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It is a real shame that one should not be concerned with issues that do ultimately affect your life and the lives of your children. I am a first generation Mexican-US Citizen and I see that the hardships of others somehow affects us and the nation, be it financial or psychological, it will affect you and your family’s opportunities and you do need to be concerned. I agree that there are problems that are more important that are plaguing our country (war, corruption, etc..) but I feel that we do need a comprehensive immigration policy that will fairly address this issue.

Why is it that illegal is never mentioned ONLY immigrant? Yes, we are a nation of immigrants NOT illegal immigrants. If you break the law, you commited a criminal act. WHY DON'T YOU FOLKS GET IT? ILLEGAL IS ILLEGAL. Da

She has become a true American..

All I can say is that when people look at you they are not looking to see if you are a US citizen or not...my experience has been that they see a Latina first. By ignoring and not keeping an ear open to what immigration laws are like can come back and bite you in the behind. Believe me it wouldn't be the first time that people in government pass laws than when they trickle down to our communities they have been used in a discriminatory manner. People with the mentality as this woman the reporter spoke to will be singing a new song when they too, whether citizens or not, see the effects of such laws that they initially didn't care about. Such laws affect all immigrants...be it first, second or third generation families from anywhere around the globe not only Latin America. We're all in this together!

Well said young lady. The bottom line is that a nation is comprised of its citizens and is meant to serve the welfare of those citizens. We have an established method for becoming a citizen (as do most states) and I fail to see the logic in many of the illegal strategies which contend that 'they live and work here, therefore they should receive all the benefits that this country provides'. Follow the prescribed method and NATURALIZE. What is so hard about understanding that?

Ms. Heredia's interviewee is not the only one of us who considers the issue of immigration as not the most important one. I am third-generation American citizen. My grandparents did not migrate to the US, the US conquered our island and made our people citizens. So here I am, an American of Hispanic ancestry (as well as Italian, Swiss, French, German, British) who agrees that there are more pressing issues to resolve at this time. I see the raising of the immigration issue as a distraction from those other issues. It plays on the ignorance, bigotry, and the love for the intellectual ease of assumptions and generalizations (as in, all Hispanics are foreigners and must feel strongly about immigration) of too many Americans of all backgrounds. A wall will solve nothing about the illegal immigrants already here, but it plays well with the "keep them people out" crowd. In the meantime, what about Iraq, Social Security, Habeas Corpus, torture?...and the list goes on.

Weren't we all immigrants once? Do we value our cushy lives in this lucky country enough to take our own rulers to task when they suspend or outlaw Americas basic rights and freedoms? If not, we might as well be prepared to move again soon. Concentration of power and privilege in the hands of a few was what our forbears thought they left behind. America will be great again only if we succeed in wishing for all the same good life we want ourselves.

I think Lorena is underestimating how much a reform (or not) could affect her and everyone of us. maybe shes too young to see further away from her 'bread and water' (and perhaps, her ipod)

Mr Kreisman thinks this is a matter of 'getting it'. I hope hes patient.

Ms Heredia seems to make light of an issue that is not quite so black and white.

10-12 million is a lot of individual opinion and as you would perhaps expect, there will be politics covering most aspects of (positive) modern living on personal and national and global perspectives.

The inference of Ms Heredias new assumption following one single conversation is amusing to say the least!

That comment sounded, soooooo American, in other words the world doesnt exist, i'm the center of it. Problem is that when they realized there is more people around, is too late, they already affect their relationship with all of them.

On the other side, this girl, "second" generation, give me a break, imagine if the black people in their struggle on the U.S. had stop fighting for their next generation just because they were suddenly accepted on their little town, farm or their slave owner.

Be serious, and have a mind of your own. Slavery wasnt abolished until the mid 50's there just because they wanted to.

The interviewee's attitude is typically American: concern for one's own issues to the exclusion of others'. Most Americans, I believe, have a fundamental lack of caring and compassion for others who are disadvantaged and marginalized because they're too preoccupied with pursuing and promoting their own lifestyles and prosperity. Most of us feel others' suffering and hardship only momentarily, before returning to our daily affairs. I, too am a believer in capitalism as the best route to bettering one's family and self; it is a true mainfestation of our basic freedoms, one that most citizens of the world are denied. But I am equally a believer that we have a responsibility towards the weakest and most vulnerable in our midst. This is a moral imperative; failure to support and nurture each other will eventually lead us to a world that is so divided, so polarized that our survival will be in jeopardy.

I guess Lorena the student has not thought about the effects of illegal immigration on her education, health insurance and safety...
Illegal immigration takes away resources from her education and the insurance companies has to also deal with the costs of uninsured illegal immigrants indirectly. Since they do not pay for the insurance, whomever is paying for insurance would have to cover the cost.

What most people forget is that
There are close to half a million
LEGAL Aliens in America.
When these LEGAL ALiens can wait for 8-10 years to get Green Cards.
Why dont the politicians care about them. Its just vote Bank politics and sheer populism.

LEGAL ALiens are also immigrants but trying to pursue the american dream in the correct way, not by bribing border guards, jumping fences and forging documents.

I agree with Andrew's comment posted at 5 PM today up to a point--but he makes an interesting observation...that is, that without care and attention to all individuals in our free society who by their own volition-or not, have not achieved a sustainable and meaningful lifestyle, the well-being of the entire community is jeopardized. This is incontrovertable. However, this is NOT typically AMERICAN, it is nakedly HUMAN and a trait which is found in all societies and races of people, throughout history. As Americans, we must remind ourselves to be grateful for the good fortune, incredible intelligence and insight of our founding fathers and not forget the "rich soil" of the continent. Without it, wll efforts might have become victimized by famine, drought and desolation. Not a romantic notion, by any stretch, but one cannot deny the technological progression, ambitious leadership and resultant luxury of our American lives. At some time in man's history, wouldn't it be wise to acknowledge the fragile balance that must preceed the success of any enterprise requiring non-predjudiced CHANGE-that is, to think clearly and not be distracted by our own twisted predjudices. The time now demands a seemingly excessive acuity on behalf of mankind and its wisdom of leadership, and we seem to be repeating the foolish egocentricities of early societie's predictable failures. Those intolerant, greedy and impatient crusaders we read about in our world history texts who preceeded the founding of America. The Consitution was written and enacted to disable these ugly, raw tendencies but now we seem to have devolved into a state of ill-governed, quasi-religious idiocracy. For all legal processes, we must again conduct open forums, allow ALL to speak, vigilantly prevent corruptive practices--especially our voting privileges-at this time-and allow our hard-fought rights of Democratic Law to prevail. Many men and women gave their lives, battling for this right so that we, now living in the twenty-first century, might enjoy the freedom to clearly improve our lives as Americans.

I am commenting on the post by John- 1:53 am, great post, it was refreshing to hear some one is thinking like me out there in the America.

I regards to illegal immigrants, even that they are ILIGALS as Mr. Kreisman wrote, the U.S economy needs them. Let me ask you if you or your children are willing to go and be working as a dish-washer in a restaurant?… thank you. So let those people alone a let them have a decent life that at the end they are doing you a big favor.

I am an immigrant from Canada and they made me jump through hoops to get here. I have no ojection to more immigrants joining me, but They have to come legally. We are being overwhelmed. I had to go to the Emergency Room the other day, and the waiting room was packed with people who spoke only Spanish. I had to wait in pain for hours, and that made up my mind. It depends whose ox is gored, and my ox is dying.