Immigrants find opportunity in ruined New Orleans (Jeff Franks of Reuters)

Reuters ^ | 12/23/05 | Jeff Franks

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Much of New Orleans lies abandoned and destroyed after Hurricane Katrina struck nearly four months ago, but for Latin American immigrants the storm-ravaged city has become a land of opportunity.

While New Orleans residents are slow to return, the immigrants, most of them illegally in the United States, have swarmed in to do the hard work of cleaning up and rebuilding that others so far have shunned...

...And so far, the authorities have not been too difficult. Local police do not hassle them and immigration agents come around only occasionally, more a nuisance than a danger...

...Mexican Adolf Ramirez, 53, who came to New Orleans from Dallas two months ago, figured the workers were being left alone because the desperate needs in New Orleans had trumped anti-immigrant sentiments now prevalent in the United States...

...The immigrant workers do not feel too threatened by competition from the local Americans. They point to the back of the parking lot where the only "gringos" in sight are sleeping on sheets of cardboard or sitting on wooden boxes, surrounded by empty beer cans and booze bottles.

"There are a lot of drunks here," said Delgado.

When asked where the American workers were, Del Rio shook his head and said, "Who knows? It just seems like the Latin race likes to work more."

[lonewacko_dot_com]

Please write to editor@reuters.com and let them know exactly what you think about their anti-American propaganda.

[Mark was here]

The immigrant workers do not feel too threatened by competition from the local Americans. They point to the back of the parking lot where the only "gringos" in sight are sleeping on sheets of cardboard or sitting on wooden boxes, surrounded by empty beer cans and booze bottles.

"Gringos" is the mexican slur for Anglos or white people.

I suppose the gringos could get up and work, but that is what FEMA is for.

[Domangart]

I don't see anything here that has changed. No money no house repairs. The drunks living off the dole. No get up and go from some people. Used people that no one wants. Sounds like downtown.

[sgtbono2002]

After the Latins finish rebuilding their city for them the welfare creeps will come back and move into their new digs.

If New Orleans were smart they would keep the Latins and tell the lazy welfare democrats to stay the hell out of their new city.

[WasDougsLamb]

the immigrants, most of them illegally in the United States,


-----So much for all this talk of securing the borders.......

[stephenjohnbanker]

Then we will just have drunkin mexicans like we have here in california.

[isrul]

Title should read "Invaders find opportunity" not "immigrants".

[exit82]

The article says that "much of New Orleans is in ruins".

The French Quarter is OK and the downtown is pretty much back to normal. The Ninth Ward and some other areas were lost, but some areas were not flooded by the levee breakdown.

Is there a graphic that shows the parts of the city that are actually uninhabitable?

I wish they would get on with the business of rebuilding in a higher area. The area that was flooded should be turned into a park or recreation area, and new residential areas built outside the flood area. The the presently ruined areas could serve as a buffer for flooding in the next big storm.

[mad_as_he$$]

Are the drunk "gringos" any different than before Katrina? All of the cleanup in NOLA should be with D-9's and big holes.

[Mark was here]

Are the drunk "gringos" any different than before Katrina?

I would think not. Just funny that the reporter was able to pick out a group of white bums...

[gubamyster]

ping

[mthom]

"Who knows? It just seems like the Latin race likes to work more."

Obviously true. I mean just look how their home countries are thriving. Sad thing is that more than a few Freepers agree with that illegals statement.

[sheana]

Just look at any areas in towns in California that the illegals have taken over........yeah they really like to keep things clean and aesthetic. blah blah blah

[fallujah-nuker]

When asked where the American workers were, Del Rio shook his head and said, "Who knows? It just seems like the Latin race likes to work more."

A few of the Aztlan supremacists who post here make the same assertions, like all Anglos are lazy slobs who spend all day in front of an X-box while the bronzed "master race" without which America would collapse does all the work.

Some of those I pinged know what I'm talking about.

[DBeers]

There is a difference between immigrants and illegal aliens -a difference the author of this fairy tale misses intentionally...

[Sterco]

Gringos's - Greasers guess it is the same kind of slang huh?

[BobS]

"There are a lot of drunks here,"

LOL! He came from Mexico to find that out?

[Hill of Tara]

We don't need illegals here to rebuild parts of our country. Send those law breakers back to Mexico.

[Squantos]

Hmmmmm gone from "Laissez les bons temps rouler" to Lezzsee yer peso's gringo.......

[Serenissima Venezia]

It just seems like the Latin race likes to work more."

Another one of those lies spread by pro-illegal alien liberals. Just like the bit about them all having family values and doing jobs Americans won't do.

IF this were true, why aren't the schools that are filled with illegal's offspring having stellar scores on state tests instead of always being well below schools with primarily white students? IF this is true, why do statistics show that income levels for 2nd and 3rd generation Mexicans stagnate, instead of increase like the children of immigrants from other parts of the world? IF this is true, why do the parts of East Bakersfield that are heavily Mexican look like a third world country, with dirty streets, dirty children, and dirty buildings?

BTW, I need a better adjective than 'Latino', because I find the term insulting to those that come from the original Latin countries, like Italy and Spain. So, I used the term 'Mexican' here because 90%+ of our illegals are from Mexico, but I'd like a short adjective that is more accurate.