Illegal Immigrants/May Day and How pissed I'm.

[TriMetFan]

First I will post the link from my post 2 days ago.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2597629

Second I'm so FUCKING PISSED OFF at this time! I'm sick of hearing/reading some here at DU blaming the illegal immigrants. Fuck that shit! Blame the right people! Blame the companies that do the hiring! Blame the American Government for not having the guts to fine the crap out of the companies that do the hiring. But that really is not the American way is it! The American way to blame people of color. Who in the hell has control of the power in American? Is it the African American, Asian American, Hispanics ect....??????? It is time to take a good look in the mirror and ask yourselves how did your people get here! Unless you are full blood American Native, the moment our ancestors step foot here on this side of the world they were illegal immigrants! Now don't get me wrong. I don't believe it is o.k. to just cross the board from the north or south with out your papers in order.

What drove the last nail into the coffin for me was last night. I drive for our public transit here in Portland OR. A passenger got on last night and this guy (white dude) in a friendly manner asked me where the nearest grocery store was. The guy stayed up close to me. I was getting a little pissed since the bus was just about empty. The guy out of the blue tells me he is from Salem OR. and that he was sick of "those people". Will I was just being me ask what people. He then said you know, the ones that have taken over Salem, Woodburn and MT. Angle. That is when it hit home to me. I looked into my mirror to see who was in my bus. I had 5 latinos, 1 African American women and 1 other white guy. So being me and how piss off I have been about all this shit I pulled the bus over and I lost my kool. I told the guy that if some one were to cut him that he would bleed fucken red blood just like any body else on my bus. He then has the nerve to tell me that I was will to help these people and how could I since they would at some time take my job from me. The dumb ass thought I was lite skin Afican American! So in Spanish and in English I just told the mother Fucker off and kick him off the bus. The only satisfaction I got was that I was the last bus in that area. I got to say that my other passengers were very surprised that I was will to say anything. But the best thing of all was to have the African American Women come to me and she gave me a hug. This is what is happening in our America at this time!
It is time to take a very good look in the mirror and ask yourself do you want to be like those right wing wacko's that are willing to blame others for the mistakes of the companies and our Government make?

I'm An American Latina and I'm Very Very Proud of who I'm.

[EFerrari]

1. Bravo. I'm glad it was you and not me because I've never

punched an elderly person in the face before. Respeto, you know. :evilgrin:

[TriMetFan]

3. Well if you are talking about the guy

he was not that old. About 45. Unless think that is old! then I'm in real trouble here.:evilgrin:

[EFerrari]

43. Me, too.

:evilgrin:

[noahmijo]

2. 24 year old latino here-I said the exact same argument long ago

It's the people doing the hiring and the American consumer who willingly buys cheap goods at cheap prices (fast food, processed food ect)

I like your fire and your desire to step up for all groups which face oppression in America today, but just be careful hermana, we don't need you hurt or in jail, we need your voice and your mind out there until justice eventually comes down on our side and it won't be long now.

Did you read earlier economists wrote reports that made the AP which said that those who protested made their point well; apparently if their removal from society were a long term thing, America wouldn't survive for very long given its current standards of living without the value that illegals bring into the country.

[TriMetFan]

5. I know.

I have always been a voice for those so called "Mystical Little People".

Also Mexico is the country where the greatest number of U.S citizens live outside the United States. Which we American Hispanics don't hear other Americans talk about.

Like I said before it is time to put the blame on the right groups. American Companies and both American and Mexico Governments

[leftofthedial]

4. it's not just that the compaines do the hiring

they do the gross underpaying

[TriMetFan]

7. Yes they do.

But until our American Government starts fining the hell out of these companies nothing will change.

[Robbie Michaels]

6. Exactly How I Feel

I'm trying not to refute people's arguments over this issue anymore. Ignorance isn't bliss. It's stupidity.

If someone wants to have a civil discussion about immigration, I'm open to the idea. If someone wants to waste my time and blame Mexicans or other ethnic groups? Piss off.

[TriMetFan]

8. I feel the same way! But I can't stand or sit back

about this because this will effect me in one way or another.

[VirtualChicano]

9. why do you call them "illegal?"

indigenous extraction peoples are not "illegal."

[TriMetFan]

13. I got you here.

When I was a cop here in Portland i used to get so freaking pissed when other cops would say illegal aliens. I would say "Hell I better make sure they have their paper from Mars" or I didn't know there was life on other planets.

[caledesi]

10. Yeah, why blame the Mexicans who are trying for a better life

because the unemployment in Mexico is %40. Go after the companies who hire them and oh, our dear Decider should be talking to his friend Vicente Foxx to find out what HE plans on doing on HIS side of the border and why won't he take CARE of his people.

These fuckers.

[Bridget Burke]

31. Vicente Fox wanted to make plans at his first meeting with Bush.

He wanted some kind of guest worker program--not one of my faves. But he also wanted ways to encourage Mexicans to return home. Bush ignored the whole issue. Mexico's problems did not begin with Fox--& the US has usually backed those who cared little for the Mexican people. In fact, Fox was the first non-PRI president since the end of the 1910-1920 Revolution. The Revolution that became more of a Civil War & sent thousands of Mexicans north.

Anyway, Fox is almost at the end of his term. The current front-runner is to the left. He's already being called a "new Chavez"--by the opposition. If the election is NOT stolen from his party (as happened in 1988) we'll see many posts here to that effect. Oh, they'll mention Castro, too.

[caledesi]

48. BB - Very interesting info. Thank you. nt

[caledesi]

11. Self-Delete

\

[TriMetFan]

14. I think Mr. Foxx did at one time try to talk to our

dumb Decider about this. Our Decider didn't want anything to do about it. I wonder why????????

[Bridget Burke]

33. Yes, Fox had some plans to discuss....

That was at their first meeting, in Mexico.

Fox invited Bush to go riding on one of his fine horses. Since Bush does NOT ride, perhaps that made the little twirp angry.

[TriMetFan]

50. I bet it made Bush angry.

What wimp.

[Betsy Ross]

12. I have no solution to the "illegal immigration problem"

I do not support withholding care to any human being.

Anyone born in the US should be a citizen regardless of the status of his or her parents.

It's the economy, stupid: ours, Mexico's and the rest of the world.

The target should be the businesses that hire and abuse undocumented workers.

And yes, many do take jobs Americans won't.

That's as far as I have gotten with this question.

[TankLV]

15. Wow - thank you for all of us!

You were very courageous.

It's about time WE started giving these right wing bigoted assholes something back for all the shit they've heaped on us!

[TriMetFan]

19. Yes we need to stand up for all of us.

There is no one that is better then some one else. When I go to Yucatan, I like to take my kids to the poorest parts and let them make friends with the kids. I have eaten in homes there that only have a dirt floor and the only food to be eaten is white rice and black beans with tortillas. I know this is not for every one, but it has help my boys to understand that no matter how much money a person has you should never think you are better then others.

[Flabbergasted]

16. Gosh man I'm so proud of you! I sometimes ride the 4 NoPo. I'd be proud

to ride your bus!

[TriMetFan]

17. Well if you do ever get on the #4 train 44, I drive it

Wednesday ,Thursday and Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:19 p.m. come an say hi. You can't miss me. I have spiky black gray hair. Also I'm a female.

[Flabbergasted]

18. I'll go out of my way. But train means....How do I identify when you

would pass PCC Cascade?

[TriMetFan]

20. On the bus there is on the front lower rt. corner of the windshield

four numbers. Mine is 0444. Also at what time do you get on the #4?

[Flabbergasted]

21. I board in the evening maybe 5 at the earliest?

[TriMetFan]

22. Sorry Flabbergasted. By that time I'm home or at my kids

baseball games. I go by there at (to town) 11:12a.m. and 2:27 p.m. or to ST. Johns at 9:50 a.m. or 1:02 p.m.

[Flabbergasted]

23. Alright either way I'm proud of you....

[TriMetFan]

25. Thanks.

But don't forget if you very get on my bus, say hi. You really can't miss me. I smile a lot and just one more thing I wear a ring on my right pinkie that has a cross. Peace my friend.

[imlost]

24. Amen. I'm sick of it too.

I'm also a proud Latina. I hate all of it.

It is such a complex issue with many people to blame. No one wants to solve the issue. They just want
to use scare tactics. The latest is putting African American's against latinos. We can't succumb to these
tactics being used by conservatives to split our party apart. As a Mexican American I have always felt very close
to African Americans and any other minority. We should be here for each other.

It makes me happy that this has awaken my community. We are showing the country we are force. We must
be and we will be listened to. What most people don't realize is that many of the people protesting today are
not illegals. They are citizens like my six siblings, niece and parents. We are fed up with the outright
prejudice. We all vote and have always voted Democrat. We love the party but get pissed off when we see so many
at the DU that are ignorant of the true situation.

If our economy was in good shape then this would not be an issue. If they were times of growth and wealth, if the
middle class wasn't in such a bind economically, and if there wasn't such huge debt, this would not be an issue.
Who is to blame for this?

[TriMetFan]

26. I know what you mean.

Hell I have always gotten weired looks because of my skin color. Like you said, what a lot of the DU's that are against this issue don't understand is that most of the protester are American Latinos and WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE. Americans are going to have a very rude awaking, because all they have done is a woken a big huge group of people that in a time of need don't let other issues stand in our way. And for those that don't understand what I mean: We Hispanics are Hispanic because of that 1 oz. of Spanish blood and blood is thicker then water.

[bobbieinok]

49. listening to RW radio, it's clear RW wants to get latinos+blacks to fight

each other

[TriMetFan]

51. I know that is what they want.

Look if all the Latinos and blacks were to unite these right wing wacko's would shit in their pants. I bet they didn't expect to see the Asian Americans out there protesting on Monday.

[Skittles]

27. you ROCK TriMetFan

stick it to these ignorant f***s, I have made it an art form here in Texas

[TriMetFan]

32. What part of Texas?

I'm was born and raised in San Antonio.

[Bridget Burke]

35. Ah, beautiful San Antonio.

I've spent most of my life in not-so-beautiful Houston.

Texas does have a lot of bigots. (We're such a big state that we've got a lot of EVERYTHING!) But it seems that people living outside the Southwest are more afraid of "those people" than most Texans. (Of course, many Texans ARE "those people"--nowadays, many kinds of people.) Folks from more "liberal" states even complain at DU about "them"--moving into their cities, speaking Spanish, having kids.

[TriMetFan]

38. Yep your are right.

I'm so sick of all this crap, but I will not bend to no White person every again. An since all this bull shit started I have started to speak more Spanish on my bus to my Hispanic passengers. Let the fuck-en complains come in.

[Bridget Burke]

45. One white bus driver on my route speaks Spanish when he can..

He's trying to improve his command of the language & loves to start conversations with Hispanic passengers.

[TriMetFan]

47. I'm glad he is trying.

I have tried to learn to hello. good-by and thank you in 4 different language's. There are times that my bus sounds like the United Nations and I have to just smile .

[Skittles]

46. on top of Dallas

ooh I love San Antonio; not only is it beautiful, the people there are very tourist-friendly. Oh, and I went to basic training at Lackland! :D

[TriMetFan]

52. I my Grandfather worked at Kelly.

I never really cared for Big D. I thought the people there just talked funny.:rofl:

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

28. Good for you, TriMetFan. Que tan valorosa de Ud.!

"So in Spanish and in English I just told the mother Fucker off and kick him off the bus."

Exactly as you were right to do. I like to think I'd have enough courage to do the same in a similar situation. I get so angry at these white bigots so ignorant of history that they have the gall to talk about "these people" in such a manner. Have they forgotten that it was white settlers originally who settled, quite illegally, here and evicted the Native American tribes who were there before?

Even worse, have they forgotten the incredibly brutal and bloody way in which the Southwestern states became part of the US in the first place? Have they forgotten the cruel, offensive Mexican War in which Mexico, a young republic trying to get its bearings, was invaded and humiliated? Have they forgotten how the mestizo and native peoples of the region-- who had long crossed what became "the border" for centuries for their agriculture-- were now suddenly cut off on either side of the divide from the practices they'd been following for so long? Have they forgotten one of the major reasons for the US invasion of Mexico (that is, that the Mexican government had banned slavery, which the US wanted to spread into the Mexican territories)? It boggles the mind sometimes.

Que sea orgullosa en su valor impresionante y en su decision de anunciar, que tan racismo NO SERA AGUANTADO en su presencia y en ese autobús que Ud. conduce.

Although I am not Latino myself, I proudly speak Spanish and acknowledge the right of anyone, Latino or not, to use it. Considering the brutal and still raw history of the Mexican War, and the treaties that ensued in its wake, there is no other alternative.

[TriMetFan]

36. Thank You for your words.

Like I have said: They have awoken a group of people that just like being plain old Americans. Its time for all of us Hispanics and our supporters to start getting involved with our Democratic Hispanic Groups.

[Joe Fields]

29. I'm sick of it too!

How in the hell can people blame others less fortunate for wanting to leave poverty behind for a chance at a better life for themselves and for their families?

God didn't create borders, man did. Are we not all human beings? Don't all of us want a good life, or at least a chance to feed, clothe and house ourselves; to be productive and make our life count for something?

What makes us Americans so special? The fact that we were accidentally born here in America? By the luck of the draw we could have been born in Uganda or Haiti, Mexico or Brazil, Iceland or Iraq. None of us had a choice as to which country we were born in, or what skin color we have.

Are we to condemn people for wanting to live here? To want to work? To want an opportunity for a better life? To want to become citizens?

As an Anglo, I must say that I have had a great deal of exposure and experience with Mexicans, and I can honestly say that I have never met more polite, hard working people than them. It would be a credit to our country to allow amnesty for the undocumented workers already here, who make up a large and important segment of our workforce and economy. Then, if immigration control is the problem it is purported to be, get serious about shutting down the borders. The government needs to quit talking out of both sides of it's mouth.

[TriMetFan]

39. "The government needs to quit talking out of both sides of it's mouth."

How right you are! I do agree with others about our laws need to be obeyed, but until our Government does something about the companies that do the hiring, nothing will ever be completed.

[loveandlight]

30. Beautiful response...

Thank you for doing that. And making this post. I am pretty upset, too, about all the anti-immigrant stuff I have seen at DU lately. Like hey, it's illegal, so they can't just demand to be here. Well, hey, some of these people have been here "illegally" for years, have kids and families and have been doing hard work for all of their time here. And why are they still "illegal"? Because this government and the corporations that hire "illegals" and support the government don't want to pay decent wages and benefits and allow "legal" immigrants to do the jobs that this country could not survive on if they didn't do the jobs. It is so about blaming the victim for the crimes of the perpetrators. If we actually acknowledged the work that all these "illegals" did for this country and paid them decent wages and benefits, wouldn't we all be surprised? That is what these marches are about. Open your eyes people, see what is right in front of you. Yesterday, I went to get an oil change at the place near my work where I always go, and guess what? They were closed. I was surprised, then I thought about it, and realized the people who work in that shop all speak with accents or very little English. They've been at that shop for years, many more than the number that I've been going. I am pretty sure they are "legal" but I bet they took the day off to support their brothers and sisters. I applaud them for that and I support them and all the people who are here in this country working hard every day.

If we really want to do something about immigration in this country, let's deal with the companies that hire people at shit wages and treat them like dirt. Let's do something about NAFTA and CAFTA and other trade agreements that make working in their own countries not worth it. So people come here to make the money that they can't make in their own countries because the good old USA is ripping off their countries with these horrible trade agreements. I'd say that is industrious of people, to figure out where the money is and the jobs and to go get them. More power to them. Until our country starts treating other countries fairly, what do you think is really going to happen to solve this problem? Just a lot of pre-election blustering that is all.

[TriMetFan]

41. Well said. And Thank You.

[SaveElmer]

34. Immigrants have been presented a Hobson's choice...

Either stay in their home country, be caught up in the cycle of poverty caused by the corruption in their own governments, and the willingness of American corporations to use that corruption to keep these people in low wage jobs, or try and get into the United States, and earn enough money to send to their families.

The immigrant is not to blame here, U.S. Corporations, with the cooperation of our government and the corrupt governments in these other countries have contrived to create this sitation.

[TriMetFan]

42. "The immigrant is not to blame here, U.S. Corporations"

Well said. Also I might just add for those that happen to stop by to read this. Learn the history of our Nation and Mexico. But read the Mexican version. You will be surprised at what you will find out. Our American Corporations are like a bunch of rapist.

[babylonsister]

37. My hat is off to you, TriMetFan-

:yourock: :yourock:

[TheFriedPiper]

40. I had a redneck refer to 'those people' the other day

He says "I can't believe 'those people'. They are ruining our economy"


So I said, "Yeah, 'those redneck people' that keep hiring illegals so they can rip them off really are fucking up our economy"


He just shut up. I could tell he wanted to fight, but he could tell that wouldn't be a good idea.


I'm not a pacifist style liberal.

I'm an in-your-face aggressive progressive.

[TriMetFan]

44. Well said! And I'm with you!

I will not seat back any more and wring my hands and hope that what I do is enough to help. I'm teaching my sons how to stand up for their rights. No more just being an American. We Hispanics are a big huge group of people. We are white, brown, black, yellow and red. We have black, brown, blue and green eyes. We have Black, brown, red and blonde hair. What makes us Hispanics/Latinos is that 1% Spanish Blood. Its time to unite my hermanos y hermanas and to stop this bull shit. Because this is not just about those undocumented workers, but its becoming about our own civil rights as American Hispanics/Latinos.