Thread: What do you think should be the first order of business for the new Congress?

Tough call between Iraq and Immigration. I finally went with Iraq.

Illegal Immigration isn't gonna change till Mexico and South America change.

People who keep saying "we need to toughen up on immigration, we need to have immigration laws stricter" need a reality check.

There are countless hole's in our border. Unless we put a watch tower around every 15 feet of our border, including the oceans, manned by 2-3 people apiece, and invent some kind of illegal immigrant radar that can find them anywhere, including trunks, we're not going to stop illegal immigration.

We need to fix Mexico so that they DON'T WANT to leave.

Originally Posted by goandykid

Illegal Immigration isn't gonna change till Mexico and South America change.

People who keep saying "we need to toughen up on immigration, we need to have immigration laws stricter" need a reality check.

There are countless hole's in our border. Unless we put a watch tower around every 15 feet of our border, including the oceans, manned by 2-3 people apiece, and invent some kind of illegal immigrant radar that can find them anywhere, including trunks, we're not going to stop illegal immigration.

We need to fix Mexico so that they DON'T WANT to leave.

Is it just Mexicans, what about the Asian, the Africans and the Russians.

I said South America as well, and that's where the majority of the problem lies. There will always be illegal immigrants, but the vast majority could be taken care of if Mexico and South America fixed themselves up.

Originally Posted by goandykid

I said South America as well, and that's where the majority of the problem lies. There will always be illegal immigrants, but the vast majority could be taken care of if Mexico and South America fixed themselves up.

Come to NYC and you'll see different.

The South Americans are coming over here because we hire them for day laborers.

I used to wonder why there were so many mexicans and Salvadriens in LOng Island......the rich Americans hired them and they set up shop. Now they multiplied and they can't get rid of them.

I assume they took the good ones but the bad followed.

Regardless, statistically the majority of illegal immigrants are of hispanic descent.

That may be a bold statement since any estimate would be a guess since you can't track them, but I think it's a given. Especially if you come down here below the Mason-Dixon line.

Originally Posted by goandykid

Regardless, statistically the majority of illegal immigrants are of hispanic descent.

That may be a bold statement since any estimate would be a guess since you can't track them, but I think it's a given. Especially if you come down here below the Mason-Dixon line.

I have been to Washington and it doesn't compare to the illegals here in NYC.

You have to come over here and see what I am talking about.

Washington is a far cry from the South South. I'll pick you up around 4

Originally Posted by goandykid

Washington is a far cry from the South South. I'll pick you up around 4

True.
You can walk for blocks and blocks and barely see an American on the street, in certain neighborhoods of course.

No I still don't think it's that bad. My dad's house used to be on the east side, close to the border between southeast and Northeast, 8th and H specifically. Not a great area, but nearly everyone I met was an American.

Well maybe not everyone, but most.

Originally Posted by goandykid

No I still don't think it's that bad. My dad's house used to be on the east side, close to the border between southeast and Northeast, 8th and H specifically. Not a great area, but nearly everyone I met was an American.

Well maybe not everyone, but most.

In New York City?

Can I get a link on some immagration numbers, I can't find a direct source.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

In New York City?

Can I get a link on some immagration numbers, I can't find a direct source.

Oh I thought you were talking about Washington still.

Illegal Immigration numbers? I'll check too, like I said any estimate would eb a guess.

Here's an interesting stat between South and North

Percentage change in Foreign Born Population 1990 to 2000
North Carolina 273.7% South Carolina 132.1% Mississippi 95.8% Wisconsin 59.4% Vermont 32.5%
Georgia 233.4% Minnesota 130.4% Washington 90.7% New Jersey 52.7% Connecticut 32.4%
Nevada 202.0% Idaho 121.7% Texas 90.2% Alaska 49.8% New Hampshire 31.5%
Arkansas 196.3% Kansas 114.4% New Mexico 85.8% Michigan 47.3% Ohio 30.7%
Utah 170.8% Iowa 110.3% Virginia 82.9% Wyoming 46.5% Hawaii 30.4%
Tennessee 169.0% Oregon 108.0% Missouri 80.8% Pennsylvania 37.6% North Dakota 29.0%
Nebraska 164.7% Alabama 101.6% South Dakota 74.6% California 37.2% Rhode Island 25.4%
Colorado 159.7% Delaware 101.6% Maryland 65.3% New York 35.6% West Virginia 23.4%
Arizona 135.9% Oklahoma 101.2% Florida 60.6% Massachusetts 34.7% Montana 19.0%
Kentucky 135.3% Indiana 97.9% Illinois 60.6% Louisiana 32.6% Maine 1.1%
Source: U.S. Census 1990 and 2000

Originally Posted by goandykid

Here's an interesting stat between South and North

Percentage change in Foreign Born Population 1990 to 2000
North Carolina 273.7% South Carolina 132.1% Mississippi 95.8% Wisconsin 59.4% Vermont 32.5%
Georgia 233.4% Minnesota 130.4% Washington 90.7% New Jersey 52.7% Connecticut 32.4%
Nevada 202.0% Idaho 121.7% Texas 90.2% Alaska 49.8% New Hampshire 31.5%
Arkansas 196.3% Kansas 114.4% New Mexico 85.8% Michigan 47.3% Ohio 30.7%
Utah 170.8% Iowa 110.3% Virginia 82.9% Wyoming 46.5% Hawaii 30.4%
Tennessee 169.0% Oregon 108.0% Missouri 80.8% Pennsylvania 37.6% North Dakota 29.0%
Nebraska 164.7% Alabama 101.6% South Dakota 74.6% California 37.2% Rhode Island 25.4%
Colorado 159.7% Delaware 101.6% Maryland 65.3% New York 35.6% West Virginia 23.4%
Arizona 135.9% Oklahoma 101.2% Florida 60.6% Massachusetts 34.7% Montana 19.0%
Kentucky 135.3% Indiana 97.9% Illinois 60.6% Louisiana 32.6% Maine 1.1%
Source: U.S. Census 1990 and 2000

This reflects the last ten years, in NYC it goes further than that.
It's said that changes and events occur first in NYC before it goes nationwide.

Do you have a link.

http://www.answers.com/topic/immigra...-united-states

Originally Posted by goandykid

http://www.answers.com/topic/immigra...-united-states

Thanks.

Here we go GoAndy.

Latinos on the rise in the city

South Asians' growth also significant in '05
BY BRIAN KATES
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER



As the number of whites and African-Americans continues to decline in the city, Hispanic and South Asian populations have grown by leaps and bounds, the latest U.S. Census Bureau figures show.

But within each ethnic group, the numbers show significant shifts in the status quo.

In Latino New York, more and more immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Mexico and, more recently, Ecuador, are elbowing for their place at New York's table of opportunity alongside the long-dominant Puerto Ricans.

And among Asians, Chinese still vastly outnumber all other national origins. But their growth has slowed dramatically while the numbers among other groups - notably Indians and other South Asians - are skyrocketing.

These trends are seen in figures from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey, made public today.
Although demographers warn that margins of error in this annual data make the figures considerably less reliable than those released every 10 years, they do provide a snapshot of the (now not quite) 8 million stories in the City of New York.

Between 2000 and 2005, the city's total population dropped from 8,008,278 to 7,956,113. The number of whites dropped 77,173, to 3,499,212 and the black population slipped by 117,800, to 2,011,962, according to the Census Bureau.

But Latinos - who can be of any race - grew from 2,160,554 to 2,221,906 in those five years, accounting for 28% of the city's population. That's nearly double their percentage in the nation.

Vibrant Spanish-speaking neighborhoods exist in every borough, of course. But in the Bronx the motto could be changed from the Latin "Ne Cede Malis," meaning "Yield Not to Misfortunes" to "Aqui Se Habla Español," meaning "Spanish is Spoken Here."
At 684,361, Latinos are the borough's primary ethnic group.

Citywide, Puerto Ricans remain the dominant Latino group, numbering 787,046. But their numbers dropped between 2004 and 2005, while those of other Hispanic groups rose.

Dominicans, the city's second-largest Latino group, reached 532,620 in 2005, up from 512,087 in '04. The Mexican population also continued to climb between 2004 and 2005 (233,755 to 244,411).

But the numbers only begin to tell the story.
"There is a lot of sensitivity on the part of Puerto Ricans because of all the focus on immigrants," said Angelo Falcon, president of the National Institute of Latino Policy. "In many people's minds, it seems as if we have disappeared."

Many Puerto Ricans have risen to middle-class status, "moving to Long Island, upstate, New Jersey, Florida or back to Puerto Rico," Falcon said.
In any case, the decline in Puerto Rican numbers could cause a seismic shift in the city's all-important ethnic power base.

"Politically, what gives Puerto Ricans a dominance is not just their numbers but the fact that they come here as citizens," Falcon noted. "The decrease takes away from the number of eligible voters, and over time that could become a big issue."

City College's Dominican Studies Institute has predicted that Dominicans will outnumber Puerto Ricans as the city's biggest Latino group by 2010.

Meanwhile, although Asians are the smallest of New York's major ethnic groups, their numbers are growing the most rapidly - from 787,047 in 2000 to 922,978 in 2005.
Now, as in the past, the Chinese, with 428,079 in 2005, have the biggest Asian numbers, and the greatest clout. But their growth has slowed in the past year - as has their population lead versus the South Asian population, which includes natives of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

"Many more South Asians are immigrating, and their numbers are significant," said John Liu (D-Queens), a Chinese immigrant who became the city's first Asian councilman in 2001. "Their force is making an impact." Added Bryan Pu-Folkes, executive director of the Queens-based group New Immigrant Community Empowerment: "In 2009, when many City Council seats open up, I think we may have a fair chance of electing our first South Asian to City Council."

Originally published on November 13, 2006

Interesting, were there any related National figures?

Originally Posted by goandykid

Interesting, were there any related National figures?

Nah, just that. It was in todays paper.

I wish we had another Irish Immigration Invasion.

Originally Posted by goandykid

I wish we had another Irish Immigration Invasion.

Doubt it, they are doing really good there....from what I heard. Lots of cumputer work...

Originally Posted by min0 lee

Doubt it, they are doing really good there....from what I heard. Lots of cumputer work...

Yea the Rep of Ireland is econimcally strong. I'm jssut saying, I want my immigrants to actually assimilate.

Originally Posted by goandykid

Yea the Rep of Ireland is econimcally strong. I'm jssut saying, I want my immigrants to actually assimilate.

They have in a big way.

cant really be to strict with immigration.... i mean, after all who would build all the houses, mow the lawns, and do your roof... without imigrants lots of businesses would be stopped.

Originally Posted by KataKlysm954

cant really be to strict with immigration.... i mean, after all who would build all the houses, mow the lawns, and do your roof... without imigrants lots of businesses would be stopped.

I know, I'm not oen of those punishable by death, kick them all into mexico people. However, I did like Arizona's passing of the law that makes English the State Language.

Originally Posted by goandykid

I know, I'm not oen of those punishable by death, kick them all into mexico people. However, I did like Arizona's passing of the law that makes English the State Language.

That was a good move, I wish they would do the same here in NYC with the store front signs.

wish they would pass a law like that down in florida where i live. white people are the minority in the area i live (fort lauderdale not far from miami).