“They’re taking our jobs”

During a recent forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters in San Leandro, a gentleman from the audience complained that immigrants are taking jobs away from U.S. citizens.  One can easily have accused him of being an anti-immigrant or a bigot.  But that may not have been the appropriate response.  That man represents a wide section of our population who blame immigrants for some of the woes that we are now experiencing as a nation.  But our response to this kind of scapegoating should be one of understanding, compassion and a polite assertion of the truth as we see it. 

     According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 American Community Survey, there were 37,547,789 foreign born in the United States, which represents 12.5 percent of the total U.S. population.    But understand that people need scapegoats mostly out of fear.  When something is wrong, it’s time to look for someone to blame.  This is a common reaction.  During times of crisis, people panic.  And sometimes we irrationally place blame on others.  This is our natural coping mechanism.  

      So how do we respond to someone like that gentleman who accuses immigrants of taking American jobs?  First, let’s agree with him. Undocumented workers work in the farms and take American jobs.  They pick the fruits and vegetables so that the native-born Americans can eat.  Many Americans don’t want that kind of job so immigrants take them.  Immigrants work in hotels and make our beds and many work in construction to build houses.  These are jobs that Americans don’t really want so immigrants take them.   In 2006, of the 151.1 million workers engaged in the US civilian labor force, the foreign born accounted for 15.6 percent (23.6 million).  

     The second way we respond is to speak the truth.  And the plain truth is if we are to close our borders to immigrants and we continue to deport illegal immigrants and their families at an alarming rate, our economy might shut down.  The plain truth is there are many important sectors and industries that are dependent on legal and illegal immigrants.   One of our country’s dirty little secrets is that we welcome undocumented workers because they provide cheap labor.  But our high tech sectors are also highly dependent on immigrants.   Of the 22.2 million civilian employed foreign born age 16 and older in 2006, 27.2% worked in management, professional and related occupation; 22.5% in service occupations; 18.3% in sales and office occupations; 16.7% in production and transportation; and 13.5 percent in construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair occupations.  
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     It is important to realize that the immigrants, legal or illegal, contribute billions of dollars into the American economy.  They do so by paying sales tax, federal, state and local taxes.  Additionally there are hundreds of companies that will shut down without immigrant workers.  Labeling immigrants as “job takers” is not only counterproductive but it paralyzes any effort toward immigration reform.  It’s time for a more decent and civil discussion on immigration. ******