Moms Vent: Vacation Dollars Pay Foreigners

Hi Julia,

I read John Sr.'s "Dad Unhappy Jobs Go to Illegal Immigrants" and I couldn't help but write about a similar problem, although this involves legal immigrants.

I feel that this issue is local because most residents that live here vacation on the Florida coast, so the issue affects our wallets, thus our lives. Plus, many of us have students attending college in Florida who rely on tourism/seasonal jobs that are given to legal immigrants. Read on.....

My family visits the Gulf Coast several times a year. Last year we met several Russian waitresses at Panama City Beach restaurants, bars, and stores. I asked a restaurant manager why they employed a Russian wait staff. What I learned upset me.

The restaurants, amusement piers, and other coastal businesses are hiring Foreign Exchange Students. American businesses pay them minimum wage, or less. 75% of coastal tourism workers are foreigners (what I was told). Even the fast food restaurants hold jobs for returning foreigners, the manager said.

The Foreign Exchange Students then go home after the summer rich in American dollars.

Our in-land labor-intensive jobs are going to illegal immigrants and our coastal tourism/seasonal jobs are going to legal immigrants.

Does America simply not care about the success of our children and their futures? Has big business become so greedy that it doesn't care Americans are suffering?

There's a recession. The job market is terrible. During times like this, the government should force business to hire Americans-only!

What can be done to change this problem, because it is legal?

Carol P.

Have you vacationed at a Georgia or Florida destination that employs foreigners? How do you feel about it? What can be done to change this problem? Reply to Carol in the Comment Box below.