Mistra, yes, America has a culture - and the things you listed are, in fact, a part of that culture. They may not look glamorous in your eyes, but it's the simple things that make life worth living sometimes. I grew up in one of the richest metropolitan areas in the country and later moved out to the country. It took some getting used to, but I have a new appreciation for American values. I'm proud of my country, glamorous or not. We find our culture in the divergent streams that flow into the lake of American history - the Europeans who settled our shores, the struggles of black Americans, and the rich history of the Native American tradition. Hispanics can and have been a part of that cultural history too, but I think you will find that many Hispanic-Americans who planted their roots here legally are now disgusted by the millions of Mexicans who are choosing to simply hop the fence and take the "easy path" to citizenship. I know my grandparents (from Spain and Puerto Rico) would certainly feel that way.
I understand what you're saying about Belgium's health care system. We have similar problems here in the States. In California, Mexicans are issued fake social security #s so that they can apply for welfare (which is intended to help needy Americans get back on their feet). If you don't speak English, you can sign your name on a legal document with a little squiggle. There are also a lot of real estate companies that will sell houses to foreigners with the complete transaction being conducted in their native language - which, on its own, is not a bad thing, but it certainly doesn't encourage foreigners to bother learning English.
The reality is that Mexicans are often the least of your worries, especially in culturally 'diverse' regions like southern California. We have third world people from all over the world migrating into our country, and many of them are taking their third world customs and 'values' along with them. In the area where I grew up (Orange County, Ca), I can remember at least two reported incidents where slave girls were removed from the homes of illegal immigrants from the Middle-East. One Egyptian family had an eleven year old slave who had been locked up in their garage for several years; she had never been to school, was illiterate, and had very little contact with the outside world. At my high school, there was a fundamentalist Muslim girl that used to come to class dressed head to toe in a black burka. When she had conferences with her faculty advisor (a male teacher), her dad would come along and pick all of her classes out for her. The girl was not allowed to communicate with the male teacher or take part in the conference in any way. By the time she graduated, she was already married and pregnant, with no plans to attend college. I'm sorry, but those are not values we need in this country.
On another note, I'm surprised nobody caught this, because it's pretty funny; can anyone see the irony in my previous post?
"I also do not approve of people come here without bothering to learn basic English skills."
