In a new study on social ties in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, residents gave mixed marks on whether their hometown is a good place to live for immigrants.
While more than half of survey respondents rated Charlotte-Mecklenburg as a good or excellent place to live for people from other countries, some 16 percent said it was a poor or very poor place to live.
Check out pages 112 to 130 on the survey for more detailed information.
The findings were part of the 2008 Crossroads Charlotte Social Capital Benchmark Community Survey. Released this morning, the survey of 856 residents – 49 percent men and 51 percent women – measured community friendships, civic involvement and trust of police, among other categories.
Opinions differed based on residents’ education, race and ethnicity, citizenship, marital status and other factors.
Survey participants more likely to rate Mecklenburg County as an AVERAGE place
to live for immigrants were:
-- Persons with a high school education or less (37%)
-- Hispanics (44%)
-- Non-U.S. citizens (42%)
-- Those surveyed in households with three or more children aged 17 or younger (50%)
-- Renters (38%)
-- Persons in households with three or more people (36%).
Respondents more likely to rate Mecklenburg County as a good place to live for immigrants were:
-- Those with some college education (48%)
-- Caucasians (46%)
-- Persons in households with a child aged 17 or younger (46%)
-- Respondents living in a two-person household (46%).
While white respondents were more likely to rate the county as a good place to live for immigrants, African Americans were more apt to rate Mecklenburg as an average place to live for ethnic minorities. Latinos generally rated the county as an average place to live for immigrants.
Photo: Nearly 150 new citizens being sworn in at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police and Fire Training Academy. JOHN D. SIMMONS - jsimmons@charlotteobserver.com
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40 comments:
you crack me up dude
Charlotte should be no better for immigrants than any other city in this country, as long as they are here LEGALLY!
we talking legal immigrants or illegal aliens (wish this group hated it here enough to go home and stay
They should feel free to move somewhere else if things aren't working here. All the roads into town run both ways.
any immigrants who are unhappy here can always go back
This was an interesting survey. I am glad many immigrants are finding Charlotte and Meck county a good place to live. This bodes well for our future growth and standing. Anonymous at 4:10. I think it is a good thing to be a good place for immigrants. Of course we are talking about legal immigrants. There is nothing in this article to suggest otherwise.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a HORRIBLE place for immigrants -- legal and illegal. Just check out all of these RACIST posts!!! All of these racist bigoted white people will never accept you for who you are.
My suggestion to all immigrants is that they go somewhere else other than Charlotte -- preferably their homeland where they will never again have to deal with the injustice and degradation of racism against their ethnicity.
The answer is a loud and clear YES! Charlotte is HEAVEN!!! I'm a LEGAL immigrant with 20 years living in this blessed country of ours and this city is just fantastic. I love the southern hospitality; the family environment; the strong, traditional, conservative values; a stable economy; and everything that Charlotte and North Carolina have to offer. Equally important is the fact that here I can give back by using my full potential and talents --something I couldn't do in my native country because of all the limitations of life in a third world country.
Frequently, I get calls and e-mails from people who want to move to this area. I always tell them that this is heaven as long as they are willing to learn the language, learn to love the South and its traditions (Give me some of them grits any day brother!) and are willing to work their rear ends off. Do your best, adapt and become part of the community and you will be treated with friendliness, respect and consideration. I have!
May The Lord continue blessing us all.
Charlotte was a GREAT place for immigrants...before all these &*%$# immigrants came here!
"Charlotte was a GREAT place for immigrants...before all these &*%$# immigrants came here!"
Brilliant piece of wisdom here. Charlotte and really any place in this country could be a great place for immigrants -- with significantly reduced numbers. The problem is that our country and city has seen immigration in numbers the likes of which have never been seen before. It's been a flood. We're way past the breaking point.
There's limits to everything and quite frankly we have had waaaaay too much immigration -- legal and otherwise. Throw in a severe recession and the out of control numbers become even worse.
Regardless of their legal status, one can only assume Charlotte is a great place for immigrants. The sheer number alone is evidence. Charlotte is a hub.
One would reasonably assume it is a better palce to live than thier hometown wherever on the globe that might be, or they wouldn't have bothered to move here in the first place - and stay.
In the case of undocumented immigrants I would assume that trend to be even more prominent.
Overall Charlotte has been very friendly to immigrant, including undocumented immigrants who have faced litlle to no enforcement of immigration laws by CMPD or city government.
Isn't amazing how people complain about illegal immigrants in one breath and in the next, they shop at WalMart & get their driveways repaved or their roofs reshingled and don't whine about the money they save because of illegal immigrants doing the labor?
What's even more sad is the cost of products, even produce has gone up even with illigial immigrants picking it for less money. So, basically the rich white farm owner makes more money becase his labor is cheaper and he certainly isn't passing his savings onto you, the consumer! Price of corn goes up, he saves on labor, keeps illegals working, and nobody fights the source of the problem.
Where is the outrage? Oh, who am I kidding.. THIS IS AMERICA! As long as white people are apart of the problem, nobody cares.
White man hires illegals and bring them over from Mexico to save him a buck and not save you a dime... WHATEVER. Mexican works and support his family with the low paying b/s job the white man offered him... it's all the Mexicans fault. WOW!!!
"Charlotte-Mecklenburg is a HORRIBLE place for immigrants -- legal and illegal. Just check out all of these RACIST posts!!! All of these racist bigoted white people will never accept you for who you are.
My suggestion to all immigrants is that they go somewhere else other than Charlotte -- preferably their homeland where they will never again have to deal with the injustice and degradation of racism against their ethnicity."
-What ethnicity is that?
-I didn't know all immigrants aren't white.
There are plenty of immigrants who left their country of origin due to racial or ethnic prejudice or genogide. Why d you think the Serbian & Bosnian immigrants came to Charlotte? Because of "geocide" They are white. Also many immigrants from central America are primarily of indigenous decsent & are the poorest & marginalized people in their home countries where Spanish & other european cultures dominate.
- "Just check out all of these RACIST posts" Yeah Like your own...
Okay his point isn't so much related to immigration as the idiot who posted it...
"What's even more sad is the cost of products, even produce has gone up even with illigial immigrants picking it for less money. So, basically the rich white farm owner makes more money becase his labor is cheaper and he certainly isn't passing his savings onto you, the consumer! Price of corn goes up, he saves on labor, keeps illegals working, and nobody fights the source of the problem."
--- Hey stupid, when "white" farmenrs (Interesting racist remark) hire "mexican illegal immigrants" (Many are from all over central America) How do you know they don't pass the savings on to the consumer? If the industry
is using illegal immigrant labor which reduces cost, that means a farmer can reduce his or her price. If the other farmers don't reduce their price, then they wont sell their product.
If you aren't looking stupid enough, I will mention the competition from foreign countries, where the U.S. gets the MAJORITY of it's produce. in case you haven't noticed farming isn't a booming business in the U.S. Agriculture has dropped significantly over the past 100 years. in 1900 95% of the population was self employed mostly as farmers. In 2000, 5% were self employed. That would include all farmers. Many of whom depend on federal subsidy due to competing foreign plantations.
"White man hires illegals and bring them over from Mexico to save him a buck and not save you a dime..."
Who is "you" in who "save you a dime"? So lets see all farmers are white? All illegal aliens are from Mexico? and all consumers are non white, non mexican, legal immigrants?
I can't stand racists.
What makes America great is Americans.
Not know it all I wanna break your laws with no consequences Mexicans!
I am an immigrant from Cuba who loves Charlotte. We own a small business that has been embraced by people from all walks of life. You couldn't pay me to leave such a great city. The roads weren't even paid if I could have afforded a home made car
I'd probably be hanging out on the street polishing shoes where I come from. Instead I have two kids in private school who will go college in a few years.
I never asked for special treatment, because this was way better than anything I ever saw in my life growing up.
Anyone who wants to pretend the illegal immigrants are victims needs to wake up. Just the fact that they are on this land is the biggest blessing they ever had.I'm just saying they know thy are lucky and a lot of liberal Americans don't understand that going from $2 a day to $10 an hour is a big deal and the sheer quality of life, the appearance, the paved streets, electricity, a house with a floor that is not made of dirt, running water. These are things most did not have. So when it comes to all of these things liberal people claim illegal immigrants don't get that make up for not paying taxes. It's garbage. I have a house with lights and air conditioning. The roads are paved. I have a job at all. Illegal immigrants have a welcome basket the second they set foot on this land. Stop making excuses for them. They are lucky and they know it.
There are some white honkey cracka racist liberal trash who the black brotha rejects even he bows down and kizzes his azz for the next 5000 yrz.
Bring back Jesse Helms or George Wallace. Lord we cant take these crackhead crackaz trying to kiss up 24/7/365 eternally ... At least we knew where we stood with Jesse and George... Hey yo cracka, go fetch a beer and a belt so I can whip yo sorry azz boy ...
it's interesting, that is you were turn this survey on it's head and look for commonalities of liked and disliked people in Charlotte, it would be the same anywhere else.
If you enter a new place to live, work hard, adapt to local culture and be a good citizen, no matter where you're from and what you look like, you will be accepted.
When people associate all the bad things that happen with a certian group by appearance alone, then it turns ugly. The fact is that people of all races, citizenship and ethnicitied are not liked if they are mean spirited, lazy, and dishonest. You find them in every group, every part of the country, and from every ethincity and race.
The dumb people who try to say that all people of XX type are the same are in themselves the ones to watch out for.
As far as a place to migrate, people from PA, OH, TX, NY, MI, GA, and FL seem to like it here. People from other countries like it here too!
My wife is an immigrant from China, speaks English well, has a good job and likes it here.
But, even in Charlotte, she feels like we are living a rural life, not like life in a big city.
Gee, it seems that the better educated and better off you are financially the more you like it here.
What a surprise.
TO: Smithfield
Well said, and pretty much right on the money!
"Is Charlotte a good place to live for immigrants?"
Yeah, sure, if you like living among racists and bigots, and like reading slurs and threats publicly posted in the Observer by prejudiced morons.
Weren't all americans immigrants at some point? Makes me wonder how uneducated some of these people are. We finally got our black president... I can't wait for a Hispanic one. That will be EPIC!
I hope Charlotte is an absolute terrible place for *illegal* immigrants to live. I hope they never feel at ease, are always looking over their shoulder and are so worried that they leave, and tell other *illegal* immigrants not to come here.
TWO LIVES, ONE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
HIDDEN COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ID THEFT
Her ATM card, illegal immigrant's face
The secret list of ID theft victims
Most of the world hates the US but for some reason all these immigrants come by the millions. I hope we don't become what Europe has become. I recently took a trip out there and was amazed by how many middle-easterners, Indians, and North Africans are now the majority in some Italian, French, and English towns. No need to visit Europe anymore unless I'm looking to see the historical sites. Soon people won't be seeing Americans in the US anymore when it starts to resemble Mexico and the Middle East.
TO Anonymus 6:35. What you're sayiong is not unique to Charlotte.
Another "Franco" piece by the Charlotte Observer. They are big proponents of illegal immigration and open borders. Why are they so anti American? This is an invasion. We should arrest every illegal and make them do hard time. And the companies that hired them. In Rock Hill large numbers of illegals live and work. I still don't understand how they are able to get drivers licenses. Most have forged documents that DMV should be able to spot. Especially when they say they were born here but cannot speak English.
Reply to Anonymous @ 7:33-
Half of the illegals work without proper identification, they work for cash or "under the table". They drive without a license and without insurance. The other half of illegals use stolen information that can be bought and passed around to other law breaking illegal immigrants. The below articles are just the tip of the iceberg. *Illegal* immigrants breaking the law, say it ain't so. Whatever, just them being here is commiting a crime. A crime that needs to be stopped. Enforce our laws!
TWO LIVES, ONE SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
HIDDEN COST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION: ID THEFT
Her ATM card, illegal immigrant's face
The secret list of ID theft victims
I think so. There are a lot of fellow immigrants here to be friends with.
Get rid of the illegals, and Charlotte would be a better place for all.
If immigrants are "European Cousins", then Americans don't mind, because they are birds of same feather. No problems at all with this kind of immigration.
If they are South Americans, then Americans rant and rave about building fences and walls, but calm down at the end of the day because the work done by the South Americans is something the Americans cannot/don't want to do. And they are not far from "white".
East asians are better off among non-white groups, but are subject to mistreatment nevertheless.
Middle easterners are always "terrorists".
If they are South Asians, then blame everything from the Great Depression till this recession in 2009 on them. Job losses, outsourcing, name calling, be rude to them and what not.
African immigrants are very intelligent, hard working, sincere and honest people unlike many African Americans. But, they are categorized under the "drug addict/criminal" group and judged without giving them a chance; even by the African Americans.
Australian, New Zealand and European accents are a fad, any non-white accents are meant to be ridiculed in stand-up comedies, movies, etc.
The best and brightest are lured to America with citizenship and other benefits to come and develop America. Rest should stay back and develop their nation without the cream of their society (with what?).
This applies to whole of America (and Charlotte) as well.
If you find North Africans, Indians and Middle Easterners are majority few European towns (UK, but Italy and France?) then you should visit Australia. The buccaneer descendants haven't left their old ways and would make ideal company for you. Almost all the Bush Men Maori have been eliminated and minorities are not "majorities" in every town and city.
It's a great place to live for LEGAL immigrants. Nowhere in the US is a good place to live for ILLEGAL immigrants.
Michael has some very good points about illegal immigrants.
"Isn't amazing how people complain about illegal immigrants in one breath and in the next, they shop at WalMart & get their driveways repaved or their roofs reshingled and don't whine about the money they save because of illegal immigrants doing the labor? "
What a joke. Another idiot liberalization comment. Only some ignorant uneducated moron would understand that the only ones making profit off the illegals are the elite business owners and they are not passing their savings on the to consumer although if you count up the hundreds of billions it cost taxpayers in more schools more teacher more roads more government expenses for medicals etc, the American citizen is in the hole a trillions times over not counting the great depression part 2.
Business owners are getting over maybe but certainly noone else. Everything cost the same and more before illegals and after illegals.
There is no savings.
And lets forget the millions of jobs the illegals are taking in times like these.
Sounds like some of these liberal scumbags love slave cheap labor but there are no lower costs or prices. Its higher.
Simularly African slaves were the worst economic system in world history with massive costs not counting the toll on the white worker jobless rate as over half big plantations went bankrupt from slavery. Terrible mistake. Should of never happened. Same for illegals. They save American citizens nothing but cost much more in other ways.
What we need to know is how America got built as the most powerful wealthiest nation in world history before illegals arrived and now its all now going in shambles and quadrillions debt.
Mexico is a rich nation compared to the poor nations used by Walmart vendors who are grateful for the jobs anyway.
Walmart is one of the biggest corps in Mexico called Walmex operating over 1200large stores and employing 175,000 Mexicans.
Walmart is the biggest corp in the world employing 2.5 million and having 10,000 stores collectively earning 1.5 trillion annually.
Walmart began in 1960 in Bentonville Ark by Sam Wall who visited the QC several times. He drove a 20 year old Toyota pickup and wore an old fishing cap but was worth 100 billion he split between his offspring who still run it in the same town in Ark.
As far as cheap labor Kathy Lee Gifford on the Regis show was embarrassed to no end and quit over her sweat shops using child labor as young as 6 yrs old.
Libs are not only the worst hypocrite bigots on earth but incredibly brag about sweat shop labor to make cheap merchandise. They must want to bring back African slavery again that is still strong and thriving well in many parts of the world as it has been for 1000s of yrs just not in America or Europe.
It's a great place as long as you are here legally.
How many surveyed were ILLEGAL INVADERS? franco, YOU are a joke. EVERYONE who reads more than a few lines of ANY story YOU write know you are all about coddling criminals and making them part of our citizenry, regardless of those crimes. IF they come here legally and follow the rules to citizenship we are GLAD to have them. The illegal invaders need to be returned to their point of origin. If they return they need tobe executed on the spot. If they are cuaght cheating on taxes-execution on the spot. DUI-execution on the spot.
I'm a legal immigrant since October 2008.
The city is a bit boring, but other than that it's a good place to live.
It's not big enough to cause stress (heck I lived in the chaotic-apocalyptic Mexico City before), but it's big enough to avoid dying of boredom.
I just wish the Uptown area had more life on the weekends... it's basically a 9 to 5 uptown.
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