I live in Riverside, NJ and there has been a lot of craziness going on the past week that had to deal with illegal immigrants. OK that is what Whitey is saying on the outside, but he is really saying ” I hate the Brazilians”. He is basically saying that all Brazilians here are illegal. So Riverside passed a unanimous decision 5-0 on making it illegal to house or hire, illegals. OK wasn’t it illegal to do that anyway? But whatever. I hate the ordinance. I don’t agree with it.
Here is a link to an article that made the NEW YORK TIMES!!! of all things, a little 8000+ population town of SOUTH JERSEY made the NY times! wow.
NY TIMES RIVERRSIDE, NJ article
But I wrote a letter to a writer of the Philly Inquirer, so here it is. Please let me know what you think. And please refrain from the hate comments. If you disagree fine. But remain civil. I’m all for debates, but if you resort to being childish, it just proves more and more your ignorance and incapability to hold an adult conversation.
——————–
Ms. Yant,
I read your article in Sunday’s paper. I happen to be a resident of Riverside for the past 6 years. Before that I lived in the neighboring town of Delran. Recently, there has been quite a stir of emotions and now our town is getting some media attention. I’m not saying that is good or bad, but it has made me examine my view on my town more so recently.
I for one, am against the ordinance. I don’t like the idea of stopping people from working. A lot of these people come here to send money back home. They aren’t some terrorist cell plotting to take over Riverside, NJ and the Riverline. They work hard and keep to themselves. And let me clarify this, when the big, bad, white man screaming at the
top of his lungs during the meeting about illegals, we who live here know its not about the illegal Mexicans or Chinese or whatever culture happens to be here illegally, it’s about the Brazilians. JUST the Brazilians. He is upset at the Brazilian population and the vans with ladders on the roof (apparently their preferred mode of transportation) because they are taking away construction and labor jobs away from us legal residence. The big, bad, white man is making seem like there is some invasion of this culture. Like they are moving in on every street, 20 to a house. But it just so happens that the majority live in a concentrated area. Pretty much the area which surrounds Riverside Park. That is where most of the Brazilians live. Now I don’t know if they are illegal or not, but I do not care. I understand they want to work and send money home for the betterment of their families. I find that honorable. They have a great work ethic that I notice a lot of people around here are lacking. This poor work ethic is passed down onto our lovely red-blooded American children.
If Riverside wants to start passing ordinances, pass one on the teenage kids that go to Riverside Park to smoke, drink, buy/sell/do drugs and even perform acts that are deemed indecent in public. That is what really bothers me. That is what is really wrong. Instead of instilling the ideology of respect, communication, civility, and hard work into our children, we send them out of the house with the punk down the street to play “Monopoly” when they are actually lighting up a joint and getting high in broad daylight in the park. Apparently, our 15 person police force isn’t enough because we can’t even get these kids out of the park. Maybe, I should be like Marsha Whitworth and get a badge and a gun and become the new vigilante law enforcement. Wouldn’t that be the safest thing to do?
Also, I wanted to comment on our civility at the town meeting. We apparently lack it. I understand it is a hot button issue, but if you are going to yell and boo at people with “accents” it is just showing the lack of respect you have for your families that have
come to this country way back when. OK granted, maybe if the “accents” were of Irish or English sounding instead of “Spanish” sounding then the people there yelling, wouldn’t be yelling. They would show the utmost respect. In fact, there probably wouldn’t need the school auditorium for the town meeting. They probably wouldn’t have had a meeting at all.
Thank you for writing this article. I just hope people like me really wake up because this doesn’t just affect the towns that surround the Mexican border (notice how we don’t care about the Canadian border, eh?) but the little 8,000+ population towns across the U.S.A.
This really made me examine that this isn’t an illegal immigrant issue, it is more of a race issue. Personally, I don’t mind if they are here, I would just like to have some sort of registration type deal going on. Anyone would want to know who is coming in and out of
their own country. But to deny someone the right to work for a better living because their own country doesn’t care about them, is just inhumane. We seem to be a country that voted on “morals” during the last election but we are failing miserably in showing any compassion or morals to those that need us. It seems we only pick and choose who we want to help. If you are the right shade, you are deserving of our compassion. I can hear the “Oh great another person playing the race card” chant. But for the Big, Bad White man that is screaming it at the top of his lungs, I have this to say to you, “You are white, you don’t experience the type of prejudice that people like me have had to experience. So you will never, ever understand what someone of a ‘different’ shade has to go through.” I am half white. My mom is Filipino my dad is practically all western European. So being bi-racial, I have experienced prejudice. Granted, I haven’t had to go through the struggles of the 60’s, but it just proves that racism is still alive and well.
I’m sorry that I ranted, but I just wanted to thank you again and I hope you will write more articles, not just about the dealing of the Riverside ordinance, but on this topic in general.
Yours very truly,
Deirdre
Tags: Immigrants ; Illegal Immigrants ; Racism ; New Jersey
4 responses so far ↓
Jackson Chin, Attorney // August 14, 2006 at 12:20 am |
I agree with your concerns in Riverside NJ. Good website use…
PRLDEF, a national not-for-profit civil rights law office based in NYC, is filing a lawsuit against Hazleton PA for a similar ordinance targeting “illegal alens”. We know it’s a concerted effort to whip up nativistic envy, xenophobia, and adding scapegoating to the politics of distraction in an election year. See our website.
I would welcome speaking or meeting confiden-tially with Riverside residents and business owners who are likely to be harmed and to identify possible plaintiffs and witnesses.
My office tel. number is 212-219-3360.
Jackson_Chin@prldef.org
James Roberts // August 24, 2006 at 2:14 pm |
It’s about respecting our values & intergrating into our Society, our Culture, & our way of Life without offending your new neighbors, or waving some foreign flag in our faces, and ingoring the simple fact that you are guests in Community you have chosen to live in. Nothing more & nothing less, some of whom just simply don’t understand our fundemental way of life. (See Below)
Looked this up on web, as it seems to be true. http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/our-values-or-go-home-costello/2006/02/23/1140670207642.html
You see it really doesn’t matter be it Mexicans, Brazilians, Puerto Ricans, Muslims, Indians, Pakistani, Chinese, or any other Foreign Culture group……….Join us, or leave us.
Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.
A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. “If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you”, he said on National Television.
“I’d be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another the Islamic law, that is false. If you can’t agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices
it, perhaps, then, that’s a better option”, Costello said.
Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should “clear off. Basically people who don’t want to be Australians, and who don’t want, to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off”, he said.
Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques Quote: “IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.”
“However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the ‘politically correct’ crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.” “However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.” “This idea of Australia being a multicultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.”
“This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom”
“We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society ………..Learn the language!”
“Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.”
“We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.”
“If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don’t like “A Fair Go”, then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don’t care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others.
“This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.”
“If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.”
Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, MORE American citizens will find the backbone along with honoring & respecting all the effort & zeal of our forbearers & our forefathers and simply realize as well as accept the fact that many of the newcomers do not want to embrace our standards & way of life.
peon4life // August 24, 2006 at 3:47 pm |
It’s not a question of fundalmentalism really. The thing is, is that they keep to themselves. They go to their diners and supermarkets. They don’t bother anyone. The thing is that for us it is a race issue. Before the town was pro-dominately WASP. still is. But because there is an increase in brown colored skin. The people start to freak out. They aren’t terrorists. They come to work. But my town is just scared. plain and simple. I saw it with my own eyes. And ifwhat you are saying, Join us or Leave us, well what do they join? We are far to multiculturalized as it is. what cultre do they join?
jameswillisisthebest // September 8, 2007 at 5:31 pm |
This is my first post
just saying HI