Crime in Immigrants

Washington Times

This article is about crime caused by illegal immigrants in Arizona.

The problem here is with the Data. Where it came from originally, how much of the original data was used, why only that data was used, and how that final data was used to obtain the conclusions that were reached.

Usually, with studies of this kind, the data is analyzed in a number of ways. For example, what percentage of the crimes were drug-related? This information could have obtained easily, and would have been useful.

I had some contact with this problem when I taught English to recent Vietnamese immigrants in Silicon Valley, in the Nineties. The fathers of these Vietnamese cooperated with the Americans in the Vietnam War, and they were, to put it plainly - criminals, and put in prison after the war ended.

Somehow, they they were released from prison in Vietnam, and transferred to Silicon Valley, along with the rest of their families. The men were given an income for the rest of their lives, and they stayed with their comrades from the Vietnam War - never bothering to learn English.

Their children had no income, and had to find jobs - which was hard for them, because they spoke no English. Catholic Charities stepped in and decided to help them. I was learning to to teach English at the time - and I worked with Catholic Charities, to teach them English.

Right away, I could see there were two kinds of Vietnamese - those interested in studying, and those who were not. I was assisted by a professor from San Jose State, who could still speak Vietnamese (and even wrote poetry in it) - but was also fluent in English. He knew how to study.

But the students I was trying to teach, were not interested in studying - but only interested in making easy money. The girls were willing to attach themselves to an American man, who would support them (and perhaps their family, as well). The boys drifted into crime.