Some of you have heard me repeat this, but I can't help it. I know many Canadians do resent feeling ignored by the U.S. The U.S. does tend to ignore most other countries, yes. However, even if the U.S. did pay more attention to the rest of the world, there's one country that I think would get higher billing than Canada:
That's rigt: MEXICO!!!!
Have you heard that the U.S.-Mexico border is the most crossed border in the world, with over 30 million crossings per year? That's similar to Canada's total population!
I work in the public schools, where I often deal with classrooms that are predominantly Mexican/Hispanic - sometimes entire classrooms are 100% Hispanic. Letters home get translated in Spanish, bilingual education classrooms are left and right, heck California is now 40% Hispanic! Los Angeles and its surrounding area is over 50% Hispanic, probably almost 60%. California will be over 50% within a couple of decades, the U.S. will be at 15-20%. Mexicans already outnuber blacks. By the way, that's only the legal residents.
Sure, I've also met Canadians in the public schools here. They blend in better than not only immigrants from all the other countries, but even better than AMERICANS from most other states!!! For one thing, they don't have accents that people from Arkansas do. How can we notice them if they don't stick out that much? At least we're not making their homework bilingual or serving poutine and maple syrup as part of their lunches!
Oh yeah, between Canada and the U.S., 1,000 officers patrol that border. 10 times as many people on the U.S. SIDE ALONE patrol the Mexican border. 500,000 people cross that border illegally every year! Can the Canadian border compare in how many cross that border?
Some estimates say that there are 8-12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. One estimate says 20-38 million. From my experience, over 30 million sounds more accurate. The vast majority of these undocumented people are Mexicans, many others are non-Mexicans who have used the Mexican border. Numbers that come from Canada are likely puny in comparison!!!
In fact, Canada should be concerned about Mexico too. I have read news stories about Mexicans who come illegally to the U.S. and live here for a while until fears of an illegal immigration crackdown come into play. Then they flee to Canada and seek asylum. And in fact, more and more Mexicans are doing that then ever.
Also, try looking at pictures of the any Canada-U.S. border crossing online, and compare it to pictures of U.S.-Mexico border crossings. On a few occasions, when I go to Vancouver, I have stood under the Peace Arch, which IS the border between B.C. and Washington State. All I can say is..... where are the fences? Not that I want to see any, but you should see the fences between San Diego and Tijuana. And at least there's no minutemen militia preventing people from entering the U.S. illegally from Canada.
Also, try watching images of people crossing the Rio Grande between Mexico and Texas. You'll almost never see anything like that at the Canadian border.
Aren't Canadians lucky not to deal with all of that?
Of course, like I said, sometimes what happens at the U.S.-Mexican border makes its way further north.
That's rigt: MEXICO!!!!
Have you heard that the U.S.-Mexico border is the most crossed border in the world, with over 30 million crossings per year? That's similar to Canada's total population!
I work in the public schools, where I often deal with classrooms that are predominantly Mexican/Hispanic - sometimes entire classrooms are 100% Hispanic. Letters home get translated in Spanish, bilingual education classrooms are left and right, heck California is now 40% Hispanic! Los Angeles and its surrounding area is over 50% Hispanic, probably almost 60%. California will be over 50% within a couple of decades, the U.S. will be at 15-20%. Mexicans already outnuber blacks. By the way, that's only the legal residents.
Sure, I've also met Canadians in the public schools here. They blend in better than not only immigrants from all the other countries, but even better than AMERICANS from most other states!!! For one thing, they don't have accents that people from Arkansas do. How can we notice them if they don't stick out that much? At least we're not making their homework bilingual or serving poutine and maple syrup as part of their lunches!
Oh yeah, between Canada and the U.S., 1,000 officers patrol that border. 10 times as many people on the U.S. SIDE ALONE patrol the Mexican border. 500,000 people cross that border illegally every year! Can the Canadian border compare in how many cross that border?
Some estimates say that there are 8-12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. One estimate says 20-38 million. From my experience, over 30 million sounds more accurate. The vast majority of these undocumented people are Mexicans, many others are non-Mexicans who have used the Mexican border. Numbers that come from Canada are likely puny in comparison!!!
In fact, Canada should be concerned about Mexico too. I have read news stories about Mexicans who come illegally to the U.S. and live here for a while until fears of an illegal immigration crackdown come into play. Then they flee to Canada and seek asylum. And in fact, more and more Mexicans are doing that then ever.
Also, try looking at pictures of the any Canada-U.S. border crossing online, and compare it to pictures of U.S.-Mexico border crossings. On a few occasions, when I go to Vancouver, I have stood under the Peace Arch, which IS the border between B.C. and Washington State. All I can say is..... where are the fences? Not that I want to see any, but you should see the fences between San Diego and Tijuana. And at least there's no minutemen militia preventing people from entering the U.S. illegally from Canada.
Also, try watching images of people crossing the Rio Grande between Mexico and Texas. You'll almost never see anything like that at the Canadian border.
Aren't Canadians lucky not to deal with all of that?
Of course, like I said, sometimes what happens at the U.S.-Mexican border makes its way further north.
:roll:
