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 Entertainment | Books | June 2008 
Puncturing Immigration Myths
 George Fulmore - Contra Costa Times
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Demographic data tell us that the future of California will be dominated by retiree/seniors and Latinos. For this to work best, the two groups should see how each complements the other. Retiree/seniors need to seek a balance on some immigration myths:
Myth No. 1: Current Latino immigrants are "invading" California as no other group of immigrants before. Facts: Throughout the 1800s, Irish immigrants poured into our country at double the rate of current Mexican immigration. In the 1850s, native-born Irish made up more than 25 percent of the population of New York City alone! The highest percentages of immigrants compared with the total U.S. population were in 1880-1920, when Irish immigrants were joined by Germans, Italians, Poles, Russians and others.
Myth No. 2: Current Latino immigrants are here to be on welfare and have kids. Facts: More than 80 percent of Mexican men not in school hold a job, and Latino males have the highest percentage of those working of any American group. Illegal immigrants do not have access to federal welfare programs, and being unemployed in the United States can be worse than being unemployed back home.
Myth No. 3: Current Latino immigrants and their families are not here to assimilate into the American culture. Facts: Every major group of immigrants to the United States has been criticized for its inabilities to assimilate. But Mexicans and other Latinos are, in general, assimilating at a rate superior to other groups in learning English, buying homes and appreciating the opportunities afforded by the American economic system.
Myth No. 4: Current immigrants take more from our economic system than they return. Facts: Immigrants paying payroll taxes, without expecting to receive projected benefits, pay more to the federal government than they get back. And detailed studies at the state level have found that the economies of these states are better off than without immigrants, legal and/or illegal. In fact, these states tend to have the lowest percentage, overall, of unemployed workers.
All of the facts above, plus more, can be found in the new book "Let Them In: The Case for Open Borders," by Jason L. Riley (Gotham Books, $22.50). It also includes this quote from President Ronald Reagan:
"America is really many Americans. "... All of the immigrants who came to us brought their own music, literature, customs and ideas. "... And this diversity has more than enriched us; it has literally shaped us." |
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