Thread: Job study: Latinos beating out blacks

Job study: Latinos beating out blacks
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 04/24/2010 02:29:04 PM PDT


When Anthony Gentry showed up for a job interview a few months ago, he could sense the cards were stacked against him.
Most of the faces in the Fontana factory were brown. The only black person he saw shook his head.

"He looked at me like, `They're not going to call you again,"' said the 40-year-old Hesperia resident.

As the country struggles to climb out of the recession, Gentry believes Latino immigrant workers are winning the battle for low-wage jobs formerly held by blacks.

"They are taking a lot of jobs," said Gentry, who was at the San Bernardino Employment and Training Agency on Friday morning looking for a job. "I'm not against them coming to the United States, but it's harder to compete against them because they get paid less money."

A new study by Louisiana State University researchers backs up Gentry's belief.

Latino immigration caused black workers to be uprooted from low-skill labor markets, which in turn increased crime in urban areas across the country, according to the study.

The problem can be traced to the failure of U.S. immigration policies, said LSU sociology professor Edward Shihadeh, lead author of the study.

Latino immigration used to be a two-way trip; immigrants moved back and forth across the U.S.-Mexico border as economic needs dictated, he said.

But when border security was intensified over the past two decades, it became too risky for many illegal immigrants in the

United States to go home for fear they would not be able to return, Shihadeh said.
The large number of Latino workers who remained in the country flooded low-skill industries, displacing blacks from jobs in agriculture, manufacturing and construction, he said.

"This is really a story of unintended consequences," said Shihadeh, whose study appeared in the March issue of Social Forces, a sociology journal. "The wall and all these border restrictions that have been put up were intended to control immigration and keep Latinos out. What happened was it really trapped them in the country."

The story resonates with black leaders in San Bernardino County.

James Tate, a local Republican activist, runs a San Bernardino business that trains nursing assistants and home health aides.

He says many of his medical assistants can't get jobs because they are black.

"We have clients that have told us, `We don't want a black. Anybody but a black," Tate said.

Tate said he has talked to many blacks who tried to get manufacturing and service jobs.

"A lot of blacks aren't at construction sites because of illegal immigrants," he said. "The story I hear is that from the get-go they're up against it mainly because they're outnumbered."

Growing up in South Central Los Angeles, Fontana Councilwoman Acquanetta Warren said she remembers when young blacks needed only a high school diploma to find industrial jobs that paid good wages.

The jobs dried up with the influx of illegal immigrants in the 1980s. Blacks who didn't speak Spanish lost out, she said.

"We don't have a level playing field anymore because we've allowed illegal immigration to take us over," said Warren, who is running for an Assembly seat in the June 8 Republican primary. "It's out of control and needs to be stopped. What part of illegal don't people understand?"

Cecilia Conrad, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college at Pomona College in Claremont, said there is persuasive evidence that immigrants displace native-born workers in low-skill and entry-level jobs.

"This results from a combination of factors: employer preferences and reliance on informal recruitment networks such as asking current workers to refer friends and family," Conrad said. "In addition, once a workplace is dominated by immigrants, language becomes a barrier for black workers who are not bilingual."

Latino activists dispute the argument that immigrants have had an adverse impact on black employment.

Elsa Valdez, a sociology professor at Cal State San Bernardino, said it's "absolutely ridiculous" to accuse immigrants of taking jobs and causing the economy to fail.

"People place blame on the immigrants for all the social ills of society," Valdez said. "They have no power. They don't control the financial markets. They don't control the banks. They don't control the manufacturing industries that have located overseas because they can hire cheap labor."

Jose Zapata Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, said that both Latino immigrants and blacks would benefit from comprehensive immigration reform.

"National policy should recognize that when legalization is allowed and the undocumented status is removed, wages and productivity increase for all workers, not just immigrants," Calderon said.


http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_14952683

Whats Funny is their leaders (The Democrats) are all for more migrant workers and open borders, hence displacing even more blacks...Yet they still blindly support them :0(

My family was in the construction business 20 years ago, in south Texas. Most employers were white, as were workers, with a few blacks. I do not remember EVER seeing whole crews of blacks.
Today, you have to search far and wide to find any construction crew that is not majority Spanish speaking. It is difficult for non-Spanish speaking workers to work with people they can not communicate with. Whites and blacks can work together. Only Hispanics can work with other hispanics.
Hispanics are often paid in cash and pay no federal income tax. The employer can call them subcontract labor and not pay unemployment or social security taxes. Blacks and whites refuse to do this.
Hispanics live in groups, sharing expenses, like rent and autos. They send money out of this country that most other workers would spend here, supporting our economy.
Employers often let workers choose to pay a portion of wages for health insurance. Most hispanic workers refuse. They know that serious injuries and illness will be treated for free at the E.R. If they need Dental care or surgery, they go to Mexico where their healthcare is free if they are Mexican citizens.
To say that illegal workers DO NOT drive down wages is a lie. Even the amnesty groups say that giving amnesty to illegal workers will force employers to raise wages. Not only are blacks being forced out of work, so are skilled brick layers, painters, carpenters of all OTHER races. The only reason hispanics are not taking electrical jobs is because you have to pass a test and have a license from the State.
Look around. How many Hispanic owned companies employ blacks or whites?

It makes me wonder why Al Sharpton wants to go to Arizona to protest against the new immigration law that Gov Brewer signed. Why is he standing up with ilegal aliens and not the blacks who are being unfairly phased out of the job market?

Al Sharpton is an idot. Does he not know that illegal immigrants hurt unemployed Blacks most. In my neighborhood its hard for people in my age bracket to find part-time jobs. The Hispanics have monopolized the low skilled job market. They refuse to hire Blacks. And when those in the Black community start to complain, then they hire one token Black person.

Jose Zapata Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, said that both Latino immigrants and blacks would benefit from comprehensive immigration reform.

How does he figure that?
They take all of the jobs, then they become mangers and only hire their own. Then they speak pure Spanish to further alienate the few Blacks on the work site. The Black managers at my job do not descriminate based on race.

Texan123, you are so right about the construction industry being totally decimated by illegal aliens. This industry is one of the biggest employers of illegals in this country, yet very little is done regarding enforcement. In North Carolina, illegals are everywhere on construction jobsites, hired by framing and boxing and siding subcontractors. Alot of these illegal employers accept fraudulent social security cards and technically take taxes out, although the illegals usually claim the maximum number of dependents allowed so very little in taxes is actually paid. Licensed contractors should be held responsible for any subcontractors they hire with illegal alien crews!

Originally Posted by JSealsx4203

Jose Zapata Calderon, a professor of sociology and Chicano studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, said that both Latino immigrants and blacks would benefit from comprehensive immigration reform.

How does he figure that?
They take all of the jobs, then they become mangers and only hire their own. Then they speak pure Spanish to further alienate the few Blacks on the work site. The Black managers at my job do not descriminate based on race.

I work for a company that has a small production facility attached to its offices. There are primarily black, latino and Phillipinos working in the plant. The hispanics continuously chatter in Spanish and laugh, all the while staring at one of the black workers. The company was forced to initiate a policy of "English only" at work. What they did on their lunch hours and breaks was up to them, but within the facility, only English.

Why aren't black organizations fighting illegal immigration? Why is Al Sharpton trying to make this a civil rights issue. There is no civil right to illegal immigration or illegal workers.
Where is the NAACP?

Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are idiots!!!! They would rather champion the illegals and supporters rather than AMERICAN citizens. Of course you know there's something in it for them.....