Posted on 04/26/2006 7:49:00 PM PDT by Axhandle
The immigration rallies across America showed that restrictionists aren't the only ones with strong views. But beyond podium pounding, compelling arguments are also necessary. As the Senate goes back this week to the task of crafting an immigration bill, it is crucial to focus on the right reasons for creating a guest-worker program and legalizing 12 million illegal immigrants.
The case for immigration doesn't have to do as much with the Latino vote or civil rights. It should center instead on America's growth, competitiveness and dynamism.
This month's rallies of thousands of people in many major cities raised the importance of the Latino vote. But 40 percent of Latinos are foreign-born; and since many of them aren't citizens, they can't vote. And those who can vote are likely to care mostly about the same things that other Americans care about. The 2004 National Survey of Latinos, conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that the top issues for Latino voters included education, the economy and health care--similar to many other Americans.
Just as important is that Latinos have a variety of views, backgrounds and opinions. When it comes to illegal migrants, for instance, Latinos show significant differences. Another Pew Hispanic Survey found that although there's an overall positive perception about immigrants, different generations have different perceptions about undocumented workers. More foreign-born Latinos than American-born ones believe that illegal immigrants should be allowed to become citizens.
So rallies might give the impression that Latinos have a loud, unique and common voice. The group, however, is too broad and diverse to speak of common views or trends that will coherently translate into votes.
Then there are those who view immigration, and legalizing undocumented workers, as a matter of civil rights. In the immigrant-rights rally in Alabama, Rev. Lawton Higgs--a United Methodist minister and activist--reportedly said, “We've got to get back in touch with the civil rights movement, because that's what this is about.” Similarly, when talking at one of the rallies, Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy linked the immigration fight to the civil rights movement.
The problem, however, is that, say, equal protection rights--from the 14th Amendment--have a constitutional origin. Illegal immigrants, as human beings, are certainly entitled to human rights. But illegal residents are not technically within the jurisdiction of the American political community and are thus not entitled to the protection of certain rights that are, by constitutional design, directed to people within the jurisdiction.
To come under the purview of constitutional rights, illegal immigrants would first have to become recognized members of the political community. So the questions are whether and why they should be able to become members; not whether they have the same political rights as other members.
Moreover, those reverting to the '60s' civil rights movement are looking to the past, not the future--which is where immigration belongs.
According to forecasts based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the domestic labor force must expand over the next few years for the United States to maintain at least 3 percent annual growth in its GDP. Since not enough people are being born to sustain this expansion, there's then a demographic challenge. The natural candidates to fill the gap are immigrants.
Additionally, guest workers and immigrants are good for the economy. With a low 4.7 percent unemployment rate, current workers, including illegal migrants, have been clearly absorbed by the labor market. And guest workers who work for lower wages keep costs down, passing the benefit to consumers.
Immigration isn't all blissful: unlike commodities, newcomers bring cultures and hence potential complications, which is partly why assimilation and accommodation are essential. On the whole, however, immigrants bring many benefits.
Although restrictions are necessary and punishment is needed for those who've broken the law, the case for welcoming new guest workers and regularizing the status of illegal immigrants is compelling. It has to do with growth and competitiveness.
The debate on immigration reform shouldn't be about ethnic identity, voting blocs or entitlements. We'd be far better off by turning to hard work, opportunity and prosperity. That's what immigration has brought to America, and that's what it can still contribute by setting the sights on the future.
Apparently what's good for the economy is all that matters and the American people be damned. It's not OK to get cheap medicine in Canada but it's OK to screw Americans by importing cheap labor and all the social burdens they bring with them.
Yeah, who cares about freedom and sovereignty.
Even by their own economic standards their analysis fails, because they fail to take a serious look at the effects this will have on our politics, and particularly government taxing and spending.
The cost of the illegals outweighs any benefits whatsoever.
What fertilizer logic from so called experts.
How much you want to bet that when all these cost suppressing illegals become legal citizens that Jose here will be one of the first ones to call for unionization, and consequently higher wages, because it's their "civil right"?
Won't it be ironic that the newly legal and newly unionized Mexicans will then be looking down their noses at their incoming illegal brethren who will now be doing the jobs that the newly legal now won't do?
The article is right. It's absolutely true that immigration makes our economy more dynamic.
I'm glad you posted it despite clearly disagreeing with it. It would be nice to gain a balanced view of this issue. All I see here is "Throw 'em out". All I see in the pro-illegal sites is "We own this land." Neither view is, in my opinion, particularly constructive.
I moved to sleepy Pittsburgh from dynamic LA and I have to say I prefer dynamic LA by a long shot. This place is outright depressing because there are so few young people and most workers I've seen are, frankly, lazy.
I think a lot of the difference is that there are few illegals in Pittsburgh. The people here deserve a kick, and that's exactly what illegals would give them.
After having lived in a place with lots of illegals and one with almost none, I can say that I'd rather live in a place with them than without them.
If you don't want them to overwhelm our hospitals, change the law so they're automatically deported whenever they ask for free medical care. I'd support that.
But I don't see the hatred of illegals I see in many places on FR as being constructive for our country.
D
Ping
Ted K is linking the illegals to the plight of blacks? Has he lost his mind? Blacks were slaves, not illegals. The illegals are taking many jobs from poorer blacks, too.
98,000 children of illegal immigrants recieving almost $300 million in welfare in LA county alone.
I live 1/2 block from a Houston middle-school.
Probably 1% (of the parents of the kids I see) pay property taxes which fund H.I.S.D.
Children of the parents who do not pay property taxes are free-loaders.
How did we get to the place where only property owners pay school taxes?
Yeah, but LA is dynamic.
Wow! Just think if we could get them Chi-com slave labor folks as guest workers! We'll be in consumer heaven!
Even a few million of the Chinese who work 10-12 hour shifts for pennies, sleep in company housing, and get one day a week off -- wow! Bring 'em over -- now!
Maybe that's why our ruling class was soooooooooo nice to Hu.
No, but in all fairness it is not about dynamism, warm and fuzzy "nation of Immigrants" rhetoric, or jobs Americans won't do, either. It is about cheap labor and nothing else.
I don't know...would I give up my tranquil yet growing town where speeding is usually the harshest crime committed or go back to the Nolensville Rd. (Nashville) apartment house where grating music is played loudly 24/7, graffiti hits every flat surface and my car (when it found a space) was defaced regularly?
And if I chalked up the murder down the hall, the anchor kid being killed and ditched in the nearby park or the pregnant woman who was hit by a van only to have the guys come back and put a few slugs into her lest they "get in trouble"?
NO.
I like what Rush has to say on the subject. If illegal Mexicans are good for the economy, then why does Mexicao have such a lousy one?
The pro business wing of the GOP and their flunkies such as Kudlow, see the US not as a society, not as a culture, but just an economy. Quite sad, and this wing of the GOP I hope will leane a valuable lesson in the enxt few years.
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