We all have too much time on our hands, me included.

I personally know quite a number of "illegal entry persons" who earn a decent living here in the US. They have children in school some of whom are legally here and they have jobs, computers and smart phones. They could easily do a mystery shop if there were a way to do it. Some would have trouble with the Spanish speaking only jobs, some could do them and some could do the ones requiring an Asian language. All of them are fluent enough for English only jobs. If the OP was asking the question seriously either representing him or herself or for an acquaintance or relative, then it does belong here. It is not the fault of the OP that this thread has become political and derailed...just like many threads do.

@MikiNV wrote:

I can only like SoCalMama's post once....
Most illegal immigrants do not care and do not know about this business that it not overly lucrative; for most of us is extra money or a hobby; very few of us make leaving MS-ing. Most immigrants come from non-English speaking countries, do not come to the country with iPhone 8 or with a laptop under their arm. They are at no competition with any of us.

Edited to add: unless you know someone who is asking. Some MSC do not ask for SSN until you hot $600 in earnings. So that would make this business even less profitable for someone without SSN

@sandyf: I don’t think you understood my post. I am actually not being political at all. I live in heavily imigrant-populated city where majority speak Spanish. I do Spanish shops, not them, always bonused; no, Spanish is not my mother tongue, nor is English. Illegal immigrants have other peiorities. I am saying because I am know many. Legal entry or not. Yes, they can do the shops. As I mentioned, some MSC do not require SSN until they hot $600 earning mark; I just don’t see it profitable.

If you would "never dehumanize someone," please do not use a slur. If you are referring to someone who has entered illegally or overstayed a visa or is undocumented, then use those terms. No human being IS illegal. See what I am getting at? Maybe it had never occurred to you until I pointed it out that it was considered a slur. Now you know.

Yes, language is powerful. Dehumanizing language has historically supported exploitation and genocide. We cannot let it get that far.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

Trump calls them that and our "President" made the word illegal legal. This is not a personal attack, but just a response to the thread about illegals. Please suggest another name for those entering our country without correct papers, I am then happy to oblige. I want an open country, but doing it according to our law.
I am Jewish, my family fled and entered this country legally, hard working, some became Dr's, Senator's, and have high integrity.....I would never de-humanize anyone, let's not make a word personal......thank you.

[heartlandcanuck]

You're getting into politics here, which is verboten.

In addition, your posts are becoming targeted toward particular people. The mods need to take a look at this whole thread.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2019 12:21AM by iShop123.

As nearly as I can tell they can do pretty much anything they want.

Someone is overreacting.....

@Jacqui wrote:

What an intelligent post. Thank you for the clarification.

No, thank YOU! The concept of intelligence is rarely, if ever, associated with anything I say or do!

I worked as a GM at a hotel for a while. I hired housekeepers and maintenance men and front desk workers.

I hired several people from Mexico who produced SS cards. I had no idea that the cards were fake. I even had one of the housekeepers help me out with cleaning my house after I quit that job because I went back to school....being in school for a graduate degree with three young kids left me no time for housework, so I hired her to help me out.

Imagine how heartbroken I was when she was stopped for a DUI (and she was so drunk she couldn't stand up)

During the processing period, it was discovered that she had a fake SSN.

Nothing political here: Just saying that there is no way for most hiring managers to know that the SSN is fake

I guess I am not understanding what you are saying at all...It seems you are saying mystery shopping is not profitable for immigrants. So does this mean that immigrants (your word, not mine) need to make more $$ than we (non immigrants) do in order for it to be worthwhile for them? So why are you mystery shopping if you think it is not profitable? I know that in general many of us feel we are not being paid enough but still thousands of shoppers are out there. And if you read this board you will find many who use mystery shopping to their advantage. Most of those I know have the same priorities. They want a decent life, a roof over their head, happiness, the ability to earn a living, freedom from fear, especially right now that they will be sent back to a country they left years ago..things like that. If you are saying "immigrants" who speak only Spanish cannot find it profitable I might agree with you...but they are not representative of the entire population in our country. Perhaps it is true that brand new "immigrants" who have not yet learned our language and settled in would find it difficult but my state is full of "immigrants" who are undocumented but have been here for the majority of their lives and speak better English than many citizens who were born here do.

@MikiNV wrote:

@sandyf: I don’t think you understood my post. I am actually not being political at all. I live in heavily imigrant-populated city where majority speak Spanish. I do Spanish shops, not them, always bonused; no, Spanish is not my mother tongue, nor is English. Illegal immigrants have other peiorities. I am saying because I am know many. Legal entry or not. Yes, they can do the shops. As I mentioned, some MSC do not require SSN until they hot $600 earning mark; I just don’t see it profitable.

What are you talking about? With no SSN, you can work for few MSC but you need keep earning under $600. How profitable is that? I do not think it is profitable. Read post before you go on and on....it is annoying amd rude. Stop.

@sandyf wrote:

I guess I am not understanding what you are saying at all...It seems you are saying mystery shopping is not profitable for immigrants. So does this mean that immigrants (your word, not mine) need to make more $$ than we (non immigrants) do in order for it to be worthwhile for them? So why are you mystery shopping if you think it is not profitable? I know that in general many of us feel we are not being paid enough but still thousands of shoppers are out there. And if you read this board you will find many who use mystery shopping to their advantage. Most of those I know have the same priorities. They want a decent life, a roof over their head, happiness, the ability to earn a living, freedom from fear, especially right now that they will be sent back to a country they left years ago..things like that. If you are saying "immigrants" who speak only Spanish cannot find it profitable I might agree with you...but they are not representative of the entire population in our country. Perhaps it is true that brand new "immigrants" who have not yet learned our language and settled in would find it difficult but my state is full of "immigrants" who are undocumented but have been here for the majority of their lives and speak better English than many citizens who were born here do.

@MikiNV wrote:

@sandyf: I don’t think you understood my post. I am actually not being political at all. I live in heavily imigrant-populated city where majority speak Spanish. I do Spanish shops, not them, always bonused; no, Spanish is not my mother tongue, nor is English. Illegal immigrants have other peiorities. I am saying because I am know many. Legal entry or not. Yes, they can do the shops. As I mentioned, some MSC do not require SSN until they hot $600 earning mark; I just don’t see it profitable.

It is not political to explain that something is a slur. We all write reports for a living and should strive to treat people better with our words.

@iShop123 wrote:

[heartlandcanuck]

You're getting into politics here, which is verboten.

In addition, your posts are becoming targeted toward particular people. The mods need to take a look at this whole thread.

I have always thought the term "illegal alien" was the standard descriptor for a person here without the proper paperwork. It seems that it is being shortened to just illegal recently. No difference than the many other terms that describe other criminals (i.e. drunk, addict, rapist, embezzler, child molester, tax cheat, etc.) If they don't like the label, then I suggest following the laws of the land.

I've spent a fair amount of time over the years in some of the Mexican border towns - not as a tourist, rather as a volunteer. I've spent time with the people, largely building houses for them.

Many endure extreme poverty. Every morning, to go to work (if they can find work), they might step across the raw sewage running down their streets. They might cook breakfast outside because their "house" does not have room for a kitchen inside - or even a bathroom. They only have electricity because the wire it themselves from a line several blocks away. They wait outside in lines for days at a time every year, hoping to get their kids enrolled in public schools - which may only have seats for half the kids who want an education. The misery is real and there is largely not a "way out" aside from 1) working for a cartel or 2) having a family member working in the States and sending money back.

I don't have an answer on "immigration," but I have a really tough time disparaging families who are completely desperate to escape and provide a better life for their children.

In 1848 my mother's family came here so that they would not starve in Switzerland. How can I fault others who try to follow that path?

I have no problem with immigration or with people trying to better their lives. I do have issue with those who choose to do so illegally. It is a slap in the face to all of those immigrants who came here the right way -- legally.

Unless you are a Native American, we are all immigrants or descended from immigrants. The country is much different now than it was 100 or 200 years ago so, it stands to reason that our stance and policy on immigration would evolve with our current reality. 100 years or so ago, the USA was a wide open country and basically accepted anyone who wanted to move here. Now, our population has matured to the point where endless immigration is straining the countries' ability to provide basic services for citizens.

I have much sympathy for the plight of the worlds' poor. I also have much compassion for my fellow Americans who are finding their quality of life diluted due to illegal immigration. I choose to side with my fellow Americans first and immigrants second.

I’m not so sure immigration is the cause of the problems. I don’t think it’s that simple.

@walesmaven wrote:

In 1848 my mother's family came here so that they would not starve in Switzerland. How can I fault others who try to follow that path?

Yeah but your family was white European so it's ok!

I'm sure it isn't that simple Jacqui, but illegal immigration is certainly a contributor. While not the only factor, it is definitely a factor...

If the illegal immigration issue were to magically go away tomorrow, every dollar spent on the issue could be spent to improve the quality of life of all American citizens (and legal immigrants). Or, every dollar could be returned to the taxpayers since we are the ones funding everything. Billions of dollars for the wall come to mind. ICE budgets would be drastically reduced if not eliminated. The stress on the medical system is well documented. You don't think those doctors and hospitals are eating those costs do you? I'm fairly certain those costs are being passed on in the form of higher medical costs for Americans (and legal immigrants). How about education? Smaller class sizes and more funding. Welfare programs? Ditto Police. Fire. Ambulance. DMV. Voter integrity. Social Security. and on and on and on.

I agree that it is not the only factor and may not even be the largest factor, but it definitely is A factor...

A factor in what????

Illegal immigration causing a strain on the Governments ability to provide basic services for its' citizens.

@Jacqui wrote:

I’m not so sure immigration is the cause of the problems. I don’t think it’s that simple.

Immigration is not the cause of most problems in the US today. Immigration is something the United States was built on and immigration and diversity are good things.

ILLEGAL immigration is a different thing from legal immigration. ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is not the cause of all problems in the US, but it is the cause of many problems and an unbelievable amount of taxpayer dollars are spent because of this.

Getting back to the original question, I wonder how many (recent) aliens-legal or otherwise- have a good enough mastery of the English language to produce a report that would meet a MSC's standards? Other than Marketforce, most of them have quite a bit of narrative.

Much has changed in the nation's development. Natives and immigrants have filled much space and accomplished many feats. Now, there is less room in this country for new arrivals. Mind you, some people would not mind filling all available or accessible space with small cubbies for people to occupy. This would accommodate more persons. For some people, a piece of corner might be a heaven compared to whence they came! But I am of another school. I like some open space here and there. Some people like to experience a sense of spaciousness, some distance between themselves and others, and see what used to be on the planet before structures were built. Must we have so many occupants that there is no space between people and built places? Could we keep some open space that provides distance, nature, and a place for the eye to rest as it looks around the human-built canvas of life as it is today?

I appreciate the point about legal versus illegal. It is the same principal as in the difference between the world's congenial religions/faiths and radical factions. What is the intention, and what is demanded? Can anyone reasonably accommodate the demands?

I assume I am the only immigrant here, also an American. Immigrants are not here nor anywhere to do any harm to you nor that they are cause of your problems...

I have worked with immigrant children and families in my profession for years. For a while, my school had a large Vietnamese population. Thereafter, I served Bosnian and Serbian families. There have always been families from the mid-east. Thereafter we had families from all over Latin America. Now I work in a school with Korean, Chinese, and Indian families. I have known the "legal" status of very few of them. I do know some where refugees escaping unspeakable atrocities - including genocide. Some were highly educated and had great job offers. Some were dirt poor and my school was their first experience with public education. Some came on boats. Some am with work visas. Some walked across at legal points of entry. For many, I do not know how they got to me. Some had parents with advanced college degrees. Some had parents with third grade educations and were barely literate in their native language.

However, they all have had two things in common: They missed their homeland. They wanted better lives for their children. I have taught them all to the best of my ability. Some thrived. Others struggled. In these respects, they were no different than my U.S. citizen students and their families.

I do not fault any of the immigrants I have taught for being here. I lived in Spain for a while and, when my time there was over, I was more than ready to come home. It's hard to live away from your native land. The culture, norms, language and more are different -and therefore uncomfortable. As much as I loved living in Spain, the idea of staying there forever did not suit me. Life at home would have had to have been pretty rough for me to choose to stay there forever.

As I think about the number of folks who desperately want to come here. I have to consider just how bad things are in their homelands that they would abandon everything they have and know to come here. What would you do if your kids were starving or facing threats of violence and death? Personally, I would do anything to keep them safe and would violate laws in a heartbeat if I had to.

As I get older, I become more convinced of a few things: As Americans, we are no different than other people. We just happen to have the good fortune to live (be born?) here. I am not threatened by folks who come here for a better life. Instead, I feel bad for them. I have known more than a few Mexican men who go months without seeing their wives or kids because they are working here to send money home. As a husband and father, I find that idea to be painful If we truly want to slow immigration, we need to help struggling nations to better themselves. Instead of spending money on walls, perhaps we could refund the State Department and help to build schools and infrastructure in Mexico? Instead of having great jobs here for which we hire immigrants, perhaps we could help these other nations to have their own jobs - and give people a reason to stay?

Or perhaps Mexico, and other similar countries, should do that for themselves...

Why does it always have to be the USA stepping in to fix everyone else's problems. We've got plenty of our own to fix first.

Should Mexico help themselves? Absolutely. However, that's not happening particularly well. Whether we like it or not, we have three choices:
* Let everybody in and not worry about whether folks are illegal or not.
* Spend obscene amounts of money trying to prevent folks from coming in.
* Spend half the obscene amount of money, and give them aid.

We have given aid to historically impoverished countries, in part, so as to allow them to help themselves. We want their populations to be educated so that they can maintain (friendly) democracies. We give foreign aid so that we can have influence on their domestic and foreign policies. We help them to build infrastructure so that their citizens build wealth and become consumers of our products.

We can complain that other countries should take care of themselves all we want. However, waiting or them to get their act together is not in our national best interest. If you don't want folks trying to come here illegally, they need a reason to stay where they are. We can help provide that reason by aiding their native countries. In the long run, we are far better off, financially, if we help countries, like Mexico, to develop to a point where they can properly care for their population.

Very well put post ^^^

My only addition would be tighter controls and oversight for the aid we give these countries to ensure that it actually goes towards its' intended purpose and not to corrupt officials, warlords, or other similar people...

And that is why it is imperative that we have competent leadership in all our foreign policy endeavors.

@msimon-2000 wrote:

Very well put post ^^^

My only addition would be tighter controls and oversight for the aid we give these countries to ensure that it actually goes towards its' intended purpose and not to corrupt officials, warlords, or other similar people...