Why are Hispanics/Latinos perceived to be a threat to American society in terms

1. 84

   gmwilliamsposted 10 years ago

   Why are Hispanics/Latinos perceived to be a threat to American society in terms of
   
   racial dichotomization?
   
   

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2. 71

   dashingscorpioposted 10 years ago

   I believe it's their (potential) political capital that scares some people if they are granted full citizenship with voting rights. Hispanics are now the largest minority in the U.S. making up 17% of the population while blacks make up 13%.
   Another concern for some folks is the shift immigrants have made in their approach to American society. It used to be an immigrant came here and (adapted to the customs and language) spoken here.
   Thus creating a "melting pot". Today the U.S. is more likely to bend over backwards providing countless services in the immigrant's native language. Very little osmosis takes place.
   I personally know of a couple from Mexico who have been here for almost 30 years and speak very little English. When I lived in California the drivers license exam was available in 5 different languages. Why bother to learn English?
   Most TVs come with the SAP option to hear audio in Spanish and there are various newspapers, radio stations, and markets specifically catering to this segment of the population. In Garden Grove, CA there is a neighborhood called "Little Saigon" and just about every business sign is written in Vietnamese. If you blinked you'd think you were in another country!
   The overall feeling is instead of today's immigrants (adapting) to the USA the country is adapting to them. I suspect this causes a lot of resentment in areas that have a higher influx of Latino immigrants.
   The reality is no one can rise to higher paying careers in the U.S. without speaking English. Good intentions may be causing long-term harm. The real fear has to do with their power to vote.

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3. 79

   Express10posted 10 years ago

   Many people choose to dislike and/or fear people they do not understand. Dashingscorpio has made an excellent point about their potential voting prowess which strikes fear in many people's hearts, too often for their own selfish reasons and not what's best for the majority of Americans of all origins. As far as purchasing power, they are a group that manufacturers and entrepreneurs who want to be successful should learn about and cater to.
   I understand there is good, bad and ugly in every group. However, I truly dislike how many people choose to describe certain groups of people as bad, less than or threats. For instance, my real life experiences with Latinos have all been positive. I have found every last one of those I've had the pleasure to be around to be hard working, respectful and friendly, often doing jobs that no American, even those who are broke, homeless or desperate for money would ever do, which brings me to the flat out lie that they are "taking jobs" from Americans. Don't even get me started on that one.

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