N.C. Aizenman, Washington Post, March 27, 2008
A vibrant Latino subculture built in Prince William County over more than a decade is starting to come undone in a matter of months.
With Latinos fleeing the combined effects of the construction downturn, the mortgage crisis and new local laws aimed at catching illegal immigrants, Latino shops are on the brink of bankruptcy, church groups are hemorrhaging members, neighborhoods are dotted with for-sale signs, and once-busy strip malls have been transformed into ghost towns.
County officials who have campaigned for months to drive out illegal immigrants say they would be unhappy to see businesses suffer or legal immigrants forced out in the process.
“But I believe the benefits will far outweigh the drawbacks,” said Corey A. Stewart (R-At Large), chairman of the Board of County Supervisors and a leading advocate of the new policy allowing police to check the immigration status of people stopped for other violations. “And there will continue to be … a thriving Latino community in the county into the future.”
At least for the moment, however, to travel through Prince William’s Latino enclaves is to witness scene after scene of a community’s transformation.
It was just past noon, a time when dozens of Latino construction workers used to troop into Doris Sorto’s Dale City restaurant.
Yet on this recent weekday, the only occupied table was the one where Sorto, 54, sat with the restaurant’s disc jockey, sipping chicken soup as she worked up the nerve to tell him she would need to let him go. She had already laid off one cook and three waitresses.
A U.S. citizen, Sorto moved to Prince William from El Salvador in 1986, opening a mini-mart in 2001 when a construction boom and cheap housing were luring Latinos to the county. As their share of the population in Prince William grew from 4 percent to nearly 20 percent, so did Sorto’s ambitions.
In 2006, she opened the restaurant, naming it El Rinconcito Latino, or Little Latino Corner. By last March, Sorto was doing so well she decided to sign a 10-year, $18,000-a-month lease on a cavernous mall space where she hoped to open a Latin American-themed supermarket.
But since October, she said, business at the restaurant has dropped by 60 percent. Last month, after Sorto had spent more than $100,000 on cabinets for the new market, her banker informed her that he could no longer approve the $950,000 loan they had been finalizing.
{snip}
The choir at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Woodbridge broke into a final, spirited chorus signaling the conclusion of the Easter Sunday Spanish Mass. A 28-year-old Salvadoran woman named Nury Fuentes pulled a set of rosary beads from her purse and waved them at a woman a few pews back.
“To work!” Fuentes whispered with a grin.
{snip}
Until recently, Fuentes said, she could have counted on nearly 40 people to join her at the front of the church. Members of the group call each other “brother” and “sister” and rarely miss a meeting.
But since October, more than two dozen have moved away.
Now only four women and seven men trickled forward.
{snip}
Normally, Silda [a Guatemalan woman] would have spent a day like this walking around the mall, or chatting on the stoop with her Salvadoran friend next door while Cynthia played with the Mexican children across the street.
But those neighbors are gone now, their homes vacant like so many others in the subdivision. And Silda, who is in the United States illegally, is too nervous to venture out for casual strolls.
“What if a policeman were to stop me and ask for identification?” said Silda, who asked that her surname not be published.
{snip}
She checked the TV clock again. Time to walk to the bus stop, where her 5-year-old son, Denilson, would be dropped off from kindergarten. Silda and Cynthia stepped into the eerie quiet of the street. They walked past several small houses with “For Sale” signs in front. In the driveway of another, a pickup truck was piled with chairs and a grill.
“Looks like they’ll be the next to go,” Silda murmured.
A police car drove by, and Silda quickly pulled Cynthia toward her body.
At last, the bus arrived. When school started last fall, she said, a dozen Latino kids used to get off. On this afternoon, Denilson was the only one. Silda let him and Cynthia race back to the house. The more energy they expended, the less they would complain about spending the rest of the day inside.
{snip}
Original article
(Posted on March 27, 2008)
Comments
Why are their neighborhoods always described as “vibrant”? Is that code for noisy and chaotic?
Poor Latins, always the victims!
Posted by kitty at 6:08 PM on March 27
With examples like this one, the oft-repeated leftist whine that “enforcement doesn’t work” becomes less and less tenable.
Posted by Michael C. Scott at 6:08 PM on March 27
I remember a few years back seeing a Latino couple making out against a cannon on the Second Bull Run Battlefield. He, with is large cowboy hat, western style shirt and shiny belt buckle, her, in her nondiscript maid like uniform with a baby stroller near by with a small child already in it. Both necking in public on ground that is sacred to our soveriegn contry. They were getting all warmed up to make one more anchor baby to devour our culture, our rescources, our way of life and all on our dime. Right then I knew something had to be done to rid Northern Virginia of such a massive influx of this latest breed of brash, brazen and all to comfortable illegal aliens.
For that illegal couple to use that location to get in the mood while propped up against an artillery piece that once served as a holy reminder of the sacrifice our forefathers made to fight for the ideals they held dear was astonishing and bitterly ironic.
I hope local N. Virginia law enforcement keeps the pressure on all those illegal immagrants to vacate and head back home.
Posted by Tubby at 6:17 PM on March 27
I realize there are going to be some areas that are hit hard by the illegal immigration crack down but the problem has gotten out of hand. We cannot have 20 million people living in the US illegally. I believe it is treasonous for our elected officials to have let the problem get this far.
Posted by Lee at 6:36 PM on March 27
If this is what now passes for journalism, then I’m in the wrong major; all that’s missing is the Fiddler on the Roof, playing a sad, sad song. Gag.
Posted by Jacqui in AZ at 7:01 PM on March 27
If they have left the country, then this would be good news but I doubt they have gone back to Mexico. This story contradicts the article of faith among white leftists that once non-whites arrive somewhere they will be here for eternity. People can leave as fast, or faster, than they come so a white minority is not inevitable.
Not that I am hostile to everything Latin. I was flipping through the channels last night and on the Spanish station there was some sort of beauty contest. All of the competitors were extremely attractive brunettes in bikinis. It was exhilerating not to see a black competitor among them. Imagine a beauty contest not being polluted by the obligatory black one (or two, or three, etc.). The decline in viewership of the Miss America pageant tracks almost step for step with the increase in bogus diversity candidates. I wonder why?
Posted by Civilized Neighbor at 7:54 PM on March 27
Maybe they went back to one of the more than 20 hispanic countries in the Western Hemisphere.
Posted by at 7:56 PM on March 27
A day without a Mexican. Finally. It seems that the proof is in. Enforcement works. It will become harder for the pro-illegal side to continue to deny that enforcement does not work.
The downside to this is that we should expect the pro-illegals to scream racism louder now that they are running out of cards to play.
Posted by hugo at 8:04 PM on March 27
Also crime is down,social services are not being drained ,streets are clean and safe,graffitti is less,hospitals are not being run into the ground and schools are better.
Posted by Todd at 8:44 PM on March 27
This is good news. But. . .
. . . I think I can foresee some bad news coming out of it. Illegals who lose their jobs and who think they don’t have a future in the U.S. might cause an “Exiting Illegal Immigrant Crime Wave” as move back to their home countries. They have almost nothing to lose, and so they might just “smash and grab” anything they can get.
Look for that story to emerge in the coming months.
Posted by Reader-1 at 9:09 PM on March 27
Another lame illegal alien sob story from the WaPo. Yawn. Their copy and paste open border reruns have become even less than boring.
Every town, every state needs to be doing the same as PWC. Keep them moving, keep them ‘unraveled’, keep them unemployed and unwelcome. Keep them from creating ‘communities’ that are safe havens for more illegal entries. Eventually they will get the message and head home.
“And Silda, who is in the United States illegally, is too nervous to venture out for casual strolls.”
Wasn’t too nervous to violate our laws and cross the border illegally. Are we now supposed to be sympathetic that another lawbreaker won’t be taking her stroll at the mall? Stroll on home to Guatemala, Silda. Don’t be nervous, no one will be stopping you. On the contrary, we would all like to encourage you, your children, your many friends to take that sort of action. ICE will even provide a free ride if you can’t provide your own.
Posted by Edward at 9:20 PM on March 27
I live in Prince William county, and have posted here before!
Let me just say a few things:
1. The Latino community here is unraveling because life has become extremely difficult for the illegals and their legal bretheren who feel superior to them but never too superior to take their money (kind of like the banks, businesses, and corporations that allowed them to gain such a foothold here!). Prince William county is living, breathing proof that enforcement works!
2. I am an American-born citizen trying to sell my home. It’s alright that it’s value has depreciated by nearly 30% because of all the foreclosures (luckily I bought early enough), but do you know what fellow posters!? Every SINGLE house in my neighboorhood where we knew/suspected illegals lived is empty and under foreclosure. There are 281 - count them - 281 foreclosures in my zipcode alone. When you read the list of the previous owners almost EVERY single name is Latino. So although this trend is hurting me in the sale my home, the fact they are FLEEING because of ENFORCEMENT brings a smile to my face! Even though I know I’ll be lucky to break even when I sell my house!
3. My kids tell me that there are less and less Latino students showing up for school. My high-school age daughter tells me that they’ve already had to combine some class sections because “all the Spanish kids are leaving.” In her English class, the number went from over 40 to less than 18! Another sign that enforcement is working!
END RESULT = ENFORCEMENT WORKS!!!
Posted by ktx at 9:36 PM on March 27
“A vibrant Latino subculture…”
I have seen these same “vibrant” subcultures unfold in my area of the country. What they basically amount to in this area, are suburban neighborhoods that have been run into the ground by blacks and/or simply abandoned by poor whites. The Latinos come in number(largely illegal “migrants”)push out the remaining riff-raff and settle-in, overcrowding apartment buidlings and single-family homes, etc. They open “shops” which are little more than tiny, ethnically-themed specialty stores that would serve no purpose, nor even survive outside a largely Hispanic community in the first place. These neighborhoods are ridiculously insular, and are really nothing but a microcosm of life in Latin America. Poor, uneducated, unskilled Spanish-speaking Hispanics transplanted en masse into the US, to simply re-create the same dead-end lives they have (with a huge hand-out from the American taxpayer) in Mexico, Honduras, etc.
“Vibrant??” Hardly…
Posted by HH at 9:41 PM on March 27
The WAPO as usual only prints one side of the story, the sad story of these poor criminals, the other side doesn;t fit their agenda, the facts such as increase in the quality of life of the tax-paying legal citizens is ignored, all the other obvious good things which take place when laws are enforced, the only people who are adversely affected by enforcing these laws are criminals and the taxpaying legal citizens should demand it happen all over the US.
Posted by abc at 5:14 AM on March 28
A few comments. This brings joy to my eyes. Of course, where I live, I guess 85% of the adult Hispanics are probably illegals and there is absolutely no crackdown whatsoever occurring anywhere in California. I saw illegals doing construction on a Rite Aid but who could I call? No one. There is no one to call. No one will come if you complain. And complainers will be vilified and probably even threatened.
PWC is doing a great thing. The schools will improve tremendously, the gang, crime and graffiti problem will get much better, and the whole place will look nicer, cleaner and less run down than before.
Since when does every business need to be preserved? There are cancer docs and funeral homes and all sorts of unpleasant businesses for which a business downturn would surely be a good thing for humanity.
Take a long hard look at my city in California. Illegals and their legal traitor brethren Hispanics run this place, along with shark-like White lifeforms that prey on the illegals and refuse to hire Americans. Like a twisted marriage, it’s a Dance of the Sick With the Sick. I would love to see some foreclosures around here, but I am not seeing even a sign. However, I have seen a few business storefronts up for rent in lousy parts of town.
Here, you have to break the law to get deported, and even that is not a sure thing. Otherwise, you could probably walk into the police station and announce that you are an illegal and dare them to call INS and the cops would laugh right in your face.
This disaster called the Mexicanization of America awaits any of you foolish enough to allow it to happen to your state. Do not think that you are immune. You are not. Mobilize now to stop the Califoniafication of your state or prepare to sign your state’s death warrant for now and forever.
Posted by Robert Lindsay at 6:48 AM on March 28
You people are missing the point of this entirely. Take a look at what the woman said that the Latinos were there for— construction jobs. What industry has been hit the hardest by the recent economic downturn. CONSTRUCTION! Many of these people have left because their jobs have moved.
The WaPost has decided to use this for political advantage.
Posted by at 11:02 AM on March 28
This should put an end to the constant rant of the pro-illegals- “We can’t deport 12 million people.” In the first place, get real! It may have been 12 million when Bush took office. It’s now probable between 20-25 million! More illegals have broken in under this administration than any other. The candidates constantly repeat, zombie-like…”We cannot round them up, etc.” But we sure as h### can enforce our laws. Always worked before and is working now. Hopefully, all the states in this country will do the same, then with our borders truly enforced, we can rid this country of those who disregard our laws. We don’t need foreign criminals. I also hope that the voting machine has an extra box to check - “none of the above.”
Posted by June at 11:24 AM on March 28
Did Aizenman write this in an attempt to make legal Americans feel guilty for trying to save their community from invading criminals?
Posted by factualist at 11:40 AM on March 28
The more that leave, the better. I doubt there was much lettuce to pick in Virginia. What jobs they’ve left now come available for our own citizens again. I don’t feel a bit sorry for the treasonous opportunists who depended on this flood of illegals to make a buck, and now are suffereing. Let them flee, let them go, drive them out ALL of them. We will survive, and be the stronger for it. AND, our tax burden will plummet….unless the liberals find some other way to spend it to our disadvantage….which is likely.
Posted by Bill R at 11:43 AM on March 28
They will not go back to Mexico. Would you?
It is better to be homeless, or in an American jail, than a town in Mexico. That is why they are here.
The Mexicans have yet to do those “jobs” real Americans won’t. Like home invasions, tractor-trailer high-jackings, swarm shop-lifting, employee mass theft (one gets a job at a store and “forgets” to lock up…..), marijuana grow houses, income tax refund fraud, re-sale of food stamp credits, ….. etc.
Posted by LOGIC at 12:52 PM on March 28
This is all good. But laws focusing on the “above ground” illegals won’t drive out the worst. I doubt that the gangs and other illegals whose business is crime will be driven out by economic downturns, employer sanctions, etc.
The violent illegals would only be rooted out by cops solving crimes and confronting violent criminals and that is unlikely. Cops prefer to bash and exploit the non-violent regardless of race. It’s safer that way, and copping is a relatively safe profession according to OSHA.
Safer to taser quadropledgics than shoot it out with a Latino gang.
Posted by at 2:02 PM on March 28
Perhaps the ‘vibrant Latino subculture’ will be replaced by a vibrant black subculture or a vibrant muslim subculture.
Posted by at 2:53 PM on March 28
The WaPo seems to think theres no one out there who would want to move in to the community, that without these illegals, the area will be a huge vacant ghost town. Nonsense!
If the illegals leave, and the housing market decreases, it provides opportunities for lower income CITIZENS to get a foothold into home ownership. Working class americans can find a resonably priced house, and afford to live there, investing in their community. Its been shown over and over that home owners take better care than renters.
Once the market hits bottom, the opportunity seeking will come in and bring it up. It may be less “Vibrant” but it will be STABLE and full of TAX PAYING citizens. How can that be a bad thing?
Posted by at 3:53 PM on March 28
If you want to know what the liberals mean when they use a code word like “vibrant” to describe a Latino neighborhood, you should see where I live, where more and more housing is being converted into illegal apartments for illegal immigrants. Every damn day I have to pick trash up off my lawn, then new trash reappears as if by magic 24 hours later. I’m talking about things like half eaten fast food. A neighboring house has had its front lawn converted into a muddy parking lot. Loud mariachi music blares out until late at night. People have witnessed gang fights in front of their homes. Believe me, you don’t want “vibrancy” imposed upon your neighborhood.
Papers like the Washington Post always print these articles as sob stories, but I bet a lot more readers than they realize are saying “Yes!” to immigration law enforcement.
Posted by WR the elder at 2:18 AM on March 29
Robert Lindsay, who have described many present conditions the exist in California today perfectly. I am a longtime native of the State, and no matter what phonies like Senator Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, etc. say, they have presided over a corrupt and declining California on their 15 year watch. I won’t even mention Nancy Pelosi, who can’t dream up enough ways of empowering millions of people who have broken into this State and have NO BUSINESS WHATEVER OF BEING HERE AND BANKRUPTING IT. Also, I like your phrase,…. “shark-like White lifeforms that prey on the illegals and refuse to hire Americans.”
Posted by Bobby at 1:10 PM on March 29
A vibrant subculture?? Like a culture of gang banger drive-by shootings, home invasion robberies, car-jacking and rampant auto-theft? Mexican gang banger grafitti covering every exposed surface? A culture of domestic violence, public drunkeness and urination and spewing trash everywhere, animal cruelty and naked babies running up and down the sidewalks? A culture of having to go to bed every night to the sounds of gunshots, police sirens and Mariachi? That kind of ‘vibrant subculture’? That may be the vibrant subculture of the third world, but I prefer the plain, boring culture of a first world America.
Posted by at 6:04 PM on March 29
Lies, Lies, Lies and yet more damnedable lies! All of us know THAT THESE LAWS DON’T WORK! The press has told us that! The Chamber of Commerce has told us that! All of our politicians have told us that! And they wouldn’t LIE to us, would they? Never…
Take a long hard look at my city in California. Illegals and their legal traitor brethren Hispanics run this place, along with shark-like White lifeforms that prey on the illegals and refuse to hire Americans. Like a twisted marriage, it’s a Dance of the Sick With the Sick.
You mean kinda like this?
Take a look at what the woman said that the Latinos were there for— construction jobs. What industry has been hit the hardest by the recent economic downturn. CONSTRUCTION! Many of these people have left because their jobs have moved.
One really, really, really good reason to pray for a further economic downturn. Hope your finances are sound. It may sound miserable, but it’s the least painful way I can think of to reclaim our country. Anyone have a better idea?
Posted by Alan at 3:25 PM on March 30
