Thread: Let's Welcome More Latinos to Pittsburgh

Forum: Let's welcome Latinos to Pittsburgh
The region would benefit from concrete steps to bring more working-class Latino immigrants here, say Richard Delgado and Jean Stefanic
Sunday, September 18, 2005

Pittsburgh needs more Latinos. Pious, industrious, roll-up your-sleeve immigrants from Mexico and Central America, raring to work at jobs like construction, food processing, restaurants and old age homes, save their money, send their kids to school, move up the ladder and relive the American dream.






Richard Delgado is university distinguished professor of law and Derrick Bell fellow and Jean Stefancic is research professor of law and Derrick Bell scholar at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where they teach courses on race and civil rights (delgado@law.pitt.edu). They are editors of "The Latino Condition: A Critical Reader."







Many American cities (not Pittsburgh -- we rank dead last of the 30 largest) have welcomed working-class Latino immigrants. What would we gain if we did, too? And what would it take to get them here?

Consider: Pittsburgh is losing population, while cities that have encouraged Latino immigration are gaining it. Pittsburgh is closing cherished neighborhood schools for lack of children. Latino families have lots of children. Pittsburgh boasts a fine stock of older houses, many needing remodeling. Latinos love working in the construction industry. Pittsburgh's acres of parks and gardens need tending. Latinos enjoy and understand caring for plants. Pittsburgh's economy is unbalanced toward high technology. A vibrant low-tech sector fueled by immigrants can complement the area's strengths in computers, law and medical services, much as cities such as Los Angeles and Raleigh, N.C., have done.

Imagine what it would do for this region if you could remodel your house for $23,000, not $30,000; or eat a fine restaurant meal for $14, not $18; if your kids could go to a neighborhood school instead of one a mile away because the local one closed.


Anita Dufalla, Post-Gazette
Click illustration for larger version.

A young population -- median age 27 -- Latinos are also the nation's largest ethnic minority group. Latinos settling in, say, Pittsburgh's Beechview neighborhood, would not suffer long from isolation or lack of self-help organizations. Latinos love work, indeed exhibit the highest rate of participation in the U.S. work force of any group. Many hold two, or even three, fulltime jobs. Construction foremen, restaurant owners and hotel managers love Latinos, who enjoy a reputation for working hard, not complaining and showing up on time.

Wouldn't Latinos just be a drain on public services? Like most immigrant groups, they could use a helping hand in getting their first apartment and job. But Latinos on the whole consume fewer social services than others, and contribute to the economy through their taxes.

What about crime? As with any group, an increase in membership could cause the absolute number of crimes to go up. But the crime rate is apt to go down. About 15 percent of the U.S. prison population is currently Latino, while their share of the population at large is 14 percent. But the group is predominantly young, in the very age range that produces the most crime. When you consider their relative youth and the high degree of suspicion and police surveillance they endure, that low rate is pretty remarkable. If the nation increased Latino immigration and reduced it for everybody else, the overall crime rate would likely drop slightly.

In sum, Pittsburgh would reap rich dividends from Latino immigration and incur few costs. Programs to increase it would build on the city's historic embrace of immigrants and of a multiracial, multiethnic, polyglot society with many languages, backgrounds, and cuisines. Years ago, immigrants from Poland, Italy, Ireland, and Greece built Pittsburgh into the vibrant city it is. Immigrants from Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Guatemala can do the same for it today.

What steps might we take? City and county governments could direct agencies to encourage immigration and fund NGOs such as churches, settlement houses and immigration law clinics working with new arrivals. Schools could offer courses in English as a second language. Neighbors could offer a helping hand.

Where would the jobs come from? In many cases, the immigrants would create new jobs themselves, opening small restaurants, shops, and offering services such as gardening, house cleaning and auto repairs. With an enlarged labor pool, entrepreneurs of all sorts might decide to open businesses such as dry wall installation, carpet laying, or food processing.

We could tap the experience of cities like Knoxville, Tenn., or Raleigh, N.C., that have enjoyed heavy Latino immigration. In some parts of the country, every work site features Latino and non-Latino workers working together to build houses, repair roads, and make things grow. Wouldn't it be nice if Pittsburgh had more of this?

Within 10 years about one-quarter of the U.S. population will retire, and, a few years later, start needing nursing and retirement care. The Social Security system currently has about five workers supporting one retiree; soon, the figure will be three, then two to one. But the U.S. population is growing slowly, and the working population even more so. Who will keep Social Security afloat and take care of Grandma and Grandpa when they retire?

Latinos, with their strong work ethic and traditional respect for elders, are the logical choice, both nationally and here.


Wonder what Koolaid these idiots are drinking

Didn't you say on an earlier post that your kid's school was now majority Latino?

This position paper by Delgado obviously overlooks whether the Latinos should be legal.

The City of Pittsburgh is physically restricted in the narrow river valleys and has only a limited commuting area. While now there is a favorable renters market it may not last longer if Delgado's wishes come true.

Delgado overlooks the poverty in Pittsburgh aleady. It overlooks the large number of poor having come there from other ethnic backgrounds and greater difficulty of immigrating from their relatives countries of origin versus sneaking in from Mexico.

The City of Pittsburgh is one of the few places where a person on a fixed income can afford decent housing. Within a very short period of time the city could face disastrous results.

The places that are mentioned are overwhelmed by illegal aliens and the job competition, reduced wages for Americans and the great public expense that they cause. The Pew Hispanic Center which favors Latinos cites statistics indicating the Latinos here that legal are a financial drain on public services.

Should Pittsburghs elderly look forward to losing two or three jobs to each incoming Latinos. Prof. Stefancic might be happy supporting Delgados constituency instead of her own ethnicity. Knowing that relatives in Eastern Europe could not get the same breaks as the Latino illegals because god forbid they applied legally should displease most in her position.

The United States of America has a large legal Latino population and there should be no special restrictions put against them. Prof. Richard Delgado and the ethnocentric ideoogues of his type are not advocating legality or parity. America's immigration polcy is supposed to maximize benefit for it's own people not immigrants surely not illegals.

I moved from Northern Va. July of this year to Western Pa. We live 10 miles outside of the city of Pittsburgh. Back in Virginia, my daughter's school was 43% hispanic. In three years the numbers went from below 10% to 43%. Of course her education suffered because of budget cuts so the school could hire ESOL teachers. Spoke with my frined over the weekend who still lives in my old neighborhood and she told me MS-13 has graffited more fences and some homes as well. She was almost hit by a car running a stop signa nd she laid on her horn. The truck followed her and the hispanic driver branished a gun and cussed her out in Spanish. She told me she truly fears for her life anymore living in Chantilly, Va. Very sad.

Imagine what it would do for this region if you could remodel your house for $23,000, not $30,000; or eat a fine restaurant meal for $14, not $18; if your kids could go to a neighborhood school instead of one a mile away because the local one closed.

Obviously those currently doing that work would take a fairly substantial wage cut. That along with increased prices for finite and quasi-finite commodities due to increased overall consumption and competition would result in a lower standard of living for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. But, those already possessing substantial capital, like McDonalds franchise owners, would probably benefit quite a bit. Politicians who like to collect taxes and increase their power, influence, and pay by adding and expanding government nanny programs would also benefit.

If the nation increased Latino immigration and reduced it for everybody else, the overall crime rate would likely drop slightly.

Imagine if the word "Latino" in that sentence was replaced with "European" (or even "Asian" or something else). I imagine words like "racist" and "bigot" would be flying all over the place. In fact, I remember a couple of years ago somebody at Free Republic did make a very similar statement (using the word "European') and his post was deleted by the moderator and the poster was called ignorant and racist by about three others -- appropriately or inappropriately, I don't know. But, at least there seems to be a goose and gander problem.

Latinos, with their strong work ethic and traditional respect for elders, are the logical choice, both nationally and here.

Same point as above. But, this line sounds more like a late night TV ad for why you shoud buy the belly buster and not the thigh trimmer. In fact, the whole piece sounds like one of those TV infomercial things directed at not too savvy consumers. You know, those infomercials that make you think that you will be rich, sexy, popular and educated if you only buy the product. Then the product ends up stuck in the back of a closet gathering dust after the purchaser discovers it really doesn't do what the infomercial promised. I suppose the next thing will be "Wealth and happiness you never dreamed of -- Learn how you too can benefit from immigration by getting the very best immigrants at a fraction of the cost of those other problem prone immigrants starring your host and friend, Vicente Fox - a division of Ronco-immimatic, Inc.". Actually, in some ways, the sales pitch sounds degrading to Latinos. Notice how they "enjoy and understand caring for plants", but only "complement" the high-tech and professional stuff. Some of the writing seems satirical rather than serious and all of it could have been written by a 5th grader who didn't have enough time to do it correctly.

One could pose many legitimate questions about fairness, consistency, and logic. But, I think it's socially unacceptable to even notice and ask. So, I won't. Well, maybe just one:

Latino families have lots of children.

Why is it okay to say that in a positive context, but not okay (i.e. racist) to say exactly the same thing referring to the negatives? We are allowing what amounts to selective censorship depending on who is making the statement and about whom it is being said. That is not conducive to a free and equitable society and stifles debate and decision making that effects the welfare of the whole. A few years ago it was perfectly acceptable as well as encouraged to discuss sustainable population related topics, but not anymore as it might interfere with the agenda of the more than equal groups.