Think Progress

Sen. Sessions: Immigrants create ‘cultural problems.’

During Senate debate on immigration on Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) warned against allowing too many immigrants into the country. He stated that “the numbers cannot be too great or it takes jobs from Americans and can, in fact, create cultural problems that wouldn’t occur if it was a little slower.” Conservative columnist Bob Novak responds:

That recalls the 1911 report of the U.S. Immigration Commission asserting that the “proportion of the more serious crimes of homicide, blackmail and robbery . . . is greater among the foreign born,” who also refuse to learn the English language.

In reading part of that report into the Senate record, Graham declared that these immigrants who were “ruining America” fathered the “greatest generation.” That immigrant wave included my grandfather, a Russian Imperial army veteran working on the John Deere tractor assembly line in Moline, Ill., as an unskilled, undocumented alien who could not speak English. He was an American patriot proud of a son who fought with the U.S. infantry through Africa and Italy in World War II.



48 Responses to “Sen. Sessions: Immigrants create ‘cultural problems.’”

  1. gummitch says:

    They’ll be allowing the Irish in next.


  2. midwestblue says:

    Did you know there are no sunset provisions in the bill? No limit to the number of immigrants granted legal status? They appeal to everyone’s emotions, but do not provide a financial impact statement on this horrible bill. Wonder why that is? Maybe so they can sucker working Americans into supporting this bill?


  3. Kiacyclic says:

    I was just about to stop by Taco Bell for lunch after I bought a Los Lobos CD as a thank you gift for the Cinco de Mayo party my friend threw, when I remembered that I needed to stop by my travel agent for the airline tickets to San Antonio (we going to see the Alamo), Santa Fe, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. It was on they way there that I thought, “You know too many Mexicans in the USA might ‘create cultural problems.’”


  4. SKdeA says:

    Freaky that I actually agree with Novakula on something…


  5. Tom3 says:

    I drove past the Amache Japanese-American Internment Camp site yesterday. I’ve visited the site several times.

    About 100,000 US Citizens were interned without due process during WW2 in an unconstitutional process fueled by racism and fear.

    It can happen here.

    Chimpy could declare martial law just to round up illegals. There are at least 20 million of them in the US now. Chimpy’s federal thugs are underestimating it on purpose.


  6. Not Canadian Yet says:

    Actually Senator, it’s intolerance that creates ‘cultural problems’.


  7. raynman says:

    kudos for the Blazing Saddles reference


  8. stopthecons says:

    i wonder if this guy descended from American Indians…otherwise his ancestors, as “immigrants” also created social problems.

    All this immigrant scare nonsens is little more than propaganda. Sun Tzu would call it “divide and conquer” Get us quibbling amongst ourselves while they go off and kill millions around the world. absolutely disgusting.

    Some further reading on this:

    “The Immigration Scam”

    http://www.populistamerica.com/the_immigration_scam


  9. Zooey says:

    Immigrants add to our culture — it’s the nativist attitude of some who ruin our culture.


  10. toasterhead says:

    Comment by Kiacyclic — May 24, 2007 @ 5:01 pm

    Taco Bell is Mexican food in the same way that McDonalds is fine dining.


  11. Pinget says:

    Many of us here in Alabama know that Sessions’ ancestors must have had the brain power of marshmallows. Guy’s an idiot. http://sacksessions.com/


  12. Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party says:

    Bob Novack shines on this one.


  13. Tom3 says:

    First they came for the illegals, but I was a gabacho and I didn’t speak up.

    Then they came for the gays. I wasn’t a flamer and I didn’t speak up.

    Then they came for the antiwar protesters, the union organizers, the Democrats and liberals. I kept my head down and didn’t speak up.

    When they came for me, there was nobody to speak up.


  14. Tom3 says:

  15. Kiacyclic says:

    I didn’t mean to recommend Taco Bell in anyway, just pointing out that Latino culture is as American as apple pie.


  16. heyzeus says:

    Pop tarts are to toasters, as head is to beer.


  17. nicolas says:

    No shit sherlock.

    Now next step, a bit harder : Is this the french or the swedish immigrants causing problems ?


  18. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Too many immigrants HURT the natives. All of your intentions may be good here, but there have been people who’ve been hurt directly through immigrant crime. Sure, the Natives commit crimes, but why turn a blind eye to corrupt immigrants? Not so good. Why do all of you choose not to understand the facts? War on Natives. That’s your jingle here.

    A developed society needs a uniform, selective immigration system, especially immigrants coming from third-world countries. Refering to the history book of “past immigration” to make a case for amnesty doesn’t cut it.


  19. Tom3 says:

    Bob Novak? The traitor who outed an entire CIA cover company?

    The only thing that guy should shine is the end of a rope, using his neck.


  20. Crump's Brother says:

    CompTROLLER V-1,

    “Too many immigrants HURT the natives.”

    For once I, and nearly all the native tribes, agree with you.

    “All of your intentions may be good here, but there have been people who’ve been hurt directly through immigrant crime.”

    While you may have tried to absolve yourself of the idiocy of this statement, your attempt didn’t work. Immigrant murder, hurst as much as native murder. This is such a dumb argument as to not even be worthy of a response.


  21. nicolas says:

    Everybody ain’t white army officer.
    Actually here is sthg submitted for intellectual processing of the enlightened:

    In 2005, major ethnic rebellion started to put france on fire.
    This started partly in “Sainte Genevieve des Bois” that used to be the stronghold of White Russian fleeing communists Russia.
    Many russian princess and White army officers are buried there.

    Do you think those guys would have burned and pillaged france or should we make a finer category than “foreign born people” ?


  22. Tom3 says:

    Chimpy could have shut the border down completely after 9-11.

    He never did. He opened it up further if anything. He cut funding for 9000 new Border Patrol agents. He cut $5 Billion for the Coast Guard.

    Our immigration problem is the Republicans fault.

    Repukes say the Dems support this for votes. Dumbass Repukes, illegals can’t vote. Duhhhh.

    This problem is Chimpy’s fault.


  23. Tom3 says:

    Too many immigrants hurt the natives.

    I also drove by the Sand Creek Massacre site this week.

    Unfortunately, the Cheyenne Nation did not have an Immigration and Naturalization Service 150 years ago to keep out us pesky whites.

    At Sand Creek in 1864, Colorado militiamen murdered Indian women and children. Babies were thrown in the air and bayoneted.

    Too bad the Indians didn’t have a Customs desk when Columbus landed. They could have kept out the Euro-trash for centuries.


  24. Republicans are the Fear and Smear Party says:

    #19…you’re right. Sometimes I want right-wingers to show some decency so badly that I start imaging it.


  25. nicolas says:

    People “for” or “against” foreign born people are manipulated.
    This category is just not relevant.

    What’s relevant is you have different cultural characteristics that make an immigrant a good immigrant. a smart Phd in theorical physic from europe, russia, north america can’t be a bad recruit for any of those country.

    An poor illiterate from north africa might be a good recruit, but it’s far from likely……


  26. Anne says:

    who is “Graham” who read that into the record and had all the immigrant ancestors? I missed something.
    Inhoff is the biggest danger to the US.


  27. toasterhead says:

    I didn’t mean to recommend Taco Bell in anyway, just pointing out that Latino culture is as American as apple pie.

    Comment by Kiacyclic — May 24, 2007 @ 5:15 pm

    I know – I’m just funnin’

    But now I’m craving some papusas.


  28. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Comment by Crump’s Brother

    Sorry, but I wasn’t attempting to please you. As I’ve said, you can’t refer to the history book to make your case for immigration today. If you want genocide against whites, just admit it. I don’t care to hear you taking a detour from the subject.

    Next:

    Comment by Tom3

    “pesky whites” So, you are busy telling this white majority that there’s “nothing to worry about” about immigrants, then you’re much affirming the reason that there’s unsettlement by saying racist trash like that. Man are you loony.

    Allow me to reaffirm, people. Liberals cannot and should not have the upperhand on the immigration topic in this country. For immigration, the only solution will be a non-corporate right-wing one. Deal with it.

    There are racist, crime-spewing current immigrants in this country to add worries of our nations police departments (Hell, I’m seeing the effects of it through constant mugshots in my local paper), yet all of you settle for happy talk.


  29. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Tom, Crump, you are clearly blind. Your hypocrisy is showing, totally.


  30. Blue Healer says:

    “the numbers cannot be too great or it takes jobs from Americans…”

    Thank goodness we have NAFTA and CAFTA providing us with new business opportunities and jobs (sarc)


  31. Crump's Brother says:

    CompTROLLER V-1,

    Your tight wingers can’t even get together on what to do about the illegal EMPLOYMENT porblem in this country.

    WE have a problem with undocumented workers in this country because our employers continue to hire them. If we start jailing and fining employers for knowingly hiring undocumented workers, the jobs will dry up for them, and they will be forced to stay away, go home, or both.

    Your arrogance is so misplaced. “For immigration, the only solution will be a non-corporate right-wing one. Deal with it. ” The last time this group did something about immigration, it was Reagan’s amnesty policy that did nothing but benefit illegal employers.

    Plus, the left ideology has the majority, so I’m curious how you think that an immigration deal will get done that is “right-wing”.


  32. Mike says:

    The “greatest generation” comment drives me crazy. Aside from fighting ww2, and war is something that every generation faces, what did that generation do? They set the stage for every major problem we face today, and they still stand in the way of fixing the problems by overwhelmingly supporting a party that adds to the problems and obstructs any remedies. They also fathered the baby boomer generation that has added to the problems by being the most selfish generation in the history of the world. Good job “greatest generation”, I wish we could send you all 100 years into the future to show you how great of a disaster you created. You are the shortest sighted generation in my opinion, get over yourselves.


  33. Blue Healer says:

    To all of you who feel we should deport the 12 million illegal aliens rather than offer amnesty and require some steps towards documentation and citizenship, I say go for it! You have to find them first. I mean after all if we knew who they were, they wouldn’t be illegal now would they?

    Bush can’t even find Bin Laden… why would should I think he can find 12 million others? What do you think that would do to your taxes?


  34. heyzeus says:

    The ‘greatest generation’ is also probably the biggest sucker for the unrealistic, short sighted and unsustainable “American Dream”, which turned out to be a very expensive bottle of snake oil.


  35. Alejandro says:

    I have to say this over and over. This is America. you can speak whatever language you wnat to speak here.


  36. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Comment by Crump’s Brother

    FLASHBACK: A NON-CORPORATE RIGHT WING SOLUTION. A solution not benefiting corporations. That was the wording.

    Off topic, there’s bipartisan dissatisfaction with the war, but that alone doesn’t automatically put left-wing ideology in the majority. Some skewed polling (a majority, given the very small sample of people who poll on these websites) may or may not give you the correct assumption. I have to admit that I’m not a complete expert on these issues, but that’s my assertion.

    I’m simply responding to your previous posts, in which you keep referencing Native Americans. I wish that history didn’t have to be in the books. I wish it never happened. It’s truly embarrasing, but I didn’t exactly live during that period, and I have no genocidal aspirations. Making an issue of “revenge,” of the new immigration, however is childish and will help absolutely nothing in the long run. You should take that one up with the south.


  37. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    The Greatest Generation fought and won WWII, came home, educated themselves, used their education through technical and collegiate forms to lead us to the most robust economic expansion during 1950’s, etc. and raised 79 million boomers, most of them turning out pretty well. They did their work that cemented America as being the beacon of hope and prosperity to pass on to our children. I certainly wouldn’t disagree with giving them that title.


  38. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Comment by Alejandro

    Sure, but the common and unifying language here is English, and that was cemented in stone at least hundreds of years ago. English is the ultimate spoken language in the United States.

    If I will be immigrating to Japan, I’d be tacking Japanese, not conspiring to put English signs up everywhere. But I don’t want to immigrate to Japan, so I’ll be staying away. It wouldn’t make any sense, as well, to whine that their country is “too Japanese.”


  39. Uncle Kvetch says:

    Freaky that I actually agree with Novakula on something…

    I agree with the statement too, but let’s give credit where credit is due, which is, in Novak’s case, none whatsoever. Note the personal angle: He wasn’t sticking up for “immigrants” as a class here, he was sticking up for his grandfather, and by extension, for his repugnant, slimy little self, not for any real principle.

    The man’s a weasel. Tomorrow he’ll prostrate himself before the same people he’s condemning today.


  40. Prince Myshkin says:

    38,

    A ‘bipartisan dissatisfaction with the war’ should tell you something about the war rather than the opposition. The left as a whole has not so much been proven right about Iraq- there were some pro-war lefties, and others who claimed that Saddam’s troops would put up a fight- but rather the Arab historians and Orientalists who warned that crashing into Iraq was dangerous because of the barely repressed sectarian tensions just waiting to be unleashed.

    I even agree that the ‘unfortunate business’ with the American Indians is long past, even though it was the right (plus Dixiecrats of course) that held out against the recognition of the Indians as human. We shouldn’t judge contemporary immigration questions by the standards of 200 yrs ago.

    This brings us back to today. There is no necessary war between latino Mexicans and whites. However, it is true that we need to recognise diversity as a political fact, and that there is no single American culture in which to integrate immigrants.


  41. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Comment by Prince Myshkin

    Your earlier James Madison posts were fact, and I recognize that. I apologize if my earlier postings sounded heated and xenophobic. Diversity, as you pointed out, was the part of the founding vision of our fathers. All of your wording makes complete sense. I’m simply trying (though not currently successful) of wrangling with the complexities of the current immigration without resorting to name calling.

    Thanks for contributing here.


  42. Blue Healer says:

    aaaahhhh #43 mike…

    If it weren’t for “the greatest generation” Bush would be openly wearing a swastika as he delivers his homeland security provisions. Go learn about the Bush family history as it relates to Hitler.

    I think it is wrong for you to say “They set the stage for every major problem we face today” is so narrow minded and accusing. I assuming (correct me if I am wrong) that by “They”, you mean the American soldiers that fought in WW2. It was called WORLD WAR Two for just that reason. To say that every economical, social and political problem facing America today is the sole responsibility of WW2 soldiers? How do you logic that one? I hope you don’t mean that by keeping an additional 6 million Jews from being massacred, our soldiers created more problems. It takes two for everything, we were just as much a part of the cold war as the former USSR.

    I like to think that it is called “the greatest generation” because not since the Civil War, have so many Americans, both soldiers and citizens back home sacrificed for the war effort. As a nation we united and rationed food, rubber, flour and medicines so more could be sent over seas. Heavy industrial factories stopped making household appliances to adapt and change almost overnight into a factory that built airplanes or tanks. For the first time it was socially acceptable for women to work in such positions as welder, riveter or crane operator. They are fully capable of these positions, always have been, but they proved it to a nation during WW2. Sure, every generation has it’s wars, but Korea and Vietnam (and so far Afghanistan and Iraq) have not coalesced such a united nation as WW2.

    Keep in mind it was WW2 that catapulted the US to the world superpower. We have one of if not the highest standards of living in the world. Try reading a history book rather than watching the OC and you will learn that the reason why you have all the things you take for granted in your daily life today is because we one WW2. Now I’m not arguing with you that something is wrong with our mindset as a nation when we consume two thirds of the worlds oil output. Clearly some people can’t grasp the idea of a global community as it relates to the consumption of our world’s resources and the pollution that comes from it. I have a great immediate solution for Americans that don’t like the $3.20/gal gas price. IT’S CALLED WALKING. Why do you think we are the fattest nation (yes, I could afford to lose 15 lbs myself) in the world? For years gas has been at or above $3/gal in Europe. They don’t bitch about it, they walk instead. Guess what – they are much healthier for it. So yes I do think generations after “the great generation” are spoiled, soft and unappreciative of the contributions from generations before them. I think you fall into this category


  43. gummitch says:

    For immigration, the only solution will be a non-corporate right-wing one.

    Troll V-1

    Go look up the word “oxymoron” on your way out the door.


  44. CompTROLLER V-1 says:

    Comment by gummitch

    Sorry, you don’t make any sense.


  45. Prince Myshkin says:

    43,

    n/p , thanks


  46. Zooey says:

    Go look up the word “oxymoron” on your way out the door.
    Comment by gummitch

    Heh.


  47. JPark says:

    Drop the oxy. Moron works for Comp.


  48. Evil Spaniard says:

    In the other hand, KKK members create ‘inculture problems’.



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