AMERICA: WHEN CAN WE LEARN TO ACCEPT IMMIGRATION?
I read and then posted an essential article in the NY Times this morning on Twitter, which highlights a pertinent subject in this country — arguably as a global issue, as well.
The article, written by Miriam Jordan, titled “Decline in Immigration Threatens Growth of Regions on the Rise,” conveys the premise that when one takes a moment to ponder the abundance of commerce — specifically related to the distribution of goods, produce, poultry and meat — we would be nowhere without the contribution of immigrants.
Let’s start by considering this crucial point from Jordan’s article:
“The United States over the past 10 years experienced the slowest population growth rate in eight decades, according to the 2020 census, because of plunging fertility rates and shrinking immigration.
The surge of unauthorized migrants from Mexico and Central America is testing the Biden administration, but images are deceptive: A vast majority of the single adults crossing the border to find work are quickly deported. And the flow of legal immigrants, whom Northwest Arkansas companies also heavily rely on, has fallen precipitously since the Trump administration clamped down on all kinds of immigration with the belief that it was displacing American workers.
Now, business leaders are hoping that President Biden will make good on his pledge to overhaul the immigration system and establish a legal pipeline for foreign workers to take jobs in Northwest Arkansas and other places that depend on them.”
The topic of illegal immigration has been so politicized and virtually condemned in multiple communities and states throughout the nation, that we have now reached a state of “putative xenophobia.” The suggestion of a microcosm of people living in a community and having the right to hold a job and earn a living to pay for the daily expenses has morphed into a situation where immigrants feel ridiculed and nervous about their standing in these communities. Moreover, due to the last four years of interminable and unnecessary white nationalism from the Trump administration — as well as the advent of limitless social media propaganda — immigrants have never felt more disconnected and unwelcome.
Jordan addressees another topic that hones in more on the developing ordeal:
“Lifting the ceiling on H-1B visas has been contentious, with some labor groups arguing that foreign workers imported from places like India and China displace Americans and drive down wages.
So far, Mr. Biden has concentrated on the surge of unauthorized immigrants at the southwestern border, and has not advanced measures to bring large numbers of new workers into the country.
“In addition to securing the border, we should be focusing on how to secure avenues for more legal immigration,” said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “For a whole host of communities all across the United States, immigration will determine whether the local economy will continue to grow for those moving there and the residents who have called that place home for decades.”
The decline in immigration is an important factor in the long-term decline in population growth that demographers are forecasting in the United States.
“When you are not going to have enough births — and deaths will continue with an aging population — the only variable that can make an appreciable difference is immigration,” said Joseph Chamie, a demographer who formerly headed the United Nations division on population.”
We are currently living in a nation, inhibited by COVID-19 and the climate crisis, where its inhabitants are no longer procreating at a level sustainable for growth and development. The only possible way to achieve more development as a nation (both economically and with diversity) is to expand the population. I’m not suggesting we overpopulate the country, creating an even bigger detriment to the climate crisis; but, if we don’t work on allowing more people to immigrate, then we won’t be able to have any more success in various characteristics of labor and manufacturing.
There is no plausible argument against immigration, as the positives far outweigh the negatives. For all the intricacies and complexities of immigration, white nationalism cannot be tolerable rationality. We have come too far along as a nation of diversity to resort to that treacherous philosophy. If we allow that senseless doctrine to take root, then we have run into a situation where we can unambiguously allow people to freely announce that they are intolerant of immigrants. That’s another reason why social media has become so lethal, as I’m sure you can check a social media feed and see a myriad of problematic postings.
Switching gears, slightly; what is lacking, I think, is an understanding of the processes of our historically challenging industrial narrative. Briefly, and going back throughout history, we all know that our ancestors immigrated to the United States, settled in this new environment, and built a life for their families. That’s why it’s incredibly disturbing to think that the same people who attempt to lay claim to this radical white nationalism once again knowingly or unknowingly do it despite its absurdity.
Jordan also brings up another argument people use against immigrants:
“The immigrants have not found a universal welcome.
Unease prevails among some longtime residents, like Debbie Eden, a business owner in Springdale. “Many immigrants are hard workers,” she said, “but they come in and undercut you working for less money.”
For the immigrants who have arrived, the region’s boom has led to ample employment.
Ershad Ismail Gani, who came five years ago from India and now works at Kitestring developing software that runs cash registers at Sam’s Club and Walmart, said that several of his friends have been hired away by other employers scrambling for workers, and that he had also been approached.”
Why is it that immigrants can be hard workers, but yet they are not entitled to the same incentives that all other Americans receive? At some point, our country’s hopeful “minority” of white nationalists must differentiate from the abhorrent criminal who is not immigrating for any other purpose than to cause more harm. There are countless examples where those who arrive in this country end up working and supporting a family while they continue to work on legalizing their status. In many cases, it takes years to finalize this process and thousands of dollars. But they do it: they pay the fees and are proud of their legalization.
There is hope on the horizon, in my opinion. While COVID-19 has forever changed our future of what will occur within industries and public healthcare, we have now reached a moment where people will continually reject working in specific industries. Job openings and demand will remain constant, and if we can change the narrative of supporting immigration by electing rational, proficient leaders, then we can reach a point where our country thrives.
We need to get to the point where we don’t fear the inevitable, because when you start to accept what will benefit the continued achievements of our nation, then we can start to reach a point where the country achieves broader prosperity…
