Samuel Huntington has written an article about the threat of Mexican immigration to the US. His article is full of assumptions, half-truths and ignoring data that doesn’t fit his thesis. In some ways, it is worse than his Clash of Civilizations idea some years ago.
I can’t be bothered by this so-called “threat.” As someone who was not born in the US, I have no problems with immigrants arriving in the US. As a global nomad who has not yet decided where to settle, I don’t have much sympathy for nationalists and patriots. Nativist feeling only gets my contempt. As for language, I am not a good learner of language and have been found bitching a few times about Spanish-only signs in some areas, but then English is not my first langauge and the world will not fall apart if most people spoke Spanish in the US. Like I learned English as a kid, my children could learn Spanish.
The best critique of Huntington I have seen is by a multi–part one by Scott Martens on his blog Pedantry. Daniel Drezner has some good points as well.
Buscaraons relates bilinguilism, colonialism, Mexican immigration and insecurity.
Russell Arben Fox and Haroon Mughal are somewhat sympathetic to Huntington probably because of their conception of language and culture.
Naomi: Thanks. You have an interesting blog.
We cannot continue to import all this poverty. There will be nothing left for ANYONE. What then? What will happen if the White Man segregates himself from the Browns in order to survive? Who will they leech off then? If we had a Real President, and not that joke we currently have, this unmitigated invasion would cease. But we have three more years of this Benedict Arnold in the White House, and I don’t see any thing changing. I feel for all the AMERICAN children and the future they will inherit. Why has Mexico continued to be a cesspool for the past 450 years? Because of their Culture of Corruption and total disregard for their peoples welfare. They have some kind of perverse pride in exporting their poverty, all the while screaming Viva Mexico. Future Historians will look back on this brief period of American History and wonder how could a country as great as any in World History, let the complete destruction of America happen for no other reason than Corporate greed and WHITE Politicians letting it happen. LBJ, Ted Kennedy,Jimmy Carter,Ronald Reagan,Bill Clinton, and last but certainly not least, the dumbest and most clueless George Bush. America,the country of our youths has been destroyed by the aforementined, wheather intentional or not. It breaks my heart to see this happen to our once Great Country. Have you noticed that the “White” nations are being overran the World over. If the White man decided to start a New World on the Moon, you can bet the Browns will be stowed away in the Luggage Compartment catching a FREE ride on the space shuttle to get there. Just like parasites on a Great White Shark. If you think these views are “racists”, I could care less. I’ve worked with hundreds of Mexicans over the past 10 years, and found about half to be ‘Good People”. But its that other half that are absolutely a nightmare to have to work around. They show total disrespect and a hatred towards “Gringos”. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. Enough ranting, Good Night America, You were something to behold, untill your elected Politicians sold you out.
Michael J: Ah, a defender of the White man! Can I ask how many generations have you lived on this continent?
well most people in here obviously have never had to do the things immigrants do to have a better life. it is very easy for you to just sit there and say your opinion.immigrants if anything contribute to the culture of america. if it were not for these differant cultures coming in, america would be a boring country which no one would want to visit. for example if the chinese were never allowed to come in, americans would have tasted the differant foods such as chow mein, or sushi ar other such foods.
In a country that its working-class is vanishing, someone should take-care of the low jobs, if not machines. But then the immigrant working-class want to dissolve, and someone else should come to take care of the eariler ones.
Until full-automation, maybe the Dubai approach can be a solution.
Mike: A high level of immigration to the US is an almost inevitability. The question is how to reduce the illegal immigration. May be higher legal immigration along with stricter enforcement against illegal immigration will help.
The Dubai approach relies on a large (how large? A super-majority of the population) immigrant population with not much in the way of civic rights. I don’t think that is the way to go.