Immigrants search for better life and understanding
Chat transcript
Click here to read the transcript of our chat with reporter Anna Marie Lux about The Gazette's three-day series "Changing Face of America."
Changing Face of America
Hispanics are changing the face of local communities. Rock County's Hispanic population more than doubled from 2000 to 2010. Walworth County's Hispanic population jumped 72 percent. Who are some of the new neighbors and what issues do they face? The Gazette looks at those questions and other topics in a three-day series. View section
Today: Immigration stories offer insight into why Mexicans left their homes.
Monday: For new immigrants, life is not always what they expect: American Dream or American nightmare?
Tuesday: A new generation of Americans talks about navigating the porous border between two cultures.
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Changing Face of America
Hispanics are changing the face of local communities. Who are some of the new neighbors and what issues do they face?
Photo
Photo
Jorge Islas-Martinez sometimes stares at the underbelly of a passing train and wonders how he survived.
"I hid underneath it," he recalled. "Suddenly, the train started to move. The only thing I could do is hang on."
Inches off the ground, the man who now calls Whitewater home clung to the cold mass of pulsing steel in the darkness. He prayed hard as the train picked up speed into California.
"I thought about my mother, my brothers," he said. "I thought I would die."
More than 25 years later, he recounted the harrowing details of eluding immigration officers at the border in Tijuana, Mexico.
"It seemed like hours and hours underneath that train," Islas-Martinez said. "I had my eyes closed. When the train stopped, I crawled out, and I could not feel my body. I was so scared. My heart was pounding."
Since his dangerous journey to the United States, Islas-Martinez has come a long way. Today, he is a United States citizen who works as a translator, teacher and bill collector. He volunteers widely in his community and owns a home. He also is a vocal activist for immigration reform.
Although he came earlier, Islas-Martinez is part of a dynamic ethnic group that accounted for more than half of the nation's growth from 2000 to 2010.
Locally, Hispanics are changing the face of many communities. From 2000 to 2010, Rock County's Hispanic population more than doubled to make up 7.6 percent of the population. In Walworth County, the Hispanic population is up 72 percent and totals more than 10 percent of the population.
But statistics do not tell the human story of how Hispanics are transforming the nation's diverse fabric.
People do.
All immigrants arrive with unique backgrounds that offer insight into their lives. Their histories shed light on why Mexicans have risked everything to enter the United States.
"Know me; know my story," Islas-Martinez said emphatically. "Don't feel sorry for immigrants. Try to understand them."
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Islas-Martinez's parents separated when he was 8 years old. Alone, his mother fed six of her own children and four young cousins. She took in laundry and ironing while they lived in a crowded two-room house in Mexico City.
"Sometimes, she had only enough food for the children, and she did not eat," Islas-Martinez said. "We used to see her crying."
Still, his mother never pulled her children out of school to work. She encouraged them to get good grades, and she set a strong example. She set aside her endless chores to walk many blocks to night school to finish the sixth grade. Young Islas-Martinez went with her so she would not have to walk home alone. He was in the fifth grade.
The child excelled in school. As a young man, he studied medicine. Often, he pored over books in the bathroom because it was the quietest room in the small home, where 11 people lived and everyone slept in the same bedroom.
But Islas-Martinez could not afford many t hings, including books. His older brother helped him financially until he died of cancer. Then Islas-Martinez realized he could not continue his studies because of the cost.
When a friend stopped by his house to say he was leaving for the United States, Islas-Martinez decided to go with him.
"I wanted something better for my family," he said. "I told my mother I was leaving. She told me to think about it. I did not say goodbye to anyone at school. I went to school on Thursday and never returned Friday."
Islas-Martinez hopped a bus from Mexico City to the border town of Tijuana. Then, following the lead of his friends, the 20-year-old climbed over a high fence that separated him from the United States and the promise of opportunity. His friends scattered when immigration officials shined flashlights at them.
"I did not know who to follow," Islas-Martinez said. "I hid under a stationary train and whispered my friend's name. Suddenly, the train started moving. The only thing I could do is hang on."
When the train stopped, he climbed off somewhere in California, reconnected with two friends and walked until they came to an airport.
"We got on a plane to Los Angeles," he said. "I did not know where I was or where I was going."
If he had known what was going to happen at the border, he never would have made the life-threatening journey.
"I thought it was going to be like a game of hide-and-seek," Islas-Martinez said. "I think 99 percent of immigrants don't know what they will face. I tell them they will risk their lives. They might die in the desert or drown crossing the river. The only thing we have in mind is that we are coming here for a better life."
Islas-Martinez knows what he did is illegal.
"I did not hurt anyone," he said. "I did not kill anyone. We are forgetting that an immigrant is a human, and every human has the right to succeed. There is no law that says you cannot succeed because you are from another country. I wanted something better for my family."
He paused.
"We always think about the lives of our families," he said. "If we cross the border illegally, there is a reason. There is always a reason. Ask any immigrant why they come here without documents, and I bet every single story will be worse than mine."
He added:
"It is wrong when people call us 'illegal immigrants.' We are immigrants without proper documents. When you say 'illegal,' people think the worst. They think we are hardcore criminals."
Islas-Martinez traveled to Wisconsin when a friend told him he could make money in a canning company. He labored up to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, during peak season. He also worked packing eggs and picking apples. He toiled to support himself and to send money to his struggling mother in Mexico.
But Islas-Martinez did not enjoy the work.
"It was the only job I could do because I did not know the language," he said. "Sometimes, people are abused, physically and verbally, in those jobs. If the workers say something, employers threaten them with deportation. The workers have no rights."
Once, when Islas-Martinez worked as a forklift driver, he got hydraulic fluid in his eyes. He needed time off from work, so his employer put him in a dark room and told him to stay there until the end of every day until his eyes recovered, Islas-Martinez said.
"There's a lot of injustice when you don't have your documents," he said. "You are scared to speak up. But you are glad because you are making dollars and helping your family."
Like so many other Mexicans who crossed to El Norte, he sent money home.
Eventually, Islas-Martinez went to school and learned English well.
Some years later, while he was working full time on a farm, a friend helped him become a legal resident under an amnesty program. In 1986, Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, which gave legal status to 3 million immigrants in the United States without legal papers.
But Islas-Martinez wanted more.
He studied how the U.S. government works, learned the country's history and memorized "The Star-Spangled Banner." On June 28, 2000, he took an oath of loyalty to the United States and became a citizen.
"I'm proud of this country," he said. "I became a citizen so my vote can be heard."
Life in the United States is not what he expected.
"When I was in Mexico, I thought the United States was a country that was shining all the time," Islas-Martinez said. "I thought there was no pain, no suffering and no injustice. I thought there were no poor people. But when I came here, I noticed there were lots of lights off. People were suffering. They were sleeping on the streets. There were injustices."
Today, Islas-Martinez volunteers on the board of directors of the Milwaukee-based Voces de la Frontera, an immigration-rights group. He also serves on the board of directors of the Office of Justice Assistance. He is president of Sigma America, a nonprofit program in Whitewater that helps the community. He also volunteers at Whitewater's St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
"The reason I help others today is because I don't want people to be taken advantage of," he said. "Even when I am tired, I make time for others."
He has seen some of his dreams come true.
"I have been able to help my family," he said. "I have given my mother a different life. I have the opportunity to help my brothers and others."
Islas-Martinez petitioned the U.S. government so his mother could live in the United States. She entered the country as a legal permanent resident in 2004.
Ever since coming to Wisconsin, Islas-Martinez has worked three or four jobs to support himself and his mother. His favorite job is teaching English to immigrants.
"I get a lot of satisfaction when I see people leave class with smiles on their faces," he said. "I can see the lights come on as they are learning."
He still has brothers in Mexico and would like to help them become legal permanent residents of the United States.
The government has a huge backlog of visa requests from Mexicans wanting to come to the United States and grants only a limited number every year.
"It can take years to get the visas," Islas-Martinez said. "Maybe that day will never come."
Meanwhile, his family remains separated.
"On the outside, you can look at immigrants and see them smiling," he said. "But on the inside, we are broken hearted because we are so many miles from our families. For 25 years, there has always been someone missing at the dinner table.
"I dream that one day I will be like Jesus, and I will have my last supper with my whole family."
Feb 16, 2012 at 3:35 p.m.
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poobah
Feb 13, 2012 at 7:15 p.m.
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frogger, please link us to the law or code that says an undocumented foreign worker can exempt themselves and their employers from paying Social Security and Medicare taxes. The only foreign workers exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes are DOCUMENTED non-resident aliens temporarily working here."
I can chose to have no taxes taken out and no soc sec taken out.
SO can anybody who receives a paycheck. So no they are not paying into the system or paying any taxes into the system.
Feb 16, 2012 at 3:01 a.m.
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"I haven't read the entire Gazette series. Has anyone written about the businesses that hire undocumented workers? There are many of those businesses right here in Wisconsin. If not for the supply of jobs available to undocumented workers, there would be a whole lot less people coming in illegally. Why don't conservatives/Republicans ever mention the businesses that hire undocumented workers?"
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A lot of the problem is that most undocumented HAVE identification. The underground world of fake SS #'s, and identification, is a HUGE organized crime industry. Lot of illegals who are hired, have full documentation of being someone 'in the system'.
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All those hard liners saying all these illegals are just hear getting free stuff is total nonsense. Most all who go the route of using bogus ID or SS#, PAY INTO the system, and will get NOTHING back. The hard line anti immigrant people love to site the stories of the few who come here and suck from the system, but the reality is many come, pay in, and never get anything back. All the while they have no political voice, and send most of their minimal wages back home to support their families. The whole thing has really become much the same as indentured servitude was in the 17-1800's.
Feb 15, 2012 at 7:24 p.m.
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On immigration: my ancesters came here, but they did not get freebies. Its great to have a better life, but we are paying way too much for them to be here if they do not have a job. They need to know English and have money with them when they get here. What other country will do this? I can not get free anything, but I am paying for others. Is that fair? The silver platter has to stop.
Feb 14, 2012 at 10:44 a.m.
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SuperDave, I'm glad to hear my comment had that effect on you. Thanks.
Feb 14, 2012 at 8:39 a.m.
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@poobah: Because of your ridiculous comment: "They then set about the business of killing Native Americans and stealing their ancestral lands, kidnapping and enslaving African persons, forbidding women to vote, refusing to allow interracial or same sex couples to marry and on and on".
I don't keep track of who is "conservative", I only respond to recent comments.
Feb 14, 2012 at 8:37 a.m.
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These stories are great. The nasty, negative reactions are disgusting.
Feb 14, 2012 at 8:34 a.m.
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Zoom -- I dont believe that you can hold the employers at fault for what the government is unwilling to do. Meaning if the government is not serious about blocking or preventing the flow, you cannot burden businesses to do that job for you.
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.
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I haven't read the entire Gazette series. Has anyone written about the businesses that hire undocumented workers? There are many of those businesses right here in Wisconsin. If not for the supply of jobs available to undocumented workers, there would be a whole lot less people coming in illegally. Why don't conservatives/Republicans ever mention the businesses that hire undocumented workers?
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:32 p.m.
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My viewpoint is anytime the Tea Party/John Birch shills/astroturfers with multiple signons to this site support anything, the most intelligent thing to do is to oppose them.
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:27 p.m.
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lol poobah
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:47 p.m.
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Welcome back, Robot_Lord_Of_Tokyo aka DeGryse. I forgot about that alias until you mentioned Tralfamadorians. You behaved yourself for as long as you could and then started back by attacking an 84 year old great-grandma.
Feb 13, 2012 at 8:39 p.m.
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DeGryse said, "I also don't agree that you and I are on the same page."
I never said we were and I would hope that we aren't after seeing your flippant remarks about people like 84 year old Ruthelle Frank being "stupid" and a "flat-out idiot" because the state never issued her a birth certificate.
Feb 13, 2012 at 7:15 p.m.
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frogger, please link us to the law or code that says an undocumented foreign worker can exempt themselves and their employers from paying Social Security and Medicare taxes. The only foreign workers exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes are DOCUMENTED non-resident aliens temporarily working here.
Feb 13, 2012 at 7:03 p.m.
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DeGryse moaned, "What I don't understand is why someone would be so anti-government in rhetoric, and then not back it up with something better. Anarchy is the only answer to the question that poses, as I see it, so I don't see it as an assumption, per se."
You apparently have failed to grasp that I was talking about intellectual dishonesty and the lack of adherence to principles in my original comment. Anti-government in rhetoric? I want you to copy and paste what I said that is anti-government and explain why you feel it is anti-government. Anarchy, or any other form of governance for that fact, can not possibly be the answer to intellectual dishonesty and wavering from principles.
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:59 p.m.
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I never said I supported illegal immigrants. I do think in the end we are ALL immigrants. But, I do think people need to look at WHY people come here illegally and be a bit more understanding. I have friends of ALL ethnic backgrounds. I personally come from a very diverse ethnic background.
My point is, by looking at WHY those come here illegally, it would help the problem. Many do not know there are many resources to legally come here or do not have access to those. Kudos to those that DO come here legally. I think more options should be made for those to help them stay here, become citizens, etc. If people don't, send them back.
I was merely making comment about some of the less intelligent responses to comments whenever this topic comes up. Believe me, I am well versed on this subject. I've spent time in a town on the U.S. - Mexico border and have studied the issue in college.
I am proud of the series the Gazette is doing. The Latino community is often misunderstood.
I was not trying to start a fight and I do believe I should've worded my post better. I apologize for that.
Now can't we all get along and realize we have differences of opinion? Life is too short for that. And there is way too much hate in this world.
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:56 p.m.
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poobah
Feb 13, 2012 at 4:07 p.m.
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Bellagio_Bound, do you have anything meaningful to offer or just the standard partisan rant? Immigrants come here to work, to better their lives and those of their families. A free ride? They could work a lifetime and not get Social Security or Medicare like you will. A free ride. And what does socialism have to do with immigration? Your comment demonstrates an almost total ignorance of the facts surrounding this issue."
you can also chose NOT to pay SOC sec on your check and CHOSE to be EXEMPT and pay the tax you owe at the end of the year when you pay taxes BUT with a fake soc sec number you do not pay taxes at the end of the year. There aren't any deductions because you wouldn't own a home if you are not here legally and cannot get a loan with a fake soc sec number. SO no taxes or soc sec are paid in EVER!
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:52 p.m.
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superdave"Do you have any African-American friends digitalodonata"
An article in the Gazette a couple weeks ago on Sunday stated NOW "they don't like this term either.
I understand we are ALL AMerican here becuase we are citizans but when the guy robs a bank you cannot use the term AMERICAN to DESCRIBE somebody! SO what now is the proper term black people like. I don't think they prefer "colored" either. The N word seems offensive even though ancestors are form Nigeria and they use it to each other w/o issue.
WHAT TO DO??
all a buch of PC if you ask me.
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:39 p.m.
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SuperDave said, "@poobah: It's obviously not fair to judge our founding fathers in any context other than that within which they lived."
Why did you choose to address your reply to me and not to vatoloco. He is the one that applied the context to today and the immigration issue. Could it be because he's a conservative?
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:37 p.m.
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DeGryse said, "So Poobah, from your last, it sounds like you don't like the government. Anarchy then?? You said it, not me."
Why do you even suggest anarchy? That's an absolutely ludicrous assumption on your part. If you've read my comments for any length of time, you would know I take lots of heat for being what those on the right like calling a socialist or communist. I am very much in favor of government; of government founded on humanitarian principles; of government that adheres to those principles.
Feb 13, 2012 at 6:36 p.m.
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@poobah: It's obviously not fair to judge our founding fathers in any context other than that within which they lived. In their time, they acted in a way which was inconsistent with the status quo, and founded this country with the values we hold dear today. At least I do! :)
Feb 13, 2012 at 5:05 p.m.
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vatoloco said, "I agree... the law is the law but let us not pretend that our ardent hostility towards foreigners is based on welfare and handouts..it is deep rooted in our fear of losing American ideals..."
You bring up an interesting point, vatoloco. Our founding fathers wrote in our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
They then set about the business of killing Native Americans and stealing their ancestral lands, kidnapping and enslaving African persons, forbidding women to vote, refusing to allow interracial or same sex couples to marry and on and on. I guess what our founding fathers really meant to say was that all men are created equal but our government will take that equality away from anyone that is not a white, heterosexual male. So yes, in that context, your statement about our founding ideals and immigration seems quite accurate.
Feb 13, 2012 at 4:07 p.m.
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Bellagio_Bound, do you have anything meaningful to offer or just the standard partisan rant? Immigrants come here to work, to better their lives and those of their families. A free ride? They could work a lifetime and not get Social Security or Medicare like you will. A free ride. And what does socialism have to do with immigration? Your comment demonstrates an almost total ignorance of the facts surrounding this issue.
Feb 13, 2012 at 3:12 p.m.
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Using the term "racist" is extremely offensive, ignorant, and inaccurate. I have family members who are Mexican. They are great people. They are also legal, US citizens. A Mexican who enters the country illegally is breaking the law. Do you see the difference digitalodonata?
Do you have any African-American friends digitalodonata? If an African-American broke into your home and stole your valuables, would you call the police? Or would that be racist?
Feb 13, 2012 at 2:10 p.m.
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http://gazettextra.com/photos/galleries/...
"Estimates say half the immigrants working in the dairy industry are here illegally."
So, who pays?
Feb 13, 2012 at 2:07 p.m.
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Wonder how many "immigrants without proper documents" reside in the US working for cash under the table getting free medicaid, food stamps, etc., and still sending their "hard earned income" to Mexico to help even more "immigrants without proper documents" come to the USA?
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:59 p.m.
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If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all......no comment.
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:50 p.m.
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"A very insightful article is muddled by unintelligent and racist comments by our local neighborhood bigots. I am ashamed of Janesville"
I see nothing racist anywhere. People ar eupset they come here ILLEGALLY and get really nice benefits to boot!
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:47 p.m.
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Borders. I am reminded of our animal instincts every time I look at a map or globe and see the geopolitical borders neatly drawn to separate country from country, state from state, city from city and neighborhood from neighborhood. Many then do their part to complete the territorial marking by building fences around their homes and fields.
“Imagine there’s no countries. It isn’t hard to do.” – John Lennon
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:39 p.m.
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I have a question. If you cross the border illegally and don't get caught for 20 years then all of a sudden you are legal?
IS this correct?
Is this right?
How do you become legal just because you never got caught?
Max is a great guy- never knew it he was here illegally.
If I lived there I would want to escape too!
Need to do it the correct way though.
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:16 p.m.
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@Frusion I lock my doors to keep out the fair weather criminals while knowing that if my own kids were hungry I would break the law to feed them-no lock would keep me out.
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:02 p.m.
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BearFan, I want to tell you I am a Christian and it sounds like you are too. So, as you criticize people for not following the "Christian" way, do you keep your house unlocked so those less fortunate than your self can share your food, shelter, and clothing? That would be the Christian thing to do right?
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:58 p.m.
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digitalodonata - tell you what, dig - when my employer takes my excessively high state income taxes from my check, I'll just send him your way. Since you are so (verbally) supportive of this illegal activity, you're welcome to foot the bill, too. Put your money where your mouth is.
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:53 p.m.
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@Lemke10 Where do you work? So I can say something unfounded and libelous about that place of business like the completely ridiculous and racist comment that you made about a Mexican owned local business.
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:44 p.m.
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Max, don't think I need your extensive list...I'll just follow digitalodonata's lead and call everyone who suggests that I might be breaking a law "unintelligent and racist".
.
Officer-"Is there a reason you were driving 85mph in a 35 zone"?
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me- "because you are unintelligent and racist"
(yeah, that will work great!!)
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:41 p.m.
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Bear -- your arguement is weak. I dont have an issue with people wanting and taking action to become better and improve their lives. I just expect it to be done legally. One could argue a drug dealer is developing a business to improve the lifestyle his family. Except -- its illegal. So apply for the appropriate paperwork, now, then before, or even after, and in this case I am fine with them staying once they have gone through the appripriate channels.
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:35 p.m.
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You guys are like the fat, rich kid on the block stuffing his pimply face with a chocolate candy bar. Stop being such hypocritical gluttons and work on living by the Bible quotes you spew on Facebook. Immigrants are here today in large part because of US imperialism and intervention in their countries!!! NAFTA, CAFTA, the spread of the dollar throughout Latin America, the US intervention in the revolutions throughout the 1900's, your yuppie teens "experimenting" with a kaleidoscope of drugs--have all contributed to making Latin America unlivable. You can't have your $4.99 Walmart T-shirts made in El Salvador and blame immigrants for leaving the cesspool you leave in your wake too!
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:05 p.m.
Feb 13, 2012 at 12:03 p.m.
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Looking at all the comments make me wish the Gazette would stop allowing people to comment on stories. A very insightful article is muddled by unintelligent and racist comments by our local neighborhood bigots. I am ashamed of Janesville.
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:38 a.m.
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Here is an Example of how much illegal immigration cost American tax payers.
The cost of harboring illegal immigrants in the United States is a staggering $113 billion a year -- an average of $1,117 for every “native-headed” household in America -- according to a study conducted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/imm...
In Texas, for example, the additional cost of immigration, $16.4 billion, is equal to the state’s current budget deficit; in California the additional cost of illegal immigration, $21.8 billion, is $8 billion more than the state’s current budget deficit of $13.8 billion; and in New York, the $6.8 billion deficit is roughly two-thirds the $9.5 billion yearly cost of its illegal population, according to Jack Martin, the researcher who completed the study.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/imm...
The report found that the federal government paid $28.6 billion in illegal related costs, and state and local governments paid $84.2 billion on an estimated 13 million undocumented residents. In his speech, Obama estimated that there are 11 million. 75,000 and 115,000 live in Wisconsin.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/02/imm.... This should be a wakeup call that we need tougher immigration laws. This is also our tax dollars being spent to fight this problem is it sinking in yet their committing a crime and getting away with it!
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:36 a.m.
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Another thing to look at is the birth rate of Latinos, It is vary alarming. Especially teen rates. The world is over populated to begin with. Many of them do not believe in birth control.
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:17 a.m.
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xraycat - yes, I am angry. I'm angry that the dollars I have earned are going to food stamps and hospital bills for people who are committing illegal acts. I am frustrated when I pay full freight for everything for my kids (which I should do, as I can afford it), and then I have to try to understand why the kid sitting in class next to mine drags the class back because his command of English is poor, gets a free hot lunch because his parents can't afford to feed him, and who is a citizen because he was born here when he shouldn't have been because his parents WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. After all that, then I have to try to explain to my kids why we have to do all these things for his parents who broke the law. Lesson being learned by my kids: Go ahead and break the law when you can get away with it because good things come of it, not consequences. His parents are stealing my money as surely as if they came into my house and took it, but not only are they not stopped, the government aids and abets them by taking money out of my paycheck and handing it to them.
Feb 13, 2012 at 11:11 a.m.
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There is so much focus on illegal immigration that the issues with LEGAL IMMIGRATION have no advocates and no voice. There is no oversight or monitoring to guarantee the interview process conducted at US Embassies with the Legal Spouses of US citizens is unbiased, conducted with dignity, and follows the documented guideline and rules. Lives can be put on indefinite hold for Administrative Processing with no explanation or information given to anyone. These interviews should be recorded and reviewed by an oversight committee to insure fairness. Taxpaying US Citizens pay fees at every step of this process and pay taxes that pay the salaries to the people who are providing a service, not doing us a favor. All I am asking for is that the interview process be recorded and reviewed if there is any question of the consular not following documented guidelines and rules. Everyone deserves a fair, unbiased interview. Our lives can literally be left in administrative limbo for years.
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:57 a.m.
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CMA -- generally I support the conservative perspective. However, on this point, neither side has a very good track record. They both seem to push the hot potato around the table, and nothing real gets done. I really c ould care less (may seem heartless, but more concerned over American citizens than illegals) what their motivation is. Their governments should be more concerned with their motivation and do something about changing attitudes on their end. All we can do is close the door -- provide legal means for entry and go from there.
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:37 a.m.
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xraycat my life is exactly what I want it to be, but I have to agree THEY ARE ILLEGAL. The jobs and handouts from the government should go to the citizens of the USA who really need it, not some illegal. I am tired of my taxes going up to pay for them. Of course a lot of people are angry we as legal citizens of America have to follow the laws why shouldn't people who are illegal have to no matter what their circumstances.
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:35 a.m.
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While some people are very angry (about just about anything), I don't see much of that here.
I think that people are mostly disappointed with the lack of law enforcement.
That aside, to blame Obama for illegal immigration is just plain tea party crazy.
Feb 13, 2012 at 10:09 a.m.
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All of you seem very angry. Maybe it's not Jorge's fault that your life isn't what you hoped it would be.
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:53 a.m.
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@jreedbrundage: I would bet that most American citizens are less interested "on what motivates people to risk migrating to the U.S. and the realities of their lives" and more interested in either enforcing the laws and having them enter legally, or keeping them out entirely.
It's been said over and over, and I have to agree - illegal is illegal.
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:22 a.m.
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SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT ... If you cross the North Korean border illegally, you get 12 yrs. hard labor. If you cross the Afghanistan border illegally, you get shot. Two Americans just got eight years for crossing the Iranian border. If you cross the U. S. border illegally you get a job, a driver’s license, food stamps, a place to live, health care, housing & child benefits, education, & a tax free business for 7 years
Now before everyone gets all upset about this this is the truth we too soft on illegal immigration. Hell we practically let them in and we play the most American of all games and that is called catch them if you can which cost the American Tax payer Billions of dollars every year and as an American tax payer that has lived here all my life I wonder if America will ever get tough on immigration or turn a blind eye. You have any idea how week our illegal immigration laws are I bet out of all the countries in the world were dead last on illegal immigration. Glad to see all of us agree on something for a change. Like an earlier comment said “Come here with in the law or stay out” and if you want to play the illegal immigration game you better know our rules or stay out. No more breaks for illegals.
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:17 a.m.
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Great series! You are doing a very valuable thing to try to educate U.S. citizens on what motivates people to risk migrating to the U.S. and the realities of their lives. Thank you.
Reed Brundage, Editor
Americas MexicoBlog
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:12 a.m.
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Ezoner--I think a vast majority of people in this country really do want to take on illegal immigration; it is this country's administration that refuses to do so!!
Feb 13, 2012 at 8:47 a.m.
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Nice try with the story -- however, there are millions of people that enter the country legally. The fact that his entry was illegal, thats right he is a criminal, and that he has gone undetected for years, does not change the illegality of entry. Just the same as a murderer, is still a murderer 20, 30 , 40 years later.
What I do or would respect, is a man that admits his dishonorable act and seeks legal immigration. However, such immigration should be paid for by the individual, and not the taxpayers. If not, the individual, should be deported immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. Any money, property etc.. should be confiscated and claimed as public property to be auctioned off. It is time for the people of this countr to get serious about its immigration policy with illegal immigrants.
Feb 13, 2012 at 8:06 a.m.
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I am glad everyone agrees this is wrong. I am sure these people and many other Illegal immigrants are good people. Fact is they admit coming here ILLEGALLY. This article is pathetic. They should have asked them if them or there family or illegal Friends has ever taken any Government handouts along the way..
Feb 13, 2012 at 7:28 a.m.
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I agree with so many of the posters here, but oldvet probably said it the closest to what I would have. My grandparents came here legally, through Ellis Island, after WWI from Germany and settled in LaCrosse. They went there because there was a German enclave of immigrants, folks who could understand them and help them settle, and they too started learning English as soon as they got here. Eventually they moved to Janesville when they could manage the English and every day life, but they never expected to be handed anything. There was NO expectation that English as a second language would be taught in school (that had never even been thought of), and English was spoken at home as well as they knew it. Recall that life was much harder then, and the Germans were not exactly warmly welcomed in this country at that time, but they were NEVER a drain on the taxpayer because they all took care of themselves and their own. We probably would not resent those who come here illegally as much if they took care of themselves and their own without a safety net from the rest of us. I would rather have the choice of whether to purchase extremely expensive produce or not as compared to having taxes sucked out of my pay to support people who broke our laws the minute one foot hit our soil.
Feb 13, 2012 at 7:12 a.m.
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Next week the Gazette will run a series on how to get out of a speeding ticket.
Monday - My wife is having a baby!
Tuesday - I seem to have oversized tires.
Wednesday - I'm late for church, synagogue, happy hour.
Thursday - I wasn't familiar with the road and needed to speed up to find the next speed limit sign.
Friday - I'm not a law breaker, just an aspiring Nascar driver without a banked track and corporate sponsorship.
Saturday - Ladies: Turn on the waterworks!
Feb 13, 2012 at 7 a.m.
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The Gazette headline for this story on Sunday was "Know me, know my story".
I want them now to read this: Know ME and know MY story;
Know that my family came here legally, know that my family learned English and started to learn the same day they arrived here. Know that my family earned their own way, know that my family did not ask for, nor did they receive any "welfare". Know that my family paid taxes from the day they arrived. Know that my family did not fly the flag of the country they came from, know that my family flew the American flag. Know that my family did not feel as though someone else owned them a living. Know that you are thieves. Know that most of "us" think you should be able to have a good life. Know that that good life should be back in the country that you snuck in from. Know that my family will welcome you warmly when you come here legally. Know that we do not appreciate law breakers, no matter the reason.
Feb 13, 2012 at 5:20 a.m.
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Come here with in the law or stay out
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:23 a.m.
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oh, and as to not speaking English? My in laws came to this country after the war. My mother in law never spoke a word of English in her life. By choosing not to learn English, she chose to stay locked in an abusive marriage and was able to contribute nothing to the land that supported her other than 5 very screwed up kids. Whether legal or illegal, not learning the language and customs of the land you CHOOSE to live in isolates you, limits your choices and potential to contribute to and receive benefits from society, and will be seen as a slap in the face by most native citizens. My niece married an Italian, and lives in Italy, she speaks Italian fluently.
Feb 13, 2012 at 1:13 a.m.
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I'm glad to see that most posters do NOT support illegal immigration. I have seen what illegal immigration can do to a city, my hometown of Waukegan, Il. And yes, laws against hiring illegals should be enforced But as to Republicans not talking about it.. well, you can raid an employer, fine them, but Mr. Obama will NOT deport the illegals. So where exactly are the fines the employers being charged going? Both parties are at fault on the immigration issue, after all, we had amnesty under Reagan!
Feb 12, 2012 at 11:23 p.m.
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We can like or dislike a law,
but we cannot choose which to obey or disobey
without the risk of suffering the consequences.
Feb 12, 2012 at 10:54 p.m.
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You wouldn't know it by reading these articles.
Feb 12, 2012 at 10:43 p.m.
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There is just something illegal about illegal aliens.
Feb 12, 2012 at 10:04 p.m.
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There are a whole lot of businesses who have no problem supplying jobs to undocumented workers. If there were no supply of jobs, there would be a lot less demand to come to the U.S. illegally. Of course, Republicans rarely talk about that, because business don't want to get rid of the workers, just their families.
Feb 12, 2012 at 9:39 p.m.
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Way to put a positive spin on illegal immigration. Pathetic. So he's offended by the term "illegal alien"? Well frankly I'm offended by these people coming to this country & thinking it is okay to suck resources from US citizens. It's something I see everyday in my job & it makes me ill. Illegal women come here in droves & have babies in the US. Those women often get emergency Medicaid to cover their medical expenses & their babies go on Medicaid, foodstamps & WIC. Bottom line: it's a huge drain on our tax dollars & takes money away from our citizens.
Feb 12, 2012 at 9:24 p.m.
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Read the whole story Minute_Man...and then explain why it makes sense that she would not at least speak some English.
A comparison to Romney in this scenario is off kilter.
Feb 12, 2012 at 9:13 p.m.
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"2.His wife has been here for over 20 years but still does not speak English."
Recently, Mitt Romney bragged about how his ancestors did not learn Spanish while they lived in Mexico for 30 plus years while avoiding prosecution against polygamy laws.
Many people hang on to their native language, especially if they are immersed in a closed group, like English speaking polygamists in Mexico during the early 20th century, or undocumented immigrants living in the shadows of society.
My grandparents were immigrants who came here legally. They never spoke English at home.
Feb 12, 2012 at 9:09 p.m.
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Thank you for sharing your stories. Yes, there are many of us who care and understand and wish you the best.
Feb 12, 2012 at 7:56 p.m.
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JohnDoe - exactly! DO NOT make exceptions for these people. DO NOT give in to bleeding heart situations posed by these people. Anna Marie - from your story, you wrote it as if you were painfully concerned for these criminals, inbedded in their situation, waiting for public sympathy to correct their illegal actions. It is as if you were using the power of the pen, (keyboard) to correct a wrong that you have percieved in your feeble, and liberal mind.
Feb 12, 2012 at 7:35 p.m.
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In reading all the parts to this story presented in the print edition of the Sunday Gazette (not just this one in Gazetteextra) two things stood out.
1. Jose Cano did not want to leave Mexico. He had a job, owned his own house, and said "it's not so bad."...but his father in law "persisted" so he finally immigrated illegally.
2.His wife has been here for over 20 years but still does not speak English.
I have nothing against these people personally...but please tell me what is wrong with this picture.
And people still wonder why law abiding citizens have a problem with today's immigration laws?
And another of the articles quotes someone saying "It is wrong when people call us 'illegal immigrants'. We are immigrants without proper documents."
Sorry, if you want to play word games, play them somewhere else.
If you don't understand the definition of "illegal" go through the proper legal immigration channels and learn the definition along the way.
Feb 12, 2012 at 5:41 p.m.
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Thank Jorge for your story. Best of luck to you and your family. I hope they get here.
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