Immigration is ALWAYS about racism. Ask Ben Franklin.

Don't think for a minute that it isn't. Who we "let in" to the country is only an issue when we are talking about someone who is different in race and/or language from us. So when someone wants to talk about immigration and "illegals" make sure you change the subject and start talking, immediately, about race hatred. And here are some talking points from a post I did back in 2006:

_____________

In 1751 Benjamin Franklin was all freaked out in Philadelphia about German immigrants:

Why should Pennsylvania, founded by the English, become a Colony of Aliens who will shortly be so numerous as to Germanize us instead of our anglicizing them, and will never adopt our Language or Customs anymore than they can acquire our complexion?

Huh? Germans not white enough for you, Ben Franklin, poster boy for the Minutemen?

A little later in US History 101, we'll learn about Teddy Roosevelt, another dead white guy who worried publicly in 1903 that the progeny of dead white guys would not longer rule the world unless white guys persuaded white gals to spit out the babies like poor, southern European, (oh hell, just say it, Catholic) immigrants were. He went so far in one speech as to warn against (white) "race suicide." Yeah.