'Los Angeles, Mexico' Is No More
May 02, 2005
Posted by at May 2, 2005 10:43 AM
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Billboards in Los Angeles advertising a Spanish-language newscast have created a controversy:
New billboards advertising a Spanish-language newscast on KRCA-TV Channel 62 were intended as an attention-grabber for its core audience, but instead have struck a nerve with activists seeking to curb illegal immigration.The billboards show two cable newscasters sitting in front of the downtown skyline, with "Los Angeles, CA" printed above. The "CA" is crossed out, and "Mexico" is stamped alongside in bright red letters. Underneath are the Spanish words, "Tu ciudad. Tu equipo." — Your city. Your team.
Not surprisingly, this ticked a lot of people off. Michelle Malkin has a great quote that sums up the argument:
"This is almost a poster-board for illegal immigration," said Peter Amundson, a volunteer with the California Republican Assembly. "This is America. We're a land of immigrants — legal immigrants. This is not Mexico. This is the United States."
Now, according to Americans for Legal Immigration, people have taken matters into their own hands:
Some patriotic Americans have climbed this sign and draped Old Glory over the word Mexico providing America with another picture worth a thousand words. Thus Los Angeles’s correct address as part of the sovereign territory of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is now displayed for all to see. It appears that patriotic Americans are liberating Los Angeles today.
What's ironic is that if Los Angeles were in Mexico not a damn person would be risking life and limb to get there. The people who thought it was so cute & clever to put up this billboard are the same people that wouldn't set foot in the city if it were just another Mexican hellhole.
Posted by at May 2, 2005 10:43 AM
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Comments
| # May 3rd, 2005 12:31 AM Daddy |
| You GO, Kris!
Plus, another radio station set 'em straight with their OWN billboard. It's over Michelle Malkin's place if ya wanna check it out. The KFI billboard. |
| # May 3rd, 2005 8:40 AM kris |
| You know, I suspect that I'm far more liberal on immigration than some of our readers and other contributors, but even so, I expect that immigrants to this country realize that they are, indeed, coming to another country and need to adjust to that country, rather than the other way around. |
| # May 6th, 2005 11:43 AM king2u |
| It used to be true that "legal" immigrants wanted to assimilate into American culture and society. Sadly, that is no longer true. All one need do is observe the rapid change in business signage in communities dominated by any given ethnic group such as Chinese or “Latin Americans”. Not only do you find yourself driving down the road not able to shop in their stores because you can’t figure out what they sell, but you would never be welcome inside if you did choose to grace them with your “American” presence and money. Worse yet, try spending time in the local park in these same communities. You will never hear an English word spoken. There is NO attempt being made to assimilate by these people whatsoever! Any attempt to articulate an argument otherwise is ignorant and devoid of truth. The billboard is merely further proof that these people want to make our home into their home.
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| # May 6th, 2005 11:35 PM mbrlr |
| My wife's parents came to this country --- illegally --- to make a better life and not to engage in some RECONQUISTA. Just to make a better life for their family. That's what immigrants have always done, legally or illegally, and illegal immigration didn't just start recently. Illegals have always been part of the picture throughout our history.
Her folks are legal now, btw, thanks to some very farsighted policies. They still primarily speak Spanish. As was common with immigrants in the 19th and early 20th century, and we've forgotten this, the first generation hangs on to language. The next generation tends to be in the middle, primarily English-speaking, but speaking both languages and with a foot in both the immigrant culture and full-blown US culture. The next generation, and that would be my kids, tends to be as American as apple pie and the language skills tend to be English-only. Unfortunately, that's exactly what's happened. My kids are English-only and we regret that because we feel they've lost a bit of their history, but gosh, I suppose I should just be glad we've contributed to national cohesion or some such nonsense, right? Well, we're keeping out them furriners, huh? I think I'll go man the border. The irony, of course, is that the most American of the whole lot are the immigrants in this country, coming to this nation to better themselves and their families. They know far better than we do what this country is and what our nation and our heritage and traditions mean. As for money, many of these illegals pay into social security at their jobs for benefits which they won't see, they oftentimes pay taxes from their pay quite falsely but on into Uncle Sam it goes, and they pay sales taxes throughout this country to local communities who suck it up quite happily. Recently, in these appalling George W times, many of those illegals or their children have willingly gone to war and some have given their lives in this misbegotten war. "These people" want to make our home their home and they have, but not in the "takeover" way king2u freely places quotes around. Their descendants will speak English, they will be just as American as you or I, and you just need to stop being bigots and look past your prejudices and towards our history. Bigotry and prejudice occur in our history again and again, but it is our worst aspect and not our best. This Spanish is taking over nonsense is not our best and is a cover for bigots to flame and have fun. The most British thing about our country is that English-only ethnocentrism, but it won't change. For that and other reasons, English will remain our language. Believe me, Latinos know that and they have no expectation of undoing 1845 and taking the country back. Although if they gave Texas back to Mexico, I wouldn't really mind... |
| # May 7th, 2005 7:26 AM kris |
| I don't really disagree with you, except for the George W. and Texas stuff. I'm not asking immigrants to give up their culture to fit in. I think that assimilation is necessary, however. To succeed, immigrants are going to need to learn English ASAP. That's just a fact.
But really, language is probably the ONLY thing that immigrants HAVE to conform to in America. Of course, it's the culture that immigrants have brought from all over the world that makes America what it is. And I love that about America. I love that I can live in Wisconsin, but people here still celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Today I'll go to an art fair to see one of my favorite local artists, an Asian-American whose brush paintings always feature Chinese characters. And even later today, I'll participate in a home grown event like watching the Kentucky Derby. And those things are all part of America. I understand that some people don't just want to "blend in". That's fine. You don't have to blend in in America, but you do need to acknowledge that you live here, and NOT in Mexico and that's what makes all the difference. And we thank God for it. |
| # May 7th, 2005 10:29 AM mbrlr |
| I didn't really expect you to agree on GW, but it does bother me that a good many children of illegal aliens and some illegal aliens are fighting and dying for the US in this war that I think is very stupid, at best, and yet that seems not to be taken into account at all in the "man the borders" stuff from those on the right. The border patrol stuff is racism, pure and simple, because none of those folks seem to be worried about al quaida terrorists, do they?
I guess I just want folks to remember our history. The -- was it 1924? -- bill that Congress passed limiting immigration severely put the cap on the 19th/early 20th century immigration rush, but the 1st/2d/3d generation language acquisition and societal integration rules were pretty much the same then. We've just forgotten. A query: One state, I think New Mexico, has Spanish as one of its two official languages. Given the tenor of this issue, is that an anathema sit sort of thing with folks here or is that okay? |
| # May 8th, 2005 5:15 AM TyMc |
| I think anyone entering America, needs to speak American... that being English (sure glad we didn't choose german). But on a serious note our country is conforming to other races.
I have a friend who is entering the workforce and seems he can't find employment simple because he doesn't speak spanish. Shocked! Well that is the norm here in New York City. Not only can you not find ample employment but if you don't speak spanish you can't relay the way you want your hair done, because the stylist can't speak English. I do not want anyone from another country to come here and lose their culture ( I know how that feels). But, having said that they all need to speak English to a degree that able to be understood. This way Americans who only speak english will not have to be at a disadvantage. |
| # December 1st, 2005 10:19 AM mbrlr |
| Technically, we don't have a national language. Maybe esperanto? |