Immigration and people's attitudes toward it changed after World War II. While many "white" immigrants were still coming in, they pretty much stuck to their burroughs and for the most part integrated into American society. They picked up English quickly because they made it a priority, and before they learned enough English they only associated with people of their own kind... actually even after they learned English they still just associated with people of their own kind. Mexicans, however, seem to stick out like a sore thumb. A large part of that is because of the sheer number of recent immigrants (recent meaning within 15-20 years)... while the rest of America has become somewhat integrated and homogeneous (at least on the surface), Mexicans are still in that awkward stage that most immigrant groups were in 75 years ago.. . However, maybe the biggest reason Mexican immigrants get so much attention is the fact that we share a border with them. Sure, we also share a border with Canada... but Canada is a developed nation with citizens who like it there. Mexico, on the other hand, is a sh1t hole... I don't care how much they love it there, they gotta admit that they left because it is a third world country. Sure, people jump the Canadian border all the time... but nowhere near the numbers that come from the south -- and to make the gap between the comparison even bigger, those coming from the north probably went to high school and speak English, which means they're 90% integrated right there no matter what color their skin is.. . Now, don't get me wrong... I love immigrants. Everyone I'm related to, aside from my little sister, is an immigrant. Some of them are legal, some are not. The fact is that immigrants fill a void in the American economy that Americans don't want to fill. I was born in the US... I just graduated college and I'm looking for a job... are you shocked that I'm not applying for jobs to pick oranges or clean motel rooms? Not that immigrants are second-class citizens (they're not citizens at all, in fact), but I guess you can call it social entropy... those who are not yet integrated into society are forced to take the jobs that nobody else wants. However, this also makes them necessary. There's no way a carton of Florida OJ would cost less than $4 if citizens had to be paid minimum wage to pick and process the oranges... and that's IF you can find citizens who want to do that. Even most American homeless people either wouldn't do it or they'd seriously mess it up (mental illnesses are highly common among the homeless population, and that doesn't mesh well with a 9-5). Just look at unemployment rates in US cities.... an illegal immigrant can come into almost any US city and have a job by the end of the week, so how can there be any excuse for an American citizen to be without a job? No, they aren't taking jobs away from us... we just don't want those jobs.. . Anyway, this has become a rant. My point is that Mexicans get all the attention because they are the most highly visible and universally recognized immigrant group today. The Germans went through it, the Irish went through it, the Italians went through it... now it's the Mexicans' turn. The key to getting through this rite of passage is integration. This doesn't mean at all that they have to lose their Mexican identity, but they have to adapt to American customs, and the biggest obstacle is learning the language and becoming literate, even though many may not even be very literate in their native language. And they have to not be so proud of overpopulating the country... overpopulation is not good no matter who you are, unless you WANT the US to turn into the Mexico you left.. . Oh, and I want to add that a huge strike against Mexicans in general, not just immigrants, is the contempt many hold for territories that once belonged to Mexico... as you sta