The Immigrant Gang Plague

City Journal ^ | Summer 2004 | Heather Mac Donald

[janetgreen]

As a lifelong resident of California, I can honestly say that this is the most accurately written article about illegal aliens I've ever read. The writer didn't soften the hard facts, and didn't make it a sob story like most articles I've read.

There are towns in southern California that are so gang-infested that a sane person won't even drive through them anymore, and "white flight" to other states is common now. Mexican/South American immigration is creating hell in California.

To quote another poster, WELCOME TO THE CLINTON/BUSH/KERRY VISION FOR AMERICA.

[4Freedom]

"Gee whiz, where are all the pro-illegal cheerleaders?"

In catatonic shock? ;^)

[struwwelpeter]

Don't forget the Ukrainian mafiya. They bad, they bad.

[FITZ]

Yeah, like me who has lived next to barrios and grown up on the streets of LA (lived in cars, garages, and even a shed). I got some cold hard facts for you seen through the eyes of a liberal youth; Mexicans love their bambinos and produce them as quickly as possible, but once they grow out diapers - out on the street. It's a fact.

A trip to just about any city or town in Mexico would reveal that to any doubters --- there are hundreds of thousands of street children --- many as young as 7 or 8 years old abandoned by their parents to fend for themselves on the streets. The mothers usually have 5 or 6 new mouths to feed by the time a child reaches 7 or 8 and she figures that older child is ready to make it on his or her own. It's incredible how many children in that country are living on their own --- sleeping on the floor of bus stations, living in the sewers or where ever they can and the bambinos come early --- it's common to see 12 year old girls begging with their newborns.

[Joe Hadenuf]

“They all come from identical neighborhoods, identical families, and go to identical schools, and yet they hate each other with a passion.”

Someone get them some more ammo......

[FITZ]

Some Hispanic parents valiantly try to impose old-fashioned consequences on teen pregnancies, but they are losing the battle. Vega’s father, a building superintendent and hardware store clerk, angrily told his pregnant daughter, according to Vega: “You gotta go live with [the boyfriend]. I now want nothing to do with you!”

This is much of the problem --- their "old-fashioned consequences" aren't at all like the "old-fashioned consequences" of Americans --- these parents encourage the kids to shack up but don't encourage marriage which gets in the way of the welfare handouts. It's common to see hispanic parents allow 15-16 year old kids to sleep together in their own home when a baby is on the way which is not all that common in USA culture. This encourages a high rate of teen pregnancy and a temporary relationship which tends to last for just a few months.

[valkyrieanne]

These are the people to whom President Bush (*and* candidate Kerry) want to give a free pass.

[heleny]

in increasingly Hispanic South Central L.A., tiny bodegas selling milk, diapers, and piñatas are replacing liquor stores.

Those are probably stores specializing in WIC vouchers (or WIC-only stores). They charge the government the maximum allowable prices for milk, eggs, cheese, and certain dry goods, and then give "free" gifts to the WIC customers.

Kevin Ruiz: “I don’t see assimilation,”

It's too bad that so many immigrants (illegal and legal) are not assimilating to American culture and not embracing American morals and values. .

We should enforce our immigration laws and select immigrants on skills and likely upward mobility, not success in sneaking across the border.

I definitely agree! I wish our government thought the same way, too.

[Gigantor]

BTTT

[lainde]

bump for reference

[truthkeeper]

Affluent white folks can send them out of the gated community when the yardwork is finished. The rest of us get to deal with the barrio.

You've said a mouthful. Yep, this article tells it exactly as it it. Our once-nice uptown area in Whittier (Richard Nixon's hometown) has pretty much been taken over by the gangstas. Merchants who catered to a more stable clientele have been driven out by the tagging, window etching, littering, etc. (Not to mention the gangbanging.)

And yet Bush and Kerry want to subject the rest of us to more, more, MORE of this insanity. When does it all end?

[Lady Eileen]

bump

[Calico Cat]

Ugh, I hate having to read stuff like this. I live in Portland, Oregon and our county commission's idea of 'improvement' of our neighborhood is to build a ton of government-subsidized housing for 'low-income Latinos and others' (as if 'others' would want to live there.) Gang graffiti is showing up, ESL students comprise about 50% of the local elementary school's population (and it'll go higher as local parents pull their kids out and more low-incomes move into the subsidized housing), four gang shooting fatalities have occurred in the last month and so far this summer two local businesses have closed and become tacquerias who don't even bother to use English in any of their signage.

We're moving...outside of Multnomah County where, hopefully, we can avoid this garbage for another few years (because I don't think anywhere outside of the Dakotas or Montana will be free of this crap in the next ten years.)

[Joe Hadenuf]

And yet Bush and Kerry want to subject the rest of us to more, more, MORE of this insanity. When does it all end?

It's not going to end. All I can suggest to you is get out of the large population centers....

I have no other advice.....

[pabianice]

Funny. No mention of this happening where Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, or any other Massachusetts liberal lives...

[skeeter]

I'd like to see the unrestricted immigration pollyannas, such as immigration lawyers & the clowns on the WSJ's editorial board, held responsible for the pain & suffering their pet cause is increasingly responsible for.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Doesn't really matter what state your in, the bottom line is, if you want to avoid most of this illegal alien/gang land/criminal insanity, stay away from the major population centers.

By that I mean cities like Portland, Phoenix, Cleveland, NY, LA, Vegas, Chicago, SF, Denver, Seattle, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas, Atlanta etc etc......Beware of cities over 250,000 and above.

And this includes their *entire* surrounding areas, including suburbia etc......

Look for towns under 150,000 if possible. You'll still get a bit of the chaos, but it's very manageable. Trust me, major population centers and their surrounding areas will just get worse and worse. Bet the rent.

These problems will not be stopped, and will only *escalate*. That is why I offered the above advise..

[truthkeeper]

It's not going to end. All I can suggest to you is get out of the large population centers....

I know, but I'm originally a Midwestern girl so the desert does not appeal to me AT ALL. My inclination is to stand and fight (and if it were just me I probably would), but I have the welfare of children to consider so I may have to leave in a couple of years. I don't know how much longer I can stand it.

I certainly do hope Bush is working on some grand strategerie but my better sense tells me that ain't a happening.

[Lady Eileen]

Good advice.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Check ur mail......