16 replies to this topic

[deadheadskier]

When I say "we", I am referring to people who have been in the USA for a generation or more.

I say this because in the past 9 months I've spent a considerable amount of time with adults who have only lived here for 20 years or less. I work for an Albanian and he has dozens of friends from Italy, Greece and all over Eastern Europe. The love they have for this country is universal. They look at you like you are completely crazy if you bring up any "problems" with our country, whether they concern laws, financial opportunity, education, healthcare, ANYTHING.

There is not a single one of them who trade what they have here to return to their homeland. Mind you, these are well educated people. Most of them received college degrees where they came from. Some of them had "professional" jobs in their homelands and are now working basic labor jobs (often several jobs) just to get by. You never hear a complaint out of any of them.

It's been real interesting in a time when so many are frustrated with the "path" our nation is on and how blown up that frustration is in the media, but it really doesn't exist for recent arrivals here.

[Joker]

I think "we" probably started taking it for granted in the 60s. Before that it was one big wonderful Ozzie and Harriet world where it was all about God and country

As for your friends, it's probably a case of "The grass is always greener on the other side"

[jnjn]

yes, i think "we" do. that doesn't mean that i believe everything is going along wonderfully here, quite the contrary.
but when it comes to things like basic civil liberties, an american spending some time abroad just might realize how good they have it here.

[MeOmYo]

yes, i think "we" do. that doesn't mean that i believe everything is going along wonderfully here, quite the contrary. but when it comes to things like basic civil liberties, an american spending some time abroad just might realize how good they have it here.

I agree. I know so many people that bitch and moan all the time about the current state of affairs in the US but they rarely ever leave the county let alone the country.

[TakeAStepBack]

We do take it for granted. The translation of that is the ever creeping end of all the wonderful features of our constitutional republic. Day by day, year by year there is a growing slide away from what makes this country great. That is why so many are constantly sounding the alarm bells. All of the small usurps of our liberties and freedoms, starts to form a much bigger problem that is starting to become increasingly clear. The results are not in favor of progress of those founding principles. It is a slide back into the holds of large amounts of power into very few hands that so many ran here from in the first place.

[PeaceFrog]

once they get sick and start receiving hospital bills for thousands of dollars, they'll change their opinion on health care.

once they have children and see the price of college tuition, they'll change their mind on education.

In other words, they just don't know yet.

[jnjn]

hey dhs, just curious...are they albanian from albania or yugoslavia?

[deadheadskier]

Mostly Albania

but some from Yugoslavia, some Bosnian, Russian, Greek, Italians; basically Southern Europe from Italy on East.

[jnjn]

i have family that are albanian, but from yugoslavia mostly

[TakeAStepBack]

[Jabadoodle]

Recent US Citizens = Girl that just moved to this town and got a date with the captain of the football team. She's in love and he's the best thing ever.

Not recent US Citizens = Girl that used to date the captain of the football team and knows that as strong and good looking as he is, he's really quite a jerk.

[TakeAStepBack]

http://www.nwherald....ng-u-s/ajagf6l/


Study says more Mexicans now leaving U.S.

A four-decade tidal wave of Mexican immigration to the United States has receded, causing a historic shift in migration patterns as more Mexicans now leave the United States for Mexico than the other way around, according to a report from the Pew Hispanic Center.

It is the first reversal in the trend since the Depression, and experts say that a declining Mexican birthrate and other factors may make it permanent.

“I think the massive boom in Mexican immigration is over and I don’t think it will ever return to the numbers we saw in the 1990s and 2000s,” said Douglas Massey, a professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University and co-director of the Mexican Migration Project, which has been gathering data on the subject for 30 years.

Nearly 1.4 million Mexicans moved from the United States to Mexico between 2005 and 2010, double the number who came a decade earlier. The number of Mexicans who moved to the United States during that period fell to less than half of the 3 million who came between 1995 and 2000.

The trend could have major political consequences, underscoring the delicate dance by the Republican and Democratic parties as they struggle with immigration policies and court the increasingly important Latino vote.

I would say this has a lot to do with opportunity. There is now more and better opportunities in Mexico than there are in the US. People from the eastern bloc of europe coming to america and liking it, makes sense. Because those areas are still profoundly poor after wrestling with heavy doses of communism and socialism.

But in other areas, emigration is up. The question is, why is there capital flight, renunciation, a fast slow in immigration, etc?

[deadheadskier]

pretty insignificant figure honestly.

When my boss and wife got officially sworn in as citizens following 9 years of doing everything "right" to be here, it was with a group of 3,000 immigrants in an arena. That's just for Massachusetts, and I'd imagine there are more than one of these events in the state each year.

[nikkiblue]

i have family that are albanian, but from yugoslavia mostly

Ohhh... THATS why I've always gotten confused!

[Joker]

I guess all those folks who were so adamant about leaving when Bush got re-elected were all talk.

And that's a HUGE spike in the last 4 years, hardly insignificant compared to previous years

[Jabadoodle]

Really interesting question, Ryan, that brings in undertones of other issues. I think the short answer is: yes.

America is good, even great, in numerous ways. Those of us that have lived here for generations may not know how it is in other parts of the world. Even if we know intellectually or have seen some of it through travel, that is surely different that the visceral knowing that comes form living those other conditions.

Focusing on what's wrong with things seems to be not only a very human trait, but helpful. If we have a well-paying job but are unhealthy, we focus on our health. If our kids seem happy and well adjusted but are having problems in math, we focus on their math. People naturally continue to do the things that keep them in that good job or that keep their kids happy, they just may not talk about it or think about it much; it's become second-nature, built in. ~ Many books and movements (Spreading Gratitude!) remind us to think of and appreciate what is right, not just the negative of all that can be improved.

A question I've asked a few people while talking about national and global issues: Is it really getting worse? We see the bad news from all over the world the instant it happens. Every day there are waterways being cleaned, rights being won, energy technology being developed, etc. It would be really interesting to have a "dashboard" of sorts that shows an improving/regressing status for different issues (freedoms, environment, economic-growth, crime, etc) by country.

[Jabadoodle]

This article has some interesting things to note about expatriation.

http://economix.blog...ng-citizenship/

....The figures appear to refer primarily to those Americans wealthy enough to warrant notifying the Internal Revenue Service of their change of status, rather than all expatriates.

...Mr. Mitchel...suggests that two technical tax-related changes inspired more people to give up their citizenship

...First, in 2008 the expatriation rules were changed

...The second reason for the increase in expatriations...is the recent publicity regarding the penalties and voluntary disclosures for failing to report offshore bank and other financial accounts.