Thread: Immigrants can save, not threaten, the U.S.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/n ... 514124.htm

Posted on Thu, Sep. 14, 2006


Immigrants can save, not threaten, the U.S.
Hispanics will play an increasingly important role in the economy
ELENA BOTELLA
Special to the Observer

On school buses and in summer camps, a popular ditty among young Caucasians is sung to the tune of "La Cucaracha":

My name is Pedro, I live in Mexico I make a dolla a day I go to Wal-Mart, and buy a Pop Tart Then my dolla go away

I first heard this tune at Girl Scout camp, by way of another camper. She is not the sort of girl you'd expect to spread racist slurs. But perhaps most surprising was that, when confronted, she didn't seem to think a Hispanic would have reason to find the song offensive.

Maybe I shouldn't have been so shocked. After all, the image of Hispanic Americans is assaulted every day in magazines, newspapers and TV shows. Many of the views purported by right-wing columnists and talk show hosts are completely unfounded, such as the idea that there is a secret plot by the Mexican government and American Hispanics to wrest the Southwest away from the U.S. in order to create "Aztlan," a Hispanic nation. The Southern Policy Law Center lists 10 anti-immigration groups whose platform includes that idea.

Anti-immigrant sentiment runs along two veins: that Mexican immigrants rob Americans of resources and that Hispanic-Americans fundamentally differ from previous immigrant groups in ways that are threatening or dangerous. The facts differ.

Immigrants help economy

Pat Buchanan asserts in his book "State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America" that immigrants, "mostly uneducated and poor, get more back in government benefits ... than they ever pay out in government taxes." But according to a Jan. 3 news release from the University of North Carolina, North Carolina's rapidly growing Hispanic population contributes on average $14,977 per person to the state's economy through its purchases, taxes and labor, while costing the state $102 in health care, education and correction services.Hispanics' impact on the economy will increase as the U.S. population ages. As baby boomers retire, the economic infrastructure could implode without Hispanic-Americans to fill gaps in the work force, housing market and Social Security system.

According to a Sept. 22, 2004, article by Patrick Oslo Jr. in The Globalist Magazine ("Hispanic Youth to America's Rescue?") the Social Security benefits of white Anglo-Saxons will depend largely on the earning power of young U.S. Hispanics. Among Hispanics, 48 percent are under 25 and only 19 percent are 45 or older. Among non-Hispanic whites, just 32 percent are under 25, while 38 percent are 45 or older. This means Hispanics will play a disproportionately large role in financing benefits for elderly Americans.

Between 2000 and 2025, the white working-age population is expected to decline by 5 million workers as baby boomers retire, creating a tremendous pull for replacement workers. Perhaps before condemning Hispanics as lazy or criminal, we should consider where the country would be in several years without them to help keep the economy afloat.

Yes, Hispanics will assimilate

A second myth propagated by anti-immigrant groups regards assimilation. Buchanan claims that "all nationalities, creeds and cultures are not equal" in their capacity to integrate into American culture, and that Mexican-Americans somehow differ in their ability to become a functioning part of the social landscape. On the contrary, Mexican immigrants exhibit striking similarities with the Irish immigrants who previously entered the U.S. Consider these passages from the Library of Congress American Memory Projects:

"Though these immigrants were not the poorest people in Ireland, by American standards they were destitute. ... Irish immigrants were often crowded into subdivided homes that were intended for single families, living in tiny, cramped spaces. ... Irish immigrants often entered the work force at the bottom of the occupational ladder and took on the menial and dangerous jobs that were often avoided by other workers. Many Irish women became domestic workers, while many Irish men ... built railroads and canals. ... Some business took advantage of Irish immigrants' willingness to work at unskilled jobs for low pay."

When juxtaposed with turn-of-the-century Irish immigration, the Hispanic influx suddenly seems less threatening.

The claim that the past pattern -- children and grandchildren of immigrants who rapidly accept English -- is breaking down has been disproven by Census data. Among second-generation Hispanics (myself included), 92 percent speak English well or very well, even though 85 percent speak at least some Spanish at home. The Migration Policy Institute projects that within three generations Hispanic-Americans will have assimilated entirely through education, language acquisition and intermarriage.

The next steps are clear. The U.S. should pursue unbigoted, common-sense policies like gradual amnesty for law-abiding immigrants combined with stricter border control. The media must resolve to cease propagating xenophobic attitudes about Hispanics. Most importantly, every American should revise his or her own stereotypes of Hispanic-Americans.


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Elena Botella is a sophomore at Myers Park High School. Write her at edbotella@gmail.com.

Let me make this clear. If the US economy is in such terrible shape that it requires mass lawlessness and invasion by illegal aliens then there are politicians and corporations here in the US to blame.

Don't offer us invasion as a necessary solution for poor policy decisions by politicians and corporations regarding the US economy. Let the damn economy correct and let's get it over with.

That will probably happen anyway, except when it does we will be surrounded by millions of people in our streets that hate America and hate Americans.

W

The Democrats in the house are out beating their drums today against a fence and border security without comprehensive immigration reform. I think they are to vote on a bill later today and the Democrats are fighting it.

Between 2000 and 2025, the white working-age population is expected to decline by 5 million workers as baby boomers retire, creating a tremendous pull for replacement workers. Perhaps before condemning Hispanics as lazy or criminal, we should consider where the country would be in several years without them to help keep the economy afloat.

Well......being since I'm in that age group.......I know social security is not going to do squat for me. They are already cutting medicare benefits and raising payments. Social security may be gone by the time I qualify and how do they think the "aging" but not dead yet, people are going to survive? They are going to have to work. They aren't going to get to "retire" as our parents did. Sure a few will......but not everybody. That's what? 12 to 20 million to replace 5? I gave birth to my "replacements"........and many of our replacements are unemployed.

What percentage of Hispanic leaders and activists would support an illegal alien amnesty if virtually all of the illegal aliens in the USA were non-Hispanic?

Exactly W! If our economy is that dependent on foreign labor and illegal labor then we are not really a country anyway and our politicians and "leaders" need to be taken to task!

There is so much BS in this article it is hard to know where to start. I'll just leave it at this.

Yes, Hispanics will assimilate

Dr. Agapito Lopez Of Hazelton Latino Association Vows "We Will Never Assimilate!" 7/13/2006

Let's also be clear on the following:

1. That ALIPAC is not a Anti-Immigration group, but rather an Anti-Illegal Immigration group.

2. No one here argues that LEGAL immigration hurts the economy unless it is excessive.

3. Perhaps some Hispanics, ie. legal ones, will assimilate. The Aztlan, Reconquista, and LaRaza types show know willingness to assimilate, only to conquer.

4. Irish immigrants, legal or not, did not claim that this land was their land wrongly taken from them, and they did not constantly have their hands out for freebies. they worked hard at assimilation because they wanted to be Americans.

UB

Interestingly, the author makes absolutely no differentiation between Legal Immigrants and Illegal Aliens (I searched the text of the article for the word 'illegal' to no avail). To her, they ALL are lumped together as one homogenous group having uniform costs, consequences and benefits
... how disingenuous.

Legal Immigrants are welcome and very often do benefit society and the economy. Illegal Aliens, on the other hand, ... well, we know the story...

And, the author fails to recognize that a majority of US Hispanic perm. residents/citizens support strong enforcement of US immigration laws....

Between 2000 and 2025, the white working-age population is expected to decline by 5 million workers as baby boomers retire,

Weren't there working people that aren't white, also expected to retire then? Plus they aren't counting all the outsourced jobs given away already, and the increasing HB1 visas being given away. I don't by this for 1 second. I'm from the "basics" generation and even with my poor math skills this doesn't add up.

My name is Pedro, I live in Mexico I make a dolla a day I go to Wal-Mart, and buy a Pop Tart Then my dolla go away

I first heard this tune at Girl Scout camp, by way of another camper. She is not the sort of girl you'd expect to spread racist slurs. But perhaps most surprising was that, when confronted, she didn't seem to think a Hispanic would have reason to find the song offensive.

I'm still trying to find the racial slur in that song, can someone help me?