Sunday, March 04, 2018

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 Friday at midnight. This change is due to the end of the nine weeks on Friday.

85 comments:

Jibimon Noby said...

Jibimon Noby
Period 1

Jason Welker's blog post, Updated: Immigration – NOT and economic debate…, reveals an issue that both conservatives and liberals utilize as a foundational characteristic of their parties. After reading this article, my thoughts are that immigration is a natural phenomenon that should be considered a resourceful good of the "free market" economy that America claims to be. Welker argues that because America is a "free market" economy, the government should have little effect on the free flow of labor creating an argument I can agree with. Welker's solution also follows Adam Smith's "invisible hand" principle to let the economy work itself out.Jason Welker provides statistical evidence that there is no causation between illegal immigrants and pressure on American wages which then exposes the hypocritical nature of politicians as Republicans who advocate for free market condemn immigration of laborers as they "leech off America's economic benefits." The article appears to be reliable as it utilizes logic and fundamental economic principles to offer an alternate perspective on the controversial topic of illegal immigration: one based off economic ideology and not political thought.

Unknown said...

My thoughts are the same about immigrants. I don't really mind if they are legal but if they are illegal and causing problems is when I care. I don't believe when they say in general that they come in and bring crime. Not all illegal immigrants are bad people. This article is basically the same ideas I have heard from democrats and republicans.

Camryn Pugh 6th period

Unknown said...

This was a refreshing take on the issue. Most arguments are about the political aspect it was decently a unique article to my eyes. But also the author seems to misconstrue hatred of illegal immigrants with legal immigrants he makes it sound like people don't want any immigration when they just want people to do it by the rules.

Reece lasris
P6

Reba George said...

This article uses strong evidence to examine the issue over illegal immigration and how it effects the economy. I have often heard on the news that people believe immigrants are "taking jobs away from the American people" which is why there are now stricter implementations to keep illegal immigrants out. The impact of immigrant labor on the wages of native-born workers is low. However, undocumented workers often work the unpleasant jobs that native-born workers are not willing to do. Welker's article made me realize that this country “land of opportunity” and for nearly five centuries created a haven for immigrants to have economic prosperity.
Reba George
Period 1

katarina shanar said...

My thoughts on immigrants remain the same. the united states is a place that they come to seek refuge and find a good stable environment with a job that provides income so they can have a stable or better life than they did from wherever they came form. regardless of the negative factors people may see about immigrants, they want the same thing we want, a safe and stable life.

Katarina Shanar 6th period

Unknown said...

My thoughts on immigration are unchanged after reading this article. To me this article talked a lot about how immigration particularly illegal immigration effects the US economy. Though facts show a decline in illegal immigration over the past years, it still occurs. The argument about free market and imbalance of wages only highlights that immigration is a political debate rather than an economic debate. The author seems most concerned with how immigration effects labor in the united states. I believe that if someone wishes to come to the United States they should do so legally in order to achieve their goals of living in a "land of opportunity".

Jessica Neal
2nd period

Anson Sam said...

Immigration is supposed to enrich America with all sorts of new people and new opportunities. By restricting immigration for illegals, the country turns away other prospective citizens in the workforce. These developments become a problem and turn immigration into a partisan issue that ultimately goes nowhere in legislation. So it's pretty refreshing to read an article that does not ultimately bash immigration and actually details the harm that heavy immigration restrictions can yield.

Anson Sam
6th Period

Unknown said...

Many arguments today argue that illegal immigrants are taking away American jobs when in fact, as explained by the article, are not. These jobs actually in fact add to the US economy. In addition, at the time the article was written the US was in the Great Recession which helped drop illegal immigrants form migrating to the US. However, this illegal immigration in fact helped the American economy by providing a cheaper labor force.

Angel Yeung
Period 6

Unknown said...

This article has not changed my opinion on immigration. America is called the "land of opportunity" and it has provided millions of illegal immigrants with jobs and a new life. Working in their native countries may not provide their families with the basic necessities to live a standard life. They have jobs that many Americans are unwilling to do. Illegal immigrants affect the American economy positively and negatively. The economy will always work its self out according to Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand."

Abel Abraham
6th Period

Linda Zhu 7 said...

I heard this argument from both sides of the political parties. My thoughts are after reading the article is the same as before. I agreed that illegal immigrants is unlawful, but if new regulations made it easier for immigrants to come here legally, the economy would increase it's growth potential and get stronger overall. If immigrants can get to the US easier and legally crime rates have the potential to go down. Something to note is that there is no evidence that illegal immigration puts downward pressure on American wage rates.

Blesson Chacko said...

This article has not made a whole lot of impact on me personally. I personally believe that although illegal immigration can be risky at times for our country, as well as non stable, it has provided the backbone to our hard labor force that we as Americans do not partake in. Because of illegal immigrants, we have been able to hand over the jobs that we don't want to have over to these people. Also, native born Americans are more likely to commit a crime than that of someone who is foreign born and not a citizen.

Blesson Chacko
Period 7

Irene Gratil said...

Though the debate on illegal immigration between political parties is controversial, the article provides a factual argument rather than opinion based. Many politicians and Americans view the incoming of illegal immigrants as a threat to available jobs and an increase to the unemployment rate, the article provides evidence that the flow of labor benefits both countries that are gaining and losing labor. limiting access to legal immigration does not make an impact on the number of immigrants arriving, but makes an impact on the number of immigrants arriving illegally. If valid evidence provides support that immigrants bring benefits to both economies, the debate is clearly political and based on perspective.

Irene Gratil
Pr 2

Unknown said...

After reading this article my thoughts on illegal immigration still stayed the same. I firmly believe that immigrants should have a chance to get themselves a job and achieve to get a better life to live. If an immigrant has the skills it takes to complete a task i believe they should have an opportunity to take the job , but in most cases immigrants are given the jobs that Americans would not want to do. Just like the article states the free market offers the perfect solution to the illegal immigration debate in the United States

Mykaela Llacar
6th

Unknown said...

This article only reiterates my beliefs about immigration. Immigrants come to American soil for more sustainable wages and living situations. The jobs they acquire are, more often than not, jobs that most Americans even refuse to take. This article also provides statistical evidence that immigrants are not taking jobs from Americans and are rather needed contributing factors towards our economy. America’s standards and economy both encourage the opportunities that immigrants find, which is blurred by the political debate of their presence. Looking from an economic standpoint alone, such as the one shown in the article, politicians would understand the benefits of immigration that they are largely ignoring.

Unknown said...

This article discusses the issues across America about Immigration. many immigrants come to the United States looking for a new life that was previously not available in their home country. i agree that illegal immigration is not by the law, however it creates new opportunities for many people and their children. After reading this article, my thoughts did not change regarding immigrants but it made me see the wider scope of how big the immigration issue is in America.

Nikita
Damodaran
Period 2

Anonymous said...

I appreciate the new perspective brought up by this article. While it reminisces about lobbying and the related topics we learned about in government, this new economic POV helps to contextualize the events happening today and nest it within similar events that happened in the past, giving a more worldly and universal perspective to the immigration debate happening today that has neither been discussed by the political parties nor any other reputable. The only thing I dislike about this article is the ridiculous comparisons with osmosis and other unrelated concepts that were unnecessary in the discussion of the article.

Henry Zhang
Period 7

Ayush Singh said...

The article presents its reader with a more fact-based viewpoint on immigration, bringing up the idea that America has always been a land of opportunity for immigrants seeking a new livelihood. I liked the use of osmosis to describe the flow of immigration in and out of the U.S. as increasing the difficulty to flow with a wall or other provisions will not benefit the American people. Rather, it's best to embrace immigration to give the U.S. a comparative advantage over other countries and allow the economy to benefit from immigration.

Ayush Singh
6th Period

Jeslin Johny said...

Many of the illegal immigrant debates mostly focus on the idea that immigrants are stealing our jobs and ruining the economy. This article is different because the author is in support of allowing illegal immigrants in America. The author explains that there is no economic debate as immigrants contribute greatly to the U.S economy. News media outlets today only look at the political debate of illegal immigration, and therefore many have been mislead, to think that illegal immigrants are ruining the U.S economy. But in reality it is immigrants who work the jobs that no one else wants to work even with such little play. The author states even with high immigration states jobs not wages are affected. I believe that focusing on the economic standpoint instead of a political one makes us understand that immigrants benefit our economy rather than hurt it.

Jeslin Johny
1st period

Unknown said...

This article manages to establish the perspective of looking at immigration with the mind of an economist. My thoughts are consistent with the ideas presented in the article. Restricting immigration does little to protect the jibs present in the United States and may even have adverse effects. The article is different from certain Republican views because the article sees illegal immigration as a natural representation of the free market at work and does not reject it fully. Rather, the author provides some support for the flow exchange of labor between low wage countries and high wage countries. These immigrants are willing to do jobs that most Americans do not pursue and broaden the economic areas that the country can cover.

Bryanna Godfrey
Period 1

Benjamin S said...

This article establishes that in economic terms, immigration has nothing to do with political, religious, racial or gender related reasons. In relation to economics, immigration has to do with the flow of labor from one geographic location to another. This is very different from what I've been hearing lately from democrats and republicans since they talk about immigration as if its only due to political, economic problems that they are trying to flee. For example, people like trump say that immigrants are coming here to steal our jobs, and so he doesn't support immigration, which i think is a stupid an retarded reason considering that the article claims that America is known worldwide as the land of opportunity, and i think we should keep it that way.

Benjamin Sunny, 6th Period

stype said...

This article establishes that in terms of economics, immigration has to do with the flow of labor from one geographic location to another. This is very different from what I've been hearing lately from democrats and republicans since they talk about immigration as if its only due to political, economic problems that they are trying to flee. However, restricting jobs will have very little positive effects on the US economy, and in fact, it could even end up being detrimental to the country. Immigrants are willing to do the jobs that most americans aren't willing to do, and so stopping immigration will ruin those jobs. This shows how important immigrants are to the economy of the country and how crucial it is that we don't isolate them from coming into the country.

stype said...

Stephen Iype, 1st Period

Unknown said...

After reading this article, my thoughts and opinions on immigration have not really changed that much. I do sincerely believe that illegal immigration does eventually have negative effects on the economy, but it is very gradual. Most jobs illegal immigrants can take up are the labor-intensive ones, not one's most American would be willing to do. Also the article states that American workers are only slightly affected by the presence of illegal immigrants in the United States, and there is no evidence that illegal immigration puts downward pressure on American wage rates. So this further proves that illegal immigration does not affect the economy of the United States that much. All in all, I am rather indifferent about illegal immigration. I know there is no way to completely eliminate it, but I am a supporter of illegal immigration enforcement.

Christian Toy
period 1

Danielle Davis said...

This article explains immigration from an economist view point. However, the article hasn't altered my view on immigration but has backed it. I believe that immigration helps boost the economy in reference to the US economy system, a free market. This differs from recent Republican and Democrat's view that immigrants is a natural wave of free market. Also, most immigrants are willing to do jobs that most Americans are not willing to do. This is normally blue collared jobs.

Danielle Davis period 6

Unknown said...

The article provides an insight on the positive impact immigration has on the economy. By working low-wage jobs, immigrants boost the economy. It shows that the problems people have with immigrants has nothing do with economics, but is actually all political. The article shows a different view from what most people hear in the media as they claim that immigration is bad as they steal the jobs of Americans. By looking at it from an economic standpoint rather than a political one, the reader can clearly see the impact of immigration. 

Reeba Abraham
period 2

Anonymous said...

The article describes all effects of illegal immigration, positive or negative. Immigrants boost our economy by being a large work force who work for low wages. The immigrant population in the US is decreasing, 12 million in 2007 and 11.1 million in 2009. Making it harder for immigrants to come into the United States does little to protect American jobs. It conflicts what Republicans and Democrats have been saying that preventing immigration will protect US jobs for specifically American workers.

Brandon Wong
7th

Unknown said...

This article explains the effects of illegal immigration. One point that was made was that illegal immigrants will not enter if there is no demand for them. Decreasing the flow of illegal immigrants is actually detrimental to us as it is causing a decrease in the labor force and decrease in capital in the nation. Also, the whole situation is ironic as there are more illegal immigrants leaving the US than entering. Banning immigrants is against the idea of America being the land of opportunity as our nation was built from the work of immigrants. This article was a lot different from Republican view as it appears that the Republicans use immigrants as scapegoats for economic turmoils despite immigrants actually benefiting Americans.

Andrew YAng
7th

Unknown said...

Focusing on the economic aspect of illegal immigration, my thoughts about illegal immigration remain unchanged. Where there's demand for jobs, illegal immigration is bound to happen. I see this scenario being played out all over the place in the U.S. For example, going into many Chinese restaurants these days, you will not see an ethnic Chinese cleaning or serving food; instead, you will see someone who is not of Chinese ethnicity. From my experience and connections with restaurant owners, most of these workers did not enter into the U.S. legally. This irony occurs because no American or Chinese immigrant is willing to take these jobs. So, naturally, the restaurant owners look for illegal immigrants. Again, from personal experience, many of the illegal immigrants I have encountered send money back to their families outside of the U.S. This, in turn, causes less spending inside the U.S. But again, like what the article has stated, the free flow of labor across national borders improves overall efficiency of both countries. In the US, we see illegal immigrants filling jobs Americans won't take, while in foreign countries such as Mexico, we see individuals and families with more purchasing power, which benefits the nations economy. Politically speaking, the article does many pros of illegal immigration that contradicts Republican agendas on immigration. In Republican media, there is strong rhetoric of illegal immigrants stealing jobs, relating economic turmoil to immigrants, increase in crime, and etc. The article states many points that prove the economic benefits of immigration in general, whether illegal or not. Therefore the points made in the article would have been supported by democrats for economic benefits.

More on personal opinion, Chinese restaurants with workers that are not ethnically Chinese do not degrade the quality of the service or food. There are definitely Chinese restaurants that hire solely within their own ethnicity, but a diverse workforce does not take away from the authentic Chinese restaurant experience. I mean Panda Express has definitely exceeded my expectations. In conclusion, illegal immigration maybe a necessary good in our current economic standings.

Henry Feng
7th Period

Juliana Quintana said...

In Illegal Immigration; Not an Economic Debate, the author writes about the place immigrants have in our society, economically. Immigrants should be thought of as key components to our Market Economy. The majority of the immigrants that come to the U.S. come for better economic opportunities, therefore they are more willing to be work and be appreciative of what they recience in turn. The biggiest downside is that some of the money given to them through their work is sent out of the country to their families, but most of their families end up coming to the U.S, eventually so the money comes back.

Juliana Quintana
Pr-6

Unknown said...

Zeroing in on the category of economics regarding the debate over immigration to first world countries such as the United States. The author takes a considerable stance on the idealisms of what it means to allow illegal aliens to enter the country. Americans participate in the area of free market systems. Making it harder for immigrants to enter the country only does more harm to the US itself it terms of economy. Rather the flow of immigrants follows that pattern with the the input and output of demand with the immigrants. This is the part both political parties will not talk about is the vast additions to the labor force that these peoples provide. Another, part of the article that is not addressed is the idea of what happens to tax dollars and the social benefits that are being leached off from by these people who cross the semi-permeable border.

Dhilan Patel
Period 7

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Illegal Immigration; Not an Economic Debate offers a view of immigration that is not so much mentioned in the main stream of debates. As part of an illegal family, I have seen for myself my family members searching for those jobs that are desperately in need of labor. I mostly agree with the topics present within the article as I am able to understand the topic from both sides, being a U.S. citizen but coming from an immigrant background.

Erek Castro
Period 7

Edward Joseph said...

Jason Welker, through this article, brings out numerous points on the positive effects of illegal immigrants entering the U.S. I was surprised by the point of view he had as many critics on media and social networks all have opinions which contradict this article. I somewhat agree with the author in the stance that the economy is not effected negatively because of illegal immigrants, but only tends to help the cause. The large amount of money being spent on increasing national security is forcing, as Welker said, to make immigrants leave. However, as country that was developed by immigrants, I do believe that forcing immigrants to leave will cause a disruption within the economy. Overall I enjoyed the different point of view the article brought forth.

Edward Joseph
Period 2

Unknown said...

This article focuses in the economic point of view of illegal immigration. Immigration is described as the flow of labor from one geographic location to another. Some politicians say that immigration is ruining the economy and immigrants are stealing jobs from American citizens, however that is no the case. Immigration increases the economy and having preventative measures for immigration does little to protect American jobs.Immigration is what America was founded on. Immigration is a political debate not an economic one.

Unknown said...

I appreciate the insight he gives on the issue. I personally think that attacking and characterizing illegal immigrants that are desperate for a better life as criminals is hypocritical. Europeans colonized America, slaughtered Native peoples, forcibly enslaved Native peoples and Africans, and some politicians still have the audacity to gloss over that part of history while they call illegal immigrants criminals and rapists. Politics is almost always about stirring the pot and getting votes. I honestly don't think that there is a real economic concern when it comes to illegal immigration. I think some politicians just want to give ordinary citizens something to fight over so that the dispute carries over to the polls. The article could have used a few more scholarly sources to really seal the deal on its points, but overall I liked the article and found the information enlightening, especially in today's political climate.

Anonymous said...

This article describes about the effects of immigrants on the economy of America. The “land of opportunity” attracts immigrants who are willing to work. In the free market system of economics, illegal immigrants are used for cheap labors, which helps America develop its economy because of these cheap prices. In my opinion, immigrants will not threaten American citizen’s jobs. Immigrants have made a great contribution to America in all aspects through these jobs.

Angela Fang Period 6

Matt Benton said...

Before reading this, I did not know that the rate of immigrants coming into the country was actually falling. The article says that from an economic standpoint, American workers are only marginally effected by illegal immigrants. Thus, immigration is a political debate, not an economic one. From a free market standpoint, immigration actually helps the economy. Free market economy actually suggests that immigration is a good thing. I feel that people say that illegal immigrants are taking American jobs. However, i feel that illegal immigrants and most American workers are not competing for the same jobs.

Matthew Benton
6th Period

Unknown said...

After reading the article my thoughts on immigration have remained the same. Many Americans believe that illegal immigrants pose a threat, however, the article shows the benefits that come along with it. Welker states that the Great Recession aided in the drop of illegal immigrants in the United States. The U.S is a "land of opportunity" for immigrants and their family providing them with better economic opportunities that can lead to a more stable life.
Nia Eugene
Per. 6

Unknown said...

The author uses evidence to find the issue over illegal immigration and how it effects the economy. I agreed that illegal immigrants is unlawful, i thought about this before reading the article and after. I believe immigrants have the hands to do work that we Americans can’t do. Many Americans view illegal immigrants as a threat to open jobs and an increase to the unemployment rate, the article provides facts that show the flow of labor benefits both countries that are gaining and losing labor, and cutting access to legal immigration does not make an impact on the number of immigrants arriving, but makes an impact on the number of immigrants arriving illegally. If we read this article it shows what effect immigrants have on our economy and if the republicans and Democrats want the best for the country they should read this article.

Elizabeth Melchor 2nd pd

Unknown said...

After reading this article, it helped me to view illegal immigration from a different standpoint than political. In our society, Republicans and Democrats take the issue of illegal immigration as a political battle, strengthening their position based what they believe on how illegal immigration is bad or good. However, Jason Welker, the author of this article, explains his position from an economic standpoint. It helped to shine a light on the situation in a whole new way which helped me to understand his viewpoint. Through his examples, the economic use of "osmosis, and other analogies, the author supported his argument really well and influenced me to agree with it also. Overall, I agree with Welker when explaining about illegal immigration being beneficial from an economic view. His different perspective about the whole situation was really an interesting read and I really enjoyed it.

Hunter Boyd
Period 6

Unknown said...

This article discussed the controversial subject of illegal immigration which is still a big issue in which the country deals with today. The article took the unconventional stance of viewing illegal immigration as having a positive effect on the country. Instead of viewing it politically as most people do today, he viewed the issue economically discussing all the good it could do the country. Welker explained how it could expand the economy greatly. I agree with the author because I believe the benefits of illegal immigrations economically is far better than the issues it creates politically.

Raza Muhammad
Period 2

Kenan Edwards said...

This article address that illegal immigration is taking away from American economy due to some of the people selling drugs,alcohol etc.They had discussed the article in the perspective of the economy rather than the political view.Unemployment and more jobs will be available that are not usually considered by the people.This show an expansion in the economy with more capital generated in the economy.I agree because they will carry more employment to the United States and address some of the rates in the economy and will not be more on a political side that these people are here to take away the standard of American living.This will give U.S. a comparative advantage in production of goods and services at a lower price.

Kenan Edwards
Period 6

Unknown said...

This article addressed the rather controversial topic of illegal immigration which is deemed as a massive problem in modern day society. However, the article viewed illegal immigration as being positive for a country since it was bringing in new workers and ensuring a constant increase in the economy. Walker further explained how the economy could greatly benefit from this and national debt could decrease immensely. Although, I see the great benefits of illegal immigration, I still disagree with it overall because it is taking over jobs of legal citizens who worked hard for their spot.

Sahib Oberoi
Period 2

jerin2000 said...

In his article about immigration, Jason Welker claims that although more immigration police and the repeal of the 14th amendment may reduce the amount of illegal aliens trying to seek work within the United States, it will not help in slowing the capital that is flowing to Mexico. I agree with this statement because I believe that the United States should invest in keeping as much capital within US borders as possible rather than investing the money on border patrol activities which in reality only makes illegals cross over harsher terrain to avoid detection. Thus, putting that money into making sure capital stays in the United States will ensure that our country's economy continues to be strong. These views are in sharp contrast to Donald Trump, who is actively looking to invest billions on a border wall.

Jerin Jose
Period 02

Unknown said...

Although this article is slightly dated by its argument including the then-current "Great Recession," the author includes non biased views on the topic of immigration. I found the economic side of the debate is focused only on numbers and trends, rather than pinions. While both republicans and democrats have a tendancy to place blame on each other or the immigrants, the article makes points that are just presenting the reader facts. These acts allow the reader to decide how they want to interpret the immigration debate in America.


Keegan Jones
7th Period

Unknown said...

In the article, the issue of immigration is addressed in a different perspective. We often hear about paying more taxes to help with child support and/or illegal immigrants taking away american jobs due to their willingness to work for very small wage, however this article makes the argument that illegal immigration is actually negative (flowing out of the United States) as of right now. The article also goes on to compare the marginal upsets of the economy to the long run benefits of having a "semipermeable" membrane between US and Mexico that allows for wage and work force to balance themselves similar to the way supply and demand is balanced based on price, which ends up benefiting both countries and allowing for more stability.

Bonita Hall
6th Period

Unknown said...

This article addresses the economics behind the issue of illegal immigration. After reading and examining this article carefully, my personal opinion is that illegal immigration is indeed felonious but, immigrants are more willing to do the dirty and unwanted jobs that most Americans do not want to do. Furthermore, Americans believe that immigrants are stealing their jobs and increasing the unemployment rates by entering this country illegally. This is article is most definitely something I have never heard come from a Democrat nor a Republican.

Maheen Meraj
6th Period

Unknown said...

In this article, it takes a different viewpoint then we hear from a Democrats and Republicans about immigration. Taking an economic standpoint on illegal immigration. Mostly we
hear the illegal immigrants come and take away American jobs taken as a negative point in our country. In this article, it takes an positive standpoint of illegal immigrants coming and creating new economic trendset. This article presents facts along with an interesting and different standpoint on immigration.

Amaani Nazarali-6th Period

Unknown said...

As i read the article, my opinion on illegal immigration stayed the same. As a immigrant, I strongly believe that we are more than just "criminals". We can offer more to this country if it would allow us to. The economy would rise because of the amount of people working And consuming. We do the fo jobs that most people wouldn't dare to think of. Just to get by. Imagine what we can do if we had the resources to work. Republicans should be more open to possibilities for some sort of reform for immigration. To work as one so that
Our country could strive.

Gaby Bonus said...

After reading this article, my personal opinion on immigration did not change since I believe that immigrants do not harm the economy. Throughout the article, the author describes the influence that immigrants have made on the economy and the benefits that have occurred because of this impact. This article has highlighted all the positive effects that has happened due to the illegal immigrant activity in America. Although many Americans believe that immigrants are stealing jobs from them, they are just doing the jobs that not many people want to do in the first place.

Gaby Bonus P.2

Unknown said...

Immigration has been one of the most disputed political issues in our country. We have the right arguing stricter immigration, especially the ones for illegal immigrants while the left is looking to protect the illegal immigrants in our country. The article provides an economist view of illegal immigration and how illegal immigration affects the economy in the United States. The author states that illegal immigrants have no effect on the jobs that Americans are losing out on since many of the immigrants tend to work undesirable manual labor. The author also answers many myths about illegal immigrants such as how immigrants sent their money home since they could not bring their families with them.

Paul Manavalan
7th

Unknown said...

That article by Jason Welker showed the different viewpoints of how people fell about illegal immigration. Before and after reading the article my opinion on illegal immigration stayed the same, which is that it is wrong. However, the article did tell me information that did me think about. The information that made me think was when Welker talked about how immigrants filled a lot of American jobs that Americans really do not want to work. Something else that I found interesting from the article is that illegal immigration is going down and that more are leaving the county than entering the county. I also liked that the article approached immigration form an economic stand not any kind of political view

Hannah Golding
1st

Angella Baby said...

The article "Updated: Immigration- NOT and economic debate..." points at the false perception that immigration is solely an economic debate, as claimed by the republicans. The author provides concrete facts by talking about the America's free market system and its effects on immigration. Naturally, as with water, the free market system causes things to move from a location of high concentration and low demand to one of little demand and low concentration with little to no government intervention. The article claims that this principle itself invalidates the republican argument as this phenomenon will continue to occur with labor, even if it is regulated. However, since many American workers do not even take up the jobs that the immigrants are willing to work in, the regulation and prevention of immigration only hurts the American economy. Another interesting point about the topic was that if immigration is severely limited, the capital will only grow legs and go to places where natives are willing to work for half the cost (e.g. Mexico, India).

The argument that the author makes is clearly economic, but it argues for the deregulation of immigration so that America will benefit greatly due to the laws of macroeconomics. I agree with the author because while America is willing to pay trillions of dollars to allegedly protect their jobs in the short run, they are only hurting the economy more in the long run. While this differs greatly from the Republican point of view, the author agreed with DACA, a policy that the Democrats largely support, thus leaning slightly democratic in its tone.

Angella Baby
Period 1

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

This article is very different from what I have been hearing because unlike most other sources, immigration is approached with an economist mind set, as opposed to a political viewpoint. The article addresses various misconceptions about immigration, such as that immigration hurts Americans by increasing unemployment rate and that it places a downward pressure on the market. In fact, the article says that the opposite happens. Immigration helps keep jobs from being exported and in this way helps the economy of the United States, and although immigrants do that some jobs, their effect is very minimal. One idea I found very interesting was the comparison of immigration to osmosis, in which the higher concentration will flow into the area with the lower concentration. In other words, immigration will flow to where ever there is a higher demand for labor; there is not a very big need to have the government control immigration because in a way it balances by itself.

Shahzab Badarpura
2nd period

Roshni Jose said...

This article is fairly different than most articles in the news and media outlets that we see today in that it is not anti-immigration article. The author argues that illegal immigrants are not the reason United States citizens are not finding jobs. The article comes from a point of view of an economist and not a politician. The author argues that citizens of the United States should not bring welcome the idea of immigration. He focuses on the idea that even with out high immigration rates, people would still not take the jobs. He claims that high immigration rates do not put downward pressure on the wages of U.S. citizens at all and believes that the economy benefits from immigrants. My thoughts on this subject is that it is good to see controversial subjects, like immigration, from different point of views because it can help us create an educates opinion. I believe that immigration can be bring many positive things to our economy, but with a price.

Roshni Jose
1st Period

Unknown said...

The article about the illegal immigration in the United States is quite a different point of view from contemporary media today. The article ends with a textual fact with evidence regarding the decline of illegal immigration lately in the United States. After reading this article, I feel like I have been enlightened that illegal immigration is not as big of a problem as it used to be more than many politicians are making it today. The article is indeed different from what I have been hearing from the political parties lately, especially with the current president of the United States- who is willing to spend a lot of money to try and totally negate the illegal immigration in the United States. After this article, now I am more inclined to disagree with the building of the wall more than ever; due to the fact that the budget could be spent somewhere else like to further try to decrease the debt of the nation by investing in some particular things.

Michael Ibay
7th period

Nicole Jean said...

I enjoyed the article because, despite the views and opinions from democrats and republicans, this perspective was relatively unbiased. The evidence and facts were legitimate and relevant. I especially respected the part where he mentioned that immigration is not a manner of economics, but rather a matter of politics, but if it were a matter of economics, immigration is actually beneficial to the United States' economy. I am glad that this article exists, because it truthfully educates people on a matter that has many tampered facts and biased coverage. It has personally shown me more statistics and feel even more so that immigration is not as negative as it is portrayed to be in the media.

Nicole Jean
1st period

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

In the article "Updated: Immigration - NOT an economic debate..." the publisher Jason Welker makes an argument for immigration having the opposite effect on the US economy than many Americans believe to be true today. His various claims are supported by multiple trends in data that has been found in recent years. There is a clear correlation between unemployment rates rising as the immigration rates fall. I believe all of this information to be important, and I see his argument to be extremely accurate and informed. Immigration allows for not only the flow of people, but the flow of ideas and opportunity as well. These people bring to our nation a new view, which allows not only the immigrants themselves to benefit, but also the natural born citizens of this country as well. Many well-known Republicans and Democrats today have been arguing against immigration from an economic standpoint. It is clear that their claims are not supported by the data thas has been found, but many voters are unaware of this fact. People need to ensure that they make an informed decision on who their leaders should be, and it is a mistake to blindly follow the leaders of a party, especially when their claims come from a bias or political standpoint rather than one that is what they claim to be economic.

Garrett Foresman
Period 6

Anonymous said...

The article Updated: Immigration – NOT and economic debate by Jason Welker points out the wrong viewpoint on how immigration is mainly based on economic debate, said by the republicans. Welker gives evidence on the free market system and its many effects it has on immigration. The article allegates that the free market system completely abolishes the claims made by the republican argument. Throughout the article the many viewpoint surrounding illegal immigration is discussed. My viewpoints after reading this article remained the same, however I did find it interesting that more people are leaving the country than coming in.

Matthew Manalel
2nd Period

Anonymous said...

This article is regarding illegal immigration in the United States and according to Welker it has many positive outcomes. Republicans believe that illegal immigrants are taking jobs, homes, and tax dollars from legal citizens who have paid into the system their entire lives. Whereas, Democrats believe in providing a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. This article focuses on the positive side of illegal immigration and makes reasonable statements about it rather than defaming it like always.

Anonymous said...

Erin John
Period 2

Unknown said...

In the article, the author writes about the place immigrants have in our society, economically. Immigrants should be thought of as key components to our Market Economy. The majority of the immigrants that come to the U.S. come for better economic opportunities.The biggiest downside is that some of the money given to them through their work is sent out of the country to their families, but most of their families end up coming to the U.S, eventually so the money comes back. My view continues to stay the same as i feel like the should be given the chance to move up in the world and not just been seen as bad influence.
Albert Tamdjo
Period 2

Samuel Shteyman said...

The article is refreshing in that it presents illegal immigration in a way such that almost any previous political argument for disallowing immigration can be argued. Many believe that illegal immigrants "steal" our jobs, but as the article said, if there are not enough jobs to go around, then labor won't continue to flow into the United States. In addition, many low-skill jobs are densely populated by illegal immigrants. If Americans value their time and possess the proper means of education (which most do), we would not work these low-skill jobs, so there is no need to complain that the job is getting done somehow.

Samuel Shteyman
1st Period

Alisha z said...

This article served to reinforce my beliefs about the fact that illegal immigration should not be as big as an issue as it is made out to be. As I have always thought, it emphasized how illegal immigrants don't take many jobs away from natives and generally even help us by doing jobs we do not want to do. I found it interesting that it said that the rate of it was decreasing as everything in the media as well as Trump's policies make it out to be this large threatening problem that is growing.

Alisha z said...

Alisha Zute period 6

Unknown said...

In this article the author talks about all the positives that come out of illegal immigration. We often think that these immigrants are stealing are jobs and ruining our economy. In reality they are helping the economy. They help the flow of labor continue in the United States. This article has highlighted everything positive that immigration has brought to our country. Overall, I agree with the author because it helping the US economy.

Angelina Mancino said...

My thoughts on immigration are generally still the same. I don't believe in removing illegal immigrants that have already journeyed their way over here, however I do believe there has to be restrictions purely because it's not fair to those who have to endure the long process. Although many people view immigrants as people who "steal Americans' jobs", however if we look at the jobs they have, we can see that not many American citizens would take them. For example, a large majority of farmers in America are, in fact, illegal immigrants, and by removing them from our country, we will have a decrease in labor in one of the most important industries. Overall, they do benefit our economy in the flow of labor but I still believe we need restrictions to eliminate overpopulation.

Unknown said...

To me, many of the immigrants are escaping a country that is going down or becoming really and for their health or their family’s health. A lot of immigrants are pure hearted and come to make money and support their family, unlike the minority of immigrants who come to cause trouble. The jobs they take are usually unpleasant ones Americans won’t do and doesn’t really harm Americans being able to find work. I do think we should implicate stricter immigration laws due to the fact that if more keep coming undocumented and unaccounted for, the likelihood of one of the “bad” ones causing trouble rises.

Unknown said...

My thoughts on immigration have been left unchanged after reading this article. Immigration have been a huge part of our society for the longest time. Without it, the united states would not be a prosperous as it is known to be. Majority of immigrants come to the US for economic opportunity, they take up the jobs that a typical (high standard) american would not even consider touching. They become employed in the jobs that deal with production- ex food industry. While most Americans choose jobs in the service area that are usually more high paying with less physical labor. Immigrants and Americans combine to create a balanced economy that has been working for generations. The elimination will cause a disrupted economy that has been growing for centuries.

Tiffany Huynh
period 1

Mark Mufarreh said...

While reading the article I came to find that the author and I share many of the same beliefs. First of all, many may argue that people who are illegal "steal" our jobs, this is entirely false. If you take a closer look at the jobs they "steal," you would see how hard and tedious these jobs are, and that almost no American would want to work, or does work this job. Most of those who come to America undocumented are very determined, this is shown through their hustle on the streets, starting up their own food stand, rather than begging for money as most American's would. Although I do not believe these Undocumented Citizens are not terrible people, I still think there should be some sort of restriction, just to eliminate over-population, as well as not allowing those who do intend to cause harm in to America.

Mark Mufarreh 1st Period

Unknown said...

This article provides an economic point of view rather than a political one, which is very different from most other sources reporting over the immigration regulation controversy. It is nice to see that the author has a different standpoint and can defy the normality of what every politician believes. I think that it is somewhat ironic how Americans have imposed such strict laws in the matters of preventing immigrants from coming into the country, yet America as a whole is a country of immigrants. I agree with his take on immigration benefiting our economy; however, we cannot ignore the fact that if immigration laws weren't strict we could possibly have an influx of immigrants bringing other problems such as terrorism, crime etc. into the country. Overall, the article was informative and made good use of statistical evidence to offer the readers a new take on immigration.

Ashwini Prabhu
Period 6

Unknown said...

I found this article very relatable to how I feel towards the "issue" of immigration. From our history books we learn that America was founded by immigrants, which boosted our economy. Almost everyone, who lives in America has at least one ancestor that came to America from another country. Politically, I never took the Democratic side or Republican side, however; there are some things I agree with and disagree with from each political party. I understood both parties viewpoints on immigration and where they were coming from. However, I tend to find the Republican viewpoint on immigration to be false that immigrants are taking our jobs. Most of the immigrants that come to America tend to do the jobs, nobody wants to do. I agree that immigrants benefit our economy and we cannot ignore the fact that most of us wouldn't be here if it wasn't for immigration, including myself. I overall found this article very informing and helped me better understand my viewpoint on immigration.

Ashley Odstrcil
7th period

Unknown said...

The article provides the economic reason for why immigration is helpful and not harmful. Although most articles provide the political and social reasons for why immigration is not okay, this article is different in that it provides the economic benefit of allowing labor to flow through one border to the other. It is without a doubt that allowing immigrants from other countries increases the labor force and gives jobs to those who are willing to do so. It is a naturally occurring event for people to follow work where it is available, which is proof for why so many immigrants in the U.S. have moved out due to harsh economic conditions. The American way is offering opportunity, presenting a free market economy where anyone and everyone has the opportunity to make a life of their own. The systematic ban of immigrants is not only a representation of the ironic demeanor of the United States to keep out "illegals," but also contradictory to the desired economic strength of the country. Socially it is cruel to deny access, economically it reduces the workforce and other potential successes among individuals in the country, natural-born or not. Overall the article was informative, interesting, and provided solid proof for why immigration is necessary.

Luke Leblanc
Period 6

Unknown said...

This article was refreshing and I believe the argument is a matter of perspective. Most Americans would insinuate immigrants to be a negative factor in the US economy. It has been said that immigration takes away jobs from those natural born citizens here. But many viewpoints on immigration, especially from the Republican Party, are false. Immigrants usually end up taking the jobs nobody wants, or needs and they essentially help the economy by providing a cheaper labor force and filling up jobs and lowering the unemployment rates. I believe immigrants do better affect our economy as a whole and there a many positive incentives that come along with it. Overall this article was informative and it really helped me define my stand point in the issues of immigration.

Christopher Tilford
6th

Camila Ferrero said...

This article explains how many immigrants are seen as people who take the jobs of the Americans. I do not believe this is true and after reading the article I still continue to believe this. This article talks about how illegal immigration should not a big of a problem. The author also emphasizes that immigrants do NOT take the American jobs. I found this article to be really interesting and the information provided really helped enforce the author's main point.
Camila F.
Period 1

Jacob Aickareth said...

My thoughts on immigration are unchanged after reading this article. This article gives insight into the positive aspects of immigration in that it helps immigrants establish a better standard of living. The republicans believe that immigrants are taking Americans jobs where as democrats believe there should be citizenship to the immigrants. Overall immigrants should stay but there should be restrictions so that overpopulation doesn’t exist.

Jacob Aickareth said...

Jacob Aickareth
2nd period

Paul Nguyen said...

This changed my thoughts on immigration completely, before not seeing it as a negative I am now open to that view point. Even though I am still in favor of accepting immigrants I can now see another point of view.

Paul Nguyen
2nd period

Unknown said...

This article provides a more nuanced view of immigration. Within the media it is usually one side or another which is usually catered towards it's audience's bias. The views from democrats and republicans provide different and plausible perspectives.

Jahrid Clyne
6th Period

Unknown said...

The article “Illegal Immigration; Not an Economic Debate” supports my current political viewpoint on immigration. The modern climate and polarization has not allowed either political party to see the true facts of economic advantages and disadvantages behind immigration. The article shows how less restrictions on the flow of immigrants has drastically improved our economy’s output, while admitting that “native” Americans can be left without work. By studying factual information, the debate can not be a political one, the author makes certain to include different moral perspectives either way to adjust for this.


Angelica Miranda
Period 2

Unknown said...

I agree with most of the article itself. It goes beyond the stereotypical pros and cons of immigration, both illegal and legal. This article also goes over the economic advantages of allowing the labor flow through one border to the other. Allowing the flow of immigrants to exist will increase labor force and provide jobs for those who are willing to work hard for them. However, some native citizens might be replaced or left without jobs due to jobs being filled by immigrants, this is simply competition. If you are not willing to work as hard as the next person in line, you do not deserve the job. Due to these thoughts represented in the article, I myself do not agree or disagree that immigration is a terrible occurrence. Overall this article was very informative and unbiased. Immigration brigs a lot of pros , while also having few cons. Whether or not it is good or bad, is a matter of perspective.

Javier Bermejo
Period 2

Unknown said...

After reading this article I still hold the standpoint I have about immigration. It did not change my opinion in any shape. It is without a doubt that allowing immigrants from other countries increases the labor force and gives jobs to those who are willing to do so. It is a naturally occurring event for people to follow work where it is available, which is proof for why so many immigrants in the U.S. have moved out due to harsh economic conditions. The American way is offering opportunity, presenting a free market economy where anyone and everyone has the opportunity to make a life of their own. But the article was interesting and he had several ideas that made me think.

Sumeyye Islamoglu
Period 1

Godwish Tom said...

Although many peoples opposes the idea of having illegal immigrants as they view them in a negative light, but this article discusses the importance of having them in an economic manner. What many people fail to realize is that these people are coming to the US to find better opportunity and are happy to do jobs Americans wouldn't do because of cheap pay. This is important especially when the demand for these jobs has increased through the years.