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Originally published in the October 31, 2004 issue of the Alamance Independent

MIGRANTS' PARADISE

By Mark Andrew Dwyer

If you are curious what are the effects of mass "migration" of millions of Mexican into America, there is no better place to look than Los Angeles and its vicinity. Since 1986 amnesty that benefited mainly Mexican illegal aliens, most of them living in Los Angeles area, population growth of "Hispanics" of Mexican ancestry in that area begun skyrocketing at a rate that approached astonishing 3% a year, doubling their number every 24 years or so. As one can expect, this abrupt demographic change has had its visible impact on perhaps every major aspect of life in L.A. and surrounding cities, as millions of unassimilating Mexican "migrants" and their countless kids slowly but steadily become a defining socio-economic and cultural factor that is about to set the tone of the entire region.

If one took seriously all the politically "correct" propaganda about benefits of mass, albeit illegal, "migration", how it contributes to economic boom, enriches the American culture and way of life, and strengthens this nation's core values, such a surge in number of "migrants" in the area should turn it into an instant paradise on Earth and a center of unparalleled happiness and prosperity by now. Unfortunately, that is not the case as numerous reports and articles (see [1] for the latest example) clearly indicate. Poverty and illiteracy are up (see [2]), despite billions of dollars a year that California government spends on education and the so-called war on poverty. Crime is up, particularly gang violence (see [3], a highly recommended reading) and drug trafficking, despite local and federal law enforcement agencies' efforts to curtail it. And overpopulation, almost entirely due to immigration (legal and otherwise) and newcomers' high fertility rates, is taking its heavy toll on life quality in the region as air quality deteriorates (see [4]), natural resources, including the living space, are in short supply, traffic gridlocks are causing humongous losses in fuel and productivity, and ugliness and dirt become prevailing characteristics of what used to be one of the country's most livable regions.

The most recent alarming example where is this "migrants' paradise" headed to has been reported by Long Beach Press-Telegram (see [5]). According to a UCLA report released October 26, 2004, the traffic congestion and health hazards it causes "have emerged as the key source of many of Los Angeles' environmental woes." Wrote Mary D. Nicols, director of UCLA's Institute of the Environment: "As a region, we have yet to come to grips with the immense impacts our transportation system is having on the environment and public health. [...]  The exhaust that is assaulting our lungs as we sit in traffic with the windows rolled up and the air conditioner on, we can't seem to break out of the trap of dependence on petroleum-fueled vehicles." According to [5],"Diesel exhaust is believed to be the leading source of cancer risk in Southern California," and "adult Angelenos get the bulk of their exposure to diesel pollution in their cars, while children get a big dose of black carbon while riding school buses." All this in addition to lingering problems with air and water quality and illegal trash dumping that L.A. has been notorious for.

Not surprisingly, neither the Press-Telegram nor the UCLA report links any of the above to mass "migration" from Mexico, as if ignoring the proverbial elephant in the room could make it disappear. How million or so of illegal aliens driving old, polluting vehicles, and a perspective of issuing them California driver's licenses, will worsen the already disastrous state of affairs was not even mentioned, neither was the diversion of transportation and highway funds to subsidizing the "migrants" and their countless kids. The article and the report are suggesting, instead, what the Southern California residents, a majority of whom still American citizens, should do to "come to grips" with the devastating effects of "migration"-caused overpopulation. Among the proposed remedies are: "smart growth" (an oxymoron in itself), investment in public transportation, particularly, transit system, and - above all - turning public opinion against car driving as it was turned against cigarette smoking. (See [6, 7, 8, 9] for my earlier commentaries that link mass "migration" to the problems indicated in the UCLA report, including an increase of carcinogenic Diesel pollutants.)

There is a bigger picture here that most of the so-called "mainstream" media and country's political elites don't want you to see. Despite their repeated ad nauseam mantra that it doesn't matter where does the bulk of "migrants" come from, Los Angeles area is becoming to look more and more like Mexico as millions who moved through the American-Mexican border are replicating on American soil what they, ostensibly, escaped from. Poverty, crime, illiteracy, unhealthy habits, pollution, reckless trash dumping, disregard for environment protection, and - above all - exorbitant fertility rates, all patterns that Mexico has long been notorious for, is being transplanted into Southland at a current rate of over million "migrants" a year, and no politically "correct" rhetoric can change that. The only thing that the mass "migration" advocates seem to be getting right is the fact that white and black population of California is being gradually replaced by Latinos (a vast majority of them of Mexican ancestry), but this is hardly a reason for us, Americans, to be cheerful about.

REFERENCES

[1] L.A. city's meager skills crippling recovery
http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0%2C1413%2C200~20954~2503611%2C00.html

[2] Why Immigrants in Los Angeles (and Their U.S.-Born Children) Can't Read
http://www.vdare.com/rubenstein/la_literacy.htm

[3] Many local crews have roots in Los Angeles
(Mexican roots of L.A. gangs)
Long Beach Press-Telegram, September 26, 2004
http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~21474~2427094,00.html
(Note: Apparently, The Press-Telegram removed the above article printed in 9/26/2004 edition from its website. An edited version of the article, under different title "Gangs still thriving in neighborhoods" and with a conspicuous indication of the Mexican roots of L.A. gangs removed, may be found here:
http://lang.presstelegram.com/socal/gangs/articles/lbp1_gang1.asp
Although one can despise the Press-Telegram bowing to the political "correctness" lobby, it's still well worth of reading!)

[4] Population boom taking toll on city's cleanup effort
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story=710=3=/usatoday/20040416/pl_usatoday/populationboomtakingtolloncityscleanupeffort

[5] Gridlock a rising health risk
http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204%257E21474%257E2493516,00.html

[6] Traffic
http://www.americanpatrol.com/GUESTCOLUMNS/DWYER/Traffic040619-Dwyer.html

[7] They Are Eating Our Highways Away
http://americanpatrol.com/GUESTCOLUMNS/DWYER/StealingHwys030527Dwyer.html

[8] Sierra Club Naïve Leaders
http://www.americanpatrol.com/GUESTCOLUMNS/DWYER/SierraClubLdrs040406Dwyer.html

[9] The Proof of the Pudding
http://americanpatrol.com/GUESTCOLUMNS/DWYER/ProofInThePudding040216.html

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