Open Thread for Monday
Before Special Order 40, the LAPD was used to keep "undesirable" migrants from another land from entering the SouthlandIn February-March 1936, the Los Angeles Police Department deployed 136 officers to 16 major points of entry on the Arizona, Nevada and Oregon lines, with orders to turn back migrants with "no visible means of support." The Okies fleeing the Midwest droughts of the 1930s were accused in California of "shiftlessness," "lack of ambition," "school overcrowding" and "stealing jobs" from native Californians.
The LAPD gave those it stopped a choice: turn around or be sentenced to 180 days in jail- some of the inmates worked off their jail time as farm workers. Many Californians opposed the LAPD's border blockade, but the Los Angeles Times editorialized that it was necessary to save tax-payer money that would be spent on relief and to keep out of the state "imported criminals ... radicals and troublemakers." The now-defunct Los Angeles Evening News editorialized that the blockade "violates every principle that Americans hold dear ... the right of any citizen to go wherever he pleased."
The blockade was dropped in April 1936, after the LAPD was sued for blocking the return of several Californians. The LAPD later did a study of the Okies, and concluded that Okies were mostly religious, hard-working agricultural laborers with families who, because their jobs were seasonal, used government relief checks to tide them over in the off season.
(Source: UC Davis Migration News)
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 5/01/2006 12:00:00 AM
10 Comments:
I'm glad LAPD has special issue 40. They arrest the felons who are illegals. Costa Mesa goes after as many illegals as it can. Did you read what the San Bernardino city council was voting on last week? No illegals can rent or buy property, no free services to illegals etc. etc.
And the Okies were American CITIZENS who had rights to interstate travel and migration. They weren't breaking any laws by coming to California. Wow, people are trying so hard to find an approrpiate comparison for illegals, yet failing so miserably. They are NOT Okies. They are NOT blacks fighting for Constitutional rights. What's next? Comparisons to Jews in the Holocaust?
what...we have here, is a failure to communicate!
In 1936 it was also legal to drive drunk, beat your wife, deny jobs to any color/race/religion. We are in a different era, this comparison is moot.
Except that the interstate migration was legal then and is still legal now dumbass. Try again.
The Okie migration comparison is stupid. First and foremost, the Okies spoke English. Additionally, assuming the migrating Okies had held jobs prior to coming West that means they had been paying taxes (federal) from those wages. All that having been said, I've heard from many Californias who feel we should stop anymore people from coming in here as we are increasing the state's population at a dangerous pace. Not that this is correct thinking but it's another reason we cannot and should not allow in any more illegals. We need to draw people here who are educated and skilled. We do not need more people who will never be of value in our workforce and we certainly don't need people who refuse to learn the language.
I would definitely favor immigration reform that included a guest worker program as long as it specified the workers come from certain countries. I would happily welcome guest workers from China, India, the Philippines, Ireland, Greece, Thailand, Samoa, Nigeria, Sudan - I can think of a couple dozen countries whose populace have proven to be smart as well as hard working and have the potential to move up the ladder in a number of industries. I would never want anyone else coming from any Latin American countries. They have proven they have no desire to assimilate or be a part of the American culture. They should all be sent to Mexico to work for Vicente Fox. After all, he's the one who thinks they deserve so many breaks.
12:22 - I'm not saying it was ILLEGAL you stupid asshole. I'm saying the thinking was WRONG. Just as you are WRONG - and I'm assuming you're Mexican. Asswipe
Interesting tidbit.....Deputy Mayor for Transportation & Mass Transit drives a new Hummer.
hmmmmh......
I didn't know this Mayor Sam. This is a good post, and ironic...
You know, one thing that Mexican immigrants exhibit is a lot of the same assimilation patters of European immigrants a century ago. This has been well documented for all of you whose fingers are itching to post more rhetoric.
I for one recognize that we are dealing with an economic issue as well as a racial issue.
I know many successful immigrants and sons and daughters of immigrants who are serious about contributing to the American way of life.
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