A rather ambiguous article in the New York Times this morning (8/26/13), not sure what the point is. But I'll paste my comment in here to preserve it in case I ever develop a fan base.
With emendations, I owe my comment about the unlimited supply of "unskilled" labor to General Odom, but I may have invented a new concept. It refer to the reference to an "Atlantic" culture, shorthand for a "Mid-Atlantic" Anglo-Saxon culture, thus taking some of the loaded terms off the table. Less cumbersome than Jared Diamond's WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Developed).
Afro-Americans are DEEPLY Anglo Saxon culturally, President Obama and Colin Powell are "More Anglo-Saxon" than my inbred rural third cousins here in Arkansas as far as I am concerned.
I am not sure what the point of the article was. Personally, I have no problem with the ambiguous status of Mr. Wajskol, obviously he is a useful and productive resident whose children will probably grow up to be useful and productive citizens.
The larger problem with our immigration system is as the article notes in passing, ""Legions Dream of an American Passport." Is Mr Wajskol somehow depriving them of this opportunity? I don't think so, and I would welcome any literate, English speaking member of the larger "Atlantic" culture who wants to move and work here.
BUT, the rest of the world has an essentially unlimited supply of low skill workers for whom this country is still the last best hope. Too bad, so sad, the lifeboat is pretty full, we are not creating enough jobs for our own low-skill workers.
Low skill immigrants (however you describe that category) are simply used to depress the wages of the American Working class. I'm sure given the opportunity half the population of Haiti would be on a plane tomorrow, and that is a country with a population of what, nine million?
Yes, a little diversity is good, but we can not assimilate all the potential refugees and immigrants from non-Atlantic cultures that would like to move here. And some of them, once granted Green cards, singularly fail to assimilate, most spectacularly recently the Fort Hood Shooter.
Further Points:
1. I got the population of Haiti correct off the top of my Head!!!
(My netbook insists on closing the window before opening a new one).
2. Unassimilateable Immigrants. OK, I am specifically concerned about people with a Grandfather Named Mohamed. Yes, there are MANY of them who become fully assimilated. But a significant portion who don't, if only the media would cover these stories as assiduously as they do every School and Workplace Shooting. You pick up the odd story about alleged "Honor Killings" by chance. What concerns me is how many "go along to get along," travel back to the home village and marry their 1st Cousins, making them (the 1st Cousin) instantly eligible for a US visa and Green card, and shifting the problem to the next generation. It's a classic case of Chain Migration (look it up) to bring in more of the same, who sustain and grow these self contained and self referencing communities. We have enough home grown communities of that sort already.
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