VoyForums
[ Show ]
Support VoyForums
[ Shrink ]
VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, [9], 10 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: 04:20:24 11/28/07 Wed
Author: Paul Baker
Subject: Educate yourself Pinocchio with Facts...

PHL 126, Dr. Hauser, Fall 2003

Bring ‘em On: Immigration Fallacies and Facts
by Jennifer Cornacchione


For over 300 years, various ethnic, cultural, and social groups have come to this country to seek economic opportunity, reunite with family members, and find a place where they can be free from political and religious persecution. I suspect a majority of American-born citizens believe that immigration is a bad thing in this country that is harmful. Those particular Americans believe that this country is being infested by foreigners who cannot even speak our own language. However, if one were to look at the truth behind these fallacies, he/she would see that immigration is beneficial to our country and should not be abandoned. Instead, it should be increased.



Approximately 800,000 immigrants enter the United States each year. Of this number, 480,000 of them are family sponsored, meaning that they are immediate relatives to American citizens, such as a spouse, child, or sibling. Employment-based immigrants total 140,000 each year. This means that they are, “skilled professionals with exceptional ability and other priority workers, immigrating to jobs for which the U.S. Department of Labor has certified that no qualified U.S. worker is available” (“Legal Immigration to the United States”).



Contrary to popular belief, only 1% of the population constitutes illegal immigrants. People commonly view these immigrants as “dirty Mexicans” crossing the border, when in fact, six out of the ten illegal immigrants enter the United States legally with a student, tourist, or business visa. Many become illegal when they stay in the United States after their visas have expired (“America is Immigration”). Refusing immigrants into this country will not alleviate the problem of illegal immigration. If they are able to get in now, then how is a decrease in immigration going to stop them? Illegal immigration is simply a problem that will continually have to be dealt with. Although many Americans think of immigration as illegal border hopping, there are people who actually do come here legally to improve their lifestyle or to be reunited with loved ones.



Many people who disapprove of immigration base their opinions on arguments that are purely fictitious. One such argument against immigration is that immigrants take away American jobs and are a drain on the U.S. economy. However, the only competition with immigrants is the skilled immigrants versus the skilled natives, and the unskilled immigrants versus the unskilled natives. Therefore, the person with the most skills deserves the job. If that person is an immigrant, then so be it. Obviously stated, the person who works the hardest and has the most knowledge gets the reward. Immigrants only hurt those who are less qualified. Another problem that comes up when talking about immigrants taking away jobs is that immigrants will work for less, so they are hired more often than are the natives who are seeking employment. Of course immigrants will work for a lower wage; they want to succeed in this country and in order to live a decent life, they need an income, and they best and most legal way to do such a thing is to work. If they cannot find employment elsewhere, they will settle for being paid lower wages. Instead of putting the blame on immigrants, people should look to the cause of the problem: the employers. It is not the immigrant’s fault that the employers are willing to pay them less for their work.



Furthermore, there is no “set number” of jobs because as the demand for workers increases, the number of jobs will increase as well. As immigrants come into this country, they increase the demand for goods and services through consumption. This in turn increases the number of workers needed to produce those goods and services. Immigration has also been accused of being the cause of wage inequality in the United States. Francisco L. Rivera-Batiz, an economist at Columbia University, states that, “Both theory and empirical evidence suggest that there has been very little, if any, impact of immigration on the wages of high-school dropouts” (“Five Immigration Myths Explained”). After actually looking at the facts, it is quite obvious that immigrants do not take away “American” jobs.



Immigrants do succeed in this country. In fact, over the past forty years, the percentage of both male and female immigrant high school dropouts has decreased by thirty-three percent. The percentage of immigrant females who are college graduates has increased by twenty-three percent, while the percentage of immigrant male college graduates has grown by about twenty percent. Since 1990, both male and female immigrants have acquired a higher level of education compared to the education native men and women have received. Being a native of another country does not automatically make one lazy and unsuccessful.



Moreover, immigrants tend to have high rates of entrepreneurship, which also leads to the creation of new jobs. In fact, in 1995, Inc. Magazine reported that 12% of the 500 fastest growing corporations in America were companies started by immigrants (“Five Immigration Myths Explained”). If one were to take a look at the engineers, doctors, and scientists in America, he/she would notice that perhaps the majority of them have come from foreign countries. Additionally, from the use of immigrants as employees, American firms benefit from the country the immigrant came from. American businesses market their products in the foreign market by creating a link between themselves and the immigrant’s country (Borjas 96). Because Americans would increase their business overseas, their profits would increase.



Another component of the argument that immigrants are harmful to the economy is that those coming from other countries do not pay taxes. On the contrary, all who work in the United States are required to pay income taxes. Immigrants, specifically, paid over one-hundred billion dollars in direct taxes to local, state, and federal governments in 1997. Furthermore, the average annual tax payments made by immigrants are roughly the same as natives: $6,300 for immigrants opposed to $6,500 for natives. In fact, the National Academy of Sciences states that, “Over the long run an additional immigrant and all descendants would actually save the taxpayers $80,000” (qtd. In “Five Immigration Myths Explained”). University of California, Berkeley economist Ronald Lee concluded that forty-nine out of the fifty states benefit fiscally from immigration. Supporting immigration, 56% of economists believed that increased immigration would have the most positive impact on the American standard of living, whereas 33% believed that the current immigration rate had the most favorable impact. Therefore, immigrants do not harm the economy in general or when it comes to taxes.



Another common myth about immigration is that America is being overrun by foreigners. It is true that the number of immigrants living in the United States has grown since 1910; however, the percentage of the population they comprise has decreased from 14.7% to 11%. Also, in 1913, during the peak of immigration, there were 13 immigrants per 1,000 U.S. residents, and currently there are three legal immigrants per 1,000 U.S.-born residents entering the United States. As one can see from this data, America is not being flooded by those coming from other countries.



Immigrants contribute considerably to American society. According to a Manhattan Institute report, immigrants are more likely than natives to have an intact family, college degree, and also to be employed. Legal immigrants also attend school longer than natives. The median years of schooling for immigrants is thirteen compared to twelve for American-born citizens, according to the New Immigrant Survey. In addition, from that same report, we learn that immigrants are no more likely to commit crime. Yet another way immigrants contribute to American society, as explained earlier, is through their assistance in the growth of innovation. Foreign-born scientists and engineers make up a significant number of individuals with PhDs. Immigrants are also involved in defending our country. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, “More than 60,000 serve on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, make up five percent of all enlisted personnel on active duty in the U.S. armed forces, and nearly seven percent are enlisted in the U.S. Navy” (“Five Immigration Myths Explained”). Being born in another country does not mean that one is uninterested in and/or does not contribute to American society.



The current immigration policy of the United States rests on the assumption that it is the community’s right to decide on a person’s membership (Singer 255). But who are we to tell those who are suffering or seeking a place to be free that they may not enter? As I explained earlier, many people believe that immigrants are a drain on the economy. The result of their feelings would be that we do not need immigrants in this country. Many Americans do not know the facts about immigration, so why should they have any right to decide if immigrants should or should not enter the community/country? Chances are, with the obvious opinion of many, immigrants would be refused into this country. America is not short on resources, and can support many more people who want to live in this country, as our ancestors were able to do. While most of us are living in luxury in America, there are many immigrants who just want to live in this country. Many people feel that we have enough problems in this country and we cannot even care for our own inhabitants. However, we could. And we could support immigrants in this country, as well. The fact that we do not forgo our luxuries to help others suggests that we regard our luxuries as more important than the lives of immigrants (Rachels 76). The immigration policy should be based on the interests of those affected-- immigrants and natives. Equal consideration should be given to each party in the areas where their interests conflict. This would mean that more fundamental interests take priority over less fundamental interests (Singer 256). For example, a person wanting to live in the United States to seek refuge would take precedence over a citizen who wants to live in a multi-billion dollar home. One is a necessity, the other is not. If our resources are supposedly so scarce that we cannot allow immigrants, then why is it okay to waste these resources on unnecessary materialistic goods? I agree with Singer in that those with the most fundamental needs should be the ones whose wants are to be granted.



Another theory that supports increased immigration is Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative. This theory states that one should, "act only according to that maxim by which one can at the same time will that it should become a universal law" (Rachels 121). This means that if we close the doors to those seeking refuge, then the doors would be closed on us as well if we were ever in need of assistance. The Categorical Imperative also states that we, “should be helpful to people regardless of our particular wants and needs” (Rachels 121). If people are seeking some sort of aid, we should help them. According to Kant, we are obliged to allow immigration.



This country was founded on the principles of equality and tolerance. Refusing immigrants into the United States would refute everything this country is based on. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," is not rhetoric, it is America's oath to ensure that those people who face the prospect of ethnic cleansing, religious oppression, torture, and even death have a place to live (“America is Immigration”). If we were allowed freedom from Great Britain and elsewhere, then why can’t others have freedom from where they have come from? No one should take precedence over another when it comes to deciding who should be able to live in this country. Everybody deserves to be free and to live life in the manner that they want to. I think most people forget that they are here as a result of immigration. We are all here for the same reasons: our families wanted to give themselves, and their future generations, a better life and greater opportunities. If it had not been for immigration, none of us would be in the position we are today.



WORKS CITED



· “America is Immigration.” American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Internet. 10 November, 2003. .

· Borjas, George J. Heaven’s Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1999.

· “Five Immigration Myths Explained.” American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Internet. 10 November, 2003. .

· “Legal Immigration to the United States.” American Immigration Lawyer’s Association. Internet. 10 November, 2003. .

· Rachels, James. The Elements of Moral Philosophy. 4th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 1999.

· Singer, Peter. Practical Ethics. 2nd ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[ Contact Forum Admin ]

Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.