Chinese Folk Lore

[Robert S.]

Last night my wife got a call from her cousin back home who informed her that now Bush is giving everyone a three year visa.

 

Isn't that interesting how a complex political proposal can be instantly transformed by the folklore machine into a wish-fulfilling "fact" ???

 

I had to spend 15-20 minutes trying to explain how this is not only not true, but the idea would not apply to those on a marriage visa anyway, that it is intended to help out people who have no papers at all, and is mainly a means to gather votes which the Republicans want for their coming landslide this November.

 

You gotta love it.

[Orrin]

LOL Perhaps the folks still waiting in China for their visas should try to convince the DOS that they are really Mexican. Then they'll not only get an instant visa, but probably instant citizenship as well.

 

I had the same 20 minute explanation with my wife after she heard bits and pieces of this on the radio news

[Robert S.]

If Chinese people have to pay $70K to get themselves smuggled into the US, there is a great opportunity for some enterprising types to provide a discount human relocation service where they would first go to Mexico and thence northward to walk across the border with the "amigos."

 

Unfortunately, Orrin, I believe our 20 minute explanations are not going to last very long. I foresee wasting quite a bit more time trying to overcome the received "truths" conveyed on the folklore grapevine.

[JerryL]

I thought the proposed Bush Plan would offer guest passes to all foreigners with job offers, not just Mexicans. I got lost on the part on why people would need to pretend to be Mexican?

 

Jerry

[Mick]

Last night my wife got a call from her cousin back home who informed her that now Bush is giving everyone a three year visa.  

 

Isn't that interesting how a complex political proposal can be instantly transformed by the folklore machine into a wish-fulfilling "fact" ???

 

I had to spend 15-20 minutes trying to explain how this is not only not true, but the idea would not apply to those on a marriage visa anyway, that it is intended to help out people who have no papers at all, and is mainly a means to gather votes which the Republicans want for their coming landslide this November.  

 

You gotta love it.

This kind of transformation of fact to fiction was very common when I lived in China. It was very hard to convince people that what they were hearing was not true. Prior to us coming back to America last March, many of our students believed that SARS was a disease that started in America and that over 200,000 people had died in Philadelphia alone. Try as I may to tell them it wasn't so, they wouldn't buy it.

 

Wonder if massive numbers of Chinese will flood GZ with phone calls about the new Bush policy?

[MoonCarolCafe]

I thought the proposed Bush Plan would offer guest passes to all foreigners with job offers, not just Mexicans. I got lost on the part on why people would need to pretend to be Mexican?

 

Jerry

The offer is targeted towards illegal immigrants.

 

In the USA illegal immigrant is to Mexican what suicide bomber is to Moslem.

 

Not all of them (illegals / Moslems) are (Mexican / bombers) but there is an unfortunate correlation. I know several families who legally immigrated from Mexico, and they have nothing good to say about thier cousins who are here without papers.

[se_lang]

I would rather use out troops to secure our borders then oil fields in Iraq, then I figure if somebody is willing and capable of making it past without taking a bullet then they can get a work visa

[Orrin]

Jerry,

 

Perhaps I should have said "Mexican or Cuban." I don't know if you remember the "Ilian Gonzalez" incident that happened about 4 years ago? In that case, a 12 year old boy was washed overboard from an overloaded fishing boat that was trying to smuggle a bunch of Cuban illeagals into Key West. An over-publisised "tug of war" ensued between Washington and Havana as to who was going to get custody of the boy. At one point during all of this, the DOS offered this kid instant citizenship in order to try to keep him in the US. It's pretty clear that President Bush's recent proposal is aimed squarely at Mexican illeagals that have been in the country for a while.

 

Moon,

 

Your point is well taken. I lived in Texas for several years, and I too know many Mexican-American families who immigrated here legaly. Your assessment of their attitude toward those who entered the country "under the fence" is absolutely correct. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of undocumented workers in this country are from Mexico, and everyone is getting painted with the same brush.

[warpedbored]

  I know several families who legally immigrated from Mexico, and they have nothing good to say about thier cousins who are here without papers.

I have experienced this myself. The attitude seems to be much like our own. they / we struggled to do it right and legal and resent those who don't.

[keelec]

Changes are in the wind. Hopefully the Fiancee/Spouse visa applicants will not be put on the back burner and forgotten.

 

I certainly don't want to see the USA completely walled in, or to have soldiers with orders to shoot anything that doesn't look "American" on sight, not distinguishing between armadillos or Mexicans, or anything else they might see.

 

Hopefully the USA will ease the restrictions on immigration, although I do foresee the posibility of a huge surge of people overstaying their visas and suddenly a backlash of the program.

 

Maybe somebody should try to arrange a "nanny" position for a mother-in-law. It would be an interesting test of the new policies when they come into play.

 

One thing I can foresee..... Most of the immigration centers are 6 months or more behind now. What will happen if the number of visa applicants doubles or triples next year?

[Kaige]

I believe George is doing this for political benifits, his brother Jeb is married to a lady from south of the border. Yesterday we had a topping off party at work, (party when you complete the roof on a high rise) we were in the minority, at least 60% hispanic, didn't know we had this many on the job, now S.W. Fla is worried that human service programs will not have enough funds to help all the new people. ???

[Mick]

I believe George is doing this for political benifits, his brother Jeb is married to a lady from south of the border. Yesterday we had a topping off party at work, (party when you complete the roof on a high rise) we were in the minority, at least 60% hispanic, didn't know we had this many on the job, now S.W. Fla is worried that human service programs will not have enough funds to help all the new people. ???

The human service issue has been a thorn in Miami's side for years. Hard to provide needed services like medical care for that many new arrivals.

[keelec]

I believe George is doing this for political benifits, his brother Jeb is married to a lady from south of the border.

Hmmm,

 

When did Jeb Bush get married? How long did it take him to get his wife into the country? That might be an interesting research topic.

 

----- Clifford -----

[Robert S.]

I believe George is doing this for political benifits, his brother Jeb is married to a lady from south of the border.

Hmmm,

 

When did Jeb Bush get married? How long did it take him to get his wife into the country? That might be an interesting research topic.

 

----- Clifford -----

Yes, that would be interesting, but may I suggest another topic that would be perhaps useful to some of our newer members? How long does it take to get a visa for a Russian lady, how long for a Thai, how long for a Filipina, how long for some of the other countries with beautiful ladies?