African-Americans drowning in wave of illegal immigration

Houston Chronicle ^ | February 2, 2003 | TERRY ANDERSON

[Dog Gone]

THE black community has made great strides in the last few decades. Racism has certainly not been eradicated, but it is no longer accepted with a wink and a nod as it once was. We are proud to see Secretary of State Colin Powell, even when we do not agree with everything he does. The same with Condoleezza Rice, the president's national security adviser, and many others.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that in some regions we black folks are so overwhelmed by the huge numbers of immigrants that we are being displaced in our schools, jobs and neighborhoods.

That may seem a harsh thing for a black person to say against brown people, but I don't see it that way. I am an American, proud of both my nation and my race. What I see in my community of South Central Los Angeles -- where I have lived nearly all my life -- is thousands of Mexicans who care nothing about our traditions and culture, and only want to impose their way on us. That's not immigration, that is invasion.

It is sad what has happened in my neighborhood. This was a respectable, blue-collar area of hard-working black folks living in their bungalows and going to their jobs. In just a couple decades it has become almost entirely Mexican. They live several families to a three-bedroom house and keep chickens in the yard, but the city doesn't care about the zoning violations or the noise of having so many crowded into a small space.

According to the Census Bureau, nearby Watts is now 60 percent Hispanic, and it was previously the black community on the West Coast. No longer.

The immigration situation is really hard on our young people. A 17-year-old kid on my street couldn't get a job at McDonald's because he didn't speak Spanish. Another young neighbor boy was thrown into a bilingual classroom at age 8 and was forced to listen to Spanish all day long. His six-hour school day was turned into three hours. When his mother asked for an English-only class, she was told "there are none."

Would you believe that I, a black man, have been called a racist many times for speaking up against this invasion? I have a radio program on the subject and therefore hear from a lot of people, even some in Mexico.

When they call me a racist, I put this question to them: What if a hundred thousand Vietnamese were suddenly dropped into Guadalajara? And what if those newcomers didn't speak Spanish, and further insisted that their children be taught in Vietnamese? What would you think if they were happy to work for half the normal wages for any job they could get, thereby putting thousands of your local Guadalajarans out of work? Would it be racist to say there was a problem?

When people of good will and good sense hear the situation put that way, nearly all understand and respect my viewpoint.

Now if only they would listen in Washington. America's political leaders are the problem. They have been selling out this great nation for real and imaginary political benefits while ignoring the dangers. Even after Sept. 11, nothing has been done to plug up our borders. Another terrorist attack could be 10 times worse, and it would likely happen because Congress and the president learned nothing about the need to keep the nation's borders secure.

If I sound angry, you hear right. Like other Americans, I want immigration to be legal, controlled and reduced. But as a black American, I see that the burden my people must carry is heavier than for many others. I am sure that if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., were alive, he would understand the fundamental unfairness to the black community of allowing more immigration than the nation can handle.

---

Anderson is an auto mechanic living in South Central Los Angeles. He is the host of The Terry Anderson Show on radio station KRLA airing on Sunday nights. He testified before Congress in 1999 about the effects of mass immigration on his community. Anderson can be e-mailed at terrry@theterryandersonshow.com.

[Jakarta ex-pat]

"Racism has certainly not been eradicated, but it is no longer accepted with a wink and a nod as it once was."

So true.

Now racism is done with a rape and a murder.

[William Terrell]

My reaction to Mr. Anderson's concerns is "Hey! That's life. It's happened to many groups, ethnic or otherwise, over the span of history, and it's going to happen some more. Deal with it."

If there has been civilization that has benefited from a mix of ethnic groups, I haven't come across it. Either one group is subservient to the other or there is constant civil strife and unrest.

A nation has an identity made from that of each person. When it loses that identity it does not survive, and much of the time, violently. If members of great groups identity themselves by their sole allegiance to their ethnic source obviously they don't identify as Americans.

It's true that America was built by immigrants, but those immigrants became Americans, willing to defend her and make their children fully American, and they had enough respect for her to apply for citizenship with all the hours study that made necessary. The big majority of the ones coming here now do not, and have no intention to.

The dominant motive now is greed and individual survival without regard to the well being of others. When any group with this kind of attitude gains political muscle, look to your own security.

I certainly hope you can "deal with" that, my dear. As a woman, if indeed you are a woman, your security rests in the stability of your nation.

[aeronca]

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[William Terrell]

bump

I must protest the use of this word. It is offensive to others. Show compassion for the grieving families who lost a loved one when they hit a bump going 90. Not to speak of the motorcyclists killed by a bump in the road.

Consider that painful bump on the head and all those painful bumps from measles, mumps and chicken pox, with a special thought for Herpies Simplex numbers one and two.

Let's not forget the bump in the cream of wheat, mosquito bite, or in life's easy road. And don't be forgetful of that bump in the power when you're working on a 60K file you haven't saved yet, and that bump of calcium in the bladder.

Be sensitive and compassionate, and don't use "ping" either, for all the poor migraine suffers.

[timestax]

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[Nea Wood]

Did you ever see "Mississippi Burning"? That was the worst!

Aaarrgggh! I was ticked off for weeks after seeing "Mississippi Burning"! And I'm not even from Mississippi.

[DBtoo]

I saw Mississippi Burning on TV when we lived in Holland. I was so angry over that, and I felt it didn't do much for the image of Americans, especially southern Americans. That movie was criminal in my opinion. There is no way Hollywood would make a movie putting down any other race or ethnic group, but it's okey to lie about, bash, and generally discredit whites, and white southern Christians most of all.

That was in 1996 that I saw that movie and I was so outraged that I still think of it from time to time.

[timestax]

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[DoughtyOne]

Thank you. I support Bush whenever I can. I cannot support the lack of action on these issues. It's a national disgrace, one we will pay dearly for. Course I said the same thing all during the 90s, so I'm used to being ignored on the subject. Take care.

[timestax]

bumped to top for newbies to read!

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bumped for newbies

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bttt

[varon]

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[guitfiddlist]

Nope. The Dems -- owned part and parcel by the blacks-as-permanent-victims establishment -- will demand changes. Some irony: the Libs demanding restrained immigration. Enough to make a donkey explode.

And the rope-a-dope then becomes clear. Blacks force the 'Rats to go anti-hispanic - and they come streaming over, in their greater numbers, to the GOP. The rest of us can just keep paying taxes.(Full disclosure: I'm an off-white Eurasian).

[Bon mots]

One thing needs to be said over and over again: The problem with America today is not the blacks and its not the immigrants. It is the elite liberals who control our institutions (and they are almost totally white).

True.

Did you ever see the board of Directors of the New York Times? All old white people (mostly men and the odd wife), except for one token black guy who is in charge of some kind of diversity issues or some such...

John F. Akers

Brenda Barnes

Raul E. Cesan

Jacqueline H. Dryfoos

Michael Golden

William E. Kennard

Russell E. Lewis

David E. Liddle

Ellen R. Marram
Thomas Middlehoff

Henry B. Schacht

Donald M. Stewart

Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr.

Cathy Sulzberger (Nepotism?)...
anyway, you get the picture. Lots of blue eyes and white skin for such a liberal group that espouses diversity.

Affirmative Action for thee, but not for me!!!

Where are the Hispanics? Where are the Mohammeds? Where are the really ethnic black people?

Plenty of Jewish liberals though.

If a black guy ever does get in, you can be sure he will be in charge of something insignificant like minority issues, and of course, he will be a VERY light skinned black person with blue eyes (contact lenses?). Wouldn't want to upset Catherine Sulzberger with a REALLY dark negro.

[Bon mots]

Oh, and I forgot to post the link to the Board of Directors to the New York Slimes:

Board of Directors for the New York Slimes

Don't take my word for it, see for yourself!

[monkeywrench]

Could you post some articles on the murderous farmers at the border?

[Old Professer]

Quite frankly, I think we tolerate them more because we can't stop them from coming in.

Short of building an impenetrable fence 10 feet high and 50 feet deep out of steel, concrete and briars, nothing will keep them out.

[cyborg]

same here