Why I wouldn't exist without anti-immigration laws

So I haven’t written about SB 1070 or really any other immigration policy. But I would like to highlight one case where anti-immigration laws were helpful, if you believe, as I do, that my existence is a Good Thing.

My grandfather, Masao, initially wanted to be a literature professor at the University of Tokyo. Throughout his life, he became a fairly accomplished haiku poet of some regard, and was a favored student of Kyoshi Takahama. A picture of him and Takahama appears in this post.

But his father, who was apparently aware of the prevailing sentiment in California politics, encouraged Masao to join him in the US while it was still permitted. So grandpa took a slow boat to California and became a farm laborer. My grandfather, Masao, was living in Pasadena, CA and, like many lonely bachelors, sought female companionship. So, he had his family in Japan find him a picture bride.

A Tale of Two Texas (because there is no plural form for a singular state)

A question for Texans - how have your opinions on both legal and illegal immigration from Latin America changed over the last few years?

In the last week, I've heard/read two different reports of the perspective of Texans on immigration (specifically, Mexican/Latin American immigration). One comes from a July 9 Economist podcast. (Note: I have linked the story, not the podcast; the podcast interview mentions this fact, while the article does not.)
While largely focused on the economic, political, and structural factors that allowed Texas to better weather the recession than other sunbelt states (notably, California), I was particularly drawn to the point that Texans actually have a more favorable view of (legal) Latin American immigrants than the vast majority of the country.

The second comes from a NYTimes article on the strong shift in sentiment concerning illegal Latin American immigrants, especially in the wake of the 2006 murder of a Houston police officer by a previously deported felon, and the near-death of another officer in March at the hands of another illegal immigrant with a criminal history.

What both articles do not provide is a sense of how average Texans view immigrants, both legal and illegal, and the impact that a recession has had on both.* Historically, communities, Texan or otherwise, have looked with hostility toward immigrants during times of economic duress. California, for example, had armed vigilantes at its Eastern border to keep "Okies" and other internally displaced persons during the Great Depression.

So, Texans, time to speak up. Has there been a change? How have your opinions, and the opinions of your community, on both legal and illegal immigration from Latin America changed over the last few years?

*I hope to search for, and find, some longitudinal data on this, broken down by state. Will try Pew and a few other organizations - recommendations greatly appreciated. Naturally, I will update this post when I find them.

American brain drain

Why Skilled Immigrants Are Leaving the U.S. (Businessweek)

It's an interesting shift, one that started to happen after September 11 made the visa process hell. Also possibly contributing was the use of a full one-third of H-1B Visas to train employees to return to their home country (outsourcing).

I expect to see a similar study ten years from now showing that the US has permanently lost its dominance in higher education. It may not be reversible, or even undesirable, but it does have implications for the recovery and future growth.