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Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Four Fears Blocking U.S. Immigration Reform
by Glenn Robinson
The U.S. has always been reluctant about immigrants and immigration policy which continues to delay immigration policy reform.
Here is the current situation:
The reluctance now imposes a certain dilemma.
How can there be an endless supply of growth without an endless supply of people?
As the U.S. population grows, the agricultural industry consequently needs to grow to meet the demand to supply food for the nation or the food can be imported (pushing more jobs outside the U.S.) After U.S. slavery was abolished, many agricultural jobs became available when African Americans moved north for manufacturing jobs. New immigrants have filled the positions open in the agricultural industry, but the disrespect to the labor force has never ended.
U.S. immigration policy favors the educated, but we also need labor.
The U.S. fears immigrants, but are the fears rational?
The U.S. Public's Fears
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| AP Photo/Nati Harnik |
The U.S. has always been reluctant about immigrants and immigration policy which continues to delay immigration policy reform.
Here is the current situation:
- Businesses want a larger pool of workers to choose from.
- Businesses want more consumers to buy their products.
- The stock market wants endless growth.
The reluctance now imposes a certain dilemma.
How can there be an endless supply of growth without an endless supply of people?
As the U.S. population grows, the agricultural industry consequently needs to grow to meet the demand to supply food for the nation or the food can be imported (pushing more jobs outside the U.S.) After U.S. slavery was abolished, many agricultural jobs became available when African Americans moved north for manufacturing jobs. New immigrants have filled the positions open in the agricultural industry, but the disrespect to the labor force has never ended.
U.S. immigration policy favors the educated, but we also need labor.
The U.S. fears immigrants, but are the fears rational?
The U.S. Public's Fears
- Losing jobs to new immigrants.
- Nation turning brown.
- Different cultures.
- English disappearing.
Versus
Demands of U.S. Businesses and Consumers
Demands of U.S. Businesses and Consumers
- Businesses' desire for highly skilled workers and low cost labor; along with consumers desire for technological advancement in all industries, consumer's desire for low cost products and low cost services
Below is a video (jump to 2:30) where our media is trying to make sense of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down 3 of Arizona's SB 1070 anti-immigrant laws and upholding one. Jeff Toobin says he spent the day trying to figure out the difference between the laws that were struck down versus the one that was approved and that it's very hard to tell.
Keeping this constant grey area in the laws allows business to obtain their discounted labor and the rest of our citizens to continue to scapegoat immigrants as law breakers and as a problem.
Keeping this constant grey area in the laws allows business to obtain their discounted labor and the rest of our citizens to continue to scapegoat immigrants as law breakers and as a problem.
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