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Immigrants Change Cultures -- Whether New Yorkers in Florida or Latinos in America
Townhall ^ | 07/17/2018 | Dennis Prager

Posted on 07/17/2018 8:08:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The most frequently used description of America by those who advocate for large numbers of immigrants -- those here legally or illegally -- is "America is a nation of immigrants."

The statement sounds meaningful. But in reality, it's meaningless. What else could America be? If no one had come to America from elsewhere, the North American continent would have remained populated only by its indigenous people -- which is what many on the left wish had happened. As the late Howard Zinn, author of "A People's History of the United States," the most widely used American history text in high schools and universities, said to me, the world was not better off thanks to the founding of America.

So, the statement "America is a nation of immigrants" tells us nothing about the only questions that matter: Should be there any limits to immigration? And what should we do about illegal immigration?

Regarding the first question, an increasing number of Americans on the left do not believe in any limits: We should allow all those escaping poverty or violence into the United States. As Hillary Clinton was caught on tape saying, she doesn't believe in borders. She speaks for the American left: In the past few weeks, leftists have marched in American streets demanding the abolition of ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.

Therefore, for the left, the second question, "What should we do about immigration?" is essentially irrelevant. Their answer is "Nothing. All migrants are welcome."

However, for those of us -- liberals, conservatives and independents -- who do believe in borders, the second question is critical.

And the reason has nothing -- absolutely nothing -- to with race or ethnicity. The reason we worry so much about vast numbers of immigrants is that too many immigrants in too short a period of time will change American culture and values. Our concern is not rooted in xenophobia; it is rooted in values-phobia.

Why is this an issue now? Because the vast majority of past immigrants changed their values, not America's, when they came to this country. They came here to become American, not only in terms of language, citizenship and national identity but also in terms of values.

But while some immigrants still do, the majority does not. They want to become American citizens in order to better their lives -- a completely understandable motivation -- not to embrace American values and identity. The majority of today's immigrants from Latin America, for example, wishes to become wealthier ... Latin Americans.

Tens of millions of people have been coming to America with non-American values -- essentially, values of the left such as big government and a welfare state. And thanks to the Democratic Party and the left, they don't jettison these non-American values at the border and are encouraged to hold on to them.

Again, the concern many have over the issue of immigration has absolutely nothing to do with race or ethnicity. Pope Francis is a good example. He looks like a white European, but he has brought the left-wing Latin American values of his native Argentina into the papacy.

One more proof that opposition to vast numbers of immigrants has nothing to with xenophobia, racism or nativism and everything to do with values is the effect of American immigrants going from northern states to southern states. The large number of (white) American internal "immigrants" from northeastern states has changed Florida's values. Once a rock-solid conservative state, Florida has become more and more liberal and leftist because of the influx of people from New York and the Northeast.

Is noting the values effect of New Yorkers immigrating to Florida -- or Californians to Arizona and Oregon -- xenophobic, racist or nativist? Of course not.

That's why opposition to large-scale Muslim immigration into Europe (or America) also has little or nothing to do with xenophobia, racism (Muslim is not a race anyway) or nativism. It has to do with changing European values. Large-scale Muslim immigration to Europe will do to Europe's values what large-scale northern-state immigration has done to Florida and what large-scale European immigration did to the native culture of North America.

So, while the issue appears to be whether one is for or against large-scale immigration into America, the real issue is whether one wants to preserve American values or see them changed.

The left wants them changed. Conservatives don't.me



TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: culture; immigration

1 posted on 07/17/2018 8:08:31 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Good article
On point not mentioned is those very immigrants who came here and adopted American values also did not come here for welfare or to be taken care of
We can NOT afford to be taking care of all these illegals.


2 posted on 07/17/2018 8:14:43 AM PDT by RWGinger (Does anyone else really)
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To: SeekAndFind

Interesting read.

There have been many threads on this site over the years, where people in some conservative area bemoan liberals from New York or California or other liberal places, changing the character of their localities.


3 posted on 07/17/2018 8:14:51 AM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: SeekAndFind
In B-school, one of the case studies was on Dollar General or similar. After the case was discussed, there was a video of an executive talking about topics in the case study.

In expanding into South Florida, the Midwestern-based chain experienced a higher level of "shrinkage" going into Cuban/Caribbean/South American communities.

4 posted on 07/17/2018 8:18:13 AM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: SeekAndFind

We put a lot of focus on illegals and should but how many freepers know that we take in a million and a half immigrants every year, legally, most are Hispanic and most will vote democrat. The white birthrate in most states is no longer at replacement levels. At current rates of immigration in twenty years OR LESS the US will be a majority Hispanic and black country.

Now name for me how many Hispanic and black majority countries in the world are successful? Answer none

Our immigration policies, unless changed drastically, both legal and illegal, will be Americas undoing.


5 posted on 07/17/2018 8:55:17 AM PDT by Cubs Fan (Good intentions? Most leftists would throw every one of us in Gulag if they could get away with it)
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To: SeekAndFind
The reason we worry so much about vast numbers of immigrants is that too many immigrants in too short a period of time will change American culture and values. Our concern is not rooted in xenophobia; it is rooted in values-phobia.

There is also another very good reason, maybe even more important--most immigrants vote for democrats. Enough immigrants put in here and the dems will have a california-like monopoly on power nearly countrywide and in nearly every state.

6 posted on 07/17/2018 9:00:59 AM PDT by Cubs Fan (Good intentions? Most leftists would throw every one of us in Gulag if they could get away with it)
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To: SeekAndFind
Black Pigeon just had a video up that addresses something very similar. The left now regards Bernie Sanders of all people as a far right extremist because he advocates for the reform of ICE not the elimination.

He further postulates that the DNC has gone so far left that their long range plan seems be to have the white voters become a minority through demographic shift and make it impossible for the Republicans to win an election again making the U.S. a one party country.

The DNC will be the winner in a socialist paradise ruled over by the DNC (Plantation Owner) or so they think. Apparently the DNC never heard of the French Revolution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsTBfsdo50

7 posted on 07/17/2018 9:11:09 AM PDT by Polynikes ( Hakkaa palle)
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To: SeekAndFind

No sh$&t


8 posted on 07/17/2018 9:15:21 AM PDT by Lee25 (D)
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To: Cubs Fan

Minority babies are a majority now. I live in the Chicago metro as I suspect you do. The affluent north side of Chicago seems in my eye driving around to have more doggy day cares than baby day cares. Young white women want to have fun more than have babies. That’s how it appears to me as I travel around quite frequently in the City of Chicago looking at who does and doesn’t have babies.


9 posted on 07/17/2018 9:40:41 AM PDT by BJ1
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To: SeekAndFind

The issue is really quite simple.

If we, the citizens of this country are the owners of the country, then we either successfully defend it from those who want to take it away or we lose it.

It’s not about rights, it’s about ownership. You only own that which you are willing and able to protect it by whatever means at your disposal.


10 posted on 07/17/2018 10:04:01 AM PDT by aquila48
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To: BJ1
Minority babies are a majority now. I live in the Chicago metro as I suspect you do. The affluent north side of Chicago seems in my eye driving around to have more doggy day cares than baby day cares. Young white women want to have fun more than have babies. That’s how it appears to me as I travel around quite frequently in the City of Chicago looking at who does and doesn’t have babies.

I don't live in Chicago, but right next to it, and have driven through many times. Seen the same thing.

countrywide-The Hispanic population has tripled since the 80s and 70% vote democrat. We are headed towards a democrat totalitarian monopoly on power soon unless something drastic happens to change our legal and illegal immigration situation.

11 posted on 07/17/2018 10:26:36 AM PDT by Cubs Fan (Good intentions? Most leftists would throw every one of us in Gulag if they could get away with it)
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To: SeekAndFind

We should be helping those less fortunate than ourselves - but what’s wrong with helping them in their countries rather than letting them into ours? Sending money there, however, doesn’t work because their corruptocrats steal it.

How about we go back to colonialism - can anybody really say that Africa, for example, is better off today that when the English and French ran it?.


12 posted on 07/17/2018 7:10:16 PM PDT by Some Fat Guy in L.A. (Still bitterly clinging to rational thought despite it's unfashionability)
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