Reader S.M. writes:

I’ve been a long time reader of National Review and NRO, but I think it’s time for me to turn you guys off.
I read your article today on the immigration debate and it’s sad to see how pervasive the anti-immigration, anti-Mexican sentiment has become at National Review. This is in spite of the legacy of William F. Buckley who was credited with kicking the kooks out of the conservative movement.
According to the Dallas Morning News, as cited by Rich Lowry in his tribute to William F. Buckley upon his retirement, “Mr. Buckley’s first great achievement was to purge the American right of its kooks. He marginalized the anti-Semites, the John Birchers, the nativists and their sort.”
It’s sad to see NR overtaken by extreme nativists like yourself. This philosophy is counter-productive to the conservative movement, as Richard Nadler eloquently explained, and it is contrary to important conservative themes such as freedom and opportunity.
I find it amazing that you state that your primary concern about immigration is “the extent to which immigrants assimilate culturally and economically.” For this reason, you want to reduce immigration, legal and illegal, and want more varied sources of immigrants, i.e. less Mexicans. These fears have no basis in fact. Regarding culture, the 2000 census found that 91% of the children and 97% of the grandchildren of Mexican immigrants spoke English well. Regarding economy, studies show that Mexican immigrants have progressed economically just as well as European immigrants from the early 20th Century, this in spite of the fact that many Mexicans have the additional burden of illegal status, unlike their earlier European counterparts. (Please see Jason L. Riley’s excellent book on this topic for more data.)
Since the facts don’t support your primary reason for opposing immigration, I can only come to the conclusion that your position is based on a nativist, anti-Mexican philosophy. That is very sad and is difficult for me to tolerate any longer. For that reason, even though I agree with National Review on many, if not most, other issues, I have to say that NR and NRO are dropping way down, if not off, my reading list.

I know some “extreme nativists.” Believe me, they don’t think of me as one of them! I didn’t find the Riley book as impressive as you do. But I find even less impressive your attempt to read my mind.