Why immigrate to the US?

Walter

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Jan 28, 2007
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With all the anti-American posts on this forum it makes me wonder why the US is still the number one choice of most would-be immigrants around the world. Are the put-down-the-US-at-all-costs and the everything-wrong-in-the-world-is-the-fault-of-the-US crowds right or are they missing something?
 

lone wolf

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Nov 25, 2006
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With all the anti-American posts on this forum it makes me wonder why the US is still the number one choice of most would-be immigrants around the world. Are the put-down-the-US-at-all-costs and the everything-wrong-in-the-world-is-the-fault-of-the-US crowds right or are they missing something?

The truth maybe? That lady in New York harbour is a dramatic image. The United States paints itself as the centre of freedom, fair play, wealth ... heaven. White picket fences, a car in every driveway, healthy, happy families - it's a damned hard cloud to see through for poor, tired, huddled masses....

Woof!
 
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Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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With all the anti-American posts on this forum it makes me wonder why the US is still the number one choice of most would-be immigrants around the world. Are the put-down-the-US-at-all-costs and the everything-wrong-in-the-world-is-the-fault-of-the-US crowds right or are they missing something?

Yup... TV and the Internet. Probably going off of old stories from the colony era.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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With all the anti-American posts on this forum it makes me wonder why the US is still the number one choice of most would-be immigrants around the world. Are the put-down-the-US-at-all-costs and the everything-wrong-in-the-world-is-the-fault-of-the-US crowds right or are they missing something?

First of all Walter, the whole premise of this topic is wrong. We don't have a lot of anti-American, or people who put down Americans at all costs on this forum. Many people disagree with American foreign policy, but those people are all over the world and not limited to these forums. The U.S. is just the biggest country out there accepting immigrants and possibly their standards are lower. Who knows?
 

Scott Free

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May 9, 2007
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I imagine the US attracts a lot of very ambitious people for whom the bad reputation would seem appealing. You know: gas guzzling SUVs, more than you fair share, the promise of grotesque wealth, opportunities over seas opened up by imperialism etc...
 
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Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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First of all Walter, the whole premise of this topic is wrong. We don't have a lot of anti-American, or people who put down Americans at all costs on this forum. Many people disagree with American foreign policy, but those people are all over the world and not limited to these forums. The U.S. is just the biggest country out there accepting immigrants and possibly their standards are lower. Who knows?

Yeah, I'm not really Anti-American, I'm just anti-Bush, anti-Bush Administration, Anti-Forign Policy, Anti-Cultural, Anti-Iraq War, Anti-Iran Threat Talking, Anti-Missle Defense, Anti-Republican......

...... Hmmmm.... then again....
 
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#juan

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Yeah, I'm not really Anti-American, I'm just anti-Bush, anti-Bush Administration, Anti-Forign Policy, Anti-Cultural, Anti-Iraw War, Anti-Iran Threat Talking, Anti-Missle Defense, Anti-Republican......

...... Hmmmm.... then again....

Well said, but most of that could fall under foreign policy.....Like the killing of three or four million VietNamese, Cambodians, and Laotians....and......and.......and.....
 

tracy

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Nov 10, 2005
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I chose the US because it was close, easy to immigrate to and had a lot of jobs available to me. I thought it would be a fun adventure (and it has been). It doesn't mean I have to agree with everything here or love absolutely everything about the country. Like any country, there are good and bad things. For me the good easily outweigh the bad.
 

EagleSmack

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Feb 16, 2005
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Well said, but most of that could fall under foreign policy.....Like the killing of three or four million VietNamese, Cambodians, and Laotians....and......and.......and.....

Why stop there? Make it a billion!
 

no color

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May 20, 2007
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For us Canadians, the answer is easy. We essentially share the same language, culture and values as our neighbors to the south. Our lifestyles are very similar.
 

I think not

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Apr 12, 2005
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Don't worry about the responses Walter, there is no single answer to your question, although the comment from #juan that our "standards" are lower is amazing to me, but not unexpected coming from him.
 

YoungJoonKim

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Aug 19, 2007
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With all the anti-American posts on this forum it makes me wonder why the US is still the number one choice of most would-be immigrants around the world. Are the put-down-the-US-at-all-costs and the everything-wrong-in-the-world-is-the-fault-of-the-US crowds right or are they missing something?

Thank you for pointing that out Mr. Walter
I'm afraid it has more to do with "search for wealth aka opportunity" than "I LUV AMERICA."
We lose each year horde of doctors into U.S. because Canadian government do not pay as much as usual American doctors receive or earn. Thanks to that...our health care is kept cheap...*cough cough*
But then again, that's besides the point,
 

RomSpaceKnight

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Oct 30, 2006
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Outlook is different if you are starving to death in a war zone or living in one of ther best countries in the world with universal healthcare and a friend to evryone foreign policy. The US looks great from a southern Sudan view. From southern Ontario it does not look as rosy. The US is dead last on my list of English speaking, European or even some Asian and African countries as a place to move too. Not different enough, not exicting enough, not liberal enough, too capitalistic for my personal tastes.
 

#juan

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Aug 30, 2005
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Don't worry about the responses Walter, there is no single answer to your question, although the comment from #juan that our "standards" are lower is amazing to me, but not unexpected coming from him.

When you consider that close to a half million, mainly Mexicans, enter the U.S. without your immigration people even getting a look at them, I would say that lowers the standards a bit wouldn't you?...............
Who knows?
:roll:
 
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Scott Free

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For us Canadians, the answer is easy. We essentially share the same language, culture and values as our neighbors to the south. Our lifestyles are very similar.

I beg to differ: Canada was a destination for many good and upstanding people opposed to the new republic born in the south. They came here because they didn't want to be part of that culture or were driven out because they couldn't be. Many people that came here were still loyal to the crown or didn't want to leave the British. This is a huge distinction and one that shouldn't be overlooked. The very character of the original Canadians was very different than those of the "Americans" and I would argue still is.
 

tracy

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Nov 10, 2005
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When you consider that close to a half million, mainly Mexicans, enter the U.S. without your immigration people even getting a look at them, I would say that lowers the standards a bit wouldn't you?...............
Who knows?
:roll:

You would think that it was easy, but it really isn't. Coming here legally takes a fair bit of work. Coming here illegally is worse sometimes (ask anyone who has immigrated via the tunnels).
 

tracy

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I beg to differ: Canada was a destination for many good and upstanding people opposed to the new republic born in the south. They came here because they didn't want to be part of that culture or were driven out because they couldn't be. Many people that came here were still loyal to the crown or didn't want to leave the British. This is a huge distinction and one that shouldn't be overlooked. The very character of the original Canadians was very different than those of the "Americans" and I would argue still is.

You know, the more time I spend down here, the less I believe that. I was spoonfed that Canadian identity thing too (aka "We're so different from Americans. Don't compare us to Americans. I mean come on, we have universal healthcare!!! We're really different from them!"). Since I moved down here, I've found we're much more alike than we care to admit for some reason. I don't know why the Canadian identity is still defined by how we're different from Americans. I think there are some differences, but they aren't nearly as pronounced as people like to think.
 

Praxius

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Dec 18, 2007
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Another thing that makes Canada different from the US, is our global image of tolerance. One example would be the Underground Railroad. Another example would be our approach to becoming our own nation (Didn't require to get all gun-ho about it) We don't invade other countries and fight based on principles, not personal gain (Afghanistan was already invaded by the US before we arrived to clean up) Heck even the US invaded Canada once apon a time, and although we pushed them back well beyond their borders and we captured more territory in the US at the time, we left and both sides agreed to the previous borders prior to the invasion.....

There are a few things similar between Canada and the US, mainly technology, media/entertainment, but government, historical backgrounds, medical, overall outlook on life (Being happy in general / being rich to be happy) and many other aspects when you put them into play, make both countries quite different. If anything, we're more similar to the UK or Australia then the US.

I just think too many people tend to compare the trivial things and forget the rest based on our accents.
 

lone wolf

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Nov 25, 2006
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You know, the more time I spend down here, the less I believe that. I was spoonfed that Canadian identity thing too (aka "We're so different from Americans. Don't compare us to Americans. I mean come on, we have universal healthcare!!! We're really different from them!"). Since I moved down here, I've found we're much more alike than we care to admit for some reason. I don't know why the Canadian identity is still defined by how we're different from Americans. I think there are some differences, but they aren't nearly as pronounced as people like to think.

The difference is much less than it was. Once upon a time, Canada was noticably British. Now, even American spelling is acceptable. Even when I was in grade school, old Gert would crack my knuckles with her yardstick if I dared to spell it "color". Though Canucks aren't as rabidly patriotic as their Yank cousins, television culture has narrowed all the other gaps.

Woof
 
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