WOW! (Hispanics and immigrants in NWA, part II)

[KJW]

BENTONVILLE

[KJW]

One more thought (and you UP demographers might be able to shed further light on this or say if I'm all wet in my "guestimate"):

- It seems as I recall around the mid part of last year there was an estimate that the NWA metro was about 425,000 strong.

- We've also heard figures that around 11,000 people are moving to NWA each year.

- Given today's Demo-zette story we can infer that there could be as many as 40,000 illegals, likely not included in the census, in Benton and Washington Counties alone.

- If so, adding the undocumented population plus 11,000 new people from last year could make our current metro NWA metro population somewhere around 476,000...ever nearing the half million mark?

[Aporkalypse]

That news release tells you why despite all of the growth in quality jobs affiliated with WM and its vendors per capita income in NWA is still below the national average. These immigrants aren't making much.

There was also a Rockefeller Foundation study release last week with a number of statistics on this matter but the one that shocked me was that the Springdale and Rogers school districts both had Hispanic enrollments of around 45%.

[KJW]

Aporkalypse, I'm getting ready to respond to MasonsDad1 on the "Bentonville projects" thread about this very issue.

[Mith242]

There was also a study recently that said at least in Arkansas immigrants are more beneficial and not a drain. They apparently contribute $6.1 Mil to the state budget's bottom line. Although of course some argue against this study. It doesn't differentiate between legal and illegal. Some also complained it used data that was 2 years old.

[johnnydr87]

There was also a study recently that said at least in Arkansas immigrants are more beneficial and not a drain. They apparently contribute $6.1 Mil to the state budget's bottom line. Although of course some argue against this study. It doesn't differentiate between legal and illegal. Some also complained it used data that was 2 years old.

[zman9810]

The bottom line is that looking the other way while millions of illegals break the law by being here is not the way to deal with the problem. Either the immigration laws should be enforced as they are or they should be changed to reflect the reality of what is happening. There are many highly skilled and deserving people who are trying to enter the country legally and not being able to for extended periods if at all. They would also be benefical to the economy and a great deal more welcome in my opinion.

[masons_dad1]

They apparently contribute $6.1 Mil to the state budget's bottom line. Although of course some argue against this study.

[zman9810]

Here's an argument... how many Millions of $$$ do all those low-income immigrants cost state Medicaid, WIC, Food Stamps? Not even considering "illegals", for every immigrant household accounted for there are 3-4 or more ELI children adding even more strain to the ARKids program. Not even considering "illegals" low-income immigrants easily cost more than they "contribute" to the states's economy, although I have no facts and figures to back that up.

[masons_dad1]

I would say that immigration is essential to the economic well being of the country and will save the nation from losing it's leadership status in the world. Other developed countries are facing a declining population due to low native birth rates and low immigration numbers. This country has a long history of immigrants blending into it and strengthening it. As the world's richest nation we can afford to help new residents- it's the process that needs repair.

"Illegals" may not be the politically correct term but it is descriptive of the problem we are facing. The trouble isn't with people immigrating here- it's with the immigration not being an orderly controlled process.

[Mith242]

Here's an argument... how many Millions of $$$ do all those low-income immigrants cost state Medicaid, WIC, Food Stamps? Not even considering "illegals", for every immigrant household accounted for there are 3-4 or more ELI children adding even more strain to the ARKids program. Not even considering "illegals" low-income immigrants easily cost more than they "contribute" to the states's economy, although I have no facts and figures to back that up.

[KJW]

There was also a Rockefeller Foundation study release last week with a number of statistics on this matter but the one that shocked me was that the Springdale and Rogers school districts both had Hispanic enrollments of around 45%.

[masons_dad1]

That's basically what the study was looking into. According to it, in Arkansas, immigrants (it didn't break it down between legal and illegal) add more to the state's bottom line than take away. I didn't post this info to say we need to just totally open up the border or anything. But I just thought it was interesting considering many people's opinions in immigrants.

[Mith242]

I wouldn't put much trust in the state's account of immigrants in Arkansas, considering most of the state's top industries depend on low-wage immigrants, not to mention "illegals." Sounds more like lip service to protect Arkansas' cheap labor force than anything else.

[masons_dad1]

It was the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation that commissioned this study. I seriously doubt this was lip service to 'protect' any cheap labor. Makes me wonder though why we bother to do studies if half the state isn't going to believe them.

[cocothief]

Illegal immigrant labor is just a government subsidy to big businesses needing cheap labor.

We fit the bill for their healthcare, as it cannot be refused. You can't bill a fake i.d.

Hospitals have closed all over California because of this.

If they have anchor babies, those babies are U.S. citizens and the whole family qualifies for WIC and welfare on their behalf.

I KNOW that being an illegally employed Mexican is better than being a legally employed American with a low income who might not qualify for welfare.

The illegals get it all. Wages, AND government assistance because their children qualify, and their incomes are not traceable.

Our government practices deficit spending so who knows what the present and future tax burden of these people is?

It is all just to pad the pockets of the wealthy and screw the middle and lower class Americans.

And in turn, Americans get to send their children to schools overrun by Spanish speaking, unassimilated, America-hating Mexicans.

All so the big companies can pay their CEOs a few dollars more.

If you think its to keep costs of goods low, you're smoking crack.

[Aporkalypse]

Aporkalypse,

I don't know if Bentonville will be that way any time soon, but Centerton (where our business is) is becoming very Hispanic as well...there's already a Hispanic market in our shopping center (the Beckendale Plaza, the biggest strip mall in Centerton) and a bakery is getting ready to open up here as well. My gut feeling is that there will be many, many Hispanic families occupying the homes being from Centerton to Bentonville sooner rather than later.

[astrife]

Interesting, I didn't know that about Centerton - I haven't been there in a while.

It will be interesting to see what happens when school districts become solidly majority Hispanic. Rogers and Springdale will apparently be there in just a few years. When the schools are more than 60% Hispanic will we see flight?

[masons_dad1]

Illegal immigrant labor is just a government subsidy to big businesses needing cheap labor.

We fit the bill for their healthcare, as it cannot be refused. You can't bill a fake i.d.

Hospitals have closed all over California because of this.

If they have anchor babies, those babies are U.S. citizens and the whole family qualifies for WIC and welfare on their behalf.

I KNOW that being an illegally employed Mexican is better than being a legally employed American with a low income who might not qualify for welfare.

The illegals get it all. Wages, AND government assistance because their children qualify, and their incomes are not traceable.

Our government practices deficit spending so who knows what the present and future tax burden of these people is?

It is all just to pad the pockets of the wealthy and screw the middle and lower class Americans.

And in turn, Americans get to send their children to schools overrun by Spanish speaking, unassimilated, America-hating Mexicans.

All so the big companies can pay their CEOs a few dollars more.

If you think its to keep costs of goods low, you're smoking crack.

[zman9810]

Interesting, I didn't know that about Centerton - I haven't been there in a while.

It will be interesting to see what happens when school districts become solidly majority Hispanic. Rogers and Springdale will apparently be there in just a few years. When the schools are more than 60% Hispanic will we see flight?

[mzweig]

Flight from Springdale has been happening for some time. In the last 5 years my neighborhood has went from an exclusively non-Hispanic area to a aprox. 50% Hispanic one and the speed of change is quickening. People are either moving to the rural area, small towns or Fayetteville. Home prices are lower although they are also lower in other areas of NWA so I can't blame the drop on any one reason. I'll be gone shortly to Fayetteville, although I've been I've been in the process of moving for years.

[astrife]

Is this really the forum where we need to discuss stuff like this? I, for one, will steer clear of these kinds of topics, especially in this kind of environment. Let's make sure we don't look like we aren't friendly to anyone here of any sex, race, religious background, nationality, or anything else. At least that's my vote. I hate to see arguments amongst you all as well. Just seems unnecessary to me.

Mark

[cowbreath]

An anyomous forum is the perfect place to talk frankly about white flight. If you cannot do that here then where can you? I think you are trying to be a little to PC.

[masons_dad1]

Just to clarify any "official" rules (not that they have been broken or not broken). Here are some forum rules somewhat relevant to content that is posted:

Also, the following is from the Terms of Use:

I'm not going to this length because of the recent post on just this forum, but knowing that what Mark had said may have come from reading the many posts on other topics recently.

[thewizard16]

While I have avoided posting here due to potentially inflammatory issues, I do feel that they haven't violated anything as of yet. They're simply discussing what is, in many cases, unfortunately, a common occurance in metro areas or industrial cities. The same thing that seems to be happening in Springdale is exactly what happened when I lived in Ottumwa, IA, and it happens. Whether it's politically correct to discuss it, I don't know, but I don't feel that this thread looks like the posters at this forum are racist, or at least, I haven't seen it.