Man shot and killed after singing 'Somos Mas Americanos' at karaoke night

In Houston Tx a man was shot in the head after singing 'Somos Mas Americano' at a local restaurant. The man was approached and confronted about the song he chose to sing. An altercation occurred and the man singing karaoke was shot in the head. The shooter is still at large. 

Obviously, citizenship is a sensitive topic to certain people who may not feel like immigrants have the right to be here. The man shot used lyrics in a song to express how he felt about being more American to patrons of the restaurant. I have to ask myself where on the class and stratification latter the shoot found the man singing. The shooter shot this man right in the head which leads me to assume that the shooter saw this man as someone who is insignificant and did not deserve to be there. 

The Unauthorized Choice of Illegal Immigration

Saturday, December 31st, 2011 at 12:04 pm   

The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that as of March 2010, 11.2 million unauthorized immigrants live in the U.S., and about 7 million of them migrated from Mexico. Why do so many Mexicans choose to illegally immigrate to the U.S where they are often treated with contempt and disrespect? And, if they really want to come to the U.S., why don’t they play by the rules and enter legally? Why do so many choose to make the grueling 4-day journey though the Arizona desert that involves very real risks of dehydration in 115-degree heat and rape at the hands of human smugglers?

Part of the explanation has to do with Mexico’s relative poverty and proximity to the U.S. The border between the U.S. and Mexico marks the largest income gap between any two neighboring countries in the world. Until 1986, when U.S. immigration laws changed so dramatically, hundreds of thousands of Mexicans came and went – or stayed – with comparative ease. As a result, the 2,000-mile border now splits millions of Mexican and American families. Considering the income disparity and the social, economic, and historical ties between the two countries, it’s easy to see why Mexicans choose to migrate to the U.S.

Another part of the explanation has to do with current U.S. immigration laws, which essentially treat Mexicans the same as just about any other nationality despite Mexico’s special status as a neighbor. In 2010, the U.S. provided fewer than 180 thousand visas to Mexicans for labor and family unification purposes. This figure is equivalent to just 2.7% of the number of unauthorized Mexicans now living in the U.S. The competition for such a small number of visas means that it’s practically impossible for the typical Mexican immigrant to enter the country legally in his or her lifetime. So, with no way to enter legally, Mexicans make the difficult decision to migrate illegally.

Consider a 30-year old Mexican with a high school education and a sibling who is a citizen of the U.S. According to data compiled by Forbes magazine, “playing by the rules” and applying for a green card could mean waiting in line for 131 years! Why such a long wait? The short answer is that current regulations limit any single country to 7% of the total number of green cards allotted by Congress in any given year. Mexico is subject to this limit just like any other country even though it is the world’s eleventh most populated country and a neighbor to the U.S.

It’s absurd to expect someone to go to the back of a line that never ends. If the U.S. wants Mexican immigrants to play by its rules, a set of rules must be created that includes them in the game. The design of the current U.S. immigration system is based on a model from nearly half a century ago. A twenty-first century immigration policy should recognize Mexico’s unique status as a neighbor of the U.S. Surely Mexican workers would prefer to enter legally, and moreover, the U.S. economy is dependent on their skills and labor.

Comment:
Why should a Mexican have a special status when immigrating into the US? I suggest making immigrating into the US a point based system, like in Canada, and having a relative here be just a part of the points but emphasizing education, age, language skills and placing having relatives in the US one more of the basis to be allowed in the country. Agriculture and the consumer would have to adapt to a no illegal immigration reality but better for all on the long run.

This video discusses how many mexican women will cross the border illegally to have their babies in American hospitals so they can automatically receive citizenship (14th amendment to U.S. born children). This women had a c-sections which would cost an american citizen $4,700 dollars, however, for her it was free. This video was taken at a McAllen hospital where they estimate that 40% of patients are illegal immigrants. The up roar over Americans having to foot the bill for these costly procedures and how that is effecting our own pockets with $300,000 babies being born each year illegally is understandable. The line that get's me is from Texas Rep. Lamar Smith. "It seems fundamentally wrong that we out to give the greatest honor our country can bestow, citizenship, to a child who's only connection to this country is that his mother came across the border illegally." This makes me wonder how Mr. Smith was able to earn his citizenship or did he forget that everyone is an illegal immigrant to the United States unless your native american.

Racial Gaps in Education

High-school dropout rates are least among whites and highest among Hispanics, while college enrollment rates are least among blacks and highest among whites. The high-school dropout rate has grown more similar among these three groups, while the college enrollment rate has grown more sharply different.
High school dropout percentage (among persons 16-24 years old) and college enrollment percentage (among high school graduates)
Source: The Digest of Education Statistics 2008, National Center for Education Statistics.

Currently, the hispanic population is known as a minority group, however, it has been predicted that in the coming years the hispanic population will be the dominating race. If the statics above show that hispanic's are dropping out of high school at what looks like triple the amount of whites, what is that suggesting about the future of America?

This video touches on some key points related to immigration and struggles immigrants go through in search of a better life. I for one believe in equal opportunity and if i was in their situation I would be packing a bag and making the journey. Immigration is a real social problem in the united states and there is no foreseeable solution to this issue.