Why do people think of immigration as a Hispanic thing?

Question

Why do most Americans think of just hispanics, mainly Mexicans when it comes to illegal immigration? Is it because our closest neighbor is Mexico. Or because that is all you see in the media. What? There are illegal immigrants in this country form all over the world. Countries like China, Russia, all Central and South American countries, European countries. I don't see raids being done on areas that these other ethnic groups live and work!!!!!

Answer 1

Because hispanics specifically mexicans are a very large majority of people illegally living in our country.

Answer 2

We don't.  Immigrant means legal.  We think of immigration as a world affair, and illegal aliens as a Mexican National problem.  La Raza thunders from the pulpit that we are criticizing Hispanics.  I don't think La Raza knows what Hispanics means.. nor do some posters, but this board doesn't see immigration as a Hispanic thing at all.  They are rather politely talking about illegal aliens from Mexico...  not Hispanics.

Answer 3

You have got to be kidding me, right?  I'm sure there are illegals from those places you mentioned, but I have never seen one.  What a lame question this is.

Answer 4

There are illegal aliens from just about every country in the world.  However, over half of the immigration-law violators in the US are Mexicans, despite Mexico having the largest legal immigration quota, over 100,000 per year.  And about 3/4 of the immigration-law violators are Hispanics from Mexico, the rest of Central America & South America.

People see far more Hispanic, especially Mexican, illegal aliens than any others.  And illegal alien Hispanics, especially Mexicans, are the most vocal in demanding not only the rights of US citizens, but special privileges as well.  Hispanic illegal aliens are the least likely of any immigrant or illegal alien group to attempt to learn English and to demand Spanish be spoken everywhere.

Raids are done where there are lots of illegals.  Since Mexicans comprise more than half of all illegals, they are bound to show up in larger numbers at raided workplaces.

Answer 5

Because people tend to make sweeping generalizations -- just as you are doing when you say "most Americans think this" or "most Americans do that".  

In reality, LEGAL immigrants come from a variety of countries.

ILLEGAL aliens, however, ARE a large majority Hispanic. That is, at least according to the US Census.

Answer 6

Location Location Location

It's because Mexico is our neighbor.

In Australia, during the beginning of an influx of immigrants from South Asia, feelings towards Asians ran similar to many Americans' feelings about Mexicans.  There were even "populate or perish" campaigns suggesting that the White citizenry have more babies to keep their population majority in tact.

In Europe, Gypsies from Romania were/are treated the same way.

Answer 7

There are 20-30 million Illegal Mexicans in the USA.

When there are say...even...10 million Illegal Russians or Chinese, we'll deal with them as well.

Assuming the illegals are Mexican is a matter of mathematics. The ratio is portionately pointing to them.

12+ percent of Mexico's total population live in the U.S.

[15,000,000+ out of 107,449,525 (July 2006 CIA WFB)]

Answer 8

70% of illegals are 'Hispanic'.

Personally the word Hispanic is a recent made up word and is not very accurate since not all people that speak Spanish are from Spain

Answer 9

squeakiest wheel gets the grease.

Answer 10

Look at the numbers buddy. It isn't hard to figure out that most of the illegals are from Mexico. Not all. Some are from Guatemala and Columbia.

Answer 11

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the the majority of illegals are from Mexico, and they put up the biggest stink about the issue too, just look at the ones on here.

Answer 12

Because the vast majority of illegal aliens in the US are Latino.

70% of the 20 million illegal aliens in the US are Latino.

Answer 13

Oh come on! It's because 90% are!

Answer 14

In any medium-to-large American city, you will find a large number of illegal aliens.  The vast majority of them are Hispanic.  The vast majority of _them_ are Mexican.  Why?  Because you can walk here from Mexico.  We don't have a lot of Russian illegals, because it's hard to swim that far (although not impossible).

Try this one:  Talk to people on the street.  You will soon find someone who doesn't know English (or doesn't know it well).  That person will either have a visa, or speak Spanish, or both.

Answer 15

It's because that's what I see with two carts in the express lane at my Wal Mart.

Answer 16

Go to any Home Depot at 7AM and you'll see why. How naive are you anyway?

Answer 17

Great answer Troy N.

Answer 18

Because Hispanic groups are the most vocal in demanding amnesty, and immigration reform. Who cares about these other illegal immigrants from China and Russia? They are not out in the streets en mass complaining about America's immigration policies.

Answer 19

They got a large LEGAL base asking for rights for them. You don't hear of other groups coz their LEGAL base either doesn't say anything or is quieter about it. Ireland has been trying to get amnesty for it's illegals 2 but they warned their ppl to be quiet so ppl here don't realize what is going on. That makes me wonder how many other groups is going to get a amnesty just coz everbody is focused on the Hispanics.