Tom Tancredo: Hero!

3:54 am EST November 28th, 2006 | Politics | 67 Comments

Hispanic voters, historically, have been pretty strong Democratic voters with the exception of one bloc: Cubans. Because of the GOP’s supposed hard line on Cuba (Quiz: Is Bush’s policy on Cuba really that different from Clinton’s? No, but people are a sucker for rhetoric over action.) the Cuban community in Florida bucks the trend and supports Republicans – they’re a big part of why Florida is less of a swing state than it used to be (though I have a feeling it will be in more play than people think in 2008). Along comes Rep. Tom Tancredo, running on a platform of hating the brown people from down south, and he’s beginning to do yeoman’s work in  alienating Cubans from the GOP.

Rep. Tom Tancredo, the leader of the anti-illegal immigration faction in the U.S. House, spent a recent weekend at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Ninety miles to the south, he found a symbol to bolster his belief that unfettered immigration is endangering the United States: Miami, he told a conservative online news site, “has become a Third World country.”

In South Florida to attend Restoration Weekend, a gathering of conservative activists, the Colorado Republican, whose district includes suburbs of Denver, pointed to Miami as an example of how ”the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration,” the story says.

I hope those comments are repeated at all the domino games down in Little Havana. This should be a message to the 2008 Republicans (I hope Tancredo becomes one of them): remember in your quest to out-winger each other to mention again and again and again how much you hate those freaking Mexicans and other brown skinned people. That should be worth a few points on election day.

For the Democrats.

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67 Responses to “Tom Tancredo: Hero!”

  1. Organic George says:

    Cubas are now a minority in the Latin community in Fla.

  2. Colorado Dave says:

    In South Florida to attend Restoration Weekend, a gathering of conservative activists, the Colorado Republican, whose district includes suburbs of Denver, pointed to Miami as an example of how ”the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration,” the story says.

    Let’s see, I think there is a certain area of lower Manhattan, south of Houston and north of Canal,which is a perfect example of immigration changing the nature of America. I can’t quite remember the name, perhaps paisan Tancredo can think of it….

  3. dr pedro says:

    Of course when my father immigrated to this country via ellis island, legally of course, his father wouldn’t let him speak german or russian because he “was going to be an american”. Funny how all those european groups managed to learn english eh?

    There are places in downtown LA, that if you were just dropped in there, you would never know your were in the U.S. And you know who that hurts? Those illegal immigrants. Cause they will never be incorporated into the strength of this country, and are disenfranchised the moment they step out of their neighborhoods…but “shh….” don’t tell them…cause if we can keep them down, they will be the next democrat voting block!

  4. Pedro, you remain a clueless, embarassing bigot. The difference between the “bad” immigrants of today and the “good” immigrants of your nostalgic, invented past is… zero.

    “Confirming a major paradigm shift in the understanding of language preference among US-born Hispanics, a new study finds that English is the overwhelming language choice among 2nd generation Latinos, and becomes nearly absolute among third generation Hispanics.”

    http://www.newamericandimensions.com/downloads/NADAcculturationStudy.pdf

  5. BD says:

    There are places in downtown LA, that if you were just dropped in there, you would never know your were in the U.S.

    Why? Because the “real” U.S. looks white and speaks English? I’m not trying to put words in your mouth, so please clarify this remark.

  6. Quaker in a Basement says:

    Funny how all those european groups managed to learn english eh?

    And instantly too! Just proves the superiority of the genes, right Peed’?

  7. z adura says:

    Pedro, what a stupid bunch of nonsense you’ve written.

    There are all sorts of ethnic neighborhoods in LA from Russian to Chinese to Hmong to Mexican. Some are there illegally and some are not. What an inane and misplaced characterization to claim they are all “illegals.”

    Ethnic groups band together because it is easier to help one another out and replicate little parts of their homeland. They typically speak their mother tongue when they are in those neighborhoods. The older among them will typically never learn English while the younger generation, who go to school and have to socialize with the broader community, typically do.

    Perhaps your grandfather was one of those very rare individuals who stepped off the boat at Ellis Island speaking perfect English. Most didn’t and therefore moved into ethnic neighborhoods not unlike the neighborhoods that make you aghast today. More probably, he moved the family to Brooklyn or Queens, where he could still get a bowl of borshch and be protected from earlier generations of Tom Tancredos.

    I wonder what your grandfather would say if he saw the ugly person that you’ve become toward immigrants.

  8. Colorado Dave says:

    Wow Pedro,

    There are places in downtown LA, that if you were just dropped in there, you would never know your were in the U.S.

    Yes and you could drop yourself off on Stockton in San Francisco and think you might be in China I suppose.

    At various times in our history you could have; dropped yourself off on the Lower East Side and believed you were in a jewish village in Poland, or maybe Little Italy would have made you think you were in Naples, and various Chicago communities would have reminded you of Poland or Czechosolvakia or Southern Italy.

    Get a grip Dr. Pedro and read a history book about life on the lower east side, or any of the other immigrant slums. There are hundreds of titles to choose from.

    Saying your grandfather arrived legally is fairly meaningless if he was European and arrived prior to 1921. Prior to 1921 the major restrictions on European immigration was not being a felon nor a prostitute. Asians faced far worse. While Europeans came through Ellis, Asians went through Angel Island in San Francisco. You should read some of the horror stories about Angel Island.

    Of course most of those suffering on Angel Island or in Little Italy or the Lower East Side came voluntarily. Africans, prior to the mid-19th Century, endured far worse and did so involuntarily.

  9. Jose Chung says:

    President Bush obviously has great affection for Mexicans and their culture, as do I.

    I find Mexican kids to be the cutest kids on the face of the earth. I have vacationed all over Mexico as well as in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Argentina.

    But I too believe we should build a wall. Does that mean I hate brown people? I don’t think so.

    And my point is that it is unfair to say that Tom Tancredo hates “brown skinned people.” You don’t know that.

    But then that’s how liberals argue.

  10. dr pedro says:

    our local lefties of course miss the entire point of my statement: Not learning english disenfranchises you from the culture.

    Yes, americans speak english, no they aren’t all white.

    That silly article stating that by the THIRD GENERATION hispanics speak english is ridiculous. The europeans spoke english in the FIRST generation, cause that is how you got jobs, education. Luckily, the europeans didn’t have the liberals holding them back with silly policies like putting public documents in other languages, and forcing public schools to teach in spanish.

    I worked in east la. I saw people who couldn’t speak a lick of english after living here for 10 years. As usual, the liberals aren’t doing much to help minorities, just convincing them they are another put-upon special interest.

  11. Elrod says:

    Dr. Pedro,
    Are you aware that hundreds of thousands of Germans in Missouri refused to speak English until the 1940s? These immigrants to the eastern Missouri River valley area immigrated in the 1830s and 1840s. How about the Dutch of West Michigan, who continued to speak Dutch well into the 20th century – even though they immigrated in the 1850s?

    The idea that first generation immigrants of old immediately learned English is a ridiculous myth. Most did not – by choice or ability – learn English their entire lives. My very right-wing father-in-law immigrated from Germany as a boy in 1952. Naturally, he learned English growing up in Illinois. But his parents, who spoke Romanian, Hungarian, Russian, German and Czech refused to learn English – even though they spent the majority of their lives in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. Did that prevent their son from assimilating? No way.

  12. BD says:

    and forcing public schools to teach in spanish.

    I need to ask: what’s your stance on prayer in public schools?

  13. Pedro’s bigoted brain has invented the notion that a) the good white immigrants used to learn English immediately; and b) bad Hispanic immigrants will never learn English and “will never be incorporated into the strength of this country.”

    He has no evidence to support either claim. It is supported purely by his right-wing fantasies of European racial/cultural supremacy. Go see a shrink or a minister, Pedro. You owe it to your country to get help.

  14. “The europeans spoke english in the FIRST generation”

    Prove it. Also, the link I provided wasn’t to an article, it was a study. Are you actually a doctor, Pedro?

  15. BD says:

    Anatole -

    Maybe he’s only talking about the English and Irish immigrants. They’re European, and they had the good sense to invent the language in preparation for America’s birth, so when they got here they’d be able to be incorporated into the strength of America.

    Really, the plight of the illegal immigrant is the fault of Cortez and the conquistadors, who should have conquered the continent and made it stick. Then the language barrier wouldn’t be a problem for these Mexicans.

  16. Here’s an article about Germans in Texas, who lived in communities with German newspapers exclusively with other German speakers. Their existence seems to call into question Pedro’s insistence that WHITE immigrants are better than the scary, BROWN ones who will “NEVER” be incorporated into our country. But what’s one more piece of reality to deny, huh, Pedro?

    “Texas German has already survived longer than most dialects of U.S. immigrants. While others typically die out after two generations, some Texas German families have spoken the mother tongue into the fourth or even fifth generation.”

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4361488.html

  17. Colorado Dave says:

    hmmmm, let’s think about this.

    Ellis Island operated from 1892 to 1954.

    Dr. Pedro’s Grandfather came through Ellis.

    There are thousands of Chinese-Americans (many of whom still speak a Chinese dialect) who can trace their American roots back decades prior to 1892.

    In Colorado there are thousands of Hispanic-Americans who can trace their continued residence in Colorado to the earliest part of the 19th Century.

    Perhaps those Chinese-Americans and Hispanic-Americans can look at Dr. Pedro and his family and say, “Damn, immigrants ruining this country, should go back where they came from.”

  18. Quaker in a Basement says:

    In Colorado there are thousands of Hispanic-Americans who can trace their continued residence in Colorado to the earliest part of the 19th Century.

    And even earlier, Dave. Out in the San Luis valley, you’ll find families that have been here since the 18th or even 17th century.

  19. The Dark Avenger says:

    Asians faced far worse

    in other ways as well until the last 50 years or so.

    Mother Avenger couldn’t get married in Reno with Dad because the clerk refused based on a state law that forbad marriages between those of ‘Oriental’ blood like her and my Caucasoid father.

    The law got overturned when Harry Bridges, the labor leader, tried to marry a Japanese woman in Mevada a year or two later and was met with the response that I outlined above.

  20. dr pedro says:

    yea let me tell you…it was a cakewalk for the eastern european jews

    I’m not sure why the ubiquitous non-sequitor regarding speaking two languages is about…my concern is that most of the hispanic illegal aliens, millions of hispanic illegal aliens, is that they speak only ONE language, and it ain’t the language of the country they broke the law to get into.

    But please, find me some more articles about 10K people who speak two languages…cause it is really relevant when speaking of the 20 million illegal hispanics in this country

  21. Yes, make sure you spit when you say hispanics. Talk it up, say it loud, you’re xenophobic and proud. Hell, for the bump the Democrats may get I’ll do the translation for y’all for free.

  22. BD says:

    Watching a poster with the English deficiencies of dr pedro complain about how the immigrants can’t bother to learn the language is quite possibly a textbook definition of irony.

  23. S says:

    It is HILarious, isn’t it? And pedugger doesn’t realize it at all.

  24. “is that they speak only ONE language, and it ain’t the language of the country ”

    But what you’ve failed to show is how that’s different from the history of any other ethnic group that’s come here. Gobble gobble gobble. Come back with evidence next time, Pedro.

  25. Quaker in a Basement says:

    Ooops! According to today’s paper, Tancredo has gone and upset Jeb!, doncha know? Seems that Bush-the-Pudgier wants to keep attention off of the immigrant bashers in his party by putting on a show of Castro hating.

  26. dr pedro says:

    Oliver your constant repetition of a lies doesn’t make them come true…I understand your theory of staying on message, but show some sort of ethical backbone and at least make sure the message is true.

    As usual, the attack is against me…no one can argue that millions of illegal hispanics refuse to even attempt to become integrated, and it hurts them and their families….

  27. frameone says:

    There isn’t much more to add in response to pedro’s nonsense except to question the number he threw out.

    Pedro asserts that there are 20 million illegal Hispanic immigrants in this country.

    We don’t know where pedro gto his number. But since he has a history of promoting totally bogus immigration statistics I figured I’d check into it.

    Low and behold,
    The Pew Hispanic Center [PDF]
    came up with something different:

    Neither the Census Bureau nor any other U.S. government agency counts the
    unauthorized migrant population or defines their demographic characteristics based on specific
    enumeration. There is, however, a widely-accepted methodology for estimating the size and certain characteristics, such as age and national origins, of the undocumented population based
    on official data. This methodology essentially subtracts the estimated legal-immigrant
    population from the total foreign-born population and treats the residual as a source of data on
    the unauthorized migrant population (Passel, Van Hook, and Bean 2004).

    The estimates reported here use this methodology with data from the March 2004 Current
    Population Survey (CPS). The CPS, a monthly survey of about 50,000 households conducted
    jointly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, is best known as the source for monthly unemployment statistics. Every March both the sample size and the questionnaire of
    the CPS are augmented to produce the Annual Social and Economic Supplement which provides additional data on several additional subjects including the foreign-born population.

    As of March 2004, there were an estimated 10.3 million unauthorized migrants living in the United States. A comparison to past estimates derived with the same methodology showsthat the undocumented population has grown rapidly in recent years. There were 8.4 million
    unauthorized migrants living in the United States in April 2000 according to estimates derived from Census 2000 (Passel, Van Hook, and Bean 2004). Thus, average annual growth over the 4-year period since 2000 was about 485,000 per year. Assuming this rate of growth held steady,
    the best estimate for March 2005 points to a figure of somewhat less than 11 million for the number of undocumented residents.”

    Now if there are only around 11 million TOTAL illegal immigrants in the country, how on earth could the number of illegal Hispanic immigrants alone be DOUBLE the total? The Pew Center doesn’t say, but it does add:

    Mexicans make up by far the largest group of undocumented migrants at 5.9 million or
    57 percent of the total in the March 2004 estimates. This share has remained virtually
    unchanged for the past decade, even as the size of the undocumented population has grown very
    rapidly. In addition, another 2.5 million undocumented migrants or about 24 percent of the total
    are from other Latin American countries.
    About 9 percent are from Asia, 6 percent from Europe and Canada, and 4 percent from the rest of the world (Figure 2).

    No question that Hispanics make up the greatest portion of the illegal immigrant population but it’s no where near the hytserical number that pedro casually throws out as accepted fact.

    Pedro is a total idiot.

  28. frameone says:

    “…no one can argue that millions of illegal hispanics refuse to even attempt to become integrated …”

    And where do you get the evidence for this claim? Because you drove through Downtown LA once? I live in LA too, pedro, and I can go to any area of the city and find obviously, new hispanic immigrants working at a variety of minimum wage or just above jobs who 1) speak English 2) are out interacting with the rest of LA like anyone else with a job.

    It is a daily experience to encounter hispanic immigrants, first second or third generation who have assimilated or are assimilating into the larger culture.

    You just have to be a total idiot to suggest that these people are “refusing” to assimilate or learn the language.

  29. BD says:

    Maybe they just refused to speak English to him.

  30. Still too scared to get some evidence, Pedro? Pretty sad. But that’s par for the course with you.

  31. dr pedro says:

    No paul, I was working at LA County General Hospital in East LA…far from your confines in hollywood with the movie making crowd (I would say westwood, but I suspect your doctoral student days at UCLA are over eh?)

    According to Robert Justich, a senior managing director at Bear Stearns Asset Management in New York , there are over 20 million illegals in this country today.
    http://users1.barrons.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=evo-barrons&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.barrons.com%2Farticle%2FSB110445285079613547.html%3Fmod%3Db_this_weeks_magazine_main

    In the same Pew study that paul quotes, a survey of hispanics showed that over 40% believed that english was not required to become part of american society. so if we accept that the pew numbers are correct…say 10 million illegal hispanics then 40% means there are over 4MILLION hispanic illegals that don’t believe that english is necessary to live in america. So, Paul…my statement

    “no one can argue that millions of illegal hispanics refuse to even attempt to become integrated, and it hurts them and their families”
    is absolutely correct, using YOUR OWN NUMBERS.

    Seems like the idiot here is obvious eh?

  32. Quaker in a Basement says:

    In the same Pew study that paul quotes, a survey of hispanics showed that over 40% believed that english was not required to become part of american society.

    The sky is blue; therefore fish have gills.

    Peed’ your own “proof” doesn’t even support your assertion. Let’s take the poll results as a given. A subset of immigrants said they don’t think it’s necessary to know English to become a part of American society.”

    From this, you conclude that they don’t want to become part of American society.

    I don’t think you have to eat fish sticks to ride a bicycle. That doesn’t mean I don’t own a two-wheeler.

  33. Who’s Paul? And when are you going to show your repeated hysterical claim that Hispanic immigrants are DIFFERENT than any other immigrant group that’s ever come here?

    That’s another opportunity you’ve missed, Pedro.

  34. frameone says:

    “In the same Pew study that paul quotes, a survey of hispanics showed that over 40% believed that english was not required to become part of american society. ”

    That statistic is nowhere to be found in the report I linked to. Got a link for where you found it?

  35. dr pedro says:

    quaker you inability to engage in logical discussion is absolutely mind-blowing..

    Paul here is the link

    http://pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/20.pdf

  36. dr pedro says:

    Oh, paul is Frameone…

  37. Quaker in a Basement says:

    quaker you inability to engage in logical discussion is absolutely mind-blowing.

    I have a different explanation for your inability to construct a simple syllogism. Care to guess what it could be?

  38. Quaker in a Basement says:

    …no one can argue that millions of illegal hispanics refuse to even attempt to become integrated,

    And so you show us numbers that say a minority of immigrants–legal immigrants–believe that it’s not necessary to know English to become part of American society.

    Where does it say they “refuse to become integrated,” Peed’? What they say is that language isn’t a barrier to becoming part of American society.

    So there’s your argument: Do you need to speak English to be an American?

  39. dr pedro says:

    I’m sure have a common tongue is unecessary for integration in the great melting pot that is the United States…

    Please keep talking like that quaker, ’08 is right around the corner….perhaps you can throw in something like “borders, we liberals don’t WANT any borders….”

  40. S says:

    dr pedro | Nov 29, 2006 12:31:16 PM
    “Oliver your constant repetition of a lies doesn’t make them come true…I understand your theory of staying on message …”

    Uh, it worked for your beloved, The Decider, until the midterm election.

  41. S says:

    dr pedro | Nov 29, 2006 2:25:32 PM
    “No paul, I was working at LA County General Hospital in East LA…far from your confines in hollywood with the movie making crowd …”

    And that crowd would include your poor suffering wife, pedugger?

    “Seems like the idiot here is obvious eh?”

    We’re used to you making an ass of yourself.

  42. S says:

    dr pedro | Nov 29, 2006 7:03:27 PM
    “quaker you inability to engage in logical discussion is absolutely mind-blowing..”

    Coz, hey, pedugger’s got the upper hand on spelling reel gud.

  43. frameone says:

    You sure are a dishonest fuck, pedro:

    Hispanics by a large margin believe that immigrants have to speak English to be a part of American
    society and even more so that English should be taught to the children of immigrants, according to recent surveys
    conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center.

    The endorsement of the English language, both for immigrants and for their children, is strong among all
    Hispanics regardless of income, party affiliation, fluency in English or how long they have been living in the
    United States.
    The Pew Hispanic Center, in collaboration with the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, probed attitudes
    toward the English language in public opinion surveys conducted in 2003 and 2004. In one of these surveys,
    Latinos were asked whether they think immigrants have to speak English to say they are a part of American
    society. In another they were asked whether teaching English to immigrant children is very important, somewhat
    important, not too important or not important on all.
    A clear majority of Latinos (57%) believe that immigrants have to speak English to be a part of American
    society while a significant minority (41%) says that they do not. Latino immigrants are slightly more likely (57%)
    to say that immigrants have to learn English than native-born Latinos (52%).
    The view that immigrants have to
    learn English is held by a majority of Latinos regardless of how much money they make or their level of
    education, according to the 2004 National Survey of Latinos: Politics and Civic Education.

  44. dr pedro says:

    sorry paul, I forgot you were and ex-film student…

    You see I said:

    In the same Pew study that paul quotes, a survey of hispanics showed that over 40% believed that english was not required to become part of american society.

    and the study says:

    A clear majority of Latinos (57%) believe that immigrants have to speak English to be a part of American society while a significant minority (41%) says that they do not

    so while the pew study does everything in it’s power to distort the data in its favor…I simply took the numbers, and demonstrated that millions of hispanics don’t think english is necessary

    So where exactly is the dishonesty paul?

    Oh, and are you using the “S” moniker as well now paul? He seems to have your same habit of being unable to complete a thought in one post, but obviously hits the “post” key and then goes “but,but,but….I thought of another witty retort!”

    LOL

  45. S says:

    dr pedro | Nov 30, 2006 10:32:30 AM
    ” … are you using the “S” moniker as well now paul?”

    No, pedugger, S and frameone are 2 separate people.

    Interesting that you consistently insult Hollywood given your loser spouse used to worship to that crowd.

    If you need help finding the spellcheck on your computer, roll over and ask Dugger.

  46. frameone says:

    “So where exactly is the dishonesty paul?”

    Pedro, not only did you take the 41 percent out of the context of the larger report which found that the majority of Latinos do think learning english is important, you distorted the question.

    You said that the 41 percent referred to Hispanics who don’t believe that english is necessary to live in america.

    The real question was:
    “Do immigrants have to speak English to say they are part of American society, or not?:

    Two totally different things. Not to mention the fact that the question was referring to immigrants, not “illegal” or “undocumented” immigrants. But you twisted it to suggest the question was referring to illegal immigrants, which is clearly wasn’t.

    You also left out the result of the other question:

    “How important is the goal of teaching English to the children of immigrant families?”

    92 percent of Latinos responded “Very Important.”

    You are a totally, dishonest fuck.

  47. dr pedro says:

    actually, you just don’t have an ability to read a study properly paul.

    Do you see any inherent contradiction in a study that shows that 41% of people don’t think english is necessary to be part of a society and 92% think teaching english to children is important.

    Yea, and you are right about one thing…we will NEVER get good data about illegal alien’s opinions…cause you see, they are illegal. Hard to survey a group of outlaws with much scientific precision.

    But tell me,would you hypothesize that illegal aliens, as a whole, would think english is MORE important that a group of naturalized citizens? See if you can wrap your little head around that and give an honest answer.

    and “s”, my wife insulted the hollywood crowd as well, and since she worked with them everyday, she did a much better job than I. The hypocrisy in the hollywood limosine liberal is absolutely legend…

  48. No surprise to see that Pedro still hasn’t provided any evidence or even logic that would show that today’s hispanic immigrants are in any way different in terms of assimilation from the immigrants of yesteryear.

    And if Pedro’s beliefs aren’t based on evidence, then what are they based on?

    Bigotry.

    Thanks for playing, Pedro. Will you ever debate in good faith?

  49. dr pedro says:

    Sorry “Dr.” but the “pew center” wasn’t standing around ellis island taking polls and posting them on the internet in 1921 when my family got here. But it doesn’t reallly matter anyway, cause there were never 12 million (or 16 mil or 20mil) european illegal immigrants in this country…ever.

  50. BD says:

    Because, Pedro, there was never any concern about letting more white people into the country.

  51. frameone says:

    Pedro,

    Where’s the contradiction? An immigrant can believe that they don’t have to speak English to say they are a partof American society while still believing that it is important to learn english.

    If you are a legal immigrant who doesn’t speak english you can choose to live in neighborhoods where it is easy to get by without english. You are still a part of American society. BUt if you want to expand your horizons or income or education or whatever, it is still important to know english.

    Here’s what you don’t get pedro, because you choose not to get it, just like you choose to believe hysterical facts without basis in reality .

    Every generation of non-english speaking immigrants, legal or illegal, have formed tight knit neighborhoods in the cities they find themselves in as a safety and comfort zone for themselves. This is a very easy to understand sociological phenomenon. It doesn’t take a genius to recognize the existence of a Chinatown or a Little Seoul or Little Havana for what it is.

    These places are the immigrants first stop in the new world. For some it may be the last part as they might find it difficult to learn english or they might simply be afraid of the wider American world (god only knows why with compassionate conservatives like Tancredo and yourself out there).

    These people are, nevertheless, a part of American society whether you like it or not. They can live and work in these communities without learning much english but they will find it difficult to live and work elsewhere — hence the importance of learning english if you want to get ahead.

    Again, these are simple realities. They are not hard to understand — unless you choose to misunderstand them. You are preferring to read as totally hostile something that every immigrant community in the history of US immigration has done. Why? Because you’re a dishonest fuck.

  52. Quaker in a Basement says:

    Argh! It was me who done it!

  53. Quaker in a Basement says:

    Fixed?

  54. Quaker in a Basement says:

    frame, let’s not forget Peedro’s original thesis: that a significant number of immigrants “refuse to become integrated” into American society. That’s the argument he thought he was proving when this yammerfest began.

  55. dr pedro says:

    Ok quaker and paul…

    do you believe you need to speak english to be integrated into american society?

    And just for the record…while paul is sipping lattes trying to decide which obscure video to review for his free newspaper, this particular compassionate conservative was working over one-hundred hour weeks in the wards of LA county treating scads of non-english speaking illegal aliens. And I can tell you, if you don’t speak english, you are going to have problems when you step into an american hospital and need care.

  56. BD says:

    My dad works in a hospital where he often has to deal with patients who don’t speak very good English.

    He decided to learn Spanish. Because it’s his job to make the people who come in for care feel, well, cared about.

    It’s the worst of American impulses to assume that the world has to come to them exactly as you wish it would, instead of trying to meet it halfway. But then, these are the times we live in.

  57. Quaker in a Basement says:

    do you believe you need to speak english to be integrated into american society?

    I think there are very few immigrants–legal or not–who “refuse” to become integrated or “refuse” to learn English.

    That was your original point, wasn’t it?

  58. frameone says:

    First of all, pedro, dishonest fuck that you are, have once again shifted the terms of the debate.

    Now you ask if someone needs to know english to “integrate” into American society when the Pew Center question was this:

    “Do immigrants have to speak English to say they are part of American society, or not?

    Again those are two totally separate things.

    Second, if you read my post above the nature of Chinatowns or Little Havanas as the first stop for many if not most immmigrants to this country, you would know that I, of course, believe you have to know English to “integrate” into American society. You do not, however, have to know English to consider yourself “part of American society.”

    Chinatown and Little Havana are a part of American society whether the people there speak englsigh or not.

    Finally, I rarely comment on your personal jabs at me, largely because I know you’re just trying to goad a response. Whenever you get called on your bullshit you go personal, attacking my profession, because you’ve got nowhere else to go.

    But when you bring your own personal details into I just have to laugh. The
    the details of your personal biography don’t mean shit to me because you are an anonymous poster who has a proven track record of dishonesty. Why the fuck should I or anyone believe anything you have to say about your personal biography?

  59. dr pedro says:

    quacker, can you ever simply answer a question?

    paul your hairsplitting as if there is no connection is epic, and really goes to the heart of your problems with concrete thinking.

    Unfortunately in this discussion our personal history does make a difference, as I have experience is the things you claim knowledge of, while you, on the other hand, don’t. And in fact, your “profession” is supported by a group of hypocritical limosine liberals who rarely deign to even come in contact with the people whom you claim such concern for.

    Shall I fax you my redacted ID card for LA County/USC medical center paul?

  60. frameone says:

    Hairsplitting? If I’m hairsplitting why aren’t you using the actual language of the question?

    How exaclty does working at LA County medical center give you special insight into the desires of illegal immigrants? I could have told you that if you don’t speak englisgh you’ll have a hard time doing a lot of things in America whether it’s get medical care, apply for a job or shop at the grocery store.

    One of my personal experiences was a story I wrote for LA Weekly on a controversial race relations program at Farifax High School put on by the National Conference of Christians and Jews in response to the LA riots. It was in the course of doing my reporting that I learned what an incredible burden it was for hispanic students who often had to act as translators for their parents in just about every aspect of otherwise routine endeavors like go gorcery shopping.

    I learned two things from that experience: 1) It is difficult to get by in American without english, even in Los Angeles 2) Hispanics immigrants assimilate just like every other immigrant group that has every come to this country.

    The first generation of immigrants still had difficulty adjusting to America and English but their children were fluent bilingual speakers and otherwise normal American high school kids.

    Ultimately, your anecdotal “experience” does not prove your point that immmigrants “refuse” to leanr english and integrate into American society. If I’m to believe your story, you saw non-enligh speakers having difficulty getting medical care and decided that they were “refusing” to integrate into American society.

    My experiences, however, are born out by the facts as seen in the Pew Center report: Immigrant parents who may not speak English nevertheless belong in this country but understand how important it is for their children to learn english.

    Scan it and email it, if you want.

  61. Quaker in a Basement says:

    quacker, can you ever simply answer a question?

    Always, but sometimes not to a level that ensures comprehension by every audience.

  62. Quaker in a Basement says:

    And it was your original question that I answered. Simply, of course.

  63. S says:

    dr pedro | Nov 30, 2006 11:27:25 AM
    “my wife insulted the hollywood crowd as well, and since she worked with them everyday, she did a much better job than I. The hypocrisy in the hollywood limosine liberal is absolutely legend…”

    So while you and your wife enjoyed the rewards of her profession, you were equally hypocritical about insulting the people/industry that helped paid your bills.

    Thaaaaaaat’s pedugger.

  64. FU says:

    Yuck, Mexicans. Shitty little squat, greasy, flat-faced, hairy, poorly-dressed and coiffed,indian-looking bastards. I hold my breath if I ever see them (the smell), which is as little as possible. We don’t exactly run in the sam circles, if you know what I mean. Definitely would like fewer of them around. Would definitely rather see more naturally blonde women around, though, am I right? Natural redheads are hot too (grrrr). Where da white women at?

  65. ZAPATA says:

    HEY FU, FUCK YOU FAGGET, I RATHER LOOK INDIAN THAT BE A FUCKIN SHRIP BURNED IN THE SUN, BITCH, EAT A FUCKIN DICK YOU LITTLE BITCH PENDEJO, AND ANOTHER THING, WE STAY AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE FROM YOU LEVAS BECAUSE WE WOULDNT WANT ANY DESEASES THAT YOU ASS CARRIES, IM ALERGIC TO LITTLE BITCH CRACKERS LIKE YOU, I WOULD BE BETTER IF THERE WAS MORE MAMACITAS OUT THERE RATHER THAN THE PINCHE GRINGAS THAT HAVE A FUCKIN ADDITUDE AND ALWAYS LOOK LIKE THERE ON THEIR PERIOD THEIR ABSOLUTE BITCHES!!!!! AND THEY GO FOR US MEXICANS RATHER THAN YOU PENDEJOS, AND OUR HYNAS DONT LIKE YOU LITTLE PUTOS, SO EAT A DICK, AND FUCK YOU ALONG WITH YOUR RACIST PUTAS AND PUTOS,

    ZAPATA
    FROM THE AZTLAN GUERRILAZ