Agreed. What I think is sad (and I didn't do a very good job of expressing it) is the misperception. My experience has been that people in all countries carry misperceptions of citizens from other countries. Most often it is simply because of a lack of knowledge. For instance, in Mexico, the average native only meets tourists or military personnel. The same is true in Germany around the military bases. If the typical American you meet spends their money (and lots of it) getting drunk every weekend and causing trouble and behaving like an idiot - that is the perception you will have of Americans. Wrong, but you won't know any better. Anyone that has traveled to America will admit that Americans are no different than they are - but not all have the opportunity to travel. A lot of kids travel to Mexico on weekends and during the summer to do nothing but party and that is what they see. It gives them the impression that Americans are fancy-free, rude, immature, and have money to throw around. Totally incorrect as a whole, but that is the perception they get based on their limited experience. When I was living with a family in Mexico I was told to not worry, that overtime they would get to know me and learn that I was not the typical American. Even they thought wrong of Americans but thought that I was instead the exception. I hoped to show them that I was not the exception but what they had seen up to then actually was. The same is true of Americans who never meet anyone from another country but only know what they see in the media. The media is further from the truth than anything. It focuses entirely on the small percentages in all cultures and countries because that is what makes news. I think I should stop posting unless I can take the time to actually review what I type and ensure it reads exactly as I intended it to. That hasn't been the case the last few days. I apologize!



>OK, fair enough. I thought I was catching a whiff of bias / racism and am glad to hear I was wrong.
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>You're right, most of the Mexican-Americans I know are legal immigrants. There are illegals here but Illinois is a bit far from the border for those who are running back and forth. (That said, there are communities here and in Wisconsin as well that are now predominantly Hispanic).
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>It was the kids who got me. I am not too proud to admit that at one time I was probably biased against Mexicans. Then I got to know some. I have coached many Hispanic soccer players, and refereed more still, and honestly don't see any essential difference between them and my kids or anyone else's. They joke, they get upset, they want to score goals, they look to their parents and beam when they do so. Maybe we are just focusing on the wrong generation, the newcomers, not the kids who have never lived anywhere but here. We are after all a nation of immigrants.
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>>Ok, one of my best friends is Mexican and my daughter's as well. Yes, they share the same values and yes they are valuable members of our community. No different than you or I. Having written that, they are no different than the average person who will take whatever he/she can get for free as well. Are your friends here legally or illegally? Do they pay taxes? I am assuming yes. I am not referring to anyone who is in this country legally. That was never a part of the discussion. Sheesh, I went to middle school in Lafayette, Colorado for pete's sake - population was 90% Mexican Mike. I have many friends who are Mexican and are here legally and pay taxes and some are U.S. citizens. I served in the military with many as well. One of my friends who is in Iraq right now is Mexican American. That is not what I am discussing Mike. This was never a discussion on Mexican Americans Mike, but on illegal immigrants and the costs to our country.
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>>>> The average Mexican sees all Americans as rich and greedy. When you shop in their stores they push (friendly) for sales and call you filthy names in Spanish at the same time.
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>>>I do not agree with that at all. I have gotten to know a lot of Mexican kids and families through soccer and think most of them have the same values we do. Primarily they want a better life for their children. Who could be against that? I don't think it's valid to stereotype Mexicans, any more than it's valid to stereotype any other group.
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>>>Let's just say our experiences have been different and let it go at that.