Urban Legends

OK, people. I've noticed a constant in all these past comments that you need to understand: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND MEXICANS ARE NOT THE SAME THING. The majority of illegal immigrants are Mexican, that's for sure, but you cannot generalize in that manner. The author of this article NEVER mentioned the word MEXICANS, he talked about illegal immmigration as a whole (South America, Central America, Mexico... and who knows what other countries from the other side of the world as well) because he is perfectly aware that it is not the same thing.
I've lived in the south of Mexico and illegal immmigrants (a really big number) from South and Central America get into Mexico illegally, and just like the US, Mexico doesn't do a good job preventing this awful situation from happening. So Mexico is not the only one to blame.
Returning to the "generalization" issue, it seems that everybody (radio and TV stations) don't even say ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS anymore, now they say MEXICANS, and I find that extremely offensive because not only is this stereotypical for a Mexican coming into this country, it is also racist since this denomination creates bad reputation and discrmination towards legal Mexicans in the US. Illegal Mexicans residing in the US are a small sample of the Mexican population, and sadly, this is all Americans know and tend to think that everybody south the border acts the same way. I hope you get the chance to visit these wonderful countries and see the difference for yourselves; and people coming LEGALLY from Mexico and other countries in the southern hemisphere into the US serve as a good example to Americans (and others) of how Latin Americans really are.

Lochinvar: I'm a white woman from Georgia and my grandfather currently raises chickens for slaughter and has been known to roast pigs for the neighborhood block parties. I get behind trucks every day full of chickens raised by other white Americans for slaughter.
I work in food service - it does cost 6-9% or more to cash a check, often it is a flat $10 fee for up to $150, then it goes up from there. Most check cashing places aren't run by immigrants even if they advertise in Spanish on the windows. I imagine you haven't had to use one because you have a bank account - though, have you ever been charged a fee for an ATM transaction? Same principle. RJC101 is right - I also work with a large number of immigrants in my hiring. My employees aren't on food stamps and would never apply for them. They go to urgent care centers for medical treatement and pay astronomical prices. I've gotten 200 applications (same app for everyone by the way) in the last three months and only four were from people who marked "US Citizen" on the app.

Top 15 States receiveing federal welfare monies:
1. North Dakota
2. Montana
3. West Virginia
4. Idaho
5. South Dakota
6. New Mexico
7. Mississippi
8. Utah
9. Arkansas
10. Vermont
11. Wyoming
12. Maine
13. Kentucky
14. Oklahoma
15. South Carolina

How many Mexicans cross the border to go to North Dakota? Those are white, middle class earning thoses goverment subsidies out there...

Absolute Tom is correct in stating that correlation does not imply causation. The low crime rates in high-immigrant cities might be caused by another independent factor. A great deal of data and analysis would be required to prove causation between high immigrant populations and low crime rates.

On the other hand, Mr. Dickey is correct that there is very little evidence to indicate causation between immigrants and high crime rates. In fact, there is very little evidence to suggest that immigrants, illegal or not, have any significant negative effects on the economy. Too much detail to get into here. See the link below.

http://www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/ImmigrationCSR26.pdf

I have lived in Los Angeles my entire life, and have felt no significant effect from the many illegals there. Our nation's native unskilled labor pool is not sufficient to meet demand. The economy can absorb the illegals, and we should modify the laws to reflect the economic and demographic realities of the current situation. Collect taxes from them and offer them responsibilities and opportunuties. It is my impression that anti illegal immigrant advocates use crime, economy, and terrorism as red herrings to disguise their real motive, which is xenophobic hatred and intolerance.

The author neglects several key points:
1) Cities are constantly recatagorizing crime statistics in order to decrease their numers in order to get federal funding.
2) If you include illegal immarrents into the mix, crime statistics will go up as they are by definition of being illegal, criminals.
3) Even thought the crime statistics quoted in this piece have gone down, it was not stated how many of these crimes were being committed by illegal aliens. That number could still be on the rise even if the total numbers go down.
4) Prison statistics point to an increase in the incarciration of illegal immagrants, not a decrease.
5) The graduating class at the NYC police academy is made up of legal immagrents, not illegals.
Most people do not have a problem with LEGAL immagration (as most Americans were at some point). The problem is with those who continue to flaunt our laws by being here illegally. Most don't realize the shear numbers of applicants that are refused everyday, and the applicants stay in their own country (Canada, Europe, Asia). If we were to open the floodgates to everyone who want to come into the US, our economy would collapse under the welfare state that it would create. Why show preference to Mexico..?

This is certainly interesting and thank you for reporting this interesting correlation. In response to some of the disappointing comments below, I say this: As the granddaughter of hardworking Norwegian immigrants, I feel pride in our country's history of welcoming newcomers determined to push forward through hard work and sacrifice, and I support any legislation that helps allow people to do so. It strengthens our nation as a whole and it is a pathetic, ironic twist that today's 'established' Americans would begrudge that opportunity to today's new arrivals. You're darn right my grandparents sent money back to Norway! They had mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters barely surviving off the tiny farms back home! Two generations later, I have an Doctoral degree and a full, privileged life. Immigrants come, they work, they contribute, and they leave a legacy of children and grandchildren who grow up in this society as Americans. Here in Minnesota today, you can find a Norwegian descended Lutheran with blond hair and blue eyes who still says Uff-da, but buys her tacos in the barrio, speaks fluent Spanish, and dances salsa. That's not being liberal or conservative. It's being American.

Crime rates are indirectly proportional to the economy; the better the economy, the lower the crime rate. To suggest that crimes rates are futher reduced by a higher than standard percentage of immigrants is a fallacy - a false argument. If it also turns out that cities with lower crime rates have higher than standard Orange Soda consumption, would the author also concur that the consumption of Orange Soda reduces crime?? I seriously dout that - and that is the entire premise of his argument.

There are a few positive aspects about immigration but they elude me at the moment. I think that it is wonderful that immigrants sent a large proportion of their money back to mexico or wherever. America has reached its saturation point and the books should be closed but the liberals need a cause to champion and the exploitation of cheap labor has some appeal. Mexicans have a contempt for Americans that in the near future will result in riots not unlike that which other minorties have given America. CLOSE the GATES and lets solve the problems we have before taking on any more!

this is so biased, chec out what us real citizens will resist
these coments are so political and unrealistic what U.S. citizens, including legal immigrants want for Country. A sovereign Nation Of True Americans, and Patriotic American U.S.A. citizens. Law abiding.

I might add--Mexicans do LESS harm to American society than many SO CALLED natural Americans who do much more to destroy Democracy by their hate.Hate is a bitter enemy to who so ever excepts it into their life..This Lonchinvar is indicative of all of the above.Are you going to have us believe that "EVERY" Mexican conduct themselves as such? "YOU" are a far greater ENEMY to America than ANY illegal alien.Hate blinds to truth and reality.

I have said many times that Mexico and Canada should have an open door policy---no border restrictions.Borders of all three countries should be open,Mexico has been our neighbor for long years and the only conflict was the Alamo and Pancho Villa.The people on this board complaining about lower level Mexicans are really STEREOTYPING all mexicans.since you do that--those that do,Are Mexicans and Blacks a threat to America or is Alqaeda along with MOST Islamist our enemies? Finally--try telling the family of the boy who's life was appranetnly saved by a mexican coming to America to support and provide for his family that Mexicans are America;s problem.They would spit in your evil--hate infested face.

despite

This artical is a good reason not to smoke crack

I would like to address rjc101 in his posting. You obviously haven't been in the trenches with our illegals from Mexico. I'm there daily and have watched this wave of humanity pour into my city wherein they have shocked the senses of the citizenry by urinating in the streets, digging pits in which to roast pigs,and raising chickens for slaughter as they do in Mexico. You speak of a 6-9 % charge for cashing checks, I seriously doubt that and if so it's their own countrymen who have opened businesses to accomadate their peers. our Prisons have by far in their populace criminals from South of the Border. As far as workers filling jobs exchewed by American Citizens oh contrare, our Casinos are full of illegals filling thesae jobs as they get prefered treatment eg. An application for an American Citizen is up to 14 pages of information, for The immigrants...1 to 2 pages. You mention "sub- Asians handling information calls and of the brands of appliances and entertainment we have as being from foriegn sources, blame Corporate America and the push to make the world a New World Order. you mention the social services... an audit run by the state of Arizona showed 67 % of their social services budget is spent on the Mexicans. That's why they have passed a law effective July,2007. these services are no longer available except in a life threatening circumstance. I think your assesment is full of hyperbole and you should investigate deeper and more comprehensively. Are you aware that the second highest source of income flowing into Mexico is from this country via the workers here? the only source larger is through their oil.Perhaps you should go to Mexico and council small businesses there and help them to provide jobs for their citizenry and we could turn upwards of 35 billion dollars in our economy.

THAT'S FUNNY..................75 PERCENT OF THE CRIME IN MY AREA IS BEING COMMITED BY MEXICAN ILLEGALS............REMEMBER THEY ARE ILLEGALS FIRST...THEN YOU CAN FOLLOW IT WITH THE WORD IMMIGRANTS. IF MR. DICKEY DOESN'T BELIEVE ME, TELL HIM TO CHECK OUR PRISONS NOW...THEY ARE FULL OF SAFE, KIND, LAW ABIDING ILLEGALS