A young lady I know who has never lived outside of America recently brought to everyone's attention the fact that laws like the one recently enacted in Arizona make it much more likely that people who are in America without proper authority or permission will be subject to abuse and discrimination.
Duh! Yes, this is one of the problems with refusing to obey the rules and regulations of the dominant society. You become an outlaw. And living in the shadows you no longer are given all the protections that the society provides to its legal residents and citizens.
For 15 years I chose to live as an alien in a foreign country. I couldn't read the newspaper or my income tax form. I didn't speak the dominant language, so I had no idea what the TV newscaster was saying on the nightly news. I know from personal experience that anyone who wishes to immigrate to another country better be prepared quickly to learn to speak and read the dominant language of the host country. Anyone living in France but not speaking French, or living in Germany and not being fluent in German is at a terrific disadvantage. Its the same all over the world.
And if on top of that you are also in the country illegally, you have a major problem. Fortunately I was a legal resident alien, but I was a card carrying alien, for real. Periodically I had to go in and get grilled by the alien police. As long as I behaved myself I was allowed to remain in their country. But as soon as my employer was sold and I was out-of-work, the government told me that I would have to leave and return to my own country. They didn't want me abusing their generous social safety net.
I have worked immigrants for many years. Vietnamese who moved to south Louisiana, Mexicans who came to El Paso, and Tunisians who moved to the Netherlands. People who are willing to leave their country to better themselves and their families are for the most part exceptional people. But those individuals who refuse to assimilate and are determined not to learn the new language are doomed. Big time. My advice to these people who want to keep all of their original culture but take advantage of all the the opportunities in their new country is: Don't be a loser. Just stay home. You will be better off. So will your family. Honest.
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