Does the term "immigration" have a negative connotation nowadays?

[eliot]

I am a son of two immigrants from the Vietnam war - I am considered Hmong, and was born about 12-15 years after my parents immigrated to the U.S.

I am now a freshman college student, a double major in math and music, and have a steady job. Personally, I don't have too many problems with my current situation except for the things that happen every now and then.

I'm looking into graduate school: USC, Berkeley, U of M- Ann Arbor, and University of Arizona. On my third week here, I went to a Hmong group camping trip and I met an Education Professor who focuses mainly on issues of race and culture in U.S. education. We were first discussing about how minorities have a tendency to have a lower quality of education available to them than the majority groups, then I told her of my graduate school plans. She told me to avoid U of A because of its immigration law, and I told her, "I would have never thought of that."

I'm not saying that I'm just going to listen to what she said, but I find it extremely interesting that a *professor* recommended that I avoid a University because of the atmosphere and political opinion of the state in which it resides. So what would happen if I go to U of A? I don't know now obviously - maybe if I do go in four years.

Why is it that I should avoid this University now all because of the negative impact (which I have evidently not seen, to be honest) due to immigration? Why is it that immigration is considered to be a bad thing?

[smid]

well, it's your call, but i would not challenge these views head on. america has always been a great melting pot. do you like it here? what do you think? don't get caught up in the politics of non-sense. some people have nothing better to but sit around and whine. you arent one of those folks. move on.

also it's important to remember that one can get a really stupid education. political science, philosophy, or sociology is not where i would be wasting my time at. i would consider things like geology, physics, math, engineering, and the sciences. the liberal arts farts are going to fill your head with non-sense. bad degrees.

white people are upset about the illegal mexicans right now. it's got nothing to do with you.

just move on with your own life and if mexicans don't bother you, don't worry about it. now go my son and don't look back. WELCOME ABOARD!

[nicolas]

Only when it it preceded with the word "illegal". You have nothing to worry about if you go to the University of Az Flagstaff. I would avoid UofA Tucson due to the border crime wave.
Arizona is targeting illegal aliens not legal immigrants or citizens. There are many Hmong ethnic students at the Az State University in Tempe. ASU is larger than Uof A.

[jan46]

Racists exist. Accepting it makes life easier.

Unless you're immune to what goes on around you, it could serve to be a distraction from your studies.

[baigh]

No. Immigration is fine. We want people from other countries to come here. Illegal alien is not what we want.

[torin7]

Tell all them damn immigrants to go find a country and kill it's inhabitants like we did!!

[warton26]

I must take issue with that counselor that advised you to avoid the U of A. First, it is not entirely true that the children of all immigrants have less opportunity to get a higher education here in America. Historically people immigrate to America so their children can have a better life then they had in their homelands. The Jewish immigrants of the late 19th century are an example of an immigrant group that valued education, and made sure their children took advantage of what was available in the US. Asian immigrants, no matter what country they are from, are also very aware of the value of education, and I think you will find a high percentage of students of Asian decent on most America campuses. The old myth that minorities are discriminated against is just a liberal ruse to get minorities to support liberal causes and join the Democratic Party. As far as living and learning in AZ goes, if you are not an illegal immigrant, you have nothing to worry about. It sounds to me like you are an American born and bred, just like me.