As a legal immigrant, now a US citizen, I was pleased to hear Geraldo Rivera's comments about the effects of various waves of immigrants and the fear of those already living here of the demographic changes they bring. As my mother used to say (with a Yorkshire accent): "Pull up the ladder, Jack, I'm on board."

Sent by Jill Wiggins | 11:09 AM ET | 03-04-2008

I Listened to the Geraldo's interview on the radio this morning and was compelled to respond;
The hysteria that is being whipped up, is the fact that the federal government is not doing their job!
Illegal immigration is out of control!
People are getting tired of ongoing government complacency and special interest group pandering.
Immigration should be done legally,respecting the history of our country, not like a flood sweeping over the land out of control!
The vast majority of illegal immigration is coming from the southern border, common sense would would say, address this border first.
It is individuals like Geraldo that like to promote racism, class envy and lawless behavior, particularly while promoting a book.

Sent by Terrence Melby | 11:44 AM ET | 03-04-2008

I heard Geraldo's comments on the radio this morning and I agree with him. It's all about demographics. Hispanics now have a strong voting power and conservatives don't like it. History tells us there will always be a scapegoat to be blamed for the misfortunes of others. If the various federal agencies had done their job;9-11 would not have happened.Don't blame illegal immigration!

Sent by oscar tamez | 1:01 PM ET | 03-04-2008

thank to Geraldo for being a sane voice on this issue, the hsyteria being whipped up by Lou Dobbs and his ilk is deplorable... while it gets ratings for Lou and sales of his book... it does a great harm to the US to whip up anti immigrant hysteria...

Sent by Samantha Roberts | 1:02 PM ET | 03-04-2008

The immigration issue is pretty insipid.

It's manipulative is what it is. We have a natural animal instinct to fear and act militantly towards outsiders, especially when resources come into question.

But it's all an illusion. Just another false issue to distract us from the real ills of our society. The most upsetting thing, is that people buy into the manipulation.

It's the slave whipping himself.

Wake up.

Sent by Jody Sol | 1:55 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I applaud Rivera for his public stance on this topic. The wide-held attitude against Hispanics since this issue has become a hot button is embarrassing to this country and what it is built on...immigrants. Here in my midwestern state, people are doing things such as putting stickers on pumps at gas stations that spout off sensationalist sentiments against "noisy, messy aliens that multiply rapidly and steal our jobs." and former law enforcement officials got together and purchased space on a billboard by downtown urging citizens to resist the "invasion of the illegals." It's ridiculous and bigoted. We need people in the media like Rivera to stand up and show people the folly of such thinking.

Sent by Kurt Freudenberger | 2:02 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Regarding the Balkanization of America into Spanish and English speaking groups, I have to question whether Mr Rivera has ever actually been to S. Florida. I am well traveled and have many immigrant friends. But I have to say that perhaps because of the density of Spanish speakers in Miami, my experience is that many immigrants never bother to master English. In many areas of Miami service personnel wait on you in Spanish first and often need to call for assistance to complete a exchange. English is the unifying factor in America and it IS being degraded in our efforts to be welcoming and politically correct. The prevalence of Spanish language media has only exacerbated the problem.

Sent by Eric | 2:19 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Immigration is a complex issue. There are many sides that are valid. Should an immigrant come to the US legally? Yes, that would be better. Is the hysteria about immigration racist? Absolutely. Geraldo is correct in his analysis that every wave of immigrant, legal or illegal has whipped up the same hysteria regardless. These immigrants have been Irish, Jewish, Chinese, Mexican, etc. the list is long. Each wave has had to endure atrocities and violence at their arrival. It is a great disservice to humanity to claim that the immigration hysteria is not racially motivated. Shame on those who were once immigrants themselves if they now support the conservative agenda.

Sent by Garrett Waiss | 2:22 PM ET | 03-04-2008

refUrl: http://www.npr.org/ombudsman/

to:

MSG: just finished listening to the interview of Geraldo Rivera this
morning on Morning Edition. Geraldo was promoting his new book
"Hispanic".
The promotion of the interview piece itself stated that Geraldo was the
child of a Puerto Rican immigrant to the US. The interview itself went
on to continue to muddy the status of Puerto Ricans in the US, comparing
the Puerto Rican status to that of other immigrants to the US like the
Irish and others.
During the interview itself Rivera was quoted as follows: "Rivera says
the Hispanic assimilation experience is no different from that of
previous immigrants."
The piece goes on to say "His father, who emigrated from Puerto Rico in
1937, and his mother, a Jewish woman from Jersey City, met while working
at a New York City coffee shop. Rivera learned Spanish when his parents
sent him, at 15, to live with his grandparents in Puerto Rico." Again,
this gives the impression that Geraldo was the son of an immigrant.
When Geraldos father moved to NY City in 1937, he moved his residence,
but he did not change his citizenship. He left Puerto Rico as a US
citizen and arrived as a US Citizen traveling without any restrictions
of any kind -because he never left the United States. No visa, no trip
to Ellis Island etc. - this is not remotely like the experiences of any
other immigrant unless perhaps Geraldos father only spoke only Spanish -
which does not sound like the case here anyway.
Just for the reference sake here are the facts that should have been
distinguished in the interview since Geraldo is not the son of an
immigrant.I realize that it may suit Geraldos purpose to not only write
a book expressing an opinion on immigration but also to embrace being
the child of an immigrant to the US - but this is simply not the case
and NPR should have done its journalistic duty to clarify this fact for
the listerners..
Clearly, Puerto Rico is hispanic, no debate there, but major cities in
Texas or other areas are largely hispanic - but when moves from an
hispanic community in Texas to marry a New York Jewish woman - we would
not refer to this journey and experience as immigration. I have spent a
good deal of time on business over a number of years in Puerto Rico, no
visa required!
The Jones-Shafroth Act enacted in 1917, conferred U.S. citizenship to
Puerto Ricans. Puerto Rico has a republican form of government, subject
to U.S. jurisdiction and sovereignty.[Its current powers are all
delegated by the U.S. Congress and lack full protection under the U.S.
Constitition. Puerto Rico is an unincorporated organized territoryof the
United States granted commonwealth status in 1952. This commonwealth
status allows it self-government "in respect of internal affairs and
administration, subject to relevant portions of the Constitution and the
laws of the United States"and the plenary powers of the U.S. Congress.
It was allowed to establish a Constitution for its internal
administration and to handle matters of purely local concern, but
"matters of currency, defense, external relations, interstate commerce"
and postal service are within the jurisdiction of the U.S. federal
government.
I do think the piece was inaccurate in fact and tenor and is in need of
clarification. Our students are confused enough about history, geography
and the like without adding to this confusing by perpetuating the myth
of Geraldos child of immigrant "experience".

Sent by Michael Crowley | 2:30 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Thank you for having a story about immigration from a Puerto Rican perspective. (One that is multi-racial and that has a complex history with its relationship to the United States.)

However I did find it a little offensive that the commentator asked about his moustache as if that's a key part of Latino/Hispanic identity.

Our borders are not equally guarded or secure. I would venture that immigration from Latin America is viewed differently than that from Asia, the Middle East, or Europe. The class issues apparent in the variety of these immigrants feed into American prejudice regarding the issue.

As a child who benefited from the emigration of her forebears to this country (despite our citizenship we were not welcome in many ways), I am proud to be a multi-lingual, multi-racial, Latina of Puerto Rican descent who is American!

As a Puerto Rican with strong African ancestry I have been asked if I am Dominican, Panamanian...my mother has been asked for her green card...

Americans need to develop a more sophisticated sense of "immigration" that includes many different circumstances.

Sent by E. Padilla-Morales | 2:51 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I was pleased to hear someone say what I have been thinking all along. This immigration issue is just beating up the weak. Immigrants are period's gays or welfare moms.
I live in South Texas and see legal and illegal immigrants all of the time. Sure, many of them can't/don't speak english, but their grandkids can't speak spanish. The english language is too predominant just for the tv alone. They are not here to change our society, they come to work.
When we quit giving them jobs, they won't come anymore.
Sometimes I think the conservatives would round up the 12 million illegals put them in cattle cars and send them away or maybe just to camps.

Sent by Gordon Leff | 2:53 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Don't think the author got the facts right. The mainstream of American people are not against legal immigration, they are against illegal immigration. I am an immigrant myself. My green card is still pending approval. I know just like me, millions of people are waiting in line trying to immigrate into this country legally. If you want to be accepted/integrated into a society, you have to obey its law first. You simply can not start by breaking its law.

What do you expect if you broke into a country in the fisrt place?

Amnesty of illegal immigration is disrespectfull of US law and a slap in the face of those who respect & obey the law.

That's the simple fact.

Brian

Sent by brian | 3:01 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Sure, changing demographics contributes to the overwhelming emotional response generated by the current immigration situation in the US. However, I couldn't help but notice that Mr. Rivera failed to address the key word mentioned in every current immigration debate...ILLEGAL. There's a process to become an American citizen, and thousands of immigrants participate in that process each year. Earning citizenship is a celebrated event, as it should be, and I hate to think we're going to devalue legal immigrants who participate in the American process because it's easier to just let things continue as they are.

Sent by Barb | 3:21 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I listened to the interview with Geraldo Rivera this morning on the way into work. Rivera is way off base in his analysis of the so-called "anti-immigrant" hysteria in the USA. I have no problem what so ever with LEGAL immigration into the USA. I have a very large problem with illegal immigration. Rivera generalizes that anyone who wants to stop illegal immigration is anti-hispanic and racist. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The truth is that our southern border with Mexico is a sieve. The border states are bearing the brunt of the Federal government's failure to enforce the law.

As far as Rivera's comment about most of us being decendents of immigrants he forgot to add the word "legal".

As far as Rivera's father's immigration status the last time I looked Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Moving from Puerto Rico to New Jersey is no different than someone moving from New Jersey to New York.

Sent by Todd R. Smith | 3:31 PM ET | 03-04-2008

There are many things I disagree with Geraldo on regarding his stance. However, his claim that this wave of immigrants is just like the others in our past - Irish, German, Italian, etc. Unfortunately, this is not comparable to other times in history. The Hispanics who are coming to our country, for the most part illegally, do not want to assimilate with our culture, learn our language, and fly our flag. They want us to pay millions of dollars in Spanish language signs, provide them free healthcare and educate their children. I am not a racist, I support LEGAL immigration for those who want to come to our country to seek a better life - however I do not welcome those who come here under other pretense and send the money they make here back to their home country.

Sent by Karen | 3:37 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I am a descendant of the Mayflower "immigration" and I am pretty sure that they did not have passports, visas or even a polite invitation. Once here many of we ???whites??? did not behave with honor. I am please to stand with Geraldo for once, and applaud his position on this issue. I have found the behavior of many "liberal" leaning friends abhorrent when it came to immigration. They fail to mention the Canadian immigration that does effect the white collar jobs that pay well, and forget their own ancestry lured to this land of "milk and honey".

Sent by Toni Kief | 4:15 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Even beyond the argument of legal versus illegal immigration is the argument for or against the growing welfare state in America.

This argument goes well past moralistic questions, and into the question of whether or not the welfare system will eventually break the American economic system.

If that happens, then all Americans will be on welfare: the ultimate utopian result.

If Barack Obama were to become president, Obama would carry into the White House the burden of appeasing every liberal organization who demands increased welfare protection.

The result would be that liberals would end up being disappointed in President Obama simply because no one in the White House can possibly appease all the liberal organizations clamoring for more welfare.

There is not only not enough money in the kitty, welfare dollars depreciate at an increasingly fast rate. Welfare programs demand more dollars because welfare dollars are worth less and less.

So, while the moralistic question continues over immigration policy, the more immediate and realistic dilemma is over how fast welfare programs will bankrupt the American economic system formerly dependent upon entrepreneurship and plain inspirationally hard work.

An American ideal that is quickly devolving into a hand-out economic system.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 4:16 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Just want to add that I do see that the politicians are hypocrites. They even changed the "illegal immigrants" to "undocumented immigrants" to cover the fact that the law has been violated.

Sent by brian | 4:35 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I believe that my earlier post pointing out the fact that Puerto Ricans are not immigrants to the United States is demonstrated by the subsequent post sent by E. Padila Morales to this blog. In her post Ms. Morales says: ???Thank you for having a story about immigration from a Puerto Rican perspective. (One that is multi-racial and that has a complex history with its relationship to the United States.)??? Although the relationship created between the United States and Puerto Rico is somewhat complex, the simple fact is that Puerto Ricans have been US Citizens since the The Jones-Shafroth Act enacted in 1917, conferred U.S. citizenship to
Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans are simply not immigrants to the United States. The Hispanic heritage of most Puerto Ricans is undeniable, however, by this logic, natives moving from Hawaii to New York City may have a Hawaiian heritage, but they are not immigrants. There is no issue of legality or illegality of movement of Puerto Ricans from Puerto Ricans within the United States they are always citizens of the US traveling freely and without any restriction ??? just like all other US citizens.

Sent by Michael Crowley | 4:39 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Isn't he a lawyer. If anyone understands illegal I would think he would. Me thinks his genes are driving his adamant support of law breakers at least the hispanic ones...but there are many other groups here illegally and most people consider them all illegals. I think he wants to run for president and feels the more hispanics arrive on our shore the greater are his chances. He does not care whether they have followed the rules or not, what a f...d fraud and fake.

Sent by Robert Dion | 5:29 PM ET | 03-04-2008

To set the record straight, I am not opposed to immigration. I am opposed to ILLEGAL immigration and the drain it puts on our social systems.

Sent by C. Dillahunty | 6:02 PM ET | 03-04-2008

ROSALIA
Puerto Rico,
You lovely island . . .
Island of tropical breezes.
Always the pineapples growing,
Always the coffee blossoms blowing . . .

ANITA
Puerto Rico . . .
You ugly island . . .
Island of tropic diseases.
Always the hurricanes blowing,
Always the population growing . . .
And the money owing,
And the babies crying,
And the bullets flying.
I like the island Manhattan.
Smoke on your pipe and put that in!

OTHERS
I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

Music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.
?? 1956, 1957 Amberson Holdings LLC and Stephen Sondheim. Copyright renewed.
Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, Publisher.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 6:08 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I agree with you eric

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
Here in USA people coming illegal to this country risk his lifes crossing the Arizona dessert walking for days to get to usa soil,there high spirit og progress ,hard working ,joung people;and the only benefits is the USA while in the other side cubans old people over the 40 years old comming to the usa thanksfully to the easy way to comming here ;working couple decades and retired,living from gover.coupons .medicaid.....Who emigrants they are the benefits???, Cubans tranform miami in litle Habana the place where every cuban don't need to speak english to comunicate.To much diferent in other states.

***************************************

Regarding the Balkanization of America into Spanish and English speaking groups, I have to question whether Mr Rivera has ever actually been to S. Florida. I am well traveled and have many immigrant friends. But I have to say that perhaps because of the density of Spanish speakers in Miami, my experience is that many immigrants never bother to master English. In many areas of Miami service personnel wait on you in Spanish first and often need to call for assistance to complete a exchange. English is the unifying factor in America and it IS being degraded in our efforts to be welcoming and politically correct. The prevalence of Spanish language media has only exacerbated the problem.

Sent by J.houston | 8:26 PM ET | 03-04-2008

There is not 20ty people from Canada living in one house,waiting at Dept of children and families for food stamps,and any other aid or in line at the post office to send money home. Nor do they live in this country for twenty years and pretend not to speak english.

Sent by Sue Powers | 9:29 PM ET | 03-04-2008

I've always questioned Geraldo's identity as a Latino because of his privileged position and his seemingly effortless assimilation into a society that doesn't many times doesn't value Latinos, but his analysis of the anti-immigrant fervor that has gripped our society in last few years is incredible. I applaud him for presenting the truth even if it may not be politically popular his words intelligent commentary on this subject is long over due... Si, se puede.

Sent by Antonio | 11:20 PM ET | 03-04-2008

Immigration is one thing; racism emanating from it is another. Let's deal with both issues separately. I applaud Gerardo for bringing this issue out on front of us the American people.

Sent by Fontaine | 9:13 AM ET | 03-05-2008

Thanks Geraldo!

Sent by gelato | 2:36 PM ET | 03-05-2008

Finally! Someone on a national level voices what so many think about "securing" only one of our 4 borders. Our national security is only as good as its consist application. By my calculations what's being proposed is only 25% coverage (geographically speaking). If we were being graded, that'd be an "F".

God bless America -- we sure need it!

Sent by Isabel Comas - San Antonio TX (Originally born in a Texas border Town) | 6:35 AM ET | 03-06-2008

Fred,
I hope you understand that this isn't a call for a utopian welfare state, but your comment the " realistic dilemma is over how fast welfare programs will bankrupt the American economic system formerly dependent upon entrepreneurship and plain inspirationally hard work" contains its own sleight of hand. If hard work is all it takes, then how did the Great Depression ever occur? Hard, individualized labor means exactly that: hard, individualized labor. Hard work doesn't guarantee success -- just ask any farmer.

Even before the Great Depression, many Americans worked hard and struggled bitterly to survive. To ignore the programs that FDR established is foolish. Indeed, it can be argued that America's standard of living over the past half-century is specifically a combination of hard work and social programs designed to lift millions out of the hell of poverty, which dominated American society a century ago. No one can logically believe that American lives are worse today in 2008 than in 1908.

Sent by Brian | 9:48 AM ET | 03-06-2008

Sent by Brian: If hard work is all it takes, then how did the Great Depression ever occur?

Good question, Brian. The Great Depression essentially was a result of the First World War's demand for reparation payments.

Though there were other factors involved, the Great Depression was pushed because the Allied nations demanded reparations from Germany and Austria-Hungary to pay for the war results.

Germany and Austria-Hungary were unable to pay the reparations. Which incited fantastic inflation. You know, the proverbial story of it taking a wheelbarrow of German Marks to purchase a loaf of bread.

Meanwhile, as inflation turned into depresson in Germany, the Nazi Brown Shirt movement took hold, and Hitler took over the Chancellory. As the German people were desperate for reprieve against the forced reparation payments for World War One.

At the same time, in America, during the Roaring Twenties, money was seemingly so plentiful that investors purchased on Wall Street short orders in large droves. Except at the same time the European market was collapsing in the face of the forced reparation payments that ended up revitalizing the Nazi Brown Shirt movement, and eventually culminating in Black Thursday on Wall Street.

Plus, there was the economic impact of the Paris Peace Conference that partitioned the Ottoman Empire, causing Britain to go bankrupt at the same time.

Hence, you had a dominoes depression effect created by a shortsighted view that the losing side of the First World War should be made to pay for the war's effects.

After the Second World War, America instituted the Marshall Plan to rebuild Germany, a complete opposite plan of that imposed after the First World War.

Yes, during the Great Depression, FDR instituted dramatically socialistic National Recovery Programs (Tennesse Valley Authority, social security etc). Critics of the FDR program (and there were many) say that Roosevelt's programs gave open door to the American Communist Party's rise in America. At the same time, many prominent Americans supported Hitler's rise to power in Germany as a hedge against Stalinism's rise in Europe and America.

And, of course, adding to the economic depression were the results of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia that broke the three hundred year old Romanov Rule, and did its economic part to lead into World War Two. (And there was the Sino-Russian War that created great economic impact in the Pacific rim area).

So, it was not so much by lack of hard work and private enterprise as it was bad governmental decisions made during historical events that created the Great Depression.

As for your comment that American lives are better today than a hundred years ago, there's no question about that. The thanks can go to private enterprise aspiring over governmental regulations in America during the post World War Two years.

Other than during LBJ's Great Society Program (coupled with the Martin Luther King Civil Right's movement), America has prospered more under private enterprise with less federal government restrictions.

To turn that path around by creating a larger federal bureaucracy dimidiates the imagination of private enterprise. Federal government programs are not known to be very imaginative. They are more bureaucratic.

More bureaucracy (and a larger welfare state), coupled with less private enterprise imagination threatens to create a similar pattern that led to the Great Depression of 1929.

And very possibly to World War Three.

Hence, the Democratic Party's reliance on the lack of Barack Obama's experience and credibility is not only foolish, it is dangerous. An amateur of Barack Obama's status in the White House only makes a wise man to shake his head in consternation that history is doomed to repeat itself through bad governmental decisions.

fred camorra call

Sent by fred camorra call | 11:18 AM ET | 03-06-2008

I wonder if it were 12 to 20 million illegal Chinese instead of Hispanics, would Geraldo be defending their illegal action? Is it proximity, nationality or stupidity that Geraldo is using as a measuring stick?

Sent by Ed | 2:21 PM ET | 03-06-2008

As a product of a Jewish mother & a Puerto Rican father, why does Geraldo only identify himself as a Hispanic??? By Jewish law, if the mother is Jewish, so are the children. I suppose that his mother was subservient to his father & didn't require their children to get a Jewish education.

Sent by Sarrah Hasten | 11:49 AM ET | 03-07-2008

Listening to NPR's Geraldo interview while driving to work, I was surprised to find out that I am a racist! When I got to work, I asked my 3 hispanic coworkers (one ethnic Puerto Rican , one Colombian, and one Mexican) if they knew that by opposing illegal immigration they realized that they were "closet" racists. They were also quite surprised. Now I must begin the arduous task of informing all my neighbors (90% hispanic) that I am a racist. This will come as quite a surprise to them, and I hope that it won't ruin our friendships!

Please, NPR, keep Geraldo and his verbal chair-throwing to his own means of self-promotion... preferably to the daytime talk-show audience.

Sent by Jim Bishop | 3:03 PM ET | 03-08-2008

Why do so many people fail to realize that Puerto Ricans are United States citizens? Puerto Ricans are not immigrants. Puerto Ricans do not need a passport to travel to the continental United States because Puerto Ricans are already American citizens. What is wrong with people . . . learn a little bit about history and geography. Geraldo wants to have his cake and eat it to. From what I understand he does not even speak Spanish. He only plays up his Puerto Rican heritage because he found out years ago that he can get affirmative action preference. Why don't we ask Geraldo about his military service. Why did he not serve in the United States Armed Forces like so many true Puerto Ricans. When it becomes fashionable Geraldo will start telling us that his is 100% Jewish . . . if he thinks that will gain him an advantage. Geraldo is only out for himself and he will do whatever it takes to put his name in lights. Next thing you know Geraldo will be telling us that he is Irish and that he alone is responsible for the Celtic Tiger. Geraldo should go back to his original name of "Gerry Rivers, the boy from Long Island, who was ashamed of his Puerto Rican heritage."

Sent by William McDonnell | 1:07 AM ET | 03-25-2008

Geraldo got it wrong; Americans don't fear Hispanics, they're ANNOYED with them. Call it for what it is.

Sent by Ed | 8:10 PM ET | 04-08-2008