Are there still people who insist it's just Mexicans crossing the border?

Question

BRAZIL
Brazilian town is losing its young to American dreamBrazilians, clamoring for the American dream, are the fastest-growing group to cross the U.S. border with Mexico illegally.
BY MONTE REEL
Washington Post Service
GOVERNADOR VALADARES, Brazil - Maria Lierje was at the kitchen table the other day, wearing a shirt with the image of a saint she believes helps her cope with lost causes. Next to her was one such case, eating sponge cake and wiping milk from the dusky adolescent shadow on his upper lip.

Guilherme, her son, is 14, so he probably has another few years before he sets off on a daredevil journey to the United States. In the meantime, she tries to remind him of the five months her oldest son spent in a Texas jail after trying to cross the Rio Grande, and of his uncle, who nearly died of hunger while trying to cross the border.

''What can I do?'' she asked. ``I tell him he can make a good life here, that it's not that bad. But he's a man. I can't change his mind.''

TRADITION

Getting to the United States is a coming-of-age tradition for the men of this family, and for many others in this country, apparently: U.S. immigration officials believe Brazilians were the fastest-growing group of illegal immigrants crossing the Mexican border between 2000 and 2005. Last year, only Mexicans and Hondurans are believed to have crossed in greater numbers.

Brazil's distance from the United States makes emigrating a complicated process that requires both resources and familiarity with a business sector that helps coordinate border-crossing attempts. The process became more complicated last year when, with encouragement from the United States, Mexico began requiring tourist visas of Brazilians. The result, according to U.S. Border Patrol officials, has been a dramatic decrease in apprehensions at the border -- from more than 31,000 in fiscal 2005 to an estimated 1,500 in the most recent fiscal year.

But that doesn't mean people aren't still trying. Now many travel agencies here fly customers to Guatemala, where they can enter Mexico with less risk of getting caught, or try their luck on a boat. Some even go to Portugal, from where it is said to be easier to get into the United States with false documents.

''If I could, I'd go tomorrow,'' Guilherme said. ``All the men in the family except my father are there -- two brothers, all four of my uncles. It must be fun there.''

Guilherme's image of the United States is a collage of snapshots sent from his brothers in Florida and Massachusetts; tales of local legends, like the man who emigrated to the Boston area and now owns a $6 million house; stories of newborn children with U.S. citizenship.

Almost all Brazilians go to the United States in search of economic opportunity, but they aren't the poorest of the poor. Guilherme's family, for instance, lives in a modestly comfortable home. If he stayed in this city, he would probably work in his parents' market, supplementing a modest income with occasional gifts from relatives abroad. The prospect holds no charm for him.

In America, he believes, even the disasters are beautiful.

''I got this picture once, from my brother, of a hurricane that hit near where he lives in Florida,'' he said. ``It was so cool.''

REMITTANCES

Across the railroad tracks on the outskirts of the city, armies of yellow construction machines crawl over denuded fields. Workers dig ditches in 90-degree heat. A total of 416 lots have been offered for sale in this subdivision, and all have been pre-sold. Nearly every one was bought with money sent home from the United States, according to local officials.

The site manager is considering naming the development ``The Neighborhood of Immigrants.''

Such a name wouldn't exactly be bracingly original here. A local newspaper, for example, is called the Immigrant and has correspondents in Massachusetts, Florida and Connecticut. The city itself has been referred to as ''Little America'' and ''Governador Vala-dolares'' -- a reference to all the dollars sent home by stateside relatives.

Between 40,000 and 50,000 people from Governador Valadares are estimated to be living in the United States, most of them illegally. About 60 percent of the money flowing through the city is directly or indirectly linked to those relatives, city officials estimate.

''There are a lot of neighborhoods here built solely with the money sent back from the U.S.,'' said Raimundo Santana, editor of the Immigrant, who recently returned after living legally in Massachusetts for eight years. ``You see a lot of homes with additions and parts that have been remodeled, all from their relatives.''

Brazil received about $6.4 billion last year from its citizens who live abroad, second only to Mexico among the countries of Latin America. A University of Sao Paulo study estimated that about 14 percent of the dollars sent from the estimated 1.5 million Brazilians living in the United States end up in this city of about 230,000 residents.

The government does know terror groups like Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah are active in Latin America. In fact, members of Hezbolla are already inside the U.S., coming in through the Mexican border.

We're also learning these Middle Easterners are changing their Islamic names to Hispanic names, buying fake documents, learning Spanish and posing as Hispanic immigrants.

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo says there's even a training camp in Brazil teaching Middle Easterners how to blend in to the Mexican culture.

According to government intelligence, Middle Eastern aliens from countries known to harbor terrorists are smuggled to staging areas in places like Venezuela and the tri-border region between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Then they're smuggled again through Mexico and our border right into the U.S.

There's a big payoff for those who sneak them in. Mexican illegals pay smugglers an average of $2,000. Middle Easterners pay as much as thirty times that

Answer 1

The only reason some Americans think Mexicans are the only ones crossing our border is because that's the impression Mexico gives.

Even when we announce our THOUGHTS about securing our border to keep Islamic terrorists out, Mexico comes unglued and yells out that no one is coming across except young, strong, hardworking Mexicans just looking for a better life. Then accuse us of wanting to secure our border for racist reasons, that we're greedy and don't want to share our wealth with Mexico.

So listening to Mexico what's a person to think?

Answer 2

It do no longer make no experience n'in any respect. i individually am bewildered by this. As a 4.0 fatherland secure practices student, that's between the few regulations in place and lacking proactive action that i even have faith to the two be epic failure or conspiratorial, i.e. NWO theories. As a conservative Democrat, i prefer my borders shutdown right this moment. i do no longer prefer this plenty replace of pores and skin shade ratios this rapid, in the different case civility might nicely be lost. no longer that one and all of any shade are undesirable, yet too many in a clean custom with no longer something to lose is a recipe for disaster. yet, Democrats prefer the non white vote to win, so... term LIMITS.

Answer 3

Aparantly americans autimatically think that the people crossing the US-Mexican border all all Mexicans, but they're not. Most of them probably are, but their's people from Guatemala to Argentina. And it's just the poor that cross it...most of the rich people stay in their city.

Answer 4

Not really, Mexicans are talked most about because they make up the majority of illegal immigrants

Answer 5

"The government does know terror groups like Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah are active in Latin America. In fact, members of Hezbolla are already inside the U.S., coming in through the Mexican border.

We're also learning these Middle Easterners are changing their Islamic names to Hispanic names, buying fake documents, learning Spanish and posing as Hispanic immigrants.

Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo says there's even a training camp in Brazil teaching Middle Easterners how to blend in to the Mexican culture.

According to government intelligence, Middle Eastern aliens from countries known to harbor terrorists are smuggled to staging areas in places like Venezuela and the tri-border region between Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Then they're smuggled again through Mexico and our border right into the U.S."

Y*O*U
M*A*K*E
M*E
L*A*U*G*H

I*M
B*R*A*Z*I*L*I*A*N
I
L*I*V*E
I*N
B*R*A*Z*I*L

Y*O*U*R*E
J*U*S*T
A
S*T*U*P*I*D
G*R*I*N*G*A
T*H*A*T
K*N*O*W*S
N*O*T*H*I*N*G
A*B*O*U*T
O*T*H*E*R
C*O*U*N*T*R*I*E*S
B*U*T
T*H*I*N*K*S
T*H*A*T
K*N*O*W*S
S*O
M*U*C*H
B*E*C*A*U*S*E
O*F
Y*O*U*R
T*R*U*S*T*F*U*L (sarcasm)
C*O*N*S*E*R*V*A*T*I*V*E
S*O*U*R*C*E*S

Brazilians teaching Mexican culture? Is it a joke? What more? Are you going to say that Brazilians are teaching spanish? LOL (In case you don't know in Brazil we speak Portuguese)

Tell your dear Tom Tancredo that the only terrorist camp in Brazil is the one that will kill him soon.

Answer 6

I agree with Sittinpretty

Answer 7

Yes, usually the brainless.

Answer 8

A lot of it would stop if they'd build the border fence...but no, but no...

Answer 9

Good point but I think you threw off ETHAN by the fact that it wasnt about Mexicans. lol.

Answer 10

CHECK THIS OUT !!!
If "Paco" can sneak across the border so easily,what's to stop"Achmed"?
Think about it awhile.