Illegal emigres defy the image -- Fastest growing source? It's India

Mercury ^ | 02/18/2008 | Mike Smith

[Cronos]

you ever been to Edison, NJ to Patel’s cash and carry?

[Cronos]

It might very well be in our best interest to extend permanent residency to the best of them, but we should ship the rest back home. Immigration can be very valuable to our country, but only when we are selective, and select wisely.

The problem is that it is not easy for a person to become a legal immigrant to the US. Even if a person is highly-skilled, gives a lot to the community by way of taxes, jobs, etc., it's too difficult.

[wmileo]

“Do you want a guy named Hussein to fix your soul? Michelle Obama thinks you do”

Michelle Obama reminds me of Rosie O’Donnell. She also has that look of anger on her face that Rosie has made famous. If she becomes First Lady, watch out FRs!!!

[Clemenza]

The Indians IMPROVED Edison, to say nothing of Iselin. Used to be kinda white trashy around there back in the day.

[Cronos]

I didn’t mean it to be disparaging. however, I rather liked the place — Patel’s is good for ethnic cuisine, never seen the stuff they carry elsewhere

[Clemenza]

I know you didn't. There is another cash and carry (Deepak) a little closer to me on the Lawrence/Hamilton line, that I stop at twice a month.

Amazing that Edison is now the third largest city in the state (with Woodbridge right behind), after Newark and JC. Then again, with all of the traffic on 27 and Route 1 we shouldn't be surprised.

[untrained skeptic]

It's difficult to become a legal permanent resident. It's difficult to permanently immigrate to the US.

It is also somewhat hard to immigrate here temporarily, not because of unreasonably high standards, but because we limit the numbers of those that can immigrate.

The number of people that want to come here far exceeds the number we allow in legally.

Our immigration policy should limit the number we allow to come here, and we have every right to be selective.

I know a number of people and work with several people who have immigrated here legally. It's not that it is extremely difficult, it's that we allow in far fewer than want to come in and give preferences to family of those already here.

If we had far fewer illegal immigrants, we could absorb more legal immigrants, however we have to fix the illegal immigration problem first before we can raise the number of legal immigrants. We also need to end the stream of people coming here based on anchor babies.

The biggest problems with our legal immigration system derive from our illegal immigration problem.

[wmileo]

“The Indians IMPROVED Edison, to say nothing of Iselin. Used to be kinda white trashy around there back in the day.”

I am from New Jersey. I agree with you about Indian immigrants. I work with many professional folks from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh. However, IMHO,you don’t do credit to yourself and your comment by using the term “white trashy”.

[Cronos]

I'm not sure we don't agree. Your points: not because of unreasonably high standards, and Our immigration policy should limit the number we allow to come here, and we have every right to be selective

I agree with however, It's not that it is extremely difficult, it's that we allow in far fewer than want to come in and give preferences to family of those already here. I don't agree with -- we would push away a brilliant Phd who can help our economy and replace her with the cousin of a previous immigrant who may live off welfare. That I see as a problem. Getting citizenship is now done by lottery, can you believe it? It should be simpler for qualified people who will help the US economy and will fit in with our ethos. The other way doesn't work right now -- we have many brilliant folks from Asia and India who get fed up of waitign and have gone back home and set up Industries that are challenging America's

Where would the US have been if it tossed out Fermi, Einstein, von Braun etc.?

[Cronos]

I’m not aiming for a fight, but what other term would you use beside white t? Clemenza could have said native-born jerks. btw, I’m getting to be of the opinion that kids born here of citizens should be made to take the citizenship test when they turn 18 (exemptions of course to mentally slower / handicapped persons) and, if they pass, become citizens, get allowed to drive, vote, etc. If not, they should complete a tour of duty with the military and become citizens.

[wmileo]

I don’t want to fight with you either. I would rather we both save our strength for the fight against our enemies. If the public education system in this country was doing its job, 18 year old kids should be able to pass that test with ease. As far as the military option is concerned, I don’t want them defending us if they can’t pass a simple test. The military requires a high tech workforce.

[Cronos]

If the public education system in this country was doing its job, 18 year old kids should be able to pass that test with ease

Agreed, the public ed system is failing.

[Kozak]

This would be very easy to fix. If only we had the will to do so.

[Clemenza]

I had relatives (aunt and uncle) who lived in Edison in the 1970s and 1980s. They were good working people, and told me straight out that Edison (at least the area near Piscataway) had a lot of "underachieving Americans" at that time, and complained about it incessently. Edison also had one of the most corrupt Democratic administrations in the state (and that is saying alot), so that even uberLeftist current Mayor Jun "Bok" Choi is an improvement over the prior adminstration.

I didn't mean to offend anybody, just pointing out what was commonly said back in the day.

[Skywalk]

I will say this, as I’ve said before, the issue isn’t JUST about the criminal entry (or continued presence) of illegals it’s the fact that some immigrant cultures are superior to others.

I would take the same 20 million Indians, legal or not, over 20 million Mexican or Salvadoran peasants. Mostly the same with the Chinese.

I mean seriously, when was the last time Jayesh Patel killed four kids on a school bus, raped and murdered a schoolgirl or drunkenly decided to stab someone at a bar? Or go to the emergency clinic for basic health care?

It’s not racism as Indians and Chinese are certainly not European whites. It’s a cultural thing.

We’d be better off even with Argentinian or Chilean illegals.

[Clemenza]

Other than occassional rudeness (which is fairly common among Jerseyites of all ethnicities anyway) or poor driving (ditto), I have had NO problems with the large Indian population in my area. Yes they support Dem candidates, but that is because the GOP has done ZERO outreach to the ethnic communities, and is weak on the groud in general.

[Doohickey]

There were a number of very skilled Indians, and there were quite a few that were pretty much worthless.

Just like everyone else, in other words.

[untrained skeptic]

Just like everyone else, in other words.

Very true. There did however seem to be a lot of Indian students entering Masters Degree programs that were considerably below the average.

It probably had a lot to do with the University admitting a lot of students that they should have forced to take some additional undergraduate courses first, but there were very large number of Indian first year graduate students, but not even close to the same percentage at upper levels.

I think their high school continued on to what the admissions department was considering a bachelor's degree, so them going to grad school was similar to American's going off to college. So there was a lot that weren't prepared to do the work and dropped out, just like there are a lot of American freshmen that did the same.

However, it resulted in a lot of other students having a low opinion of the Indian students in general, especially if they got stuck doing group projects with them.