Sunday, October 02, 2016
Illegal Immigration; Not an Economic Debate
Check out this article by Jason Welker about the Economics of Illegal Immigration. It is a refreshing take on an issue that has gotten a great deal of publicity recently. What are your thoughts after reading the article? Is this different from what you have been hearing from both the Republicans and the Democrats lately? Leave your comments before NEXT Sunday at midnight.
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82 comments:
As an individual who comes from a family of immigrants, my opinion is admittedly biased. I personally have always been FOR immigration, legal or not. I understand the ideas behind both democratic and republican groups and their ideas about illegal immigration. I have never really thought about immigration as "osmosis" of labor but it definitely makes sense because where there is more labor opportunity, there will always be more immigration to fill the demand. I personally feel the ideas from both parties have been essentially the same since the time illegal immigration became a rising problem. My opinions have not changes about immigration and neither has the opinion of the government, unfortunately.
I am always gonna be for immigration because there is really nothing wrong with it. Yes people come and take over some jobs but some of them do work that most of us won't even do. But all the people that immigrate here are trying to find a better opportunity for them and their family and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I understand what the democratic and republican parties are trying to say and they have the same ideas and thoughts about the issue.
Minnu Augustine
Period 2
Being an immigrant myself, I always thought America was “the land of opportunities” just like the article mentioned. I have never been against immigration because the way I see it America was built from immigrants. Democrats and Republicans often overlook the idea of immigrants building America to be what it is now. Political leaders often claim that immigrants are taking away the jobs that would go to Americans, but one thing that was mentioned in the article changes that perspective. Not all people come to American for economic prosperity; rather they come for religious freedom or a safe, stable home. This article definitely captured an uncommon perspective on immigration in America. After reading this article, I am still not against immigration.
A person that came to America as a immigrant can feel when in the article mentions that immigrants comes for opportunities that they couldn't get before in their country. Democrat and Republicans have different viewpoints on immigrants that can be seen in the article. The Republicans strongly endorse and favor legal immigration. They acknowledge that, "legal immigrants are making vital contributions in every aspect of our national life."The Republicans are also very strongly against illegal immigrants for being "probably be attributed to tougher border security and increased enforcement of the existing immigration law. But it’s more likely that the decrease in the illegal population is an economic phenomenon".This article definitely captured an perspective on immigration in America that is happening as a debate against Democrats and Republicans. After reading this article, I am not against immigration because people deserves to live life that they want that couldn't be again in their countries.
After reading this article it is hard to say whether i am for or against immigration because there are pros and cons to allowing it. One pro of allowing immigration is for the "american dream" or opportunities to become successful. This gives everyone ,no matter who you are, to live the life you desire. There are also cons to immigration because like mentioned in the article there are some who are refugees who could possibly harm those who are already in America in some fashion. Just because there is a down side to allowing immigration ,I don"t think officials should categorize immigrants and have a negative stereotype on them.Honestly America is just one big melting pot of immigrants and if someone didn't give our ancestors a chance we might even be here or even worse our country wouldn't have been built up to be the "land of opportunity" we have now.Economically immigration should be allowed because it feeds into economic growth ,but then there's the underlying problem of "they are taking all of the jobs" that people will use as an excuse and to discriminate.I believe as people, no matter who you are or where you come from, we should all have access to equal opportunities because just as someone out there is an immigrant, it could be me who needs the same opportunity.
Destyny McDermott
Meryl Zachariah pd2
In my opinion, we should be flattered that so many immigrants are coming here to the "land of opportunity" to live the "american dream." Foreign people among us are doing various jobs to make a living that some of us wouldn't even consider. Considering economics, i agree that "simply the flow of labor from one geographic region to another." They make our diversity. Regardless, i do not agree with the flow of illegal immigration. There's proper ways to get in to our country, but illegal immigration is practically being taken advantage of. I support those politicians that do not say otherwise. Despite the fact that all immigrants are evidently not illegal, it should be taken into consideration that there are a lot ans they really are "tearing apart the fabric of American society" in a way. What i;m saying probably falls under what republicans have been discussing lately. To conclude, I'm not saying I'm against immigration, go for it, but im absolutely anti-illegal-immigration.
Jignesh Mehta
Period 6
It is a true point to consider that all who have grown up here have moved to the "land of opportunities" weather it is in the current generation or previous generation. The people that immigrate into America tend to take the lowest level jobs possible with little pay or benefits. In fact, if these immigrants were not here, these jobs would probably never get done; yet, even though they get such little pay, the benefit themselves and the American society as a whole. Although illegal immigration is still a crime, it does not deserve that title. The work illegal immigrants go through to get into the country in the 1st place is an extremely complex job and the jobs they take are not the high wage jobs that educated American citizens normally take. However, we need to still be extremely careful to make sure illegal goods are not smuggled across borders and that criminals are not able to immigrate in. Thus, with these dangerous risks, illegal immigration should be minimized.
Aneeka Khan
Period 4
Immigration is both a good thing and bad, just like so many other things. For the most part it is good because most immigrants who legally come to the united states are usually very high skilled workers. Most immigrants move to the U.S because where they are form jobs are very difficult to find and the pay isn't great either, so these immigrants take jobs of any sort and work hard in them. I can see why politicians bring up immigrants so much because the natives have always feared that the immigrants are stealing all the jobs and this isn't a new topic of discussion politically, looking back at history natives feared all the Irish immigrants that moved to the US during the Gilded Age. So, this nativism isn't a new topic. I agree that illegal immigration can be bad, like the ones who contribute to smuggling and the underground market of drugs and the sex/slave trade. If the government somehow profited off of the illegal things that illegal immigrants did, they wouldn't be complaining about the immigration issues. All in all, illegal immigration has it's cons but overall immigration isn't bad. Most illegal immigrants take low paying jobs and don't complain. As for the ones who become mob king pins and drug lords, those are rare. And, to be frank, most natives aren't that great either when it comes to illegal activities or contributing to the economy.
Sharanya Chander, 2nd period
Immigration is a very good thing, because typically those that enter the country are coming here to work, whether it is a job that requires a lot of skills or a job where they would receive low pay. People complaining about immigrants stealing American jobs are complaining for the wrong reasons; they should either work harder and try earning the job on their own merit, rather than just by the fact that their American, or they should take the low-earning jobs that many immigrants take just to earn any money, and not complain. Everyone in this country was an immigrant at one point in time, and the phrase, "America is a melting pot", used to describe the assimilation of immigrants, is still applicable to the country.
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David Adeogba, 6th Period
In my opinion immigration is objectively a good thing, even illegal immigration. Many people tend to argue that immigrants take jobs from citizens, without considering that people are hired based on merit. To go along with this point, in many cases illegal immigrants generally take the jobs that most Americans are not interested in and thus satisfy the shortage caused by a lack of workers for low paying manual labor. I will admit that illegal immigration is not without flaws such as the growth of the illegal drug market, but as the article says, the number of illegal immigrants is going down.
Sheryl Shajie Period 4
Coming from a family of immigrants, I am completely for immigration. Immigration strengthens the workforce and adds to the nation’s overall economic activity. They make up the entirety of the United States and create diversity in our nation. America as we know it wouldn't exist if it weren't for immigrants. Although I support legal immigration, I do not support illegal immigration because it can cause a lot of problems. If people want to come into a nation, they should do it the correct way instead of cheating the system. Illegal goods and criminals are often smuggled across the border with these illegal immigrants. Although I do support immigration, I believe they should come into a country the proper way. This is possibly falls under republican point of view.
Marcella Winfiele
Period 6
Illegal immigration is both an economic and political issue. Politically, it is against the law to come into this country illegally, as well as they do not have constitutional rights. Economically, even though you get a reduction of labor cost, which helps lower the overall cost of products and services, there is economic harm in the following ways 1.) we receive no taxes from illegal immigrants,those taxes pay for our schools/education, services like roads and infrastructure, as well as they absorb free governmental services such as welfare, food stamp, and other entitlements which the American tax payer is paying. Thus, if you have a higher illegal immigration population they will consume more free services, which would result in higher taxes to the American tax payer. I agree that immigration is important, but do it legally. Some of the articles arguments are more biased toward the democratic view point. Immigration as a whole is good for our country, but illegal immigration damages both the economic and political structures of The United States.
Laura Rezmer-Cooper Period 2
My parents were the first of my family to come to America, immigrating for work. So coming from a family who have immigrated here legally i know what it is like. I am pro-immigration, when it is for people who come here legally and do it the right way. I support legal immigration because the people who do it legally don't put others in harms way and know that they are doing it the right way. I on the other hand do not support illegal immigration even if it does help the economy. Illegal immigrants cause a lot of problems on the border and for the country itself. Illegal immigrants take jobs away from americans who are here legally and actually pay taxes to this country. when the immigrants come in just to have children, it is like cheating the system. Illegal immigrants bring in things like crime and drug trafficking, which causes more problems for the country to handle with. Everyone at one time was an immigrant, but doing it the right way is what differs us. The way our politicians see immigration now is so different. They argue about how illegal immigration effects this country, and how kicking them out is the plan. Though the illegal immigrants take low paying jobs, they take jobs that legal americans who pay taxes could be doing. Immigration will always be an issue of discussion.
Illegal immigration is an extremely controversial topic in the United States. Though illegal immigration can cause crime rates to increase and lead to overpopulation in border areas, I believe that legal immigration is inherently good for a nation.
Farrah Au-Yeung
4th period
Ethically, some people may argue that prohibiting illegal immigration is inhumane for families who are trying to reunite with their families and escape poverty. However, a nation must look at what is the most beneficial for the rest of their constituents, and if there are too many illegal immigrants living under the poverty line, the government will have to use a lot of tax money on social welfare, increasing the burden on taxpayers. Hence, illegal immigrants, though in hard situations, should have their status remain unacknowledged in the country. On the other hand, to aid these immigrants, the government could set a cap or quota on the number of refugees they can take in from bordering countries and allocate a fixed amount of money for their aid, enforcing stricter rules on people who try to cross the border illegally. I also believe that the wet foot, dry land policy is probably the most effective legislation to appease people with both opinions.
America was founded by immigrants; I am also an immigrant myself, and I understand why America has so many pull factors that attract people to move here. However, it is only fair if everyone goes through the same process of obtaining citizenship in the US and hence I believe that only legal immigration can bring more benefits to our economy.
Farrah Au-Yeung
4th period
Illegal immigration is an extremely controversial topic in the United States. Though illegal immigration can cause crime rates to increase and lead to overpopulation in border areas, I believe that legal immigration is inherently good for a nation.
Ethically, some people may argue that prohibiting illegal immigration is inhumane for families who are trying to reunite with their families and escape poverty. However, a nation must look at what is the most beneficial for the rest of their constituents, and if there are too many illegal immigrants living under the poverty line, the government will have to use a lot of tax money on social welfare, increasing the burden on taxpayers. Hence, illegal immigrants, though in hard situations, should have their status remain unacknowledged in the country. On the other hand, to aid these immigrants, the government could set a cap or quota on the number of refugees they can take in from bordering countries and allocate a fixed amount of money for their aid, enforcing stricter rules on people who try to cross the border illegally. I also believe that the wet foot, dry land policy is probably the most effective legislation to appease people with both opinions.
America was founded by immigrants; I am also an immigrant myself, and I understand why America has so many pull factors that attract people to move here. However, it is only fair if everyone goes through the same process of obtaining citizenship in the US and hence I believe that only legal immigration can bring more benefits to our economy.
Personally even though i come from a family of immigrants. I do not support illegal immigration, but I am in support of legal immigration. Illegal immigration is unfair to many other immigrants trying to get in. I know it sounds weird but since our borders keep getting crossed many embassies keep shortening the amount of visas allowed to enter the United States. This has affected my family personally with many of my aunts and cousins getting rejected visas even to visit. On a legal stand point i am all for immigration into the united states. Illegal immigration hurts our economy in the sense that they do not pay taxes and contribute to underground economics. So illegal immigration is something that needs to be stopped almost immediately and to open our borders wider to legal immigration.
6th period
Ashley Verghese
P4
I am for immigration considering my family are immigrants themselves. Immigrants that usually come are for better working standards and living oppurtunities for a family. However, I understand the viewpoints from the democratic and republican groups on the ideas of the rising of illegal immigration. It's always going to be a problem as it has been from the begging. I think illegal immigration can be negative on the economy though. Though people are coming for an opportunity they are not being as beneficial to the economy which is what our nation should think about. I am for legal immigration and I see how the viewpoints and ideas of the illegal immigration causes differentiation.
Rizna Noorani
2nd period
The US is considered to be a place where people are able to be whoever they want and do whatever they want. This freedom is an attractive factor to people of all places. My thoughts on illegal immigration are that the people who come to the U.S. have reasons as to why they want to seek freedom. I think that if these people come to the U.S and work hard and contribute to the economy then they shouldn't be considered a problem. A large portion of workers are immigrants and these people take on "undesirable" jobs in order to earn whatever they can to support themselves and their families. The democrats and republicans tend to forget that their ancestors were too illegal immigrants of some sorts. The people who "discovered" America weren't citizens of the country. In fact, they were uninvited invaders that took the resources of the natives. The immigrants that come into the U.S, for the most part, help the U.S. economy. Although, I agree it is wrong to illegally enter a country, I still think we need to take all factors into consideration regarding the reason immigrants come to this country.
Per. 2
I am definitely FOR immigration due to many reasons. America is one of the best countries and has the best resources. America provides us with the things other countries can't provide for their own people. There is nothing wrong with people moving to another country to live peacefully and much better. It doesn't affect the Americans that were born and raised here in any way. In fact, it helps us in many ways. Immigrants are more likely to work with little jobs that most Americans are not obliged to. Basically, they are just a little extra help! BUT there is a big difference between legal and illegal immigration. Legal immigration is a better way out. It's not fair to illegally come here when so many other people have to wait years to get called back and get approved. So overall, immigration has its benefits to the US economy in many ways and I am FOR it!
Mervin Cherian
Period: 2
When other countries look at the United States, the think that it is the land of opportunity. I believe that we should let immigrants into this country. Many of these immigrants work hard, and I believe that United States is prospering so much due to immigration. United States is very diverse which helps the spread of ideas. These spread of ideas help build industries and help boost the economy. So immigration is not bad, but rather a good thing. The American constitution has given immigrants the right to come here lawfully and to be able to work. Don't get me wrong, I do not think all immigration like illegal immigration is right but, I still think that America should not close its border. This would make America a country in isolation.
Yash Bindal
Per: 6
My viewpoint on immigration mostly was just based on what I hear politicians regularity complain about. Illegal immigrants "steal" job opportunities from American residents, they are draining Americans' hard-earned money through taxes that pay for their welfare, ect. The article definitely has changed my perspective on the whole debate. If immigration is looked at as simply the natural flow of labor to where it is most demanded, immigration is not a problem. Those who immigrate here are actually helping the economy because they are willing to work the jobs at a lower price. In fact, the immigration rate is actually now negative, meaning there are more people leaving America than entering it. They are starting to recognize that the demand for their services is not as high as before.
Mario Trevino
Per 6
As an immigrant, I see the United States as a haven for those looking for economic opportunity that their mother country lacks. Therefore, I am for immigration. I love the fact that people come from around the world to the United States to work hard and live the American Dream. Although they make lower wages than the average american citizen, the majority of immigrants still make more than they would in their mother country had they stayed there. In addition, many of the jobs that are occupied by immigrants are of hard labor and uncomfortable. Therefore, it is good that people come to occupy these unwanted jobs that are usually related to infrastructure.
Lloyd Videau
6th period
I am for immigration because i know the history of America and how it was founded on immigration, which is why it became a world power. However i feel as though the system has to be better to keep track of who comes in to make sure nobody is illegal. Immigration positively impacts the country and the immigrant with opportunities as long as the immigrant comes with good intentions. Which i think it should be asked what they plan on doing. Maybe tracking what a new immigrant does in first year of coming in should be monitored
As a child of immigrants, I understand why people leave their homeland and migrate to the United States. Not only are these people escaping a difficult life because their harsh environments but they are also looking to benefit economically. But there is a difference in the immigrant that the American people are conflicting with. Some of these illegal immigrants are taking advantage of the American system and abusing it but there are good immigrants that work hard and are trying to do good in society and that is what most Americans don't realize. I do agree however that the government should contain the immigration situation because it is creating a nation wide conflict and based off the article it seems that there is a progress in limiting illegal immigration.
I still believe as I have before that immigration is a good thing for all countries if handled correctly. I completely agree with the article in that the only reason immigration is supposedly such a big problem is because of politics. The Democrats and the Republicans bring his topic up more often than they need to. Some people do not like immigrants just because they are "different" while failing to see the good they can do. This article talks about how labor goes to where it is needed and US uses foreign labor for low wage jobs that most people do not want to do. These immigrants are labor source that is good for the US. Because of cheap labor businesses can sell products to consumers at a cheaper price and that helps the US economy. The US has been successful because of immigrants and we should continue to be accepting.
Victor Varghese
Period: 2
As an Immigrant myself, I always think immigrants benefit U.S economy. U.S is known as "Land of Opportunities" and it is, because it have opportunities for good job, education etc. which many countries don't have. There are at least 11.7 million immigrants in U.S.A. Couldn’t we just deport the 11.7 million unauthorized immigrants? But its impossible. Deporting them will hurt US economy. The key fact is that the illegal immigrant workers add to the supply of labor, they also consume goods and services, resulting increase economic activity and creating jobs. We should not deny that the illegal immigrants are not just workers they are also consumers. So I think we should help these illegal immigrants come out of shadows So they can help the country realize its future of economics.
Yes, but that is because Trump's campaign centers around illegal immigrants, so the democratic response has to present a direct counter. Because Trump's statements are very attention-grabbing, further so by media play, the left must present their own statements to counter.
It's a game of politics, and the general American public is misinformed and will go off of 60 second, completely biased videos that they see on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and etc. This is why Bernie Sanders got so popular among the youth to the point where they were taking out student loans to contribute to his campaign.
All in all, I believe that too many of America's youth are too lazy to do their own research and instead spend time watching 60 second videos to make their stance between the right, left, or third party. Because Trump and the democratic party are aware of this, they go for anything that will grab attention ASAP. If they were to actually talk about politics, they know that the general American public would not take interest. It's sad that in a country with one of the highest education rates, politicians resort to doing this. Especially with the late presidential "debates," more like "he/she is worse than me because ______."
James Ware
4th period
I am in favor for immigration, but the US has always had a love-hate relationship with immigration ever since the Help Wanted Irish Need Not Apply signs in the 19th century. This is nothing new even to the new wave of immigrants. Back in the 1950s there was a program called Operation Wetback that targeted illegal immigrants and even some US citizens got caught up in it. More illegal immigrants have been leaving the US than entering, for them they're just here to work, make some money, and leave. Many don' come because they don't want to take the risk, but a lot don't think their life is good right where they are and moving to the US will not approve it.The article was written a little more than 6 years ago and the politics about have not changed. They talked about building a wall then and they're still saying it now
Daniel Doucet
Period 2
The issue of immigration, like many others, is not presented with facts during a presidential debate. The democrats and republicans take it upon themselves to divide themselves on such issues and never agree on even the concrete facts. Economic data like the kind presented in the article is rarely referenced or simply misused to fit one side's argument. As a businessman, I think Donald Trump knows all too well that immigration causing labor flow from a low price to a high price is beneficial, but I believe that he is simply disagreeing with the democratic party because he needs the votes of the unenlightened. Donald Trump is not a complete idiot, he outsources his labor to countries where the cost of production is lower, thus it is hard to believe that he truly thinks immigration will cause the unemployment rate to skyrocket. The flow of labor will stop when labor is no longer needed, and the US always seems to need more labor.
America is built on immigration; that's how it got to be the great country it is today. The same people who complain about immigrants were once, down their line of heritage, immigrants themselves. No one deserves to be here over anyone else. The whole argument over immigration is stupid. This article was very refreshing and different from what I typically hear from democrats and republicans. Everyone is so caught up in the nonsense that Donald Trump says, they neglect to do their research and find out the truth. Since Trump's voice is the loudest and most ignorant, people rally behind him without actually thinking about what he is saying.
Alot of people like to disguise the racial undertones of the economic debate with the notion that illegal imigrants are coming over and stealing natural born American citizen's jobs. But the fact of the matter is that Americans dont want the jobs the immigrants are taking. Majority of the jobs such people are taking are manual labor, and American citizens often frown upon and even expect much higher pay for the same amount of work. In all actuality, and ironicaly, the illegal immigrants are doimng the jobs that wouldn't get done at lower wages, making it more advangtageous economically. The real reason immigrants are of such contraversy is that people are simply against people of other ethnicities, whether it is intentional or not.
Anu Thomas
Period 2
I think the article offered a refreshing view on immigration. Politicans claim that illegal immigrants are "taking away the jobs from the Americans" and that serious efforts need to be made in order to significantly reduce immigration. These statements are made mostly based on opinion rather than actualy conclusive facts in order to ignite the emotions of the American people. They try to instill fear into the people so that they will elect the politican to "solve" a problem that is created mostly by mass media rather than actual facts. The economic viewpoint on immigration offers a new perspective. Immigration has actually been widely beneficial to the American economony and culture. It was the influx of immigrants in the 20th century that allowed the American economy to increase and innovate so rapidly and the immigrants also brought with them their cultures and ideas which have shaped the American culture. Immigration rates have actually been decreasing in previous years because they followt the job flow. Immigration is essiental to the American economy so I do not think the government should drastically restrict immigration. However, in order to appease both sides of the argument, set limits should be enforced on the number of immigrants accepted every year because an influx of illegal immigrants will place strains on the government to provide adequete welfare and infrastructure for all its inhabitants.
Merina Thomas
6th period
Whenever politicians talk about immigration, usually Republicans, the topic of how immigrants are "stealing" American jobs is always mentioned. However, after reading this article, some facts are brought to light. Immigrants move to the U.S. with hopes of creating a new life. As a result, they work hard and perform lower jobs than some U.S. citizens would be willing to do; jobs that Americans believe are being stolen from right under their noses. What they do not understand is that if immigrants did not do those jobs, then those jobs would be outsourced, which in the end would hurt the U.S. economy. These facts are never mentioned because it is not included in people's political agendas, but they are important things to be considered when talking about immigration. Instead, politicians only mention the negatives of immigrants coming to the U.S., rather than focusing on what would happen if immigrants stopped coming to the U.S. and the benefits of immigration.
Personally, I will always be for immigration. My family came to the United States because they believed that this was the "land of opportunity." Our country was built by immigrants, and they still contribute greatly to our country. Most hard labor jobs are done by immigrants. I believe that, if they contribute to society positively and try to become legal citizens, they should be allowed to stay. Not only does sending back immigrants destroy families, but it also "tears apart the fabric of American society." Immigration is a positive thing, and I will always be for it.
Vanessa Marcano
Period 2
Immigration has improved our countries economy and even though many americans say "they are stealing our jobs" they are mostly taking manual labor jobs that a lot of americans do not want to do such as lawn mowing and house keeping and cleaning. If they contribute to the economy and are willing to become citizens of this country why cant they remain? We call ourselves the land of the free yet have so many rules and regulations when another family from another land steps on our grounds. Immigration is for the better and will go on to further more improve our economy.
Andison Chung
Period 4
I agree with the author when he says "illegal immigration is ILLEGAL, so let’s make it easier for immigrants to come here legally, then we’ll have fewer criminals on our hands, and more valuable human capital to contribute to the strength of and increase the growth potential of the American economy." Having an open mind, I do understand why many people have concerns about immigration whether it's about smuggling or not. However, facts tend to prove that immigrants help our economy grow. They are not taking the precious jobs people claim they are; they are taking the low-wage jobs that many feel too entitled to have. Just as the author said, the only reason immigrants look so bad in many American's eyes is because they're labeled as illegal. Most of them want the better life that America can offer to them, and this is proven by when America went through the Great Recession immigration rates fell. Why would immigrants come if they couldn't provide for themselves and their family like they wanted? This is a political debate completely as the author said, not an economic one. There's no debate when all the facts show improvement in the economy with immigration.
May Liew
6th Period
Americans have always had the idea that illegal immigration is a bad thing because of what is being said by politicians. As of recent, you always hear Trump saying that in order to prevent jobs being taken from the citizens, they need to be more strict on border control. Reading this article made me realize how even politicians can be flawed in their logic and how economics is not as straightforward as it seems to be. This article explains that the price of goods can even be increased if we prevent immigration, thereby invalidating the reason to prevent immigration in the first place. Politicians know that most citizens don't understand this concept, so they're just saying what the people want to hear. If someone were to explain that immigration doesn't necessarily mean less jobs for the american people, the public can be swayed into thinking the right way and the economy would improve because of it.
Jake Hudson
6th Period
The United States of America is known as "the land of opportunity because of our diversity and our ability to be succesful. With that being said, the process for legal immigration needs to be fixed. This extremely lengthy process has often led to illegal immigration because for many people this system takes a very long time to work. Illegal immigration is a very controversial topic right now and it is the source of many debates and conflicts between the republican and democrats, however, people do not know enough about the issue so the end up supporting information that one or the candidates has said instead of their forming their own opinions. Personally I disprove of illegal immigration yet I do support legal immigration. The pre concieved thought that immigrants dont contribute equally to taxes or that they take away jobs is wrong because they also contribute to our economy just as the American citizens do too.
The average American views immigrants in a negative way due to the constant disarray of verbal attacks against immigrations. The frontrunner for the Republican party even suggested to build a border between the US and Mexico. This article sheds some light to the idea that immigration can actually be beneficial for the economy. The "osmosis" of immigration into the US is due to our higher minimum wage and petri dish of opportunities within our borders. if we were to stop immigration into the US, we might actually increase prices, which would be detrimental to the economy and the average American's wallet. Immigration does not mean less jobs, but because of politicians, most people unfortunately believe that to be true.
Jasmine Patience
2nd Period
This country holds and attractive offer to those living in worse off neighboring countries where the majority of illegal immigrants are coming from. The benefits of living and working in the U.S. greatly outweigh those in Mexico or Central America. Because of this, swarms of people flock to America in hopes of better lives, despite the law. Many times these people are only looking to work and not to cause harm. They are not "stealing" jobs away from the people already inhabited here. As the article stated, if the jobs aren't done in the U.S. by legal or illegal citizens, they'll just be done in another country. Is it not better to have the work done here by someone who may not be documented than to outsource and take advantage of those outside our borders? The immigration of those in worse off countries should be welcomed as they provide as an asset to the U.S. economy not as a burden.
Andrea Doan Period 2
American view immigrants as a bad thing. Americans think that immigrants are stealing their jobs but they really aren't. Immigrants do jobs that no one else wants to do and the jobs are usually low wage. Like what the article said this is all about politics. Whenever politician talk about immigrants it's always negative making Americans think that immigrants are bad for the economy. In the article however talks about how immigrants are good for the economy. They help the economy grow.
Shaban Momin
Period 4
Immigration to the country of USA is rapidly increasing. Believe it or not but it has been quite helpful in some aspects of our economy. Most of the physical labor jobs such as cleaning, building, etc. are being filled by these immigrants. Immigrants come to the United States because it is a land of opportunity. If immigrants help give back and contribute to our country while doing no wrong then I believe that isn't a bad thing. I know that many people that immigrate to the US come to help their families and fix their lifestyles. I personally will always be for immigration
The topic of immigration and the spot they take in the overall economy of the United States is a topic that I usually see in a negative light because of the instilled idea of economy being a 'take some, loose some' game that all of us play. Many of our political leaders and spokespeople all have a sort of 'American loyalty' and wanting to 'protect' the benefits of citizenship (a big part of it is jobs) to 'ourselves', therefore convincing us that illegal immigration is unwelcome and can only hurt us. But after reading this post and seeing 'immigration' as just 'the flow of labor from one area to the other', I feel like the majority of the population view the issue of immigration in a too skewed and narrow-minded way. Statistically speaking, immigration has helped our country thrive yet many still condemn the influx of people coming into their homes. (The negative attitude towards immigration is more of a human instinct of trying-to-stay-as-far-as-they-can-from-unfamiliar-people than a real economic issue)
6th period
Gabrielle Le
Period 6
I found this article about immigration to be very interesting and refreshing in its take on illegal immigration, as well as immigration in general. Illegal immigration has definitely been a controversial topic for a long time, especially now with the presidential election. It was interesting to see that the author put the subject in a purely economic light. Seen from this point of view, immigration should not be a topic of argument at all, as it is an absolutely positive phenomenon for the economy. There are so many opinions about immigration and its effect on the country, but this article demonstrates that there really should not be an argument about it based on the facts. I have always been a supporter of immigration in general, and this article really put it in a new light. I never saw immigration as the flow of labor in a free market economy until reading this article.
I have never understood the backlash Americans have against Immigration. Throughout American history, immigrants have improved the America's standing economically. So with our historical knowledge, one would think we would be for immigration as a whole. It makes sense logically that immigrants would only go to a place that has jobs for them. If not, why would they bother. I hold politicians responsible for stoking fears using the nativist ideology of "the immigrants are stealing our jobs". It's easier to blame others for our economic problems instead of being self aware enough to acknowledge our own mistakes.
Milen Thomas
6th Period
I found this article to be quite interesting. The fact that the flow of illegal immigration is actually decreasing is completely different from what is heard from republicans and democrats.Also,it is quite interesting that economically it is better for more illegal immigrant but the hatred against illegal immigrants come from a political argument. I am for immigration but I believe that illegals should cross over legally.
Sonia Gupta
Period 2
I personally am for immigration. The US was built by immigrants and they contribute to the diversity of our nation. Most people assume that immigrants generally take the jobs of American workers, but that is not the case. Foreign people among us are doing various jobs to make a living that some of us wouldn't even consider. I do not support illegal immigrant because they bring in things like crime and drug trafficking, which causes many problems for our country.
I feel immigration is a big part of the Untited States. Immigration gives the United States more diversity and like everyone know , immigrants take the jobs no one wants , immigrants impact the economy and keep it well balanced. Immigrants are seen as bad people because of the terrible things that occur in there homelands but that's why they come to America to escape that and get a chance at the American Dream , ofc republicans are always against it and democrats try to help us somewhat, that's my opinion on that
John Abraham
period 6
In my opinion Immigration has been an integral part of the United States’ overall success and the country’s economy since it was established and without it, would have never been founded at all.There is no denying that immigration will always be a factor in the development of the United States. Whether it is due to religious beliefs, economic problems or even war in their native country, emigrants will always come to America with hopes of starting a new life in the “Land of the Free”. Immigrants in America, among other things, fill jobs where native-born Americans may not want to work or cannot work.Even the immigrants who are not well educated are motivated to succeed, work hard and take jobs in areas where labor forces are low or jobs that a native-born American may not even consider, effectively making them a contributing member of society.
While it may be true, as the author claims, immigration is good for the economy in VERY broad terms, the issue really isn't that simple, and certainly isn't limited to the economic perspective. One important thing I noticed is that this article was written in 2010, so I would be very interested to know if data about decreasing immigration is still prevalent more than half a decade later, at a time when the US economy is strong and unemployment is low. Another thing I noticed is that the author seemingly promotes the idea of allowing employers to employ whoever will take the lowest wages, which, to me, seems like it would certainly lower overall wages and possibly the standard of living in the US. The article relates immigration to osmosis. If we followed that logic, people who are willing to accept lower wages will diffuse across the border, and like in osmosis, this will happen until the wages on both sides of the border are the same. Logically, this would raise wages in the low wage area, but it would have to lower wages in the high wage area. For simplicity let's say it's just two nations; Mexico and the US (which is absolutely not the case). Logically, after immigration has fully diffused, the wages in both the US and Mexico would be the same, the average wage of the two nations before diffusion. I'd argue this is not necessarily a good thing, it may be equal for both nations, but it has certainly hurt the US. One nation has risen from bad to medium, while the other has fallen from good to medium.
As a 1 generation immigrant, being I moved here at a young age. Of course I am for immigration, yet I'm strongly against illegal immigration. I know the heard work my family went through to afford to be able to move to this country, and I deem it unfair that many can get away without going through the same trials. I feel as if though there is enough work to go around for citizens and for those who are in America as well, so the amount of people is not a valid issue of concern. I believe more safety measures should be taken to prevent illegal immigration as it is unfair to all those who worked hard to be able to get into this country.
Period 2
Immigration overall is great for the economy based on this article; however, immigration is not just an economic issue. I am definitely for immigration as both of my parents are immigrants, but illegal immigration is a different matter. Even though I believe illegal immigration is unfair to immigrants like my parents who have moved to America legally, I do not believe that there needs to be extra measures to stop this immigration. I think that our time and energy would better be spent on integrating these illegal immigrants into our society as most of them are already contributing members of it. Many illegal immigrants are not well educated but have a strong work ethic and take the low paying jobs many other Americans are not willing to take. As a result, I don't think we should take unnecessary efforts such as building a wall to stop illegal immigration.
Jithin Joy
Period 4
Immigration is a well discussed topic between the democrats and republicans. They always talk about the bad aspect of immigration which is the illegal type. This is not the only type of immigration. The people who come here legally actually contribute to the economy by bringing their skill-sets and way of thinking to their respective fields. This helps America's economy to grow and makes it a better country to live in. Also, many of the illegal immigrants' children are the ones studying hard and getting well paying jobs to help their families. In this way, they too are contributing to the economy.
This article makes excellent points about the benefits of illegal immigration economically but fails to address the social realities of illegal immigration. Economically I am convinced a more relaxed system would do great for the U.S. economy, however, Trump is right in that Mexico isn't the most peaceful country. Drug Cartels and other criminals cannot be allowed any opportunity to enter this country. I think the author has it right in that we should allow honest workers to immigrate but at the same time, we need to ensure the safety of American citizens. Republicans are usually against illegal immigration, while Democrats are usually sympathetic or soft on illegal immigration. This article reiterates claims by the Democratic Pary and shares the same sympathies.
Nicole Aguilar,
Period 4, AP Economics.
Politicians are the reason why so many people antagonize illegals in the first place, and to be honest bending the truth is what's making Donald Trump gain so much support from people who are so against it. As a daughter of an illegal immigrant, my first instinct on the subject is to exclaim that illegals aren't being harmful to the economy and that immigrants actually improve it, but instead I will say that I do understand the viewpoint from people who are against it. They see the unemployment rate and they blame the people who aren't native here, and to some extent, they are right. In the end however, illegal immigration is not something that can be fixed by a giant wall or tighter security. Politicians like Donald Trump think that a wall is going to solve all our problems, but I know for a fact that would only make it worse. For one, the wall would not only keep immigrants out, but it would keep illegals in since no one would be able to leave the US after crossing the border. Plus, a wall will not stop the illegals who have overstayed their visas and flown to the United States BY PLANE legally (sorry, had to emphasize that). My argument is that we shouldn't be pushing away illegals now that our country is facing a shortage of immigrants since the last decade, and instead we should figure out ways to make them legal so our economy can improve with hardworking immigrants. Blaming unemployment on immigrants is not only childish but very hypocritical of Americans around the nation, and the only way one can improve our unemployment issue is to provide more jobs and for Americans to become educated so unemployment will not be such a huge issue in the future.
In my opinion, this article was very eye opening and informative of the topics we hear almost everyday with the presidential elections coming up fast. Some politicians make it very clear to American citizens that immigration is harmful to the economy, but rather, it provides more benefit than people think. For example, an increase in immigration would allow the United States to have a comparative advantage in the goods and services production. Another topic in this article that caught my attention is that illegal immigration is not as destructive to the U.S. economy as the politicians make it out to be. This article states that illegal immigration does not prove to negatively prove to negatively push down the rates of U.S. wages. Though illegal immigration is not extremely harmful overall, it is still a topic that holds frustration among people. People who come to America legally have to go through a long and tough process while illegal immigrants get to glide into the U.S. without having to deal with any of that. Illegal immigration can even prevent other immigrants from getting permission to enter this country legally. Despite that fact, both legal and illegal immigration have benefits to America and should not be stopped by politicians.
This article is very different from what a lot of politicians and news stations are reporting. Immigration, legal or not, means people are coming to this country with skills and ideas that can positively contribute to our country. It is unfair to label legal or illegal immigrants as anything other than people looking to better their lives or their families lives, unless their actions show differently. It would be refreshing to hear politicians talk about how they could make immigration easier and faster for people looking to contribute to the US economy instead of hearing them group all immigrants together and labeling them as people who take American jobs. The bottom line is, Americans have many more opportunities than a lot of people around the world and if Americans really wanted to get a job it probably would not be the job that a hard working immigrant would take without question.
The Right Wing Agenda is extremely convoluted now. Fear on how illegal immigration is a huge problem in the United States is misguided and useless. Immigrants that are "taking our jobs" is a fear that should be looked upon as the same as the fear of Walmart taking our jobs. Many years ago the United States became an economy that focuses on the service industry, because places like Walmart would outsource and buy things for a cheaper price. Many people who worked at an industrial level were extremely unhappy, and blamed the Chinese for "taking our jobs". But the economy is booming more than ever now, and the goods we can buy are cheaper than ever. Building a wall would be the same thing as cutting off relations with China. Both would solve nothing, and both would probably hurt our economy instead of help it.
Jose De Leon
2nd Period
The whole thing of illegal immigration has me on both sides. This is America the land of the free and the land of opportunity and id argue that someone immigrants try to find a new opportunity and a new lifestyle. On the other side some immigrants bring negativity to our country. Crime rate goes up and it is just continuous. Im an kind of in the fence on this one because they're pros and cons to having immigrants in our country
this article was a very intresting source of information in terms of illegal migration and jobs in the country. right now the world is in dire straits regarding production of jobs and looks to the united states to be setting the precedent , but what we are seeing here is that the US us has a high unemployment rate and this rate only goes up as less immigrants are allowed to enter the country and more have ti move out because of the lack of opportunity.
in my opinion i feel that illegal immigration is an inevitable thing that we as a nation wont really be able to get rid of. they do cause our crime rates to go up but they also help take care of the various small jobs that people hire them for. it all depends on who u ask about illegal immigrants but in my opinion ive never seen the big deal about it.
Stanley Johnson
6th Period
This article was very interesting and allowed for a better understanding of immigration and the numbers and the stats of immigration. One thing that I immediately noticed was that the rate at which the illegal immigrants come into the United States is actually decreasing. Although it is decreasing, the media and politicians of our time makes illegal immigration seem as if it is getting worse. This article shows how illegal immigration is in reality a positive for the US economy while we are trained to believe that it fully detrimental for our economy. I am for immigration but I also stand for legal immigration. I believe that the US is the land for opportunities and that everyone should be able to have these opportunities. Immigration should be allowed for the people who are eagerly waiting for a new opportunity but these people should follow a legal format.
Nima Jamshidi
Period 2
Of course, no one is going to support illegal immigration because it is illegal. However, just because illegal immigration exists doesn't mean we have to start cutting off immigration from Mexico all together. To be frank, America needs the cheap labor those immigrants provide as well as their willingness to do jobs Americans do not want to. Our own textbook talked about how Americans simply don't want to work in industries like agriculture anymore because they would rather work in service industries rather than toil away in a field. In the absence of Americans willing to take those jobs, Mexican immigrants often stepped up to fill them. Immigrants should not be coming here illegally, but when America needs labor, we should be helping them come here legally instead of building walls to keep them out.
Jessica Jose
4th period
Immigrants are the ones who made the United States one the best countries in the world. Without their cultural and economic contributions to this country who knows what kind of country the United States would be. Immigrant from many different countries come to the United Sates for one main reason, to better their lives. Americans are always whining about how the immigrants are "stealing" their jobs. Well thats not really the case. Immigrants are usually employed by the companies who provide everyday services that the average American wouldn't want to do. Some of those services would include cleaning, maintaining gardens, and packing up garbage, just to name a few. In my opinion, everyone benefits from immigration and it should be encouraged.
per.2
This article is a great wake-up call for all Americans that don't know much about immigration. the United States has always been about immigration since the very beginning. immigration, illegal or legal has a lot of benefits that the American people do not know about. the politicians suggest otherwise, our current republican nominee wants to build a wall to stop illegal immigration. even though illegal immigration is unfair to the legal immigrants that pay and go through a lot to come to this country, it has proven to be extremely beneficial to the American economy. even though this article explains the major benefits of illegal immigration, it fails to explain some key points such as crime and safety issues that come along with illegal immigration.
Ryan Hunter
Period 6
The article presented all approaches to illegal immigration, not simply the cultural implications. I found it very interesting that illegal immigrants are leaving at a faster rate than they are entering, and I think this is the perfect example of the "invisible hand" at work. This is very different that what has been in the debates lately and changes my perspective on the effects of immigration. In my opinion, people should be allowed to work where there is the best opportunies, although it should be done legally so they have to pay taxes, as well as receive the benefits the government grants
4th period
Immigration nowadays is being mentioned politically as a negative occurrence in the United States. This article provides a fresh outlook on immigration in the United States. It shows how the United States is benefiting from the flow of immigration here, and that the immigrants are not stealing American jobs. Rather, they are helping boost the American economy. The comparison of immigration to osmosis was especially interesting because it puts immigration in a new light. Politicians do not talk about the pros of immigration. Most often we hear about immigration restrictions and as mentioned in the article, there is even talk of changing the Constitution to restrict immigration. The request to change the law that allows anyone born in the United States citizenship is a major change, and should not be taken lightly as it is altering the backbone of this country.
Shreyand Rana per. 2
The article provides positive information on immigaration. It talks about how we immigrants aren't stealing our jobs but rather creating jobs. The immigrants are helping our economy. The help better stimulate our economy. America is a nation that runs on immigration. People from nations across come to America for a better life. America needs the jobs these immigrants provide primarily labor. Our nation would not have the highest GPD without immigrants.
Kendall Truong
Period 2
I understand from a political point of view that these "illegals" can bring crime and injustice to the U.S, but from my perspective, immigration can actually benefit the economy. Trump believes that the immigrants from Mexico can bring damage and destruction to America, which comes to his belief to build his "wall" bordering us from Mexico. The immigrants from Mexico are not only just drug lords or terrorists, people who want to be free of violence in that state flee in hopes of freedom and prosperity. My parents represents this example. During my parent's time in Vietnam, violence and war rumors were spread around the street. As they soon emigrated to the U.S, they were to start a new life and work hard for a job. This positive side of immigration demonstrates that politicians are not fully correct about immigrants being useless.
This article showed both the pros and cons of illegal immigration to the United States. Illegal immigrants can take American jobs and increase the crime rate in the country. On the other hand, immigrants bring many benefits that are overlooked by most people. Although many people (especially Donald Trump) believe that keeping illegal immigrants out is the best way to preserve America's economy, illegal immigrants actually contribute a great deal to the country. Having illegal immigrants is advantageous due to the fact that it increases the labor size. As a result, the GDP of America increases as well since there is more production happening. Overall, I believe that immigration is a subject that needs to be seriously reconsidered by the American people.
Dennis Laison
2nd Period
This article showed a unique perspective to illegal immigration in that it approached illegal immigration as a political issue, not an economic one. In recent debates between the Democratic and Republican parties, the issue of illegal immigration has been brought up and spoken about in a mostly negative light, claiming things such as that illegal immigration takes away American jobs. This article showed the in reality, the American job market is only minority affected by this immigration. In actuality, by America having these immigrants it has a higher "comparative advantage in the production of a broader range of goods and services."
My family background is very well surrounded in the topic of immigration and of course I would have a strong opinion about it. America is always known as the place for a new start. That being said, it's obvious that this region would get alot of people trying to move here, legal or not. Immigrants keep America balanced in many ways. The low,awful,tough and time consuming jobs that some Americans don't take is often the first place to go for immigrants, who are we to complain about jobs being filled in with a mass of people. Yes there is posibilities of immigrants coming here to being crime and any other bad factors, but with risks there chances where it could be outweighed by the good that they can do. Politicians most of the time just focus one topic and try to make it seem horrible so that they can appeal more to the mind set of people who think that immigrants are nothing but trouble. There much more positive sides to immigration than how the media portraits it to be.
Barry Stainrod
Period 6
Like (what seems to be) most people who have posted comments here, i too was born of a migrant family. Though my parents passage here was legal, illegal immagrants pursue the same freedoms and job opportunities as those who are lucky enough to get here legally. The topic of eliminating illegal immigration seems to be the spear head to certain presidential campaign (of course refering to the obvious contender Trump), however it seems modern day America forgets its roots of innovation pushed forth by immigrants. The article does touch on that concept, and takes an actual objective view of the benefits and draw backs on illegal immigration. In the authors replies to the comments, they so a good job of actually view illegal immigrants as actual individuals rather than numbers. Illegal immigration has become a nessecary "evil" and now plays a large part in our economy
This article shows the audience a brand new view of the immigrants rather than current immigration crisis. Politicians have been stating the problems and issues that would be brought by both legal and illegal immigrants. However, immigrants may also benefit the United States economy as immigration brings more opportunity to the land and provide labors to the economy. I believe that politicians should not only focus on the immigration politically, but also see its economic potential that will help the American economy.
Hannah Enyioma 6th
Immigration is objectively beneficial for America and has always been, even illegal immigration. I do believe that when people choose to immigrate to America, they should do so legally, but I do not believe that illegal immigrants should be demonized for causing economic depression in America when all immigrants want is a better life for themselves and their children. This article is really eye opening concerning illegal immigration and economics because it shows that illegal immigration is not running the U.S. economy into the ground and is not stealing jobs from "true" Americans. It also completely contradicts what many politicians are saying concerning immigration and sheds a light on what is true and what is not. Many politicians, especially Republicans, demonize illegal immigrants for stealing American jobs, however, these jobs that immigrants are "stealing" are jobs that most Americans don't want, would never apply for, and think they are too good to have. Immigrants help further the economy by supplying services and goods that probably would not get supplied without them. We too often forget that immigrants are people, people who with bright minds that could potentially provide world changing ideas. We cannot ignore the benefits of immigration because of unfounded fears.
Period 4
My thoughts on immigration didn't change by much. The only thing I see changed is the angle of which I see the situation. In my honest opinion, illegal immigration isn't the deterrent of the American Economy. It's our political standpoint. By now, illegal immigration shouldn't be our priority. Based on the statistics of the Population of Illegal Immigrants, provided by Jason Welker in his blog, shows that there has not only been a decrease in the number of immigrants coming into the US, but also an increase in the number of illegal immigrants leaving the US. Nowadays, when our presidential candidates aren't bashing on one another, flaming each other, they are talking about illegal immigrants and how they can resolve the dilemma on stopping them from entering. By now, immigration should be seen as accepted. Sadly, it's not like that now, and may possibly never be. Instead, our upcoming politicians will use it to their advantage to gain the trust of those concerned. Even now, they are exaggerating the problem of immigration to win over the majority of the people.
This article shows that there is a completely different side to every argument brought up by political parties. Various news outlets portray immigration and illegal immigration as, devils, and yet tnis article skewed that immigration is good for our economy to the point where restricting immigration actually harms the economy. The article brought up how if labor is not allowed to move, then capital will move instead.
This article really didn't change my view on illegal immigration. It may seems different because of the point of view taken to look at immigration and effects were through the eyes of economist. I still believe the effects of immigration is really milked by all significant political figures to receive more votes and gain support. Immigration has great potential for the united states and I believe we should have a form of restricted immigration.
6th period
I myself am an immigrant to this country and i believe strongly in the value of globalization and mixing of cultures and ethnicity, but i am opposed to illegal immigration. I think that immigrants are great for a country and someone coming to america in search of opportunities and a better life is great, but if they came in legally then more people would benefit. The government would make more from taxes and the immigrants wouldn't have to live in fear of being deported and would actually have a chance at bettering their lives, rather than dooming themselves to living in poverty because they cant get any jobs that turn a decent profit.
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