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A blanket "Yes" statement isn't necessarily true, however, in recent years more often than not, an immigrant is portrayed as illegal. This portrayal is put forth in both the fictionalized television programs we as Americans watch on a daily basis, as well as on the news. It seems that in past years, immigrants were often portrayed as legal, but "bad." Immigrants were often portrayed as mobsters or other ruthless characters. The negative image immigrants are given by our media has changed only in form.

My family has been in the United States for 5 generations, but at some point they were immigrants - just as every one else's was too. My mother in law is a Legal U.S. Resident, though she is not a citizen. She came here when she was 16 with her family and chose to retain her German citizenship while still acquiring her legal residency.
There are many, many illegal immigrants to this country, but there are also many, many more legal immigrants. It seems to me that we need to be more careful in our generalized portrayals of those who come to this country because our children are simply learning a new form of hatred and bigotry. It is one thing to instill in them right and wrong (being here illegally is wrong and those people need to go back home until they follow the proper procedures for coming to this country, while there are those who are here legally and should not be viewed as bad or evil) it is entirely different to teach them that everyone who is different is bad because they "Probably" are illegal.

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