“The culture of poverty has some universal characteristics which transcend regional, rural-urban, and even national differences…..
-Oscar Lewis, “The Culture of Poverty” in Four Horseman
The United States has always been a nation of immigrants. Consider the Irish in the 1840s, who fled starvation and, by the 1860s, welcomed the Civil War as a job opportunity—guaranteed meals and a roof over their heads. Whether it was Italians, Scandinavians, the English, or the Scottish—let’s face it, these newcomers were not “European nobility” by any stretch of the imagination. Immigrants were struggling, often impoverished.
Now, we are faced with what many are calling an “immigration crisis.” Numerous immigrants are arriving from our southern border, and they are coming for the same reasons immigrants have always come to America: opportunity.
Many are motivated by the strength of the American dollar. In several Latin American countries, U.S. dollars—primarily through remittances—account for up to 15% of national GDP (Pew Research, 2013). These immigrants actually provide a kind of weapon against inflation. The dollar has remained strong in part because of them, coinciding with a decrease in American wages as a share of total GDP (New York Times, 2013).
This economic squeeze on the blue-collar middle class—while painful—has helped restrain inflation. Immigrants contribute by sending American dollars outside our borders, effectively reducing the domestic money supply and helping preserve the value of the dollar. In turn, these same remittances become a vital source of income for neighboring countries, many of which are in desperate economic condition. So not only do these outflows help fight inflation at home, but they also act as de facto aid packages that promote regional stability—something that is absolutely in the best interest of the United States.
So yes—immigration is, without a doubt, beneficial. But…
I also understand the need to document and regulate immigration. America remains a land of opportunity, but the process to access that opportunity has become increasingly bureaucratic and inefficient (Council on Foreign Relations). We need to streamline the system for immigrants who are here primarily to work and send money home. Proper documentation would also give them a level of legal protection and allow law enforcement to better share information on their identities—though, admittedly, information sharing across government levels remains a baffling challenge, especially in this era of cloud computing and interconnected databases.
I also sympathize, in part, with the state of Arizona and its struggle to determine who holds responsibility for immigration enforcement. Federal and state roles remain poorly defined. Whether you support President Obama’s reform efforts, believe immigration falls solely under congressional authority, or champion states’ rights, one thing is clear: we would all benefit from a clarified immigration policy that simplifies and streamlines the process.
We were all immigrants once, and at some point, the system worked for our ancestors. Our current system does not. It needs fixing. Let’s rise above partisan politics and take action—but be warned: it will require compromise.
creno7 