New Study Shows Immigrants Help Americans Move Up
While the immigration debate has taken a backseat to the Democratic agenda of cap-and-trade and government run healthcare, 12 million illegal immigrants are still here, working and secretly contributing to our economy (Ssshhh!). The U.S. government spends substantial resources on building fences, airtight border control, and punishing employers who hire illegal’s. With all the money we spend trying to keep people who want to work out of this country, it is worth asking “what benefits do we get from harassing immigrants?”
Zero according to recent studies published by the Cato Institute which disprove many common myths associated with the immigration of Latin America’s poor. As the title of one study suggests, As Immigrants Move In, Americans Move up, increasing immigration quotas, (via temporary worker permits) has two positive effects on the American economy. First, immigrants expand the overall size of the economy; that seems positive. Second, their simple presence incentivizes Americans to advance their skill set or value.
To suggest that immigrants take American jobs that will never be replaced espouses Mercantalist ideology, a school of thought most thought died centuries ago. Wealth is not finite; to demonize immigrants as thieves who steal American jobs is false. Immigrants necessitate the creation of higher income jobs: accountants, doctors, managers, and other illustrious professions to manage newly legalized workers.
Secondly, when Hispanic immigrants come to the U.S. they often take what we would consider “lower end jobs”, thus putting them in competition with the very lowest skilled and educated Americans. Immigrants, by taking these “low-end jobs” forces Americans to improve their market worth so they are competitive for upper tier jobs. Immigrants effectively push Americans into higher paying jobs that offer a better quality of life. This may seem counterintuitive but is confirmed by the shrinking African-American underclass in three important categories: poverty, income, and educational attainment.
The Cato authors all came to the same conclusion; current immigration law is detrimental to the American economy. Through complicated econometric simulations, Cato authors Peter Dixon and Maureen Rimmer concluded that legalizing more unskilled workers would result in a $180 billion gain to the American economy.
The idea that the U.S. is “importing poverty” and social parasites is economically false. Instead of trying to ram through depressive economic legislation, Democrats, who dominate Congress and the Presidency, should be looking for ways to expand American’s economy through immigration reform that includes expanding visa caps.
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Restricting the flow of labor is no different than restricting the flow of goods across boarders. It limits quality and drives up prices. An argument can be made (not sure if I totally agree with it or not) that there can be security checks to make sure dangerous goods don't enter the country (such as fruits carrying pests, etc.) and the same types of checks could be made on people entering the country. Check to make sure they aren't criminals or carrying infectious diseases or anything, but not make a judgment as to whether they are worthy to be here and work. Immigration restrictions are no different than protectionist tariffs on goods.
>> TCH August 20, 2009 20:39 am
I think this goes back to the point that there are two issues: immigration, and border security. On the first one, we need to think hard about the benefits of a fence; on the second issue, it's dumb to think that you'll be protecting yourself from terrorists by building a fence--they're already here. A more important issue is the illegal drug trade, crime, etc., that can be reduced with such measures. Also, I think there are those who agree that immigration is good, they simply believe that it should be legal immigration that is increased; allowing illegals to cross the border is a slap in the face to those who are waiting patiently on the other side of the Rio. We don't like it when others confuse the two issues, we shouldn't either.
>> Jeffrey Hosten August 20, 2009 20:59 pm
The premise of the article that Americans are pushed to greater levels of education and accomplishment is ridiculous on its face. So, everyone in construction, working on a manufacturing line, operating mining equipment, driving a truck is suddenly going to be elevated to brain surgeon or manager? The economy runs on these types of jobs- not jobs that cost $200K in education bills. Illegals are taking these jobs- ask the people at meat processing plants, construction sites, warehouses, small service businesses like landscaping, painting and janitorial services. Studies have shown that illegals cost far more to the economy than they produce and refuse to assimilate into the culture. Bilingualism and multiculturalism are burying our culture
>> SLR August 24, 2009 24:05 pm
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