Mexican Immigrants in the USA - Essay Example

Mexican Immigrants Should Be Welcomed, Not Vilified Throughout the history of the world people have migrated from one area to another seeking a better life for themselves and their family. The result is usually beneficial for both the immigrants and the new nations they inhabit. As an example, the U.S. was inundated by two “Great Waves” of immigrants in the years before and after the turn of the twentieth century. The population of the country quickly grew by about 50 percent in just 40 years, an immense influx of tired, poor, and huddled masses yearning to breathe free. U.S. citizens at the time, though most of whom only second and third generation Americans themselves, were frightened by these foreigners because they spoke different languages, observed different religions and whose culture were strange to them. The Irish, Jews, Italians and Eastern Europeans were openly discriminated against. Storefront windows had signs with the letters “NINA” (no Irish need apply) prominently displayed for all to see. Cities were partitioned into ethnic areas, a legacy that can still be witnessed today, as in “Chinatown.” Those immigrants and their “strange” culture became woven into the fabric of Americana; their contributions to industry, innovation and the arts were and remain an invaluable contribution. In hindsight we can better appreciate those immigrants. Without them the U.S. would not be as culturally rich or as economically powerful. Although we have clear and recent evidence that immigration should be welcomed and celebrated, the current political atmosphere has returned to those days of fear and resentment. Immigrants did not take away American jobs then and aren’t now. They are adding to the economy and culture today as then but bigotry persists then as now. The presence of Mexican immigrants boosts the economy, do not reduce the number of available jobs for citizens and do not raise the crime rate nor are they a burden to the welfare system. They should be welcomed, allowed to assimilate and join the long list of immigrants to the U.S. that have made the nation stronger. Immigrants to the U.S. that are highly educated and skilled are generally welcomed and for good reason, their contribution to society is evident. These are the innovators, teachers and scientists who add to the overall economy and intellect of the country. As was the perception a century ago, the low-skilled, uneducated immigrants are often vilified because they take American jobs, pay little or no taxes, lower property values as they move in and take advantage of government assistance. Immigrants who are in the country illegally bear the brunt of a long held frustration among many who believe them to be a great detriment to society. This becomes a more emotional issue during difficult economic times. However, the problem is one of misinformation and prejudice rather than actual harm caused. Seldom do we hear of “problems” caused by illegal immigration from any other country than Mexico. Americans fear cultural assimilation and the mixing of races rather than any economic detriments that exists only in their minds. The people who research this issue even briefly understand that immigrants, especially low-skilled illegal immigrants from south of the border, add to the economy giving much more than they take. “Low-skilled immigration greases the wheels of the U.S. labor market.” (Borjas, 2001). People question whether the presence of Mexican immigrants increases or decreases the overall wealth of the nation. Yes, and in many ways. Mexican immigrants make higher wages than they are accustomed to but lower wages than citizens, often much lower and are provided no benefits. This translates into lower housing, produce, and general construction costs in addition to others such as childcare and lawn care. Paying out lower wages is finically beneficial for citizens but there is another, less obvious benefit. Immigrant workers do the laundry, mow lawns and care for the children in addition to other domestic duties. This important societal function frees their employers to work more therefore make more money. They then spend more money which is a boost to the economy. Women make up about half of the high salary workforce. Help with childcare duties is necessary if both parents are to spend more time earning money. “Low-skilled immigrants contribute to economic growth because their presence creates a larger supply of high-skilled, highly-paid workers.” (Borjas, 2001). It is a myth that only a certain number of jobs exist. The labor market is constantly churning.  Jobs are continually being created and lost but its more complex than that, a geographic element must be considered to better understand this process. Job opportunities are frequently created in locations where there are not enough people to fill the vacancies. Sometimes there are too few unemployed persons in an area or too few with particular skill sets for the type of jobs being created. In a labor market that is operates efficiently and effectively; workers are able to swiftly move to fill job opportunities.  “To the extent that vacancies and wage differences for the same jobs persist in different parts of the United States, economic inefficiencies persist.  Immigration increases worker mobility, thus increasing economic efficiency through wage convergence.” ( Nowrasteh, 2012) Low-skilled immigrant workers are more adaptable than native born citizens. They not only have the ability to move from place to place to find work, they are also more accustomed to doing so. When jobs in the somewhat unpredictable construction industry, as an example, have come available in an area, low-skilled workers can move while most others cannot. Even low-skilled citizens are normally tied to a particular location due to family ties, kids in school and lack of money needed to sustain their current lifestyle, such as it is. Most find it impractical to simply pack up and move 1000 miles away for temporary low paying employment. “Immigrants move around the country regularly. If not for immigrants, the lack of low-skilled workers in areas of new development would stunt economic growth all over the country.” (Card and Lewis 2007). They might do roofing in Maryland during the summer, pick fruits and vegetables in fields of California during fall, hang dry wall somewhere else in the winter and do ranch work in spring. Many are in the country illegally and have no documentation but because they are able to move to where the jobs are helps ease fluctuations in the economy. Following the 2008 economic recession, many illegal immigrants were forced to go back across the border because the job market dried up. It’s indisputable that low-skilled illegal immigrants are an economic positive for the country. The one group of American citizens that may not profit from illegal Mexican laborers are high-school drop-outs who did not attend trade school therefore are unskilled themselves. This pay scale of this sector of society actually drops during economic upturns. Although this group has a legitimate complaint regarding Mexican immigrants taking their jobs and hurting their personal economic wellbeing, these illegal laborers help boost the economic wellbeing for society as a whole. Low-skilled citizens are not usually impressed with the “trickle-down” theory, that the economic health of the whole will eventually put money in their pocket, especially when they are not working while they see that illegal immigrants are. “It’s a redistribution of wages that lowers the income of some but raises the national income. Employers benefit from low wages for low-skilled workers which are held down by immigrant labor. It’s painful for a segment of society but not an economic pain for society.” (Hanson, 2012). When an illegal immigrant worker crosses the border they make more money, in many instances more than the unskilled American worker due to mobility and, admittedly, a better work ethic. They spend this money buying goods which fuel the economy more so the high school dropout. The economy doesn’t care is a worker is documented or not. Realistically, however, because most Mexican immigrants occupy the low end of the labor market and most American citizens possess mid-range to high skills there is little competition for jobs. Studies on the subject have estimated that wages for low-skilled citizen’s fall about nine percent when forced to compete with low-skilled Mexican workers. For all other groups, which constitute approximately 90 percent of all adult citizens, there is no discernible effect on wages. High school dropouts do have an advantage over Mexican immigrants because they speak the language much more fluently and have already fully assimilated into the culture. Any type employment that requires communication skills is advantageous to the native born worker, no matter the skill level. “The resulting specialization by fluency moves natives into higher-paid positions and creates more employment opportunities.” (Nowrasteh, 2012) Some claim that Mexican immigrants are a drain on social services such as food stamps, welfare and health care. While it’s true that all lower income person’s benefit from these services, including immigrants, it balances out and likely to the benefit of American citizens and not illegal immigrants. The immigrants pay into social security system but will never get back a dime of it. As discussed above, the monetary benefit of them being here must greatly offset any economic drain. Besides, one must provide proof of citizenship before receiving any social services except health care. Incredibly, some would have people show documentation before being treated in the emergency room. That’s the mentality of some that are so blindly opposed to Mexican immigration, a fallacy that also blinds them to economic realities of the situation. Several studies such as one performed by the Immigration Policy Center find immigrants are five times less likely to commit crimes than the native-born. Persons who cross the border legally have had their criminal background checked. Both legal and illegal immigrants face the prospect of deportation if convicted of a crime. Those in the country illegally and want to stay have even more incentive to obey all laws. If a legal immigrant commits a misdemeanor they likely will not get deported but an illegal immigrant will. If they are discovered, they are shipped back. (Butcher, Piehl, 2008) According to a 2010 Social Science Quarterly study crime numbers decreases when immigrant number increases. “Cities with the largest increases in immigration between 1990 and 2000 experienced the largest decreases in homicide and robbery during the same time period.” (Wadsworth, 2010). The U.S. government has been stalled on the immigration issue for years but have, in the past, attempted to legalize, therefore legitimize immigrant farm laborers in the southern border areas. In 1942, the Mexican Farm Labor Program, more commonly known as Bracero, was enacted with input from and association with Mexican government. Bracero means manual labor in Spanish. The program guaranteed the workers would be treaded humanely, be paid a minimum wage and provided with food, shelter and sanitation facilities. Sadly, this was a great improvement from conditions the workers had been accustomed to and what many today still endure. Texas farmers owners refused to participate in the program until 1947 and lobbied congressmen in Washington to exempt them from the law. They were concerned that the regulations regarding fair treatment for farm workers might be expanded to domestic help and other types of temporary work performed by immigrants. Before, during and after the Bracero laws immigrant labor has been exploited, people desperate to work treated cruelly. “Mexican agricultural workers, considered an unlimited supply of cheap labor, have been pawns to a host of economic, political, social, and humanitarian interests. Poor wages, lack of educational opportunities for the children, malnutrition, poor sanitation, and discrimination.” (De Leon, 1993). Mexican immigrants do the jobs citizens do not want and usually will not take. Their presence greatly improves the economy and brings a rich culture that mixes well into the ethnic mosaic that is America, the aspect that makes the country unique, colorful and strong. They are not a burden on the social services systems and commit much less crime than citizens. To repay this benefit to the economy and society, Americans have treated them as slave labor, as if they consider immigrants inhuman. Illegal immigration remains a hot topic today. A portion of the country would build an electrified fence along the border, at any cost, and place vigilantes along the fence to shoot anyone who made it through. Not only is this attitude reprehensible and irresponsible, it’s grossly ignorant of the benefits of Mexican immigration. One has to assume those that do not want to research the issue do not want to know the truth. Maybe it’s because they do not care about the benefits. Maybe it’s more about ethnicity than economy or public safety as they claim. References Borjas, G. Does Immigration Grease the Wheels of the U.S. Labor Market? Brookings Papers on Economic Activity 1: 69–133. 2001. Web. November 29, 2012. This extensive study examined the economic impact of immigration. Butcher, Kristin F. and Piehl. Anne Morrison Crime, Corrections, and California. Public Policy Institute of California. February 2008, pg. 3 This policy review demonstrated immigrants actually cause less crime than citizens. Card, D., and Lewis, E. The Diffusion of Mexican Immigrants during the 1990s: Explanations and Impacts. Mexican Immigration to the United States. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 207. The book revealed the social and cultural impact immigrants make on the U.S. De Leon, Arnoldo. Mexican Americans in Texas: A Brief History. Arlington Heights, Illinois: Harlan Davidson. 1993Nowrasteh, Alex. Immigrants Did Not Take Your Job. Cato Institute. Nov. 2, 2012. Web. November 29, 2012. A study that proves immigrants do not take the jobs of citizens and documents the Bracero program. Hanson, Gordon H. Immigration and Economic Growth. Cato Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1 Cato Institute. Winter 2012. Web. November 29, 2012. http://www.cato.org/pubs/journal/cj32n1/cj32n1-3.pdf The study shows how immigrants grow the economy of host countries. Wadsworth, Tim “Is Immigration Responsible for the Crime Drop? An Assessment of the Influence of Immigration on Changes in Violent Crime Between 1990 and 2000,” Social Science Quarterly. June 2010, 534. Web. November 29, 2012. A scientific magazine reviews the connection or lack of between immigrants and criminal activity. Read More