Historically, legal immigration has been around 15% of all immigrants, there are a lot of high thinkers out there who’s families also came to America in a questionable fashion. Since everyone with the exception of the Native Americans came here as an immigrant, 85% of you are related to an illegal immigrants. Is it true that only descendents of legal immigrants are making this argument?
2006-10-07 11:18:04 · 29 answers · asked by namvet68 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
Lame argument
2006-10-07 11:22:19 · answer #1 · answered by bconehead 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the rest of them that stated that back in the day it was a totally different process to get into and become a citizen. At that at that time just about everyone could come in and very little was needed to become a citizen. My family is of Amish, and Mennonite decent, some still are. They came and purchased land from William Penn, that was all it took to be "legal" at the time. Also it is ANTI-ILLEGAL immigration, not all immigrants.
There are so many other countries in this world who have people who want to come here for a better life. They are trying to escape worse things than poverty, and yet they have to go through the process. Some of those never get here, never have a chance. Cubans for example are fleeing from an oppressive government and in some cases are in fear of life, but they are turned away unless they happen to make it to shore.
Letting people who have the opportunity to sneak across a border have full access, full privileges when they have done something illegal is wrong, and unfair to those who are trying to by following the rules.
If these same people when through the legal process, I would welcome them to this great country.
2006-10-07 11:39:50 · answer #2 · answered by Angy FFRTFC 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My grandfather brought the family in 1895, totally legal like most European immigrants. Your 15% shows a decided lack of knowledge on this topic. Also, native American, it doesn't exist, all people's ancestors in the Americas came from somewhere else. But to use that argument to justify illegals today is sloppy and untenable. Using your logic, human sacrifice to the sun god is also fine, as is all the other things the Indians did to each other long before the first white guy got here.
2006-10-07 11:35:53 · answer #3 · answered by Have gun, will travel. 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I am not anti - immigration , I believe in immigration its good for the economy , but my boyfriend was an illegal. He got a DUI and got deported had he come here legally he could have stayed . My ancestors came from southern Germany on a ship to Ellis Island New York in the early 1900's . My grandparents have the papers. Immigration has laws and those laws have a reason. You argue that its the American people who make up these laws , ha its the GOVERNMENT.
2006-10-07 13:13:28 · answer #4 · answered by primamaria04 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
All 4 of my grandparents came through Ellis Island! Did the legal deal, learned english, worked hard, raised families and to the best of my knowledge, never broke a law!!! Well, maybe one of them jaywalked!!!! None of you guys ever look at the big picture with immigration. If nothing else, how about illegals bringing back diseases that were no longer HEARD of in this country??? That's why when done legally, you are required to have all immunizations before you come. That alone, is reason to make the laws stronger.
2006-10-07 11:39:43 · answer #5 · answered by scarlettrhett 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
My Ancestor's came here legally. They asked to be released from Norway and then had to gain permission to enter onto American soil. I am not related to an illegal emmigrant. I don't know what is true as far as other races, but I do know that the Majority of the Norwegians came here legally. They had to gain permission from Norway to leave. So until you know the accurate %, you are only assuming. As far as our Native Americans, they have always felt that every person excepts the Indians are Illegal. There were no laws back then. The Indians came to this continent from other continents too, So how can we debate that ?? Every Ancestor from way back including Indians came to these shores. This is Gods country, not ours.
2006-10-07 13:14:25 · answer #6 · answered by Norskeyenta 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can mine came around 1690, and fought in the revolution. When my ancestors came their was no government and no immigration laws, and the Indians did not own all the land back then either, so get off you dam band wagon, Get over it, it is now the United States, and we have laws that need to be obeyed. And we have a right to make people obey them, just like all the other countries do.
2006-10-07 11:28:12 · answer #7 · answered by hexa 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If there were no laws when people came here, they are LEGAL. You can't be ILLEGAL if there is no law!! After laws were passed (by those who came here before there were any laws) anyone coming to the USA had to come in with proper documentation and they were screened at Ellis Island for criminal activity in THEIR homelands and for disease. Things ILLEGAL invaders do not do. Citizens of the USA who come here legally are citizens. Those who came here before there were laws, were CITIZENS and their children are not immigrants, they are natives of this country and LEGAL citizens.
Haley- this Native American votes "NO".
2006-10-07 11:29:53 · answer #8 · answered by «»RUBY«» 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First of all your numbers are way off as the hundreds of thousands of names in the logs that have survived from Ellis Island can attest to,and yes my grandparents came here legally. On my mothers side they did not I believe have to deal with any immigration laws for they are the descendants of English and Dutch ancestry and can trace their time in America back to before the revolutionary war,on my fathers side my grandparents came from Poland prior to WW2 . By the time one generation was over every one of them spoke English and had completely integrated into society. Not to mention my uncle who was old enough at the time of his entry that just a few years later he fought in WW2 for the US. If the legal way of entry into this country is not good enough for you then you're not wanted,I see no reason to believe that someone who breaks the first law they encounter here is going to contribute anything good to our society.
2006-10-07 12:47:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can,my ancestors came to the New World in 1702,there were merchants from Germany and were looking to expand their holdings..The native Americans were not indigenous to this continent having migrated here across the Bering Strait..There were no laws against mass immigration until 1924,however there were a few exclusionary laws,made in the 1800s,but they applied only to certain races or country's.
Since there were no laws against immigrating to this country,when my ancestors came,then my ancestors were indeed legal.
2006-10-07 11:29:02 · answer #10 · answered by Yakuza 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I can. Mine did and it's been documented - right through Ellis Island - legally! And to compare what is going on now to anything prior to the 20th century is just plain asinine. We are an established country with established borders, not a loosely banded group of tribes roaming the plains - stop trying to justify breaking the law.
2006-10-07 14:33:30 · answer #11 · answered by Mr. Boof 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋