First time I heard that the early German immigrants were despised. History does not bear that out. Sure there were problems with the Irish, but this was generally confined to New York City.
The comparision with the latest migrants is like apples and oranges. Like some came to integrate and eventually love America, others now come to exploit it's welfare system. Something the early immigrants did not have. Work, or go hungry, for them.
They worked.
I agree that they should not be allowed to traipse across the border as they see fit, but you must concede that Mexicans seem to have a work ethic—as opposed to a whole slew of “Americans” whose ancestors came here over a century ago. It remains to be seen whether or not their spawn will retain this work ethic.
As for the dude who wanted to annex Mexico—I’m with you there. Think of all the cheap real estate that retiring boomers could snatch up!
That’s right, the early immigrants didn’t have the welfare system, but they had pride and determination. They had too much pride to try to slip into the U.S. without “paying the fare” and they had the determination to make their family’s life better, while making America better in the process. The legal immigrants of yesterday and today are the ones who have made America great, while the illegal immigrants are far, far different: they have held America up at gunpoint and dwindled her resources by stealing the breadbasket from her generous arms.