The Problem With Immigration
The problem with immigration is not immigration itself; it is a lack of understanding what impact that immigration has on the society as a large. To hear about the current situation affecting millions of immigrants in the US, one would have to be deaf and blind to have missed it. Regardless, immigration if coupled with assimilation is inherently good for this society, it fills employment gaps where the native population chooses to no longer work, and provides individuals with means to better their own standard of living, and work towards a more successful life for themselves and their families. . Current opponents argue that it will cost the state millions if we extend legal status to immigrants; others argue that these immigrants take good jobs away from hard working Americans. Both these points hold no merit.
Living at present in a densely populated Latin American community, it may just be my lack of exposure to the proletarian classes (sarcasm), but it somehow escapes me that there are lines of well meaning Americans who want to work as Strawberry Pickers, Day Labourers, Dishwashers, Cleaning Ladies, and the like. Furthermore, by extending legal status to the millions of illegals in this country, you are in fact providing a means of taxing their incomes, helping to remedy the already diminishing federal account, and providing them with equal workers rights, further propagating the idea that this country was after all founded on the basis of life, liberty and justice for all. Was it not?
Immigrants, fill the gaps that are lacking in society, these same immigrants are hard working individuals, with morals close to those of mainstream American society, they value family, life, hold the same core belief system – and given they have the chance, they educate their children, who later assimilate into society, and grow to be valuable, contributing members of that society. These are not people who want to destroy us.
However, the implications of this backlash do not only end on the domestic front. The current administration’s perusal of a "freedom agenda" across the world, and its openness to the democratization of former dictatorial states has already created a backlash against this country’s foreign policies. Coupled with Human Rights abuses in Guantanamo Bay, and Abu-Ghraib, this lack of and application of America’s core beliefs to immigrants, does nothing but add more fuel to the fire for those who internationally stand against this countries policies, and makes the whole lot of us look like even bigger Hippocrates. As an immigrant myself, I will say that no other country could have given me the mobility, the opportunities, and the education that I received in America, but to take that away from future generations of immigrants would not only be a very poor idea, but would go against everything that we stand for. We are, after all a nation built solely on immigrants, a prime example of a melting pot, and to put an end to it now due to unfounded fears would be nothing short of taking a step towards fascism.
posted by ... j at Tuesday, May 02, 2006
13 Comments:
They are call ILLEGAL immigrants for a reason and they have no right to illegally enter this country for their benefit when there are THOUSANDS of people paying money, suffering stress, and waiting for years to enter this country the LEGAL way, all of whom also "have a right to be here."
I have friends and family who did the above steps and are legal and have ZERO symphathy for any illegal immigrant, especially those who say that they "are human and have a right to be here."
Legalize... Learn ENGLISH... And PAY TAXES just like every other LEGAL immigrant living in this country.
...put an end to it now due to unfounded fears would be nothing short of taking a step towards fascism.
Are you kidding me (re, fascism)? the only thing I want to put an end to is to people entering this country illegally because they feel like they have a right to be here to make a better life for themselves.
What would happen to me if I illegally entered into Mexico and started a business illegally and never bothered to learn Spanish or become a legal resident?
Oh.. That's right.. I would go to jail and them I would be deported.
I agree with Christopher.
You claim that granting amnesty to these immigrants would surely be the answer to the problems with illegal immigrants, namely taxing their incomes. However, that's not the whole story. Granting amnesty only encourages FURTHER abuses by illegal immigrants. There was wide-spread amnesty in the Reagan administration, and it only hurt us in the long run, because we didn't fix our fundamental problems (ie, border security and law enforcement).
I don't understand the mindset of people coming here illegally, demanding American citizenship just because they want it and believe they are somehow entitled to it, and claiming they deserve the same Constitutional rights as Americans. Sorry, but American rights are for Americans. If you want them, follow the rules and become Americans. To allow these people to skip the process just because they don't want to follow the rules undermines our society as one of law, and it's disrespectful to our ancestors and to our current immigrants who came here legally and followed the rules.
Pretentious entitlement is not a value that should be encouraged.
I am not trying to come across like a fascist, honestly. It's just that my in-laws immigrated here illegally before I was born and took the necessary steps to legalize.
They are now citizens, speak English, and pay their taxes. What makes illegal Mexican immigrants so special that they cannot do these things?
They feel they have a right to be here illegally and do not even speak English.
They [illegals] also expect to pay in-state tuition rates despite their illegal status. Where is the fairness in that?
They are ILLEGAL, but yet feel entitled to as much as a legal citizen.
Christopher - yes, illegal immigration should be stopped. But how? No border can ever be sealed. Let alone one as wide as the US-Mexico border. People come in illegally into the US because they know that there is a demand for them here. Stop that demand and illegal immigration will be greatly reduced. But are Americans willing to pay the price for stopping that demand. Do you think you can still get your 1$ burgers? Do you think you can still keep your cities clean without raising taxes? Are most Americans willing to pay this price in order to keep illegal immigrants out?
I have lots of issues with your 'assimilation' comments but those can wait.
I didn't realize that asking people to legalize, pay taxes, and learn English were the same as assimilation.
Have you ever been anywhere outside of the United States? Try this and let me know how you fair:
1) Illegally enter Greece, Italy, or other Country
2) Try to find job in said country
3) Don't bother learning the native language
4) Tell people you have a "right to be there" because "you are human" and are "only trying to help your family."
5) Demand you be treated the same as a citizen of said country.
Yeah... That would work...
Frankly, I don't care about being charged an extra $0.25 per head-of-lettuce, as long as it means keeping people out.
Here is a novel idea:
http://www.weneedafence.com/images/Fence_Idea.jpg
Like I have told other people, the government will not do everything in its power unless we have another 9/11 and it is learned that those responsible entered and exited the United States illegally via the U.S. - Mexico border.
I am a legal immigrant myself, and yes, christopher, I have ZERO sympathy for all the illegal immigrants.
I will be willing to contribute money if there is an organization that will deport every illegal immigrant out of this country.
I could not believe that they are demonstrating on the streets to demand rights that they are not entitled to. The illegals are entitled to one thing and that is DEPORTATION.
aynrand02008
Christopher - you are indulging in the classic other countries are screwing up on immigration so US should do that as well defence. So now US has to follow the standards set by Mexico? In that case why don't you make the public practice of every faith except the official one punishable by death. After all Saudi Arabia does it. Why don't you ask for 35 hr work weeks and guaranteed benefits for life. After all the whole of Western Europe does it. And BTW do you think the 'tough' immigration policies of countries like Greece, Italy, France etc. has solved their immigration problem?
Don't bring comparisons to other countries into the picture. US is the biggest magnet for immigrants, both legal and illegal. The solution has to be unique to America.
AynRand - you are entitled to your hatred towards illegal immigrants. But hatred doesn't make a policy. Deporting 7-10 million illegal immigrants is not practically feasible. Not to mention the dislocation to the economy such a policy will cause.
I could not believe that they are demonstrating on the streets to demand rights that they are not entitled to.
it wasn't just the "illegals" out there demonstrating. also, this problem isn't quite as simple as "deport every illegal immigrant".
Frankly, I don't care about being charged an extra $0.25 per head-of-lettuce, as long as it means keeping people out.
unfortunately "keeping people out" will cost a little more than that. otherwise every illegal immigrant would have been rounded up and deported ages ago.
the comparision with other countries is a case of apples vs oranges so i won't get into that.
Actually, labor costs for veggies is somewhere around 10%.
Hrm… Illegal immigrants entitled to one thing, and that is deportation? Apparently the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness does not apply to people who apparently don’t have a green card. IN fact! They’re not even PEOPLE!!!!!
Problems with assimilation comments? Surely if all the European immigration did not assimilate into American society Connecticut would speak French, New Jersey, Italian, and New York, Spanish. Assimilation is key to having successful immigration, key.
Or the anonymous individual who thinks American rights are for Americans… so then you would say that killing your daughter because she went on a date, and made out with a boy, dishonoring your family would be quite permissible, after all those are Mid Eastern rights, and they are for Mid Easterners… no moral objection to honor killings what so ever?
And Christopher, your comments, each and every one, not only holds no merit, but are rude and xenophobic, and if you must know, if you entered illegally into Mexico and wanted to start a business, you would have the same problems as you have here, doing the exact same thing. I suggest you educate yourself a bit more on global cultures, and if you must know, there are plenty of illegal Mexican immigrants who pay their taxes, and are honest members of society, and the fact that they add to the GDP of this country, help it grow, but cannot leave to see their families back home because of a little piece of paper is simply put – wrong.
oh and Chris...
And if you have labor costs at 10%, then shoot those labor costs up 600% so a good ‘ol boy can do the same job, the proportion of labor to other costs increases.
i.e. a carrot costs 100 cents, labor cost is 10 cents, 90 cents go to something else, now we increase labor to 60 cents, and that same carrot is now worth 150% of its original price. Illegal migrant workers usually work for anything from $0.50-2/hr, quite below minimum wage.
"you are entitled to your hatred towards illegal immigrants. But hatred doesn't make a policy. Deporting 7-10 million illegal immigrants is not practically feasible."
-- I won't use the word "hatred". I just think they are ignorant of the law, and therefore they have go through the normal process to learn to respect the law. If you have gone through immigration the legal way, you would know that it said clearly on all the paper that you signed and paid for, that if you vote or work without permit, you will be deported. It is written clearly and I am frustrated to see that it is not enforced strictly by law-enforcement agencies.
If you legalize the status of the illegals, the law of the land will be a joke. Essentially, you are saying: "ok, as long as there are 12 million of you breaking the same law, we can't do anything about it because it is unrealistic to put all of you in jail."
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