Immigrants are so lazy. They don't want to work or learn

[matcom]

NOW that I have your attention...



<snip>

Brenda Tejeda Baez has endured a lot of chaos in her short life.

By the time she was in third grade, she had lived in five different friends' apartments and two homeless shelters. Her mother is unemployed, and she rarely sees her father, who lives in the Dominican Republic.

When she started kindergarten, she knew only Spanish.

Yet, the 9-year-old girl, now a third grader, has refused to budge on the one constant in her life: attending the Louis Agassiz Elementary School in Jamaica Plain. Even when her family had to live for three months in a homeless shelter in Worcester, Brenda, her mother, and her little brother traveled more than an hour each way on public transportation from Worcester to Jamaica Plain to get to the Agassiz.

"In her mind, she started at this school, and in her mind, she needed to finish here," said her 27-year-old mother, Dolores Baez .

In her four years at the school, Brenda's determination has earned her top grades, second place in her school spelling bee and, yesterday, the first-ever Boston public schools "Absolutely Incredible Kid" prize.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino and school officials surprised the third-grader with the award, which honors students with unusual personal success stories. Nearly 100 students were nominated by Boston teachers, parents, and community leaders for the award, which was part of a national event sponsored by Camp Fire USA.

<snip>

Brenda's mother, Dolores Baez , came to the Boston area in 2001 to join her daughter's father and brought then 4-year-old Brenda from the Dominican Republic to join them a year later. Baez and Brenda's father separated 3 1/2 years ago, and he returned to the Dominican Republic. Baez began shuffling her children from one friend's apartment to another.

When she first started school, Brenda struggled with English. But as her language skills progressed, she grew to love school.

<snip>

So every weekday morning for three months, the family woke at 5 a.m. in the single bedroom they shared, took a taxi to the train station, caught the 6 a.m. train to the Back Bay station, then took the subway and a bus to school, a trip lasting more than an hour. After Brenda got to school, Baez took her son to day care, then went to her English classes.

<snip>

Last year, Brenda was moved into a regular classroom with native English speakers. She reads above grade level, her teacher said. And Brenda said that last year, she began dreaming in English.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/03/16/not_even_homelessness_deterred_9_year_olds_devotion_to_her_school?mode=PF

[GCP]

1. I meet a lot of immigrants during my work

Without an exception I can say they are the most hard-working people I have ever met.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. Traditionally, immigrants

have been hard working, because they feel they have to prove themselves to the native born Americans. My immigrant great-grandfather started his own factory (hand rolling cigars) and became a member of the city council of the small town where he lived. His brother studied and became a college professor in the Southwest, resigning only when anti-German sentiment became very strong during WWI. Their children all grew up to be professionals-doctors, dentists, etc.

[hlthe2b]

3. You forgot to discuss their penchant for

crime! I'm sure she's got the wallets of every other contestant tucked in her jacket and is probably hiding an UZI, just in case she did not get an award....

:sarcasm:


Seriously, what a beautiful, wonderful, little girl...

[lligrd]

4. The Term Immigrant Itself Negates Laziness

It takes a big effort to emmigrate. It is extremely difficult, as many of us who have looked into doing so, from the USA, have learned.

[Swamp Rat]

5. k&r

[izzie]

6. She sure is cute. I see not one thing wrong with immigrants

What I do think is we should know who is coming into the country. It should be under the law thing. It is sort of an easy thing with me. Who cares who comes in as long as they are on the books and not hiding out some place.Course if they wish to blow up the country I would say keep them out. We also should control the number a little so that all can get work and not take jobs from people here. Well 10 million in one year would sink us. Makes the country interesting and always renewing its self to have new people here.

[TlalocW]

7. Only second place?

See? Immigrants don't really want to learn English. :sarcasm:

TlalocW

[roguevalley]

8. Hang in there, you sweet-faced kid. Our country needs you. All of

you.

[matcom]

9. kick

:kick:

[Maestro]

10. My school has tons of Brendas.

The MSM rarely publicizes a good story like this. They prefer the more controversial topic of what language is spoken in American schools. As a bilingual teacher and now bilingual administrator at a predominately bilingual school, many more Brendas can be developed if kids are given the chance.

[Deja Q]

11. A lot of immigrants haven't met employers that refuse to let them learn or grow as people.

When's the last time any one of us had a job that didn't pigeonhole us?

The WHOLE situation is far more complex than what either side wants to tell. And when it's one-sided as such, it's solely for "political masturbation" and for little that's really going to resolve anything.

[matcom]

12. ...

for this wonderful little girl

[baldguy]

13. Absolutely Incredible Kid

And a Better American than any Republican.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Awesome!

Thank you!!

[DavidDvorkin]

15. Too bad she can never be president

Can't amend the Constitution to fix that injustice because

a) The Founding Fathers had good reason for writing that clause into the Constitution, and we should just leave well enough alone, and

b) If we get rid of that clause then, Oh, my God, Arnold Schwarzenegger could run for president!!!!


Sorry, Brenda.

[matcom]

16. or Henry Kissinger

:scared:

[DavidDvorkin]

17. Or Jennifer Granholm

[matcom]

21. OUCH!

I have seen her speak in peron. I was instantly in :loveya:

[DavidDvorkin]

22. Ah hah!

I found the killing argument!

I've never seen her in person, only in still photos. That's enough for infatuation, though.

[Deja Q]

23. Arnold Schwarzenegger...

It's the risk people want.

Besides, and my ignorance is showing, when will Canada allow non-Canadians to run their country? Or a non-Brit? And with America's stature these days, who the hell would follow our lead? :rofl:

[ellisonz]

18. 3 Cheers for Brenda Tejeda Baez!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

That my friends is the real promise of America...

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

19. Ssshh! Don't tell Lou Dobbs.

[leftofthedial]

20. lazy, don't want to work

AND they're taking all the jobs away from Murkans