So, where to turn for an honest debate about immigration?
Sadly, there is no place on earth for such a debate. We are all biased in some way, either by our own prejudices, or by our place of residence, or by our economic priorities. As responsible citizens, we must seek information on this, and any important topic, with an acknowledgment of these biases, and those of whom we watch and listen to on our various media outlets, and, most importantly, be able to separate "facts" and messages which appeal to our emotions from those which appeal to our minds.
Yes, I know, a very tough task.
A simple example, which I have used before, is one of employment. As a population increases, at any given time, it may be possible to cite a statistic that claims more people are employed than ever in history, and, at the same time, that more people are under employed, or unemployed, that at any time in history. Both can be true if the population of that country is increasing. Each statistic can be used, by opposing sides of a debate, to prove the greatness of its side or the failure of the other. Only the discerning listener knows that neither statistic means anything in and of itself, without other information, especially percentage information, as opposed to an aggregate number.
That being said, I will present my opinion as to whey we need less stringent immigration laws, and an increase of immigration into America. I will present information and facts to back this opinion, but the reader must remember that I am biased. My family is only two generations removed from Europe so without immigration I would not be writing this blog from America. In addition, I have visited the Statue of Liberty, read its words of invitation, hope, and encouragement to the "huddled masses", and believe it is that spirit of acceptance that contributed to America's greatness. And finally, I seek out and read the stories of today's immigrants and refugees, understand that their desire to come to America, even if it means entering by illegal means, are the same stories that drove my ancestors to this country. I believe that we are the children and grandchildren of people just like them, and that by rejecting and demonizing them, we reject and demonize our own past.
One of the more compelling arguments against immigration today, is an economic one. This argument states quite simply that as long as there is a source of cheap labor, employers will be able to suppress wages. Removing that source, will force employers to pay higher wages. Further, that it is the business community that supports immigration, legal and illegal, which is why there are so few prosecutions for businesses who hire undocumented workers, while the workers themselves are painted as the problem.
My bias, against big business, makes me open to such arguments as I have a deep seated problem with the power of corporations in America. It would be easy for me to latch onto this argument and eschew articles which debunk it.
However, over the weekend, I read such an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, business section. This article presented facts about employment that counter my bias. Did you know that upwards of 10,000 baby boomers retire every day? And that this trend will continue for another decade, at least, as the baby boomers, as defined by those born between 1946 and 1964, continue to retire? America is, statistically speaking, operating around 1% above full employment, where full employment is defined at 3%. (Current unemployment, nationally, is 3.8%). In other words, we need more workers, not less. And, since the birth rate for America has been in decline for decades, despite the higher birth rates of immigrants, it is clear that we will need more immigration, not less, in the near future if we intend to run our businesses, fix our infrastructure and encourage more entrepreneurship.
Now, this information does not necessarily counter the belief that wages will stay low, as it is generally believed that immigrants tend to enter the work force at the bottom of the economic ladder. However, my family being an example, within a generation or two, a large percentage of those immigrants have children who move up the economic ladder. This should not be surprising as stories abound concerning immigrant parents (of all nationalities) who sacrifice so their progeny can live better than they did. Seeking a higher standard of living for one's children exists across all races, cultures, and ethnic origins, and is cited in countless "success" stories by the children and grandchildren of immigrant parents when asked for their inspiration.
The fact that employers seek to pay the least amount of money, whether to legal or undocumented workers transcends generation and position in life, and will continue whether the employer resides in one's community or in the White House. What is important is that new blood, immigrant blood, refreshes a nation. It has done so for America for its entire existence, and will continue to do so if we consider immigration in ways which reach beyond our prejudices.
Does that mean open borders? Of course not. Just as we prefer to prosecute and incarcerate the small percentage of native born American citizens who pose a threat to society, we need a process to filter out those who intend nefarious activities once they cross our border. This is a difficult task, as it is difficult to know beforehand, who will respect our laws and who will not. But is is also true that just because a desperate person crosses into America illegally, it means they will break other laws as well. The percentage of illegal immigrants who commit serious crime is no more, and depending on what stats you use, even less than the percentage of natural born Americans who commit those crimes. Undocumented people tend to avoid legal issues, even to the extend of not reporting those who commit crimes against them, for fear of drawing attention to their illegal status.
If we are to presume that those who risk their lives to come to America, do so for the best intentions, then we must continue to give the majority the benefit of the doubt, and reinforce our belief in them, and their belief in America, by rewarding their good behavior, and, just as importantly, by removing those among them who are not up to the standard which we expect.
Serious crime is not to be tolerated, However, just as we presume innocence until proven guilt, we can not pass laws that exclude all peoples from only specific countries because they look or worship differently, or were merely born in a foreign land. If that had been the case when the Mafia was first exported to the United States, all Italian immigration to America would have been halted, to the detriment of both Italy and America, and the citizens of both countries.
The other article I recently read concerned refugees, specifically those from countries such as El Salvador. These people are fleeing horrible situations where death or life seem to be the only choices. That they choose life which includes leaving everything behind to travel hundreds, even a thousand miles for America, should make us proud that our reputation is of such high esteem. Risking it all, to provide a better life for one's children is one of the most noble motivations, yet I see these very same parents lambasted for risking their lives and those of their children, by people who prefer to reject them out of fear and prejudice rather than to understand their plight. Talk about sad! When America purposefully demonizes refugees whose only crime is to be born at the wrong time in the wrong country, it reflects most negatively on our supposed Christian values.
And, to me, it leads to the continued degradation of our national soul. When wealth is all we seek, when the yardstick for a family carrying all its belongings to travel a precarious route so as to live in a free country, is whether they are the wrong skin color, or look just like our preconceived notion of a drug dealer or rapist, then America suffers right along with those refugees.
History is such a great teacher, yet in some ways so predictable as to be ignored by most of us. People who looked different from us have been feared in America from the very first day a white European encountered the real native Americans. Every succeeding generation, after first being looked at askance by the residents of their new world, did the very same thing to the next wave of immigrants. And so, without being able to see our situation from a distance, we accept hateful words which reinforce our prejudices, and pretend that those we prefer to ignore or demonize are somehow different from our own ancestors. We ignore the hundreds of stories which resemble our own past while repeating the one story of someone who does disservice to his race or nationality as if that person represents them all.
We need to find a balance in our discussion of immigration, and a plan to treat immigrants and refugees as people who are eager to share and contribute to the greatness of America. We need this, for economic reasons, but just as much for our spiritual health, especially if how we treat the least among us is used to separate those bound for heaven or hell.
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