Immigration - What America should do

by

Gerald Plessner

April 12, 2006 - Last week I told readers what I thought about immigration. Now I want to share what I believe about immigration.

The United States is unique in world history because, from the second ship to land on our shores, America has always been open --- to various degrees --- to immigrants. No other country has been able to peacefully integrate repeated waves of immigrants.

Though many Americans resent and some even despise immigrants, newcomers have been a valuable and positive influence in our nation's history. They filled our cities with willing workers and our undeveloped frontiers with farmers, ranchers, miners, shop owners and good American families. They also provided the millions of people who enabled us to remove the threats of world-wide tyranny --- twice!

The main differences between those immigrants of old and the primarily Mexican immigrants today are twofold: proximity to their homelands and their numbers.

My grandparents and great-grandparents came from Germany and Russia. As Jews facing discrimination in Germany and persecution under the Czar, they had little fondness for the countries of their birth and they left nothing behind.

They soon assimilated into American culture, living in larger cities among Americans of all European nationalities but living in neighborhoods mostly containing Jews like themselves.

I don't know to what extent they were legal or illegal, but there were surely few obstacles to getting off the boat once they got here.

Mexican and other Latin American immigrants do much the same as my ancestors except that they still have family ties in their native countries. They usually move into much larger immigrant communities and, yes, they remember that the land in which they are now "illegal" was once owned by their former homeland.

But nations cannot survive or prosper on ancient presumptions or romantic longings.

The United States of America is what it is and what it should remain. Every nation has the obligation to itself and to its citizens to control and defend its own borders.

As ugly as I find the idea of fifteen-foot fences, I accept their necessity. Where I see them in downtown Calexico, California, they soon fade into the neighborhoods they define.

We also need a formal program of Americanization of all immigrants. My Grandma Sarah learned about the Constitution and how to read simple English in her citizenship class. (I have her textbook to prove it!) Every new resident should be required to complete such a program.

But if you think that fences and acculturation classes are going to stop the flow of immigrants to this country, I've got news for you. The dramatic increase of immigrant labor is the result of a much bigger phenomena. It is called free trade, globalization and outsourcing.

Poor people do come here because they want to feed their families, educate their children and live a better life. The idea that they are all criminals, freeloaders, or a security threat is baloney. The overwhelming percentage of immigrants work hard for less money. They raise children who go to college just like my folks did. Most eventually buy homes and join the middle class. They get into the legal economy where their wages are taxed and they contribute to Social Security and Medicare.

You can make the case that, because they have bigger families, they will help older Americans because their contributions will fund Social Security for older Americans.

In my opinion, the problem with most illegal immigrant employment is that wages are driven down by the internationalization of employment and the depressed wages caused by outsourcing. And that is a result of the relentless quest by corporations of ever cheaper workers in China, India, Bangladesh, downtown Los Angeles or in meat packing houses in the Midwest.

Corporations have allegiance to no nation. On the international scene they are largely a law unto themselves. That should change.

When our national politicians pushed for the North American Free Trade Act(NAFTA) we were told that it would stimulate economic growth south of our border. That obviously has not happened on any acceptable scale.

The United States, through Congressional action, should require corporations to conduct their businesses within acceptable standards of fair trade and fair employment practices. They should also be required to invest a portion of their profits in the development of businesses in countries which export labor to the United States. Those who refuse to support fair trade or who employ illegal aliens should be punished or denied access to the American marketplace.

There are plenty of ways for Congress to address the problems of illegal immigration. They just have to show the will to go against their business and industry sponsors who, all too often, make them look out for corporate interests at the expense of ordinary Americans.

Only then will we begin to create a realistic approach to the problem of illegal immigration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gerald Plessner is a Southern California businessman who writes regularly on issues of politics and culture. He would be pleased to hear from you and may be contacted at gerald@geraldplessner.com.