Did anyone catch the National News (I think it was ABC) the other night and see the special they had on Georgias' huge influx of Latin-Americans? It seems this state, along with other Southern states are booming with illegal aliens. Some towns in the North Georgia mountains above Atlanta have majority Latino population now. What are your thoughts?

PARAPHRASE: "Give me your weak, poor, hungry, etc." We are a nation of immigrants. I do however wish something could be done so they wouldn't have to come illegally. They are only coming to make a better life for themselves; the truly sad part of this is that the last superpower in the world has a 3rd world country next to it! Hopefully, Mexico can get it's act together so it's people wouldn't have to leave to live a decent life.

Nic, I totally agree^^^
Also, its nice to see "other" faces in the Southeast besides just black and white, especially in the rural areas .

Viva la Mexico!

i hope it makes jawr-jah a better place.

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Im all for immigration. Legaly. Pay into taxes like I have to and theres no problem. The more the merrier, but when people come here illeagly I say toss em back and build a taller fence with higher voltage,rabid dogs patrolling, cut outs of anna nicole before trim spa and play recordings of ashlee simpson over loudspeakers to deter any would be illeagls.

I have absolutely nothing against immigrants from Mexico or anywhere else but something HAS to be done to bring the borders under control or it will come back to haunt us in the end.

Did anyone catch the National News (I think it was ABC) the other night and see the special they had on Georgias' huge influx of Latin-Americans? It seems this state, along with other Southern states are booming with illegal aliens. Some towns in the North Georgia mountains above Atlanta have majority Latino population now. What are your thoughts?

I know that the big carpet mill towns like Dalton have very large Latino populations. But, up in the mountains I can't imagine what type of industry exists.

Also, parts of Gwinnett already remind me so much of California because of all the Latin and Asian businesses. Both groups had population explosions in Gwinnett from 1990 -2000 of something like 200%. I know the last few times I went into the B of A branch near Gwinnett Mall, the black and white people together were a small minority.

^^I think that what happens is that as Latinos and Asians that live along the Buford Highway Corridor in North Dekalb county begin to succeed, they follow Buford Highway north into the southwestern areas of Gwinnett county. Pretty much all the way up to Gwinnett Mall.

as long as they speak english or at least try to learn it, then bienvenidos. the language issue/barrier is more of an issue with me than the situation with illegals.

Then just learn Spanish.

i've worked a lot of construction the past few years with plenty of hispanics. its so frustrating when they can't speak english at all. and its not because they just moved here. No, most of the people i knew had been in the states for at least 10-15 years

I know that the big carpet mill towns like Dalton have very large Latino populations. But, up in the mountains I can't imagine what type of industry exists.

Most work in the Poultry industry, I think this is the reason why the Gainesville area has a very large Latino population. As for other towns like Cornelia, which I was in not too long ago and was astounded by the huge presence of Latinos, Im not sure.

Then just learn Spanish.


if i moved to mexico, i would.

I'm learning spanish, so the least they can do is learn english, lol. But english is a much harder language, and pretty different, as far as some things go. But yeah, that and the illegal thing really bothers me.

i think they need to learn english simply becasue it is the dominant language. they can keep their own language - it just makes it easier for everyone if one language is used. spanish/english mix as it is. most people know what 'de' means and they now use words such as 'tshirt' and 'weekend.'

i really do not like the immigration controls. i think they need to be lightened up to allow more people into this country. that's just me. i do hate people who are here illegaly. it is not a matter of not wanting them here, its just a matter of i want the goverment to know who is here and have a general idea what in the heck they are doing, if anything.

There's an old joke: If you speak three languages...you're trilingual, if you speak two languages...you're bilingual, if you speak one language...you're an American!

My main problem with some people who come to the US and speak Spanish is that they speak SPANISH so poorly and with so much slang that it's almost impossible to understand what they're saying. But, there's no doubt that much of the growth that will occur in the South will be Spanish speakers.

^^I think that what happens is that as Latinos and Asians that live along the Buford Highway Corridor in North Dekalb county begin to succeed, they follow Buford Highway north into the southwestern areas of Gwinnett county. Pretty much all the way up to Gwinnett Mall.

All those people didn't come from Buford highway.

miss fire. anyway, i think that the hispanics can enhance our country with their culture and definitely with their work ethic. i do have a problem with the language barrier. we live in the united states of america. we speak english here. good for you if you are fluent in spanish, it will help you, but we speak english here. i get disgusted when i see an option of spanish vs english. if the us had a mass migration to another country for some reason, wouldn't they expect us to learn their language? i speak english. no mater how complicated the basics of it is, that is our language. i am not going to cater to another one in my own back yard. i feel that they should either learn our language or go somewhere else.

my political preference should reflect the above.
demo or repub?

if i moved to mexico, i would.

that's the beauty of america. it is becoming imperative to learn more than one language. one thing i don't like about america is the speak english or else attitude to make them sway away from their culture. especially if they just recently immigrated to america.


edit: i never would have seen georgia becoming a state with areas that are predominately hispanic. it seems like the south outside of texas and florida is the only region with a small hispanic population. same with asians, but there are not as many asians in florida as i thought.

^Most educated younger Americans are at least trying to learn at least one foreign language to basic fluency, enough to communicate. Spanish accounts for half of all foreign language students in the US.

And the other English-speaking countries are just as bad as us about being monoligual.

The United States is a nation of immigrants founded on the priciples of liberty and freedom. It is this that makes our nation great. As our country continues to become more diverse, so our language and customs will as well. This poem below is at the base of the Statue of Liberty. I fear that our country is losing the ideology of liberty that our nation was founded on. Do we welcome others from outside the U.S. or do we treat them like outsiders expecting them to be like us?

The New Colossus, written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name,
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Most people fail to realize that during the large German immigration to this country in the 19th & early 20th century, the German language remained in wide use for many, not unlike today with the large influx of Spanish speakers to this country. In cities with large German populations such as Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and New York, daily newspapers with large circulations were published in German, church services were held in German, and it was common to see German writing on advertising signs, commercial buildings, and even churchs.

Things really didn't begin to change until WWI, when being overtly German was considered anti-American...at least to the non-German majority.

Should the nation's policies be dictated by a poem?

BTW, there is a lot of empty space and a lot of available jobs in the US...but resources (energy, water, food) are NOT limitless. Most people here dislike sprawl...but let's keep increasing the population! :)

I don't care where legal immigrants come from. Immigration is essential to the vitality of the country, and should not be stifled. I'd never want to live someplace without a substantial immigrant population. However, I firmly believe that the age of welcoming everybody should be over. This isn't 1910.

Most people fail to realize that during the large German immigration to this country in the 19th & early 20th century, the German language remained in wide use for many, not unlike today with the large influx of Spanish speakers to this country. In cities with large German populations such as Cincinnati, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and New York, daily newspapers with large circulations were published in German, church services were held in German, and it was common to see German writing on advertising signs, commercial buildings, and even churchs.

Things really didn't begin to change until WWI, when being overtly German was considered anti-American...at least to the non-German majority.

As I am reading each persons input on this thread I am reminded by how challenging English can be. Then I read chubbydecker commments and I remember my total failure at learning German in college. I had even grown up hearing and using a blended Geman and Dutch vocabulary at family gatherings as a child. But I am not trying to live in Germany, if I were to do so, I would learn German.

There is a very good lesson in the German-American experience.

Nick I should not have to learn Spanish because someone else has come to my country. Yes it is true that Americans should learn other languages but in the United States they should not be expected to use them.

^^I think that what happens is that as Latinos and Asians that live along the Buford Highway Corridor in North Dekalb county begin to succeed, they follow Buford Highway north into the southwestern areas of Gwinnett county. Pretty much all the way up to Gwinnett Mall.

All the asians I know don't live on Buford Highway nor have they ever lived there. They only go there to shop or eat, well actually not anymore as a lot of asian businesses opened up near gwinnett mall so thats the new spot to shop & eat. They also live in the suburbs (gwinnett, marietta, dunwoody, alpharetta) in typical suburban houses over $300k.

I have no problem with legal aliens, but illegal aliens become problems.

Anybody heard anything about these "minute men" or something like that who are trying to stop all the people crossing over the borders freely?

I like most encourage immigration that is legal, but also like others I think that the security should be tighter on the borders. Immigrants help the country, but most times illegals don't do much at all for the country(not all but most).

I do believe that someone coming to our country should have to or atleast try to learn english, just as if we would be expected to learn a foreign countries language if we moved there. And it really irritates me when someone is here illegally and after 20 years they don't even bother to try to learn english.

Wow I had an uncle who lived in Gainesville for a few yrs, up until 1990 or so....I remember it being pretty much a middle class white/black suburb of Atlanta. It's wierd to think that the town is made up of so many hispanics now...although I'm sure that the town's population has more then likely grown alot since then anyway.

I personally believe that all people who move to the US should speak English...otherwise it simply creates too many barriers. I mean if I were to move, for example, to France I would be sure to take the time to learn french before moving there. I mean really, a person can at least learn the basics of the language of a country before moving there, then, during the first year or so of being thrown into that language environment it seems as if a person would be forced to speak it more fluently. Why would anyone not want to be able to communicate with the majority of the population of where they live? I feel as if it is not my responsibility to learn to speak spanish to communicate with those who have moved to this English speaking country and refuse to learn the language. I would expect the same attitude from the people of, say, France, Germany, Mexico, etc if I were to move there. It only makes sense....