Thread: Anti-immigrant actions based on prejudice, misinformation

http://dailybulletin.com/opinions/ci_4111813

Anti-immigrant actions based on prejudice, misinformation
GUEST COLUMN
Jose Calderon, Guest Columnist
Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Every time there are economic problems and there are cutbacks on social services, the immigrant is made a scapegoat. Now, after 9/11, the fear of "terrorism” has been used by various groups (such as Save Our State and right-wing politicians) to criminalize the undocumented and anyone who supports them.
In recent months, we have seen anti-immigrant forces push hateful and punitive policies, such as the Sensenbrenner HR 4437 bill, to the forefront. The Senate and the House have not moved forward in advancing any type of comprehensive immigration policy.

Instead, the Department of Homeland Security has steadily increased its immigration enforcement activities, threatening millions of people trying to support their families.

In our own California Legislature, Senate Republicans have proposed 25 measures this legislative session that would restrict undocumented immigrants’ access to college, block state-funded benefits and encourage police officers to act as immigration agents. While none of these bills has made any headway, this state has not seen this many anti-immigrant bills since the 1993-94 legislative session saw the passage of the anti-immigrant Proposition 187.

With this trend, there has been an increase in hate crimes against immigrants characterized by nativist vigilante actions and rhetoric that have targeted not only Latino and Latina immigrants, but Middle Eastern and South Asian people.

It is important to understand that these anti-immigrant actions are based on prejudice and misinformation. The truth is that immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in educational and social services.

The Urban Institute found that documented and undocumented immigrants pay

$70.3 billion in tax payments but draw out only $42.9 billion in total services, and they add billions more to the economy in consumer spending.

In spite of high poverty rates among immigrants, they use fewer public benefits than citizens. Undocumented immigrants are not eligible for welfare, food stamps, or most other social programs. Except for prenatal care, undocumented immigrants do not qualify for government-provided medical treatment, except in emergencies.

There has been no respectable research indicating that public benefits and services in the United States serve as a magnet for immigrants. On the other hand, several studies demonstrate that the long-run benefits of immigration greatly exceed the short-run costs.

Although anti-immigrant groups claim that immigrants take jobs from Americans, there is little evidence to support this. One study by Rob Paral of the Immigration Policy Center shows that employment in one-third of all job categories would have contracted during the 1990s in the absence of newly arrived immigrant workers, even if all U.S.-born workers with recent experience in those categories had been rehired.

Now we do know, from various studies, that undocumented workers in certain industries do bring downward pressure on wages. Nevertheless, it is not the immigrant that is to blame. The way to eliminate this downward pressure is by giving undocumented workers labor protection. As you reduce the exploitation of wages and improve the working conditions, more equality will be created between immigrant workers and resident workers. Post-amnesty studies have shown that once the undocumented status is removed, the wages are increased and productivity is also increased.

From a public policy perspective, it would be preferable to move directly to a sizable increase in permanent-resident visas to accommodate immigrant workers in labor-intensive industries. This would have better long-term results (than a short-term temporary worker program) by giving immigrants the possibilities of being a part of a work force that both benefits from and contributes much to the larger society.

What the anti-immigrant groups and conservative politicians support is more enforcement. Yet, numerous studies show that enforcement policies are only resulting in more division and suffering in our communities. The studies by UC San Diego Professor Wayne Cornelius show that increased enforcement strategies have only resulted in undocumented immigrants staying longer in the United States, a higher percentage using the services of professional "coyotes,” and an increasing number who have faced physical danger and vigilante activity associated with entry into the United States.

Rather than an increase in narrow enforcement policies that are promoting wasted resources on militarizing our borders and compelling local police officers to enforce federal immigration laws, let us support policies that will allow immigrant workers the right to work here and receive legalization rights, that will lead to permanent residency and citizenship.

Let us support genuine legalization proposals to adjust the status for all undocumented immigrants where they can be treated as full human beings with no expansion of temporary guest worker programs and with labor law protections.


– Jose Calderon is president of the Latino and Latina Roundtable of San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley. He is a professor in sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont.

Pete and Repeat were sitting on a fence. Pete fell off so who was left?

With this trend, there has been an increase in hate crimes against immigrants characterized by nativist vigilante actions and rhetoric that have targeted not only Latino and Latina immigrants, but Middle Eastern and South Asian people.

It is important to understand that these anti-immigrant actions are based on prejudice and misinformation.

Mr. Calderon allow me to introduce to you the following and this ain't the half of it:

http://www.immigrationshumancost.org/te ... ctims.html

Well more power to him if he thinks that anyone is goiing to read this and believe it.

It is important to understand that these anti-immigrant actions are based on prejudice and misinformation. The truth is that immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in educational and social services.

I wonder what this jackass has been smoking?
Obviously he has the misinformation.

It is important to understand that these anti-immigrant actions are based on prejudice and misinformation

Not hardley.......I can't deny what I've personally experienced and seen.

Jose Calderon is president of the Latino and Latina Roundtable of San Gabriel Valley and Pomona Valley. He is a professor in sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont.

I wonder if Jose is any relation to Mexico President elect Calderon?

Originally Posted by sippy

I wonder what this jackass has been smoking?
Obviously he has the misinformation.

Hey sippy, that's my line

The only thing in this article that I (kind of) approve of is this:

With this trend, there has been an increase in hate crimes against immigrants characterized by nativist vigilante actions and rhetoric that have targeted not only Latino and Latina immigrants, but Middle Eastern and South Asian people.

He's the first one to bring up the fact that there are other illegals in this country, even if he thinks we're being "nativist" in our "rhetoric".

That's it - one of the things about this whole hispanic outrage is that they act as if THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES WHO WOULD SUFFER FROM STIFFER IMMIGRATION LAWS!!!!!!!

What a colossal ego trip?????

They aren't the only fish in this pond, --- JACKASSES!!!!!!!!!!

Hey sippy, that's my line

Chey, can we share the line? I think that's the only line we can say here!

Originally Posted by sippy

Hey sippy, that's my line

Chey, can we share the line? I think that's the only line we can say here!

Of course we can!!! You're right - we do have to keep it very polite here!!

Oh, but what I'm thinking