36 replies to this topic

[Jeanne B]

I don't expect Mexicans to have to learn to speak English as it is my responsilibility to learn Spanish. Had the same experience when I lived in Greece.

[manny]

mexicanmama, thankyou! finally there is someone who makes sense. im not bending over backwards for anyone here. it is what it is.

[manny]

to add to the comment, i dont "expect" anyone here to speak english. but mexico does not bend backwards for us, thats for sure. & this immigration thing sounds very abusive.

[sandykayak]

Oh, but in the US they expect and get the mexican language They are in Our country and the police etc bend over backwards to speak Spanish.

I live in Miami, FL, with huge Latin community. As to the police bending over backwards to speak Spanish....my guess is that many of the cops, border patrol officers, etc. may be of Hispanic origin and they speak Spanish naturally without having to bend over!

[AlanMexicali]

I live in Miami, FL, with huge Latin community. As to the police bending over backwards to speak Spanish....my guess is that many of the cops, border patrol officers, etc. may be of Hispanic origin and they speak Spanish naturally without having to bend over!

Also prevalent is the fact that English only speaking residents in Mexico are such a insignificant part of the overall population compared to Spanish speaking, many with some basic English but no fluent, in the US why compare apples to oranges. This makes the argument invalid. How many American Mexicans do you know in Mexico. How many Mexican Americans do you know in the US? Some seem to not understand the demographics in either country.

[Sheldon]

Yes, a person coming from a USA office and no speack english?!!!!!!!! It looks like a scam to me.......

[rufus]

Or maybe we should have at least rudimentary language skills of the country we live in.

Remember, a few years back there was an effort by some in Arizona to deport those Mexicans, who hadn't learned English.

Just a thought.

For what it is worth, my mother in law was born in Arizona and lived her whole life here. She never learned English. Spanish worked very well for her.

Rufus

[rufus]

It really sounds like someone made a typo on the dirt hauling business' address. I can't help but wonder what went down when that guy finally got to the right address?

Rufus

[gwynne]

It really sounds like someone made a typo on the dirt hauling business' address. I can't help but wonder what went down when that guy finally got to the right address?

Rufus

I've had some chuckles thinking of that one too. Wonder if they had 6 big noisy dogs?

[ChrisB]

They sent him out to check on what may have been an illegal Business. I'd send a tough guy too. It's just too bad he got the wrong address.

[AlanMexicali]

While I was out today, I got a call from my husband saying someone from immigration was at our gate demanding to see our visas. Husband speaks NO spanish and the guy in the other side spoke NO english. I told him to say "No habla espanol" and walk away. He did and said the guy was screaming at him through the gate. Of course, the dogs were going ballistic, so it must have been quite a scene.

I was with a friend, and on our way home, we picked up another friend who is Mexican. This all took about 40 minutes and all this time the immigration guy was sitting outside the gate. In fact, when we pulled in the driveway he had the gate blocked so no one could get in or out. He came over to my friends car and demanded to see visas from everybody inside. My friend gave him her certified copy and he said that wasn't good enough. That's when she speed-dialed her lawyer.

After a five minute heated conversation, he stalked over and moved his truck so the gate was free. The lawyer told me to go into the house and get the visas and that the guy had been instructed to stay in his truck and away from me. I did this and gave him the visas....even though I had a bad feeling about it. He looked at the names, looked at us, and then showed some paperwork to Jose that had something to do with a dirt hauling business at our address. The dirt hauling business is about 1/4 km down the road.....and isn't ours.

Now everything is OK.....he shook hands all around, and left. He DID give back our visas......but said we should carry them with us at all times. What I AM going to have with me at all times is a lawyers phone number.

Now, I think I'll have a drink.

Are you going to be carrying your visas [not certified copies] when leaving the yard from now on? I think INM officers need to be treated a bit better than your advise to your husband. The rules state they can ask for your visas when need be. Why is a lawyer needed in everyday procedures that you have agreed to follow when getting your visa? Does everything have to be dramatic when you know the rules and follow them? I think not. I don't blame the poor guy for blocking your driveway. In the US he probably would have called in a swat team. LOL

[gwynne]

[Are you going to be carrying your visas [not certified copies] when leaving the yard from now on?]

No, I'm not going to be carrying my visa every time I leave the yard. Probably half the time I do that, I'm on a horse. When in the car, I have certified copies of everything, which my lawyer says is all that's required.

The vehicle the INM agent was in was unmarked except for a very small logo on the back, where it couldn't be seen from inside the gate. My husband says he didn't offer any identification to him (he did to me later) and just started yelling demands. That set the dogs off so I doubt ANYTHING could be heard on either side from then on.

We are located a VERY short distance from where the three bodies were dumped last week. Our alert code is very high right now and the bad guys seem to be able to get uniforms of every kind at will. We don't open the gate for ANYBODY......that too is legal advice.

We frequently have police patrols out here and the guys are very pleasant. If we have cold beer in the fridge, we offer it. The state veterinary team found us and gave "the pack" their rabies shots. Identification has always been offered without being asked. We've never felt threatened by an official.......until this time.

But I'm convinced it was a paperwork error given to a young man who's girlfriend had just told him to get lost.

[AlanMexicali]

[Are you going to be carrying your visas [not certified copies] when leaving the yard from now on?]

No, I'm not going to be carrying my visa every time I leave the yard. Probably half the time I do that, I'm on a horse. When in the car, I have certified copies of everything, which my lawyer says is all that's required.

The vehicle the INM agent was in was unmarked except for a very small logo on the back, where it couldn't be seen from inside the gate. My husband says he didn't offer any identification to him (he did to me later) and just started yelling demands. That set the dogs off so I doubt ANYTHING could be heard on either side from then on.

We are located a VERY short distance from where the three bodies were dumped last week. Our alert code is very high right now and the bad guys seem to be able to get uniforms of every kind at will. We don't open the gate for ANYBODY......that too is legal advice.

We frequently have police patrols out here and the guys are very pleasant. If we have cold beer in the fridge, we offer it. The state veterinary team found us and gave "the pack" their rabies shots. Identification has always been offered without being asked. We've never felt threatened by an official.......until this time.

But I'm convinced it was a paperwork error given to a young man who's girlfriend had just told him to get lost.

The flip side to this encounter is that when someone being investigated acts scared or irrational the investigator would HAVE to think they are guilty of something, therefore call for backup or block them in so they cannot escape. How did he know more people were not inside the house. He could have passed his visa though the gate.

I feel distrusting officials in Mexico has to be related to not trusting your instincts.

[manny]

what stops anyone from saying they are an official? they can come to your house & yell, then say for 1000 pesos they will take care of it. anyone can put a logo on a car, & make a fake ID. any gov't worker who has come here has been very nice. the property tax people were here once to give me the bill.

[Griffin]

what stops anyone from saying they are an official? they can come to your house & yell, then say for 1000 pesos they will take care of it. anyone can put a logo on a car, & make a fake ID. any gov't worker who has come here has been very nice. the property tax people were here once to give me the bill.

Living in your mind must be Hell.

[manny]

griffin, reading this forum can be hell. or have i missed something?

[manny]

attn: i heard you can get copy (xerox) of visa/passport notarized. its not expensive. is that true? that solves the problem, as i wont carry originals.