The big story in the news over the past couple of days is that Florida governor Ron DeSantis chartered two planes to fly about 50 migrants, most of whom were from Venezuela, to Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts.
I am appalled. The cruelty of little Mussolini of Florida is beyond words. Using these desperate people as political pawns. It is so disgusting and surely illegal. I am so proud of the Martha’s Vineyard community for the care and welcome they provided. They are the true patriots. And the confederate governors are traitors once again.
I haven't combed the media, but I did see Beto very recently on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, where he addressed the Abbott, DeSantis immigrant kidnapping stunt, among other issues.
I also saw Beto on Jimmy Kimmel. The man has integrity and heart and that is what we need so desperately in office these days. He also has the political save to move the country heading in the right direction.
I've been hearigng/seeing this everywhere. I guess it depends on how you define mainstream media, and how far you extend what you include in that category.
Beto is doing town halls in Brownsville this weekend (just finished one) w civil rights activist & co-founder of United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, on his “Juntos Se Puede” (Together We Can) TX tour.
Yes... that’s right, Karen. The actions of DeSantis and his enablers are despicable. The residents of MV did what many people would do were they placed in the same position by an irresponsible and hard hearted official; they simply helped and, in so doing, showed how generous true Americans can be.
Karen RN, (both my sister and my late mother are/were nurses and I want to thank you for your hard work and service every day and including the dark times of CV19 onset).
OK, I understand there are parts of the north where migrants are welcomed based on good data posted after my original post.
Texas and all southern states should be working with those states that are open to Texas bussing migrants and set up a schedule and a plan. I agree that surprising an area with a bus is wrong, however, I do not think Texas should be bearing the brunt of the migration that is happening now and that will grow.
Question: What is so wrong with all of America, including the segregated northern suburbs and fancy all white enclaves like Martha's Vineyard having migrants bussed in so that all of America can share in the caring, housing, schooling and feeding of the more than 200,000 PER MONTH of migrants into the United States?
I am not sure where Dr. Richardson is up there in Maine but I am sure she would be HAPPY to take in 5 or so migrants into her own home to help raise the kids and get them fed and schooled. Right??
Why should we leave Texans (partly) alone to handle all the migrants in their bursting at the seams school systems? Why not OFFER to help them by sending buses down there and taking some up here to the all white, northern suburbs where homes are 3600 square feet with five bedrooms, two not being used???
Why have the northern states not been more aggressive in supporting movement of migrants to the north??
IF Texas sends a bus to MY neighborhood and they get off in MY neighborhood? Well, my kids are gone. I will go out and round up FOUR of them AND some kids and:
1) Feed them
2) Cloth them
3) Send them to my all white northern suburb school (even though they speak not one word of English.
4) and?? --> I will house them in my home.
I will welcome THEM as Texas has done for four decades after the crush that Dr. Richardson describes occurred.
Why should WE all up here in our segregated, all white, "liberal" enclaves not do the same thing?
We should all be asking to rescue these poor migrants from slow rolling disaster down south.
IT WILL GET WORSE. Right? In the not too distant future it will be too hot to grow anything there.
I applaud those states and areas in the north that are accepting migrants. However, at 200,000 a month into the south, we can do more, and, we should be reaching out to the southern states and working with them to do more.
I live in Maine. We have taken in, and are regularly taking in, new immigrants. Our businesses, agriculture and communities have benefited, we have leaders in our cities and towns who are refugees from distant countries.
It is a dangerous and false spin to believe we are basking in “all white enclaves”, or would wish to up here. If this were true, why aren’t the Texans and Floridians relocating here? Could be the long, dark sub-zero winters…
And, Mike, you have no idea how many immigrant refugees our northern states have been integrating for multiple decades--Our history has paralleled the immigrant journey in America. In the first half of the 20th century, we welcomed and served many people from Europe. In the 1970s the rise of the Khmer Rouge and fall of Saigon brought thousands of people from Cambodia and Vietnam to Lowell and Boston, where they were welcomed and integrated. In the 1990s, Bosnian refugees, Kurds fleeing Iraq, and Kosovars fleeing Serbian aggression came to our doors, and in the 21st century we have welcomed and aided people from Iraq, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, other countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the nations of Central America. Right now, thousands of refugees from Afghanistan are being integrated all over New England. There are Tibetan, Hmong and Haitian refugees up here. And many Latinos. Grateful immigrants with major degrees who are willing to do what white Americans won't do. do not listen to these propagandists. We certainly have work to do to stop the reasons that make people flee their homes and countries. And many white-privileged people are fleeing our rising fascist and incredibly violent, white supremacist country for safer countries where they and their children will not be massacred going to school or the grocery store. We must tackle this problem when we tackle and subdue the violent and complicit anti-Americans trying to destroy our democracy.
Good job, Pensa. Thanks. Heart for you when the dang thing starts working again. I do wish people would take a minute to see what is really going on before they trot out all their preconceptions about someplace they know little (or nothing) about.
Many people relocated to Maine during the pandemic - people with money gobbling up whatever housing was available. Affordable housing always an oxymoron in Maine, is now almost non-existent. Workforce affordable housing? Totally non existent.
I live in Maine's CD2.
Where Trump received our electoral vote twice. Self styled Trump before Trump Tea Party racist Paul LePage could win a 3rd term as governor. Right wing extremist Bathroom Bruce Poliquin (so named for hiding from constituents by ducking into a ladies room) is trying to claw his way back to Congress. Where some local Republican incumbents and candidates could out-DeSantis-DeSantis, and we have our own PillowMan funding a Trump temple of liberty constitution hall of religious extremism and election lies.
And if that weren't enough - blinkered 'vote person not party' independents who even ranked choice voting cannot necessarily stop from playing havoc with elections.
I live in Oregon and my neighborhood is quite diverse and not a white enclave although I am sure some who live in this area wish it were. It is not on the rich end of Salem however and parts of it are not at all liberal either.
Eugene is one of the least racially diverse communities (minus the university, where international students have carried the brunt of the ever-rising tuition load for years) in the Willamette valley. We tend to talk a good game, but we cannot keep BIPOC people in any sort of administrative positions either at the university or in public service agencies. The woman who owns the house next to us is Black; she left U of O after 2 years in an admin position to take on an identical role in Missouri for nearly double the money. I know she intended to retire here, but I suspect she won’t be back.
I live in South Florida. No Immigrants Here. (Joke)
There's nothing but immigrants here from NE snowbirds every winter to all of the Caribbean, Centro y South America. Oh, and the Russians all over Sunny Isles to Aventura (signs are in Cyrillic here).
Fact is, I am a minority in my hometown being U.S. born & English speaking with Español being the dominant language.
A lot of Hispanics are pissed at DeSantis over this stunt and a lot of Cuban immigrants are conspicuously quiet right now.
Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate your data.
I have (slightly) softened my original post to make room for those areas that ARE being responsible to the growing disaster in Latin America.
However, here in upstate NY we have taken in few refugees from anywhere and a number of refugees from latin America that simply is in the noise close to zero in the all white suburbs.
I suspect that my observation is fairly common in many northern, segregated communities. I am open to being wrong though, and, have been before.
I also suspect the reason is that the majority of voters do not want migrants in their neighborhoods and the majority of representatives know that very well.
However, I have been around NJ, NY, PA, segregated (white) neighborhoods for a while now and my observations are accurate for those states.
There is a difference between the full time residents of MV and the summer-second home people. As one rep commented, DeSantis was recently on Nantucket 'begging for money'.
I wondered why DeSantis didn’t send them to Nantucket, a paradise for the affluent for their second home, much more upscale & expensive than Martha’s Vineyard! He was cya-ing!
Mike, I don't know where in upstate NY you live, but Utica has a large refugee population; I know of at least one employer in the Mohawk Valley that provides transportation to bring some of these refugees to work in its manufacturing facility. The company has had a hard time filling positions, and the refugees need employment, so it's a win-win.
I wish you were wrong. Thought I was so clever finding a community where there was no reported racial crime. We are a mixed race couple. Racial crime exists in my community. We fought to protect our new neighbors' children from horrible racist comments. Mastriano signs abound.
And. Sadly if Oz and Mastriano are elected - I wonder what the brain drain will look like then - because we will have shown what an intolerant and racist state we are at the core - outside of a few urban areas. It's pretty dang disconcerting and quite frankly scary. Those signs abound as well in my county along with the racist Confederate battle flags and symbols. My adult children, who live several hours away, have begged me to stash my own signs and flags because they fear for my safety. I'm 70 and never, ever thought I'd see this level of hate in my adopted state let alone across the country. My grandparents were immigrants in the early 1900's. In today's climate, they would not have been welcomed.
Mike, in fact, northern cities and towns have had immigrants coming to them for decades. In the 15+ years I've lived in my central, NH city (pop ~40,000), we have seen roughly 5000 people come from Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, and many other places. The state, city, religious, and private entities all pool resources to house, feed, educate, procure medical care, and employment. This is going on all over this country of ours. Who do you think is cleaning the houses of those living in the rich white enclaves? Who do you think picks the apples? There is, in fact, a sizeable Somali population living in Maine.
Our hearts are open, and we are all the richer for it.
Anytime Mike uses the symbolic :-) he is telling you via this sideways smiley face that his comment is tongue and cheek humor. As to whether he hit the mark I would submit he hit the bulls ass.
Even if it is tongue and cheek, I still find it in very poor taste.
Yes immigration is a real and serious problem but this is not the solution.
I am the proud granddaughter of immigrants from Italy and Mexico who came to the United States in search of a better life for their families. They succeeded !
I live in Annandale, Fairfax County, Virginia. 30% of the population is foreign born. Annandale has the largest Korean population in the area. We are an extremely diverse area outside Washington DC.
Hi, Glenis. I drive through Annandale every now and again, and can attest to your post!
Leesburg, in Loudoun County, has a goodly amount of POC folks, though I don't know the percentage. I see many in higher skilled positions, such as shop owners, management, and the like. For me, it's not weird at all!
Also, being native to Washington, D.C., it was (and still is, I suspect) a very diverse city.
Some stats for NJ-- town adjacent to me is 67% hispanic, white and non-white. They are the ones working hard cleaning houses, mowing lawns, preparing food
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent 71.1%
Black or African American alone, percent(a) 15.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) 0.7%
Asian alone, percent(a) 10.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a) 0.1%
Two or More Races, percent 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) 21.5%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent 53.5%
This is amazing. We moved to NH from Southern California in 2004. It was so White it was stark. We didn’t like it because we missed the diversity and moved on in 2007. Glad to hear things have changed.
I live in northern Westchester in NY state. I have seen the River towns of Peekskill, NY and Ossining, NY have been revived by immigrants. For years Peekskill did not have a supermarket within walking distant of the city. Now there is a Hispanic owned super market, with prices in line with other super markets, which serves the entire community. I go there myself as the fruits and vegetables are reasonably priced and fresh. There are lovely immigrant owned cafes and smaller stores in a town that was suffering for years. Now with Covid-19 the NYC folks have discovered the River towns and have pushed prices up sky high. Across the River in Haverstraw, NY, I see another town that was in severe decline revived by immigrant business. These are my observations but I would say many immigrants have made their way to the North for jobs and to join other family members and they are giving our area new life, culture, and have revitalized depressed pockets of the state. By the way, my dad was a immigrant and a Holocaust survivor. My husband is also an immigrant. Yes, let’s push for a fair immigration and enforcement laws.
Point well taken, Mike - so why the covert manipulation, lack of honesty and false promises? Is this an honest effort to balance the coin? Or is it yet another self-serving sleazy game designed to secure superior-istic, separatist agendas which reinforce the cultural inequities? ... and, while we're on about immigration, and fairness ... I have to ask ..., whose land is this, anyway? Who has the true authority to determine who comes and goes or stays - and what mercenary agendas are served by current status quo ...?
*****
"As it turns out, DeSantis, who isn’t smart enough to have ever had an original idea in his life, didn’t come up with this on his own. He got the idea from his Southern white supremacist trash forebears.
"In 1962, “Reverse Freedom Rides” were set up by southern segregationists to send African Americans from Southern cities to mostly Northern, and some western, cities by bus. They were given free one-way bus tickets, and were promised guaranteed high paying jobs and free housing to lure them into cooperating. There was no guaranteed free housing or jobs waiting for them.
"The reverse rides were organized by George Singelmann, member of the Greater New Orleans White Citizens' Council, in retaliation against Northern liberals for supporting the Freedom Rides. He viewed the reverse rides as a way of proving white northerners weren't sincere in their desire for racial equality. In a TV interview he stated, "They have been crying the sing song on behalf of the Negroes throughout the nation. And of course now when it comes time for them to put up or shut up, they have shut up." Singelmann also viewed the Rides as a means of removing African Americans from the states welfare roll as he believed they were draining state resources.
"In May 1962, the White Citizens' Council of America issued a resolution supporting Singelmann in response to continued northern press coverage criticizing race relations in the south. he resolution read, "In order to effect an equitable and amicable solution to said racial chaos, friction and sectional division, the Citizens' Council of America hereby urge the various local and state organizations in the South to take necessary and judicious action to expedite volunteer migration of any dissatisfied Negroes from the South."
"This led to coordinated multi-state effort by White Citizen’s Councils in Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama. When efforts began in Louisiana, the spokesman announced, "We want to see if northern politicians really love the negro or whether they love his vote." Louisiana Senator Allen J. Ellender said, "I want Negros from the South to learn they are better taken care of in the South."
"Of course, the Mississippi House of Representatives announced support for the resolution and coordinated removal in a resolution of their own emphasizing the need to, "redistribute the dissatisfied Negro population to other areas where the political leadership constantly clamors for equal rights for all persons without regard to the constitution, judicial precedent and rights of the states.""
"The 50 migrants — 49 from Venezuela and one from Peru — told GBH reporters that they were instructed to get on the charter flight with a false promise of jobs. Instead, they were dropped on Martha’s Vineyard with no notice to local government or social services officials, leaving people on the island scrambling to provide food, shelter and basic needs."
That trafficking stunt was just intended to hurt people. It was not any sort of attempt to solve a problem.
The passage of various laws by Congress has not helped the issue of immigration. People have for thousands of years flowed all over North America looking for better possibilities for their families, whether to escape natural events like weather and famine or human enemies. America has never been a white place. It was occupied by others before the white Europeans came and began trafficking in kidnapped people from Africa. Helping the Central American countries get a handle on the violence would help, but immigration is going to take a multi pronged approach to “handle.”
I saw that stunt as a way to “own the libs” and get their base focused on hating an “enemy”. They want their voters focused on anything but Graham introducing a nationwide abortion ban just before the midterms. They underestimated the power of women jumping into action to protect their freedom and lives. They’ve also lost support on the stolen documents.
I updated my original post with less of an overt challenge and more of a why not.
So, I agree that dumping migrants into locations without a joint plan between the area and the origin is not a good thing. It is a stunt. It does cause dislocation and fear.
It also serves to make the obvious point that Northern States are not reaching out to southern states and asking for migrants and jointly coming up with plans for more uniform distribution throughout the US.
The reason for that is that northern constituents are, in majority, not interested in watching a crushing migration from Mexico into their neighborhoods.
Is now a good time to point out that a sizable amount of “illegal” immigrants enter into California, my home state, a bright blue state? Immigrants go where there are jobs and we have jobs galore in the agricultural Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma and other places where crops are grown. Or does California not count?
Northern states should be part of the solution, but as part of a federal policy—not as political theater.
high immigration is the way the big ag companies keep farm wages down. See Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck ($13 on Amazon). The book covers all the relevant academic economic history, as well as staatements from Black leaders beginning with Frederick Douglass, Black periodicals, and Gov't Commissions on immigration reform.
An example: Blacks--union members--dominated meat packing, earning good middle class wages, until the '80s. Immigration surged that decade, and by it's end, immigrants dominated meat packing, working for barely more than minimum wage, under atrocious conditions. Big biz GOPers love mass immigration.
The reason is that the northern states have had and are "handling" (coping with) their own immigration, as they have had high immigration since the very founding of this country. Tenement slums are nothing new to cities in the north. These people may not end up up farms, due to a different economy; they are doing the so called menial labors, working in restaurants, kitchens, retail and home and yard trades all over the country. Additionally, cities take in immigration from the rural poor seeking jobs. Covid is one of the few times when cities actually lost residents.
Right. Governor Noem made a massive deal of refusing to take migrants. Same with many other Republican Governors. Can you give examples of crushing migrations? Are they being sent somewhere where there are no jobs and no housing? They are here to work and raise their families, just like millions of people from Europe did when this country was settled.
"The White House rips into GOP governors' 'political stunts' with migrants:
'These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers … And for what? A photo op? Because these governors care about creating political theater [rather] than creating actual solutions’"
My understanding is that many, many of the states / communities these immigrants are coming to, are willing to accept the “spread the responsibility around” policy idea. Yet, Abbott, Ducey, and DeSantis don’t want to responsibly coordinate this idea. They want video clips to edit into “Own the Libtard” news & social media posts. Bravo Martha’s Vineyard, and all our communities that are scrambling, but acting like humans. There is much more to come. It will be wise to get some coordination going on. Oh, and some immigration legislation hammered out.
Western Washington and Western Oregon accept newcomers from foreign shores. Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon have publicly stated they want to join Idaho.
I spent a couple of nights in Lewiston, Maine and enjoyed the culture of Somalia while there. By the way, the hotels there are a lot more reasonable than coastal hotels.
Thank you for the feedback and I understand that when I arrive my original post will be false for your area. btw, if I do make the drive, we absolutely have to have a beer together.
I updated and softened my original post. A bit too much Texan in that one.
Ha Ha. In the same vein, I can guide them to a list of desperate employers. Just Google "landscape contractors, home builders, restaurant jobs". Lots of anecdotes out there about how the economy is being held back by a lack of employees.
In Portland, Maine the internationally recognized restaurant scene is witnessing viable eateries closing due to lack of staff.
In the broadest sense, your comment makes sense. But it might miss some of the welcoming that has been happening already. Our sleepy little Boston MetroWest "colonial" town is no longer just a place of lily white faces.
The great big dark cloak of a problem is, of course, housing. I don't have a solution to that. Zoning changes to allow denser affordable residences don't sell well where one's perception of property values is of a religious nature. NIMBY is the enemy of charity and sullies the welcome mat.
"In the broadest sense, your comment makes sense. But it might miss some of the welcoming that has been happening already. "
I am sure I am exaggerating and my post is too extreme. This is a manner of writing that a Ph.D. should never engage in. However, I have read thousands of right wing writing and they all use exaggeration and extreme language highly effectively.
Here, I have used a toned down version of right wing methods to make an extreme point that is broadly true, but, not completely true.
Also, I updated the post to take the tone back a notch based on your posts.
I live in one of those wealthy, mostly white suburbs in a northern city. I am the daughter of an immigrant, married to an immigrant. On my small block (maybe 14 houses) there are four immigrants, and that is fairly typical for our neighborhood. While my community doesn’t have many African Americans, we do have many Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian folks. Our community has indeed stepped up to help integrate both Afghan and Syrian refugees. Our school board has non-white members. Our city council has non-white members. They were easily elected in a white majority community, because we welcome their skills. Please don’t vilify northern suburbs based on your mistaken perception of what it’s like here.
Want to do more to support migrants? Donate to charities like Catholic Relief Services or Doctors Without Borders, who are doing the work along the border (which, in my opinion, the government should be doing) to feed migrants, help them with paperwork, provide medical care, and get them on their way.
Martha's Vineyard isn't the "fancy white enclave" you've depicted. The full-time residents on the island are mostly middle-class and working-class -- fishermen, shopkeepers, gardeners, landscapers, teachers, programmers, craftsmen, construction workers, postal workers, retired people and so on -- and the island's population, even in the peak summer season, is extremely diverse. The Vineyard is one of the most popular vacation spots in the nation for black Americans, and has been for as long as I can remember. There's nothing lily-white about the place. People get the wrong idea about the Vineyard because the Kennedy family had a compound there, so of course, if the Kennedy family lived there, it must be a rich community, right?
It is a rich community -- but not in the strictly economic terms you might be thinking. And the people in Edgartown showed the nation how to welcome strangers into their midst.
Mike, many of the states with the lowest immigrant populations are found in the plains, the south and midwest. Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Idaho, Arkansas, Montana, etc (red states all) count immigrants as less than 5% of their populations. With the exceptions of Florida and Texas, all of the states with high percentages of immigrants are blue states. Why didn’t DeSantis send those planes to Mississippi or Iowa? Those states are truly “white enclaves”.
The families in Texas are not taking the migrants into their homes and they’re not bearing the brunt of the burden. Immigration money comes from the fed. Did you read the numbers in Heather’s newsletter? You made a huge point of all white suburbs. Those are the very people Republicans are manipulating with lies to create hatred and racism. Absolute fear-mongering.
I remember the Vietnamese boat people arriving in Florida. They were relocated to areas like Milwaukee. No one screamed about invasions and borders. This country took them in. They were hard working people who just wanted safety.
I lived in NH 2004-2007. It was 99.9% white and we were only an hour outside of Boston. Not even service workers, almost zero Black people in the entire state. We hated it and moved on. We’re back in Southern California now where nationalities are a melting pot of people. The only ones screaming about an invasion and open borders are Republicans trying to maintain their seats with lies.
Excellent point. I have thought that I would do just that if I were decades younger and had my own domicile. If republicans would sign on to immigration reform…. Well, I dream
Thank you. I am not understanding the hostility that innocent, desperate migrants are receiving from the northern press. It is not their fault that it is 109 in the coffee fields in Brazil and that drug lords run everything down there.
Why are all of US liberals NOT doing like Texas has done for 40 years??
TAKE THEM IN.
actually, it kinda is our fault that drug lords run everything down there because the entire latin american drug trade started after WW II when the US Army decided that farming the stuff for morphine and making it here was too dangerous and outsourced it to Mexican farmers south of California.
WE started the drug trade down there. Another one of our big OOOPSIES that went wrong.
I have noticed with every single comment you show your derision and try to place blame on liberals. You’re being subtle. Texas is not filled with 90% conservatives and the liberals do not live only in the northern white suburbs. There is not a liberal cabal that works underground to put immigrants in only conservative states. Texas works hard to gerrymander and suppress the vote of their Democrat voters. If you took that away from them it would be a blue state.
Yes, Sharon. He's pretty transparent. After repeatedly saying "I'm softening my previous comments" and "thanks for the additional information," the last line is about how he'll inform Texas to send buses up north with a smiley face. The information others have given to contradict his statements is illuminating. But it's not worth replying to him anymore. He's playing a game, like DeSantis and Abbott.
Hey Mike, I don't know about you but when I get my roof replaced, I want to see a crew of Central Americans up there. They know how to work and they clean up all the nails.
Fact is, we're all from elsewhere unless you happen to be indigenous, and our country is unique and far more rich for welcoming immigrants. I like it that way and I'm a liberal from Maryland
Mike, we northern liberals DO take migrants in. As I mentioned elsewhere here, Massachusetts has a larger immigrant population (percentage-wise) than Texas. As do New York and New Jersey. The states that aren’t taking in immigrants are red states like Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Idaho, North Dakota, West Virginia, etc. Stop castigating liberals, we are doing more than our fair share. Aim your criticism at red states.
Mike, Massachusetts has a higher immigrant population (percentage of state’s population that was foreign born) than Texas does. DeSantis’ ploy only increased that differential.
I am appalled. The cruelty of little Mussolini of Florida is beyond words. Using these desperate people as political pawns. It is so disgusting and surely illegal. I am so proud of the Martha’s Vineyard community for the care and welcome they provided. They are the true patriots. And the confederate governors are traitors once again.
He’s not so “little” in terms of influence. We have to do what it takes to get Charlie Crist (just realized how significant is his name!) elected!
You are right Elisabeth! Even though I live in Oregon I have been contributing to Charlie Crist.
Me, too!
My latest donation
Elisabeth Iler
That would be JESUS CHRIST whose significance is inspiring Charlie Crist influence of hope for fair minded voters...
The question I ask is, where are Charlie Crist and Beto...silent? Why??
I haven't combed the media, but I did see Beto very recently on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, where he addressed the Abbott, DeSantis immigrant kidnapping stunt, among other issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uhkQpmIzwU
CC: Great questions by Kimmel, 100% Beto replies. Phenomenal man., thanks for the link!
You're welcome, Gus! By the way, thank you very much for your service to our country.
Thank you, snd you are most welcome C C. I mean it.
Thanks for this. Great interview.
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
I also saw Beto on Jimmy Kimmel. The man has integrity and heart and that is what we need so desperately in office these days. He also has the political save to move the country heading in the right direction.
Thanks so much for sharing the link.
Crist has not been silent. He is out there non-stop. And Daniel Ulfelder (sp?) has really been digging into those 2 flights.
Interesting...where’s the mainstream media’s reporting of this??
I've been hearigng/seeing this everywhere. I guess it depends on how you define mainstream media, and how far you extend what you include in that category.
Initially, little coverage, but the story then blew up
check out Jon Stewart's podcast w/Pod Save America. Utube
MSNBC has been all over it. Segments on every show (that I'm not supposed to be watching).
They only report about tfg!
They are busy turning our attention elsewhere
Here's from the NYT. I'm sure the WaPo has done some, and I know the Boston Globe has.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/16/us/politics/migrants-marthas-vineyard.html
Beto is doing town halls in Brownsville this weekend (just finished one) w civil rights activist & co-founder of United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, on his “Juntos Se Puede” (Together We Can) TX tour.
Yes... that’s right, Karen. The actions of DeSantis and his enablers are despicable. The residents of MV did what many people would do were they placed in the same position by an irresponsible and hard hearted official; they simply helped and, in so doing, showed how generous true Americans can be.
Karen RN, (both my sister and my late mother are/were nurses and I want to thank you for your hard work and service every day and including the dark times of CV19 onset).
OK, I understand there are parts of the north where migrants are welcomed based on good data posted after my original post.
Texas and all southern states should be working with those states that are open to Texas bussing migrants and set up a schedule and a plan. I agree that surprising an area with a bus is wrong, however, I do not think Texas should be bearing the brunt of the migration that is happening now and that will grow.
Question: What is so wrong with all of America, including the segregated northern suburbs and fancy all white enclaves like Martha's Vineyard having migrants bussed in so that all of America can share in the caring, housing, schooling and feeding of the more than 200,000 PER MONTH of migrants into the United States?
I am not sure where Dr. Richardson is up there in Maine but I am sure she would be HAPPY to take in 5 or so migrants into her own home to help raise the kids and get them fed and schooled. Right??
Why should we leave Texans (partly) alone to handle all the migrants in their bursting at the seams school systems? Why not OFFER to help them by sending buses down there and taking some up here to the all white, northern suburbs where homes are 3600 square feet with five bedrooms, two not being used???
Why have the northern states not been more aggressive in supporting movement of migrants to the north??
IF Texas sends a bus to MY neighborhood and they get off in MY neighborhood? Well, my kids are gone. I will go out and round up FOUR of them AND some kids and:
1) Feed them
2) Cloth them
3) Send them to my all white northern suburb school (even though they speak not one word of English.
4) and?? --> I will house them in my home.
I will welcome THEM as Texas has done for four decades after the crush that Dr. Richardson describes occurred.
Why should WE all up here in our segregated, all white, "liberal" enclaves not do the same thing?
We should all be asking to rescue these poor migrants from slow rolling disaster down south.
IT WILL GET WORSE. Right? In the not too distant future it will be too hot to grow anything there.
I applaud those states and areas in the north that are accepting migrants. However, at 200,000 a month into the south, we can do more, and, we should be reaching out to the southern states and working with them to do more.
I live in Maine. We have taken in, and are regularly taking in, new immigrants. Our businesses, agriculture and communities have benefited, we have leaders in our cities and towns who are refugees from distant countries.
It is a dangerous and false spin to believe we are basking in “all white enclaves”, or would wish to up here. If this were true, why aren’t the Texans and Floridians relocating here? Could be the long, dark sub-zero winters…
And, Mike, you have no idea how many immigrant refugees our northern states have been integrating for multiple decades--Our history has paralleled the immigrant journey in America. In the first half of the 20th century, we welcomed and served many people from Europe. In the 1970s the rise of the Khmer Rouge and fall of Saigon brought thousands of people from Cambodia and Vietnam to Lowell and Boston, where they were welcomed and integrated. In the 1990s, Bosnian refugees, Kurds fleeing Iraq, and Kosovars fleeing Serbian aggression came to our doors, and in the 21st century we have welcomed and aided people from Iraq, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, other countries in Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and the nations of Central America. Right now, thousands of refugees from Afghanistan are being integrated all over New England. There are Tibetan, Hmong and Haitian refugees up here. And many Latinos. Grateful immigrants with major degrees who are willing to do what white Americans won't do. do not listen to these propagandists. We certainly have work to do to stop the reasons that make people flee their homes and countries. And many white-privileged people are fleeing our rising fascist and incredibly violent, white supremacist country for safer countries where they and their children will not be massacred going to school or the grocery store. We must tackle this problem when we tackle and subdue the violent and complicit anti-Americans trying to destroy our democracy.
Good job, Pensa. Thanks. Heart for you when the dang thing starts working again. I do wish people would take a minute to see what is really going on before they trot out all their preconceptions about someplace they know little (or nothing) about.
Thank You Pensa😌, from the Grandaughter of Italian immigrants.
Many people relocated to Maine during the pandemic - people with money gobbling up whatever housing was available. Affordable housing always an oxymoron in Maine, is now almost non-existent. Workforce affordable housing? Totally non existent.
I live in Maine's CD2.
Where Trump received our electoral vote twice. Self styled Trump before Trump Tea Party racist Paul LePage could win a 3rd term as governor. Right wing extremist Bathroom Bruce Poliquin (so named for hiding from constituents by ducking into a ladies room) is trying to claw his way back to Congress. Where some local Republican incumbents and candidates could out-DeSantis-DeSantis, and we have our own PillowMan funding a Trump temple of liberty constitution hall of religious extremism and election lies.
And if that weren't enough - blinkered 'vote person not party' independents who even ranked choice voting cannot necessarily stop from playing havoc with elections.
Lin, Wow. Just, wow....and thank you.
I live in Oregon and my neighborhood is quite diverse and not a white enclave although I am sure some who live in this area wish it were. It is not on the rich end of Salem however and parts of it are not at all liberal either.
Eugene is one of the least racially diverse communities (minus the university, where international students have carried the brunt of the ever-rising tuition load for years) in the Willamette valley. We tend to talk a good game, but we cannot keep BIPOC people in any sort of administrative positions either at the university or in public service agencies. The woman who owns the house next to us is Black; she left U of O after 2 years in an admin position to take on an identical role in Missouri for nearly double the money. I know she intended to retire here, but I suspect she won’t be back.
I live in South Florida. No Immigrants Here. (Joke)
There's nothing but immigrants here from NE snowbirds every winter to all of the Caribbean, Centro y South America. Oh, and the Russians all over Sunny Isles to Aventura (signs are in Cyrillic here).
Fact is, I am a minority in my hometown being U.S. born & English speaking with Español being the dominant language.
A lot of Hispanics are pissed at DeSantis over this stunt and a lot of Cuban immigrants are conspicuously quiet right now.
Thank you for the clarification. I appreciate your data.
I have (slightly) softened my original post to make room for those areas that ARE being responsible to the growing disaster in Latin America.
However, here in upstate NY we have taken in few refugees from anywhere and a number of refugees from latin America that simply is in the noise close to zero in the all white suburbs.
I suspect that my observation is fairly common in many northern, segregated communities. I am open to being wrong though, and, have been before.
I also suspect the reason is that the majority of voters do not want migrants in their neighborhoods and the majority of representatives know that very well.
However, I have been around NJ, NY, PA, segregated (white) neighborhoods for a while now and my observations are accurate for those states.
There is a difference between the full time residents of MV and the summer-second home people. As one rep commented, DeSantis was recently on Nantucket 'begging for money'.
I wondered why DeSantis didn’t send them to Nantucket, a paradise for the affluent for their second home, much more upscale & expensive than Martha’s Vineyard! He was cya-ing!
:)
Mike, I don't know where in upstate NY you live, but Utica has a large refugee population; I know of at least one employer in the Mohawk Valley that provides transportation to bring some of these refugees to work in its manufacturing facility. The company has had a hard time filling positions, and the refugees need employment, so it's a win-win.
I wish you were wrong. Thought I was so clever finding a community where there was no reported racial crime. We are a mixed race couple. Racial crime exists in my community. We fought to protect our new neighbors' children from horrible racist comments. Mastriano signs abound.
And. Sadly if Oz and Mastriano are elected - I wonder what the brain drain will look like then - because we will have shown what an intolerant and racist state we are at the core - outside of a few urban areas. It's pretty dang disconcerting and quite frankly scary. Those signs abound as well in my county along with the racist Confederate battle flags and symbols. My adult children, who live several hours away, have begged me to stash my own signs and flags because they fear for my safety. I'm 70 and never, ever thought I'd see this level of hate in my adopted state let alone across the country. My grandparents were immigrants in the early 1900's. In today's climate, they would not have been welcomed.
Mike, in fact, northern cities and towns have had immigrants coming to them for decades. In the 15+ years I've lived in my central, NH city (pop ~40,000), we have seen roughly 5000 people come from Afghanistan, Nepal, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, and many other places. The state, city, religious, and private entities all pool resources to house, feed, educate, procure medical care, and employment. This is going on all over this country of ours. Who do you think is cleaning the houses of those living in the rich white enclaves? Who do you think picks the apples? There is, in fact, a sizeable Somali population living in Maine.
Our hearts are open, and we are all the richer for it.
Steve,
I appreciate the data. And, I am happy to be wrong for your area.
I am glad that if Texas buses some migrants to your area they will be welcomed.
I will let the bus drivers know down in Texas.
:-)
Truly.
“I will let the bus drivers know down in Texas.”
Is this meant to be humor? These are human beings that are being treated as political pawns. Very humorous indeed!
Anytime Mike uses the symbolic :-) he is telling you via this sideways smiley face that his comment is tongue and cheek humor. As to whether he hit the mark I would submit he hit the bulls ass.
Even if it is tongue and cheek, I still find it in very poor taste.
Yes immigration is a real and serious problem but this is not the solution.
I am the proud granddaughter of immigrants from Italy and Mexico who came to the United States in search of a better life for their families. They succeeded !
I live in Annandale, Fairfax County, Virginia. 30% of the population is foreign born. Annandale has the largest Korean population in the area. We are an extremely diverse area outside Washington DC.
Hi, Glenis. I drive through Annandale every now and again, and can attest to your post!
Leesburg, in Loudoun County, has a goodly amount of POC folks, though I don't know the percentage. I see many in higher skilled positions, such as shop owners, management, and the like. For me, it's not weird at all!
Also, being native to Washington, D.C., it was (and still is, I suspect) a very diverse city.
Some stats for NJ-- town adjacent to me is 67% hispanic, white and non-white. They are the ones working hard cleaning houses, mowing lawns, preparing food
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent 71.1%
Black or African American alone, percent(a) 15.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a) 0.7%
Asian alone, percent(a) 10.3%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a) 0.1%
Two or More Races, percent 2.4%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b) 21.5%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent 53.5%
This is amazing. We moved to NH from Southern California in 2004. It was so White it was stark. We didn’t like it because we missed the diversity and moved on in 2007. Glad to hear things have changed.
The Somali people of Maine play a significant role in Elizabeth Strout's novels.
Exactly the same here in Vermont.
I live in northern Westchester in NY state. I have seen the River towns of Peekskill, NY and Ossining, NY have been revived by immigrants. For years Peekskill did not have a supermarket within walking distant of the city. Now there is a Hispanic owned super market, with prices in line with other super markets, which serves the entire community. I go there myself as the fruits and vegetables are reasonably priced and fresh. There are lovely immigrant owned cafes and smaller stores in a town that was suffering for years. Now with Covid-19 the NYC folks have discovered the River towns and have pushed prices up sky high. Across the River in Haverstraw, NY, I see another town that was in severe decline revived by immigrant business. These are my observations but I would say many immigrants have made their way to the North for jobs and to join other family members and they are giving our area new life, culture, and have revitalized depressed pockets of the state. By the way, my dad was a immigrant and a Holocaust survivor. My husband is also an immigrant. Yes, let’s push for a fair immigration and enforcement laws.
Great post. There are many communities in upstate NY that have been revived thanks to immigrant entrepreneurs.
Point well taken, Mike - so why the covert manipulation, lack of honesty and false promises? Is this an honest effort to balance the coin? Or is it yet another self-serving sleazy game designed to secure superior-istic, separatist agendas which reinforce the cultural inequities? ... and, while we're on about immigration, and fairness ... I have to ask ..., whose land is this, anyway? Who has the true authority to determine who comes and goes or stays - and what mercenary agendas are served by current status quo ...?
*****
"As it turns out, DeSantis, who isn’t smart enough to have ever had an original idea in his life, didn’t come up with this on his own. He got the idea from his Southern white supremacist trash forebears.
"In 1962, “Reverse Freedom Rides” were set up by southern segregationists to send African Americans from Southern cities to mostly Northern, and some western, cities by bus. They were given free one-way bus tickets, and were promised guaranteed high paying jobs and free housing to lure them into cooperating. There was no guaranteed free housing or jobs waiting for them.
"The reverse rides were organized by George Singelmann, member of the Greater New Orleans White Citizens' Council, in retaliation against Northern liberals for supporting the Freedom Rides. He viewed the reverse rides as a way of proving white northerners weren't sincere in their desire for racial equality. In a TV interview he stated, "They have been crying the sing song on behalf of the Negroes throughout the nation. And of course now when it comes time for them to put up or shut up, they have shut up." Singelmann also viewed the Rides as a means of removing African Americans from the states welfare roll as he believed they were draining state resources.
"In May 1962, the White Citizens' Council of America issued a resolution supporting Singelmann in response to continued northern press coverage criticizing race relations in the south. he resolution read, "In order to effect an equitable and amicable solution to said racial chaos, friction and sectional division, the Citizens' Council of America hereby urge the various local and state organizations in the South to take necessary and judicious action to expedite volunteer migration of any dissatisfied Negroes from the South."
"This led to coordinated multi-state effort by White Citizen’s Councils in Louisiana, Georgia, and Alabama. When efforts began in Louisiana, the spokesman announced, "We want to see if northern politicians really love the negro or whether they love his vote." Louisiana Senator Allen J. Ellender said, "I want Negros from the South to learn they are better taken care of in the South."
"Of course, the Mississippi House of Representatives announced support for the resolution and coordinated removal in a resolution of their own emphasizing the need to, "redistribute the dissatisfied Negro population to other areas where the political leadership constantly clamors for equal rights for all persons without regard to the constitution, judicial precedent and rights of the states.""
((https://tcinla757.substack.com/p/whatever-you-did-not-do-for-one-of?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email))
((Thank you, TCinLA!!))
"The 50 migrants — 49 from Venezuela and one from Peru — told GBH reporters that they were instructed to get on the charter flight with a false promise of jobs. Instead, they were dropped on Martha’s Vineyard with no notice to local government or social services officials, leaving people on the island scrambling to provide food, shelter and basic needs."
https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2022/09/16/migrants-on-marthas-vineyard-moving-to-temporary-housing-on-cape-cod
That trafficking stunt was just intended to hurt people. It was not any sort of attempt to solve a problem.
The passage of various laws by Congress has not helped the issue of immigration. People have for thousands of years flowed all over North America looking for better possibilities for their families, whether to escape natural events like weather and famine or human enemies. America has never been a white place. It was occupied by others before the white Europeans came and began trafficking in kidnapped people from Africa. Helping the Central American countries get a handle on the violence would help, but immigration is going to take a multi pronged approach to “handle.”
I saw that stunt as a way to “own the libs” and get their base focused on hating an “enemy”. They want their voters focused on anything but Graham introducing a nationwide abortion ban just before the midterms. They underestimated the power of women jumping into action to protect their freedom and lives. They’ve also lost support on the stolen documents.
Kathleen,
I updated my original post with less of an overt challenge and more of a why not.
So, I agree that dumping migrants into locations without a joint plan between the area and the origin is not a good thing. It is a stunt. It does cause dislocation and fear.
It also serves to make the obvious point that Northern States are not reaching out to southern states and asking for migrants and jointly coming up with plans for more uniform distribution throughout the US.
The reason for that is that northern constituents are, in majority, not interested in watching a crushing migration from Mexico into their neighborhoods.
Is now a good time to point out that a sizable amount of “illegal” immigrants enter into California, my home state, a bright blue state? Immigrants go where there are jobs and we have jobs galore in the agricultural Central Valley, Napa, Sonoma and other places where crops are grown. Or does California not count?
Northern states should be part of the solution, but as part of a federal policy—not as political theater.
high immigration is the way the big ag companies keep farm wages down. See Back of the Hiring Line: A 200-year History of Immigration Surges, Employer Bias, and Depression of Black Wealth, by Roy Beck ($13 on Amazon). The book covers all the relevant academic economic history, as well as staatements from Black leaders beginning with Frederick Douglass, Black periodicals, and Gov't Commissions on immigration reform.
An example: Blacks--union members--dominated meat packing, earning good middle class wages, until the '80s. Immigration surged that decade, and by it's end, immigrants dominated meat packing, working for barely more than minimum wage, under atrocious conditions. Big biz GOPers love mass immigration.
The reason is that the northern states have had and are "handling" (coping with) their own immigration, as they have had high immigration since the very founding of this country. Tenement slums are nothing new to cities in the north. These people may not end up up farms, due to a different economy; they are doing the so called menial labors, working in restaurants, kitchens, retail and home and yard trades all over the country. Additionally, cities take in immigration from the rural poor seeking jobs. Covid is one of the few times when cities actually lost residents.
contrary to DeSantis' expectations, Massachusetts is taking good care of these migrants.
Right. Governor Noem made a massive deal of refusing to take migrants. Same with many other Republican Governors. Can you give examples of crushing migrations? Are they being sent somewhere where there are no jobs and no housing? They are here to work and raise their families, just like millions of people from Europe did when this country was settled.
"when this country was settled"
Or would it be just as accurate to say: "when this country was invaded by thousands of immigrants from Europe"? Was that not a "crushing migration"?
We are so quick to forget that almost all of our ancestors, including "the founding fathers" were immigrants or children of immigrants.
Yes, and I frequently use that phrasing instead. I was trying not to be antagonistic.
True ... and ...,
"The White House rips into GOP governors' 'political stunts' with migrants:
'These are the kinds of tactics we see from smugglers … And for what? A photo op? Because these governors care about creating political theater [rather] than creating actual solutions’"
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/09/16/markey-leads-call-federal-probe-desantis-over-cruel-migrant-stunt
*****
..., political theatre ...?
Gee, dare we wonder what goes on backstage - behind the scrim ...?
Mmmmm ..., maybe not ,,,?
My understanding is that many, many of the states / communities these immigrants are coming to, are willing to accept the “spread the responsibility around” policy idea. Yet, Abbott, Ducey, and DeSantis don’t want to responsibly coordinate this idea. They want video clips to edit into “Own the Libtard” news & social media posts. Bravo Martha’s Vineyard, and all our communities that are scrambling, but acting like humans. There is much more to come. It will be wise to get some coordination going on. Oh, and some immigration legislation hammered out.
Mike, while I get the essence of your point, you need to take a ride and visit Lewiston Auburn Maine - at the center of the state.
Oregon and Washington for the last twenty years have embraced all immigrating families....
Western Washington and Western Oregon accept newcomers from foreign shores. Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon have publicly stated they want to join Idaho.
Yes, but they use migrant labor as it is largely an agricultural area.
They use migrant labor as much as possible—construction, painting houses, etc
Why it took e-verify (“the machine is down”) took decades.
Yup...and we hope they do move out of Oregon & EW...good riddance!
Think of it as making their dreams come true.
“Debbie Downer” Governor of Idaho’s statement must’ve been hard for them to hear: not a lot of enthusiasm
George,
Understood. I have softened my original post with somewhat less rigid claims.
I spent a couple of nights in Lewiston, Maine and enjoyed the culture of Somalia while there. By the way, the hotels there are a lot more reasonable than coastal hotels.
Bill,
Thank you for the feedback and I understand that when I arrive my original post will be false for your area. btw, if I do make the drive, we absolutely have to have a beer together.
I updated and softened my original post. A bit too much Texan in that one.
Thanks Bill.
Mike
Bill,
Many thanks for updating my own perceptions. I am going to update my post a bit.
I will also let Texas know you guys are waiting for the buses.
:-)
Ha Ha. In the same vein, I can guide them to a list of desperate employers. Just Google "landscape contractors, home builders, restaurant jobs". Lots of anecdotes out there about how the economy is being held back by a lack of employees.
In Portland, Maine the internationally recognized restaurant scene is witnessing viable eateries closing due to lack of staff.
In the broadest sense, your comment makes sense. But it might miss some of the welcoming that has been happening already. Our sleepy little Boston MetroWest "colonial" town is no longer just a place of lily white faces.
The great big dark cloak of a problem is, of course, housing. I don't have a solution to that. Zoning changes to allow denser affordable residences don't sell well where one's perception of property values is of a religious nature. NIMBY is the enemy of charity and sullies the welcome mat.
"In the broadest sense, your comment makes sense. But it might miss some of the welcoming that has been happening already. "
I am sure I am exaggerating and my post is too extreme. This is a manner of writing that a Ph.D. should never engage in. However, I have read thousands of right wing writing and they all use exaggeration and extreme language highly effectively.
Here, I have used a toned down version of right wing methods to make an extreme point that is broadly true, but, not completely true.
Also, I updated the post to take the tone back a notch based on your posts.
I live in one of those wealthy, mostly white suburbs in a northern city. I am the daughter of an immigrant, married to an immigrant. On my small block (maybe 14 houses) there are four immigrants, and that is fairly typical for our neighborhood. While my community doesn’t have many African Americans, we do have many Middle Eastern, Indian, and Asian folks. Our community has indeed stepped up to help integrate both Afghan and Syrian refugees. Our school board has non-white members. Our city council has non-white members. They were easily elected in a white majority community, because we welcome their skills. Please don’t vilify northern suburbs based on your mistaken perception of what it’s like here.
Want to do more to support migrants? Donate to charities like Catholic Relief Services or Doctors Without Borders, who are doing the work along the border (which, in my opinion, the government should be doing) to feed migrants, help them with paperwork, provide medical care, and get them on their way.
Martha's Vineyard isn't the "fancy white enclave" you've depicted. The full-time residents on the island are mostly middle-class and working-class -- fishermen, shopkeepers, gardeners, landscapers, teachers, programmers, craftsmen, construction workers, postal workers, retired people and so on -- and the island's population, even in the peak summer season, is extremely diverse. The Vineyard is one of the most popular vacation spots in the nation for black Americans, and has been for as long as I can remember. There's nothing lily-white about the place. People get the wrong idea about the Vineyard because the Kennedy family had a compound there, so of course, if the Kennedy family lived there, it must be a rich community, right?
It is a rich community -- but not in the strictly economic terms you might be thinking. And the people in Edgartown showed the nation how to welcome strangers into their midst.
I wondered if DeSantis picked Marthas Vineyard because the Obamas vacation there.
Could well be the case-he'd love to harass Barak without saying so.
Mike, many of the states with the lowest immigrant populations are found in the plains, the south and midwest. Mississippi, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, Idaho, Arkansas, Montana, etc (red states all) count immigrants as less than 5% of their populations. With the exceptions of Florida and Texas, all of the states with high percentages of immigrants are blue states. Why didn’t DeSantis send those planes to Mississippi or Iowa? Those states are truly “white enclaves”.
The families in Texas are not taking the migrants into their homes and they’re not bearing the brunt of the burden. Immigration money comes from the fed. Did you read the numbers in Heather’s newsletter? You made a huge point of all white suburbs. Those are the very people Republicans are manipulating with lies to create hatred and racism. Absolute fear-mongering.
I remember the Vietnamese boat people arriving in Florida. They were relocated to areas like Milwaukee. No one screamed about invasions and borders. This country took them in. They were hard working people who just wanted safety.
I lived in NH 2004-2007. It was 99.9% white and we were only an hour outside of Boston. Not even service workers, almost zero Black people in the entire state. We hated it and moved on. We’re back in Southern California now where nationalities are a melting pot of people. The only ones screaming about an invasion and open borders are Republicans trying to maintain their seats with lies.
Again, mike,
Why don't you research the crap you are Spewing????
Excellent point. I have thought that I would do just that if I were decades younger and had my own domicile. If republicans would sign on to immigration reform…. Well, I dream
Jeri,
Thank you. I am not understanding the hostility that innocent, desperate migrants are receiving from the northern press. It is not their fault that it is 109 in the coffee fields in Brazil and that drug lords run everything down there.
Why are all of US liberals NOT doing like Texas has done for 40 years??
TAKE THEM IN.
actually, it kinda is our fault that drug lords run everything down there because the entire latin american drug trade started after WW II when the US Army decided that farming the stuff for morphine and making it here was too dangerous and outsourced it to Mexican farmers south of California.
WE started the drug trade down there. Another one of our big OOOPSIES that went wrong.
I have noticed with every single comment you show your derision and try to place blame on liberals. You’re being subtle. Texas is not filled with 90% conservatives and the liberals do not live only in the northern white suburbs. There is not a liberal cabal that works underground to put immigrants in only conservative states. Texas works hard to gerrymander and suppress the vote of their Democrat voters. If you took that away from them it would be a blue state.
Mike,
Why don't you mute yourself until you Research the crap you're
Spewing!!!!
Thank you. Glad I’m not the only one seeing his angle to vilify the liberals.
Yes, Sharon. He's pretty transparent. After repeatedly saying "I'm softening my previous comments" and "thanks for the additional information," the last line is about how he'll inform Texas to send buses up north with a smiley face. The information others have given to contradict his statements is illuminating. But it's not worth replying to him anymore. He's playing a game, like DeSantis and Abbott.
Hey Mike, I don't know about you but when I get my roof replaced, I want to see a crew of Central Americans up there. They know how to work and they clean up all the nails.
Fact is, we're all from elsewhere unless you happen to be indigenous, and our country is unique and far more rich for welcoming immigrants. I like it that way and I'm a liberal from Maryland
Mike, we northern liberals DO take migrants in. As I mentioned elsewhere here, Massachusetts has a larger immigrant population (percentage-wise) than Texas. As do New York and New Jersey. The states that aren’t taking in immigrants are red states like Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Idaho, North Dakota, West Virginia, etc. Stop castigating liberals, we are doing more than our fair share. Aim your criticism at red states.
Mike,
New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, California, Nevada, Florida, Hawaii all have higher rates of foreign born population than Texas.
There are several states within a few percentage points including Connecticut, Maryland and Rhode Island to name a few.
Mike, Massachusetts has a higher immigrant population (percentage of state’s population that was foreign born) than Texas does. DeSantis’ ploy only increased that differential.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_immigrant_population