…because there are more of us every year, in no small part. Ann Salisbury comments on Steve Lopez’s surprisingly intelligent column in today’s LAT.
I think this is another huge issue which won’t go away. I’m not living in fear of a Reconquista, but the impacts of massive population inflow combined with limited resources to build physical and social infrastructure presents some pretty big problems that need to be addressed.
I’ll try and jump in here a bit later.
Date: 07/29/2002 00:00:00 AM
Only two of my grandparents were born in the US, and none of their parents were born here. They came here (from Germany, mostly) for the same reason that today’s immigrants are coming: because their lives in their homelands were crap and they wanted the chance to work for something better. So I’m reluctant to slam the door on Mexicans who want to be Americans.But it is a fact that SoCal can only contain so many people before the foundation starts to crumble under the weight. Ann’s summary of the Prop 187 failure (that no state has the right to regulate immigration) is correct, so finding a solution here is going to be extremely difficult.Looks like another reason not to live in California . . . .
Date: 07/29/2002 00:00:00 AM
Yes, it’s the same Steve Lopez.
Date: 07/28/2002 00:00:00 AM
Is this the same Steve Lopez who used to write for the Philadelphia Inquirer? Some days he was the only good thing to read in that paper.Anyway, the issue is a difficult one to bring up without getting mau-maued. Mention concern at the rate of immigration and you’re an instant racist.Like you, I don’t see fears of reconquista being valid. Who cares what a person’s last name is if he’s an American? The issue is whether the state can withstand the strain of massive immigration. There are signs that it cannot.