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Foreigner's Perspective on Canada and the US
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 12:36 am    Post subject: Snow problem Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
There's ALWAYS a "water problem" in New Mexico (many archeologists think that probably at least contributed to the disappearance of the Anasazi, about 700 or 800 years ago.)
But the 2006 - 2007 was an unusually wet winter, and, so far, this one is proving to be one, too (except in the southeast section of the state.) So, at the moment, we're pretty good in the water department (which means we're not parched.)
We've had two fairly large (for Santa Fe) snowstorms here so far this year.
In fact, my classes at the college were cancelled on Monday and Tuesday because of the weather.
But it's the northeast that's really gotten hit. The area around Chama has been declared a "disaster area" because of the large amount of snow.


"New Mexico Town Buried Under Snow"

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/strange/news-article.aspx?storyid=101649

If you go to the site, you'll see, however, that it's under the heading "Strange and Unusual."

Regards,
John
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is Santa Fe a sanctuary? How about the rest of New Mexico?
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
Well, Santa Fe (Holy Faith) is a "sanctuary" for me, but I'm not quite sure of the meaning you're putting on that word:

1: a consecrated place: as a: the ancient Hebrew temple at Jerusalem or its holy of holies b (1): the most sacred part of a religious building (as the part of a Christian church in which the altar is placed) (2): the room in which general worship services are held (3): a place (as a church or a temple) for worship
2 a (1): a place of refuge and protection (2): a refuge for wildlife where predators are controlled and hunting is illegal b: the immunity from law attached to a sanctuary

Most of the snow was in the northern part of the state, especially the northeast. Santa Fe is "hemmed in" by two mountain ranges, one to the west (the Jemez range) and one to the east (the Sangre de Cristo range), so we often get by-passed by storms that go either to the left or right of us. But occasionaly one hits right down the middle.
Regards,
John
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry, I thought that was a common term in the SW. The sanctuary cities allow people to work, go to hospital, get a drivers licence, attend school, get a traffic ticket, or just live without any questions about their immigration status.

http://www.ojjpac.org/sanctuary.asp

According to their list, Santa Fe is and Phoenix is, and Tucson later. I just noticed that this is an anti-sanctuary website!!!
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:21 pm    Post subject: Aha Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
Ooops, my mistake. I thought you were somehow referring to the snow/weather. I was the segue that got me.
Yup, Santa Fe's a sanctuary city - in fact, most of my students in the ESL classes at Santa Fe Community College are almost certainly illegals (we have a "don't ask, don't tell" policy - but the student numbers for legals are their social security numbers, while for illegals it's 000 - their month of birth - their day of birth and the last two digits of their year of birth; if I, for example, were illegal, my student number would be

000-02-1443

and 99% of my students use that method.
Regards,
John
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So that's why you have a big heart!

But why don't they use the tin number?
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 8:29 pm    Post subject: We don' need no stinkin' badges Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
Well, first because not all the illegals would have one (but everyone has a birthday.)
Second, because it's "Federal", and we want to keep the Feds out of our business as much as possible. This may be a "sanctuary city", but, as the INS raids proved here last year, that cuts no ice with the Federal government.
It's rather like the marijuana issue. In California and New Mexico, medical marijuana is legal, according to the state.
But for the Feds, it's illegal, no matter what the state says. So, the Feds will raid the marijuana state-approved "outlets", confiscate the stash and arrest the workers.
Weird, huh?
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

In NYC, you would get a tin number through a tiny bank account, it is in your name, and it is the same as an ssn number, and you would use it to work and everything else. And pay taxes on it under your name. Immigration used to look favourably upon this. Now INS is ICE and they have changed significantly. But perhaps you can help to get your students tin numbers. However, the situation in NYC is different; in NYC, when the ICE raids a restaurant, the staff are all American models and it is the clientele who run out the door.

By the way, is that the common term, 'illegals'?

http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 10:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
We had a lady from a Catholic service agency come to all our classes last session who spoke on all such matters (including TIN numbers) to the students. It was very informative. A lot of the students hadn't even heard of a TIN number before.
And yes - I'd say illegals is the generally used term here, I believe. Though, if you want to be very "politically correct" (at least from the very liberal point of view), you might use the term "undocumented immigrants" instead.

One of the ironic and perhaps counter-intuitive aspects of this that I've noticed here is that very often the "legal Hispanics" are the ones most vociferous about keeping the "illegals" out.
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

johnslat wrote:
One of the ironic and perhaps counter-intuitive aspects of this that I've noticed here is that very often the "legal Hispanics" are the ones most vociferous about keeping the "illegals" out.


I don't think there are any Hispanic Minutemen, so I guess vociferous is preferable to murderous. But everyone is entitled to be themselves no matter their ethnicity, so there's probably ignorance in every group.

Ah, Catholic Services, they brought me all kinds of lovely things when my baby was born.


Last edited by Vanica on Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:38 am; edited 1 time in total
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 11:59 pm    Post subject: Minutohombres Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
Well there's a least one:

"Los Angeles, CA: Hispanic gang specialist, retired L.A. Sheriffs Sgt. Richard Valdemar told Full Disclosure NetworkT "It is my duty as a Hispanic to talk about this (the illegal immigration issue) because you cannot, you would be called a racist." In a six minute video preview of part four of a four part Special Series of interviews, Valdemar describes what it was like to work for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 33 years while having to deal with legal and illegal Mexican immigrants in a city that has become known as "the illegal immigration capitol of the nation".

The preview video is to be featured on the Internet and the full programs will run on 43 cable television systems, as part the Full Disclosure Network'sT regular programming. The interview is conducted by Emmy Award winning host Leslie Dutton.

Sgt. Valdemar (ret) makes the following points in this Part-four of the Special Series:

Special Order 40 was the name of the LAPD policy not to report illegal aliens to Federal immigration authorities, the L.A. County Sheriff's policy was similar
Illegals stay loyal to Mexico: Years ago illegal aliens who stayed in the country and made it their home, became loyal to the United States; now he says "they stay loyal to Mexico and they hate us."
Victims vs Villains: While American law enforcement officers are considered the villains, the illegals are considered victims of the "coyotes" the human smugglers who often rob, rape and abuse them.
Minutemen are not racist: The Minuteman movement came about to discourage illegal border crossings. They are not racists, not Nazis, not whacko, they are level headed citizens, including Hispanics and even little old ladies."

http://www.fulldisclosure.net/Programs/479-480.php

And apparently more than one:

"Let me pivot off the last story on the Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner and present this article about the subtle complexities of the immigration argument within the Hispanic community. Ten percent of the Minutemen's 8,000 members are Hispanic, according to Al Garza. If you remember Al Garza is the former Texas president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. He is now the group's second-in-command, to one of the nation's most prominent Hispanic anti-immigration activists. Garza is featured in a Houston Chronicle story about Hispanic Minutemen and is quoted as saying:


"This has nothing to do with race," said Garza, who was born in Raymondville in South Texas. "Anyone that has any racial agenda is not wanted in our group."

Much like the multiple perspectives of Tejanos during the Texas Revolution, today's Tejanos, like other Americans, have multiple perspectives on the current question of immigration reform. Some people from both sides of this highly polarized issue always hate when I highlight these differences. My feeling is that it is better to be knowledgeable than ignorant on the differences and subtleties in this debate."

http://www.acapitolblog.com/2006/04/hispanic-minutemen.html

Regards,
John
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't think it has anything to do with the border or with Mexicans. It's cowardly bullies picking on people with less defences.
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
For some/many, you may well be right. But I imagine that for at least a number of them, they're doing something that THEY think is "right."

And let's not forget one important point: the illegals ARE illegal.

Regards,
John
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Vanica



Joined: 31 Aug 2006
Posts: 368
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 1:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

E tu, Brute?
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johnslat



Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 13859
Location: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

PostPosted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dear Vanica,
Nope, not me. I'm a bleeding-heart, tree-hugging, pinko Commie liberal.

But I try to avoid generalizations, and I'm all too aware that human beings being what they are, people can often do the "wrong things" for what they are convinced are the "right reasons."

Regards,
John
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