The Pew Hispanic Center has an important new report on undocumented immigrants, which leads with this summary:
Nearly two-thirds of the 10.2 million unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States have lived in this country for at least 10 years and nearly half—4.7 million—are parents of minor children, according to new estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center.
Such data should put a different spin on much of the political debate about these immigrants. Nearly two thirds are longterm residents of 10 years or more. And add in those who have been here 5-10 years and you have an overwhelming majority of these mostly hard working immigrants being fairly longterm residents. And many others among the undocumented are minor children who have only known the United States as their country. Many of these youth mostly know just US ways, customs, the English language, and such.
Moreover, without these mostly Latino and Asian Americans, immigrants and their children, this country would likely be dying demographically, like many European countries.
Thus, it is amazing just how backward, ignorant, and extreme much of the political discussion of this probably necessary immigration is in this very troubled and increasingly xenophobic country. Generating such ignorance seems to be a major (necessary?) product of our capitalistic media and often arch-conservative political and public discussions.
If you want parts of the USA to look just like the third world these people left (and places already do)than a mass migration of uneducated people from the third world is just dandy.
We can see from their homelands what kind of societies these people can create. We should have immigration but it should be educated people that will benefit society and it should be done legally.
Illegals place a huge and unjust financial burden on legal American taxpayers.
“Thus, it is amazing just how backward, ignorant, and extreme much of the political discussion of this probably necessary immigration is” Joe
What is backwards, ignorant and extreme is your attempt to shame those who disagree with you by calling them backwards, ignorant and extreme. The shame game you play just exposes the weakness of your position.
@folkaart: I don’t even want to dignify your statements with a response, but you’re being totally illogical. Did Irish immigrants leave behind giant estates to come here, or were they peasants escaping the potato famine? Were they well-educated? What about the Italians, Poles, etc. Did they “look just like the third world”?
If you are going to try to compare immigrants of a century ago to the ones of today all I can do is laugh.
Thanks, Joe, for bringing our attention to this Pew survey showing that nearly two-thirds of the 10.2 million unauthorized adult immigrants in the United States have lived in this country for at least 10 years and nearly half—4.7 million—are parents of minor children.
In effect, we have had a de facto immigration policy that decriminalized “illegal” immigration once immigrants eluded border control. Why? Because the birth rate nationally was below replacement levels, and as across Europe, immigrant labor was indispensable in a great many low-wage job sectors. Whole industries and the economy of many states depended on this immigrant influx. By virtue of their labor, not to speak of their taxes, they have earned the right of citizenship. What we need is an amnesty on hypocrisy, and the political will to take the logical step from de facto to de jure.
Stephen, thanks for bringing out the last points. Our media really do cover up these stories and let ignorance on many of these immigration matters persist. Ignorance seems essential to the functioning of our oppressive racial and class systems… You are certainly right that this country’s (mostly white male) capitalistic elite set this system up so that they could get lots of cheap labor that would have a hard time organizing or getting basic civil rights. Without it both that elite and all the smaller employers could not function. It sort of provides cheap “Chinese-type” labor but within US borders. That is why even Prez Bush ‘fought’ for these immigrants in practice, against his own base….