are in a country illegally *can* cause certain problems, but if you're just going to complain about your neighbors, don't generalize their behavior to everyone "like them."

They drive illegally, bring their customs such as changing oil in the front yard, letting it just pool on th e lawn, spray paint auto parts on sidewalks, throw trash all over the place, drag the living room furniture out onto the proch and sleep there all hours of the day and night, drink heavily and trow the bottles and cans in the yard.

That's funny, because that sounds like my white (presumably American born) neighbor who lives around the corner from me in Patterson Park. He 1) had an open pit in his backyard that functioned as a public toilet, 2) had a sofa that was left out on the sidewalk for over a year (despite our repeated calls to DPW to have it removed), and 3) owned an adjacent vacant property that had trash, old tires, and other debris piled up 10 feet high in his backyard.

This guy is about to be evicted (due to foreclosure), so if you'd like to have a white-bred American neighbor, I'll be happy to send him your way.

Yea, I too have non-immigrant neighbors who think that because they live there, they can do whatever they want and the rest of us just have to "deal with it". They shoot off fireworks just because it is dark, the date doesn't matter. I returned home last summer from vacation to find my newly-installed deck littered with fireworks debris from one of their parties, several of which left burn marks. On the other hand, my real immigrant neighbors are hard-working, keep their property and their home tidy, and are as offended by the "white trash" as we are. To NKNP, weren't your grandparents or great-grandparents immigrants?

Foreign "customs?"

Changing oil in the front yard... dragging furniture onto the front porch... drinking heavily?

Having come from generations of solid Redneck stock, I think New Know Nothing just described a happening hometown Saturday -- just before the guys from "Cops" show up.

Well I agree that there is a lot a "unrefined" behavior of all people from all walks of life both native and otherwise. But I do not think that having a fractured society in America is productive. I also worry about population. Population is a great cause of many american ills. As our country's populaiton steadily increases the quality of life of all Americans decreases. Take a good look at our enviroment for example. The viability of the Chesapeake Bay is in a dramatic tailspin. The largest contributor to this according to experts...population increases. According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census immigration is the largest contributing factor to population in the U.S., well beyond per capita replacement levels by something to the tune of 250%. At this disparate level we have problems such as sprawl, crowed schools, higher taxes, more roads, deforestaton, ecological decline, dried aquafers, reduced wages, increased pollution. the social, ecological, cultural and financial costs from over population are very real and the root cause is liberal unbridled immigration policies. Our country is already over populated and things are gettimg much worse. While it is a truly aultrustic to want to help those from less fortunate lands; is it moral and ethical to do so at the dire expense and well being of our own citzens and future generations?

Are these the same Asians who get perfect scores on SATs (Howard Co.), win the spelling bees and answer most of the questions on It's Academic?

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About Dan Rodricks
Jan. 8, 2009, marked 30 years for Dan Rodricks' column in The Baltimore Sun. Over three decades, Dan has won numerous regional and several national awards for his reporting and commentary -- in print and on the air. "I've had opportunity to write a column and work in both radio and television, never having to leave my adopted hometown of Baltimore to have those experiences," he says. "I consider myself very fortunate." In addition to writing a twice-weekly column for The Baltimore Sun and his Random Rodricks blog, Dan is currently the host of Midday, on WYPR-FM, National Public Radio in Baltimore. An artful story-teller and social critic, he has observed local, state and national political and cultural trends for three decades, and has a lot to say about almost everything.
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