I knew an undocumented couple from Mexico living in the US.

[tecelote]

They were our neighbors for many years.

Their kids were born in the US but went back to Mexico.

We visited their kids in Mexico a number of times.

I'm so damned proud to call them friends. They are some of the best people I've ever known.

They understood the American dream, better than most born in the USA.

Abel died a few months ago. Maria, devastated, died a few months later.

Our hate of immigrants has to stop.

America is great because we are a nation of immigrants.

[onetexan]

1. Well said. Couldn't agree more. This country was built on the backs of immigrants from all over the

world. Diversity is what makes America what it is - a rich tapestry of talent, creativity and culture.

[tecelote]

2. "... a rich tapestry of talent, creativity and culture."

Yes. the best the world has to offer.

[Karadeniz]

3. Most of the people we interact with are from Mexico. One man was an illegal when he came and

his experiences during that trek are a hoot. He's now super successful... we went to his citizenship ceremony. I think we'd both be willing to trade out Mexicans who want our opportunities with our citizens who spew hate!!!

[Rhiannon12866]

4. That's the thing, we all come from immigrants, every single one of us, some recent, some long ago

If it wasn't for them, often making a perilous journey, none of us would be here now - all of us! My mother's parents came here "on the last boat," as she used to say - both from Poland. They made my grandfather a citizen and sent him to France to fight for his new country in WWI. They worked hard, established a neighborhood grocery, provided food for neighbors during WWII rationing and sent their two daughters to college.

My paternal grandmother's ancestors were Dutch, arrived in the 1600s, many participated in the Revolutionary War. And my paternal grandfather's parents came from Ireland, their sons enlisted for WWI, my great uncle received the Silver Star. And if it wasn't for each and every one of them, I wouldn't be here.

[LittleGirl]

7. You have noble roots!

Some of my maternal ancestors were probably confederate soldiers that immigrated from Scotland and/or Ireland a couple of centuries ago. My Italian paternal grandparents came from a small walled village in central Italy. Grandpa fought for Italy in WW1. My dad was born in ‘32 and died before my grandparents of heart failure. What a strange world we’ve created since them.

[Rhiannon12866]

10. I find it fascinating to look back at our ancestors and where we came from

I'm fortunate that my paternal grandmother's aunt commissioned a book which traces the family back as far as the first arrival, 1642 I think, so we know his name and the name of the boat that brought him here. He was Nicholas and several boys in the family are now named after him.

And when you think of the challenges they faced a few centuries ago, they were awfully brave to attempt that journey! Both of my grandfathers served in WWI, my paternal grandfather brought ammunition to the front by horseback. I have his discharge papers and it said he was a good horseman (he was brought up on a farm). Unfortunately, I didn't meet either of my grandfathers, they both died long before I was born (my Dad was only 12 when his father died unexpectedly of a heart attack). But I am fortunate to have that book and hear the stories...

[LittleGirl]

11. You have more info than I do.

Since I moved to Europe, I have sidelined my research but did get a copy of my great grandfather’s marriage license from Italy by relatives who still live in the village. I want to go back . It’s been 8 years.

[Rhiannon12866]

12. I have to give a lot of credit to my grandmother.

I was her first grandchild - and a girl - so I spent a lot of time with her. And even though my grandfather died before WWII, I know his siblings who were still with us, mostly great aunts. He was the eldest boy of 11, large Irish family! He died at 48 in 1940 while his closest sister, who lived near us when I was a kid, died at 97 in 1990!

Good luck with your research. Most of mine has come from talking to those who still remember and I regret all the chances I missed. *sigh*

[wnylib]

20. My mother's parents were immigrants from

the German Empire as very young children in 1888 and 1890. Well, actually, her father was born in Buffalo 2 weeks after his parents arrived after fleeing Germany as political refugees. (For being liberals. It's in my blood, I guess.) But he got started in Germany (West Prussia). LOL. Her mother was 3 years old when she arrived with parents and siblings from the German Empire (Mecklenburg-Schwerin). They had been Dutch a couple centuries earlier, before settling in Mecklenburg.

My mother's parents spoke German at home so when her brother served in the US Army in Europe during WWII, he got assignments that involved knowledge of the language and customs. Was captured and spent 2 years in a German POW camp.

I found records for the British side of my paternal grandmother's family going back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636, and further back a few centuries mostly in England, with a couple Welsh and Scots in the mix. One line includes the first Protestant martyr burned at the stake by Bloody Queen Mary.

So even the Brits were a mix of Anglo-Saxons, Norman French, Scots, Welsh. The Norman lines go back to Scandinavia. My favorite ancestor's name in that line is Olaf the Woodcutter (which I like to pronounce with a Swedish lilt).

The other side of her family were already in North America when Europeans arrived (Seneca and Mohawk).

My paternal grandfather's family were German Swiss on one side and Algonquin on the other.

When you go back far enough, none of us are "pure" anything.

[Demobrat]

5. My hair stylist came from a small mountain village in

Mexico, illegally, as a young girl. She didn’t speak a word of English. She worked as a nanny and learned English while she went to beauty school at night. She became a stylist, built a following, and now she has her own successful salon. Meanwhile she married, had a son, and passed her citizenship test.

I don’t think I know anybody I admire more.

[CurtEastPoint]

8. Give her our regards. How wonderful!

[Warpy]

6. I understand immigration quotas, but only to a point

Labor unions in this country had a miserable time forming and making anything stick because of all the waves of immigrants coming in when we didn't have any quotas (except racist ones directed at Asians). Bosses didn't worry about strikes or pickets because there was always another boatload coming in through Ellis Island to break the strikes or beat up the pickets, they were usually that hungry. In that context, closing the wide open floodgates made sense.

Things have gone too far in the other direction. Now that we Boomers are retiring and dying off, there is a labor shortage in this country that is going to need to be filled and immigration is the best way to do it quickly enough to make a difference.

Republicans aren't going to answer the clue phone any time soon. We have to get our own party to listen.

[wnylib]

21. There's a little more than that to the story of labor and immigrants.

The AFL took anti immigrant positions early on in the belief that they were protecting American workers from immigrants accepting lower pay. But several immigrant groups (Jewish, Italian, and Southeastern European) formed their own labor unions.

The CIO openly recruited immigrants in order to expand unions and elevate wages for all laborers regardless of skills and education.

After the AFL and CIO merged, they accepted documented immigrants, but took a position against undocumented ones.

[Warpy]

22. Damn right

but I didn't feel like writing a book on labor history.

However, as waves of immigrants got sick of being exploited and tried to organize, another wave was brought in to make sure they didn't, which is one reason every single group had to fight for their right to be here against the prejudice of the last group.

[Backseat Driver]

9. My neighbors were Cuban (Battista family name?)

who returned there - I think of my little toddler friend/playmate sometimes...SMH

[Amishman]

13. There is no easy answer on immigration

People like those you mentioned are great examples of how immigrants are a boon to this country.

But we need a reformed legal immigration system and take steps to funnel those who wish to come here through official channels.

Because ultimately we can't just open the door.

Businesses - particularly agriculture and construction - love to exploit undocumented immigrants for cheap labor.

Slum lords exploit them as well, knowing their tenants who lack legal standing are unlikely to complain about issues.

At the same time, ultimately we cannot simply allow everyone who wants to come.. Our social support networks can't handle the influx that would come with unrestricted legal immigration. We've seen with the bus load stunts the resource impact that can come with large groups of new arrivals, just look at the disaster declarations.

Wages would fall as employers gain the upper hand again in the labor market - especially with unskilled labor. Not to mention the political backlash.

[area51]

16. +1 n/t

[aggiesal]

14. Channeling my inner Hamilton

Lafayette: Monsieur Hamilton
Hamilton: Monsieur Lafayette
Lafayette: In command where you belong.
Hamilton: How you say, no sweat. Finally on the field, we've had quite a run
Both: Immigrants, we get the job done

[Skittles]

15. I've said this many times

I'll take undocumented immigrants as my neighbors ANY DAY over these bible-thumping, flag-waving MAGAt morons - because one group BELIEVES IN AMERICA wheras the other DOES NOT.

[Upthevibe]

17. tecelote..............

Thank you for a heartfelt post about your wonderful former neighbors....

[Samrob]

18. Puzzles me why so many immigrants who just arrived here about between 40-50 years ago

hate the new immigrants and asylum seekers. I don't get it. And some of the newest arrivals during Trump's term begin to discriminate against black and brown people almost as soon as they get here.

[Demobrat]

19. I know older Italians who immigrated with their parents

in the sixties who despise the new immigrants. Especially the Asians.

I live in the old Italian section of San Francisco, which is adjacent to Chinatown. Sometimes I hear things I can’t believe.