Immigration invigorates or cripples nation? #tellusatoday

The United States is experiencing a "great wave" of immigration, according to a USA TODAY special report. Comments from Twitter and Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Bring on more diversity. This country is built on it and needs to evolve more!

— @saxy15

If it means more places where I can get Spam musubi, banh mi or lomo saltado, I'm all for it.

— @JamesFujitaVTD

Our opinions don't matter. Ask our kids and grandkids in 20 to 30 years when they can't make a living.

— @RazorHog66

Someone who's willing to work and contribute to our society should be allowed to pursue life, liberty and happiness!

— @AFBobby

I approve of and encourage diversity in our nation. Without the advent of many points of view, progress is slow and stagnation the result.

— Robert Phallan

So does this immigration wave go hand in hand with record amounts of people on welfare, food stamps and other government aid? What about the decline of our school systems? What about the amount of poverty in this country? All of these aspects are affected by rampant illegal immigration.

Diversity is great, but not when immigration is crippling our country.

— Brent Heermans

Interesting how an article about diversity brings on accusations of illegal immigration and welfare. Where was this mentioned in the article? Change is inevitable. Adapt or be left behind.

— Valerie Johnson

The first-generation immigrant may struggle with English, but the second-generation immigrant who grows up here learns it. The third generation doesn't even know the mother tongue. Most of these immigrants in the article came legally, and are middle-class and business owners.

— Patrizio Cavaliere

Letters to the editor:

After reading "Second immigration wave lifts diversity to record high," I was a little surprised that so many people still want to come to America.

Nobody standing at our borders is warning these nice folks that we're $18 trillion in debt and they'll be responsible for it. Immigration is great for politicians who have benefited from running up our debt. They now have someone who won't complain to hand the bill to.

Roger Sargent; Albion, Pa.

Take a moment and ask some basic questions about our present immigration policies. We are already the third-highest population in the world. Why would we want to catch up to China or India?

As we hurtle toward more than 400 million Americans by 2050, the environmental and social impacts of this tidal wave will fundamentally affect Americans' lives, nearly all negatively.

We are already past a sustainable population that can live in harmony with our resources or environment.

Al Trease; Ketchum, Idaho

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