I intimately knew a family of illegals that lived here in Georgia.
They had zero desire to assimilate.
The parents didn’t bother to learn English because they moved and lived within a community of other illegals from Mexico. They had ways and means to work the system, without ever having to learn a word of English.
They marveled that the Americans even provided “Dora the Explorer” on television. They thought it was cute that the Americans would encourage their American children to watch the program that used cartoons and Spanish for entertainment. It helped their daughter learn more words, so that she could help them at the grocery store or when they went to the doctor.
They saw their four year old daughter as a soon-to-be English dictionary. They would enroll her in school, she’d become bilingual, and help them to communicate with the gringos. They never tried to read American publications and only watched Spanish-based programming on cable television. They had no desire to become Americanized in any way.
They spent a lot of time “hiding” in plain sight. They knew the rules about how to behave and how not to draw attention to themselves. They knew that doctors would see them, and that they could get food and clothing from within their network, or a private charity, if necessary. They never contacted the police if they knew of a crime, because they were fearful of being watched. They contributed to the decline of their neighborhood.
They never showed an interest in becoming like Americans. All they did was earn their low-paying checks and send half of the money home to Mexico. They even went home to Mexico to visit family, and then came back to their American rental home without ever drawing any suspicious attention.
Why worry, when you can make money, send it home, and go home to visit for a family vacation?
They thought Americans were stupid. And they’re right. We’re so tolerant and forgiving that we never say a word about the illegals living among us. We roll out the welcome mat for them.
Thank you so much for posting this from first-hand experience. Unfortunately, it parallels what I've seen as well. Due to proximity to the homeland, many Mexicans treat America as nothing more than an ATM machine. We're the suckers that provide a steady flow of quick cash that goes back to the country they truly love.
I have to add that I am still angry about what I saw last September 11 for the Tenth Anniversary of the Muslim attack on America. Throughout my neighborhood, American flags were flown in tribute to honor the victims and to show pride in our great country. In the Mexican neighborhoods, I saw not one evidence of Old Glory. Yet the Mexican-owned car lots and grocery stores had the flag of Mexico flying. And these are the legal citizens!
I used to work with many just like that.