I had a woman in the store this morning who was visiting from the Northwest, wondering if she should move to our little town. Somehow, she got started on the "Mexican problem" in her part of the country. She was talking about how they move in and have six and seven kids each, and then lay around and use up welfare funds. She then complained about how they continue to wave Mexican flags, and march in parades wearing white, with Spanish slogans. "If they want to move here, then they should become part of the culture and not continue to think of themselves as Mexicans. That's what our ancestors did!"
Since she was only thinking about moving here (and not a regular customer yet), I risked losing a sale and politely pointed out that all the things she was saying about Mexicans were exactly what pundits used to say about Irish immigrants. "Those damn Catholics, coming to this country, having dozens of children, and then laying about, drinking, and refusing to get honest work. And, worse, they insist on having parades where they wear green and fly Irish flags and sing Irish songs. It's shameful!"
I think she actually became green herself. Her ancestors were Irish, as it turns out, and they worked hard and assimilated just fine, thank you very much. They weren't layabouts or drunkards.
She didn't go so far as asserting that wearing green on Saint Patrick's day is as American as apply pie. And I conceded that her ancestors were probably upstanding and loyal citizens.
However, I did not point out that the fourth-generation Hispanic customer who had came in right after her seemed to have assimilated at least as well as she has -- and spends greenbacks just as well, too. I'll wait and see if she really wants to live here before I broach that subject with her.