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THE IMMIGRATION DEBATE

By J. Patrick Flomo (May 25th 2006)

...I wonder how many young Americans graduating from the Wharton School of Business, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale will be heading to California to pick lettuce and cherries, and oranges in Florida? I wonder how many could afford the American Dream, owning a house if others (outsiders) were not willing to get minimum wage to work in construction? I wonder how many families would afford a glass of orange or tomato juice or a head of lettuce if those willing to work in harsh conditions were paid $15 per hour? ....

The Republicans have created a conundrum for themselves over the question of illegal immigration.  At the dawn of a midterm election, it was stupid for them, when they control the agenda in both houses, to open the Pandora’s Box of illegal immigration and add onto the problems of scandals and corruption that plague the party.  The debate has become a divisive issue for the Republicans.  For the moderate and business Republican, it is a matter of showing our humanity for the least fortunate of our fellow man even though they have broken US laws.  And to ensure a source of cheap labor supply and maximum profit for business owners and an affordable cost of vegetables for most American families.  And for the Right Wing Republican, it is a question of law and Xenophobia.  Making 11 to 20 million people felons is ludicrous and illogical.  It is also impractical to enforce the law against this massive number of people.  The Right Wing argument would have been more persuasive and logical if they had brought up the issue of high fertility rate in Mexican society and systemic corruption in the Mexican government and other Latin American countries.

It was not too long ago (about a century) when the United States proclaimed to the world:
Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

You see, many around the world read and believe in this beautiful American scripture (as I once did, but my belief was in the Hamilton Democracy not the American Dream of materialism) and are willing to take the maximum risk to enter the “golden door” of prosperity and happiness.  But the streets of America are not paved with nor were ever paved with “gold.”  It has and it is a land where you can breathe free.  What America needs to do now is first to be honest about the issue of immigration and proclaim to the world that “America no longer has a golden door nor the capacity to accept the poor, huddled masses, the homeless and the wretched refuse,” but will accept all those with the best brain power and technical acumen to come to our shores since our youths are apathetic when it comes to learning science and engineering to replace the ageing professionals in the field of science and engineering that has made America great.

As it was in 1986, the 2006 illegal immigration issue has become another contentious political debate.  But the 2006 debate has taken on a new dimension, the number of illegal immigrants and the question of border security in the wake of post 9/11.  I view the immigration debate from the perspective of:

  • Over population in Latin America and systemic corruption
  • A developed country sharing a common border with a Third World country
  • American business’ addiction for cheap labor
  • The Latino vote in 2008

Over population in Latin America and systemic corruption

If you read Thomas Malthus’ 1798 essay on population and its effect on society, you will see that his argument on population control relative to agricultural production is as relevant today as it was in the 18th century.  Malthus’ argument was that population must be controlled to the level of the means of subsistence.  In his book, Preparing For The Twenty First Century, Paul Kennedy labored over the coming great migration from South to North because of abject poverty and corrupt government.  What is ironic is that some countries in the developing regions have allowed fertility rates to be geometric while the means of subsistence rate of growth, grows arithmetically.  The end result is the vast migration of people from the South to the North (rich and poor countries).  While it is true that we live a more advanced world in terms of technology than that of the 18th century, we still have the element of “unequal distribution of wealth” as the source of internal conflict and migration.  One of the basic axioms of human instinct is “survival.”  Man is willing to take the greatest risk to his life to do whatever is required for the survival of his family.

Latin America has the highest fertility rate in the Northern Hemisphere when compared to Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Latinos (42 million and counting) have become the largest minority group in the United States and are driving the population growth of the United States.  This rapid growth of population that is mostly underclass is bound to have an adverse effect on social services and education around the country.  The nature and characteristics of Latino extended family relationships is vastly different from that of White and Black Americans.  This extended relationship goes beyond US borders into Latin America.  The advents of rapid transportation and communication systems have made it easy for people to migrate from point to point anywhere on earth.

If the fertility rate in Latin America, the Latino community in America and especially Mexico is not abated, the question of illegal immigration will be with the US for decades.  The Religious Right and their stand against family planning are sending mixed messages to the people of Mexico and Latin America.  Latin American governments see illegal immigration as beneficial because the remittance that is sent home has helped to reduce the social pressure in their countries.  You see, when the village is overpopulated and the people do have the right for redress, they will escape to anyplace where life can be sustained.  The movement Northward will continue until the fertility rate is controlled and better government elected.

A developed country sharing a common border with a Third World country
In the United States, when a black family moves into a suburban neighborhood, there is hewing cry about the diminishing of property values because blacks are viewed as “poor.”  The coming of poor immigrants from Latin America and Mexico has the potential to profoundly alter our property value system as blacks do when they move next us, says some of my right wing Republicans.  Analogous to a rich white suburban neighbor sharing a common zone with a black ghetto is what we have between Mexico and the US.  What we have is two countries: one rich and one poor relative to the other.  The United States is the richest country in the world sharing a common border with Mexico whose economy is poor relative to the US.  When you have two diametrically opposite conditions of economics existing side-by-side, tension is bound to flare up when the social responsibility of the poor country is dumped on the rich.  The US has but one option and that is, to pressure Mexico to control its fertility rate and reduce corruption in government.  If the US can link aid to transparency in governments that are many thousands of miles from her border, why not do the same to your poor Third World or for a better term, Newly Industrialized Country, neighbor, Mexico.  Building walls between Mexico and the US will interrupt the current level of flow but will not resolve the issue.  Men will do whatever it takes to seek the means for survival.

American business’ addiction for cheap labor
Since the United States cannot outsource its agricultural sector, and until robots are manufactured to replace the labor intensive sector of the agricultural industries, American business’ need for cheap labor will continue unabated.  Secondly, American business’ desire to exploit people for maximum profit will do anything for Congress to permit cheap labor into the country.  The poultry industry will collapse in weeks if newcomers were not to work in the slaughter houses.  We saw a brief example during the immigrant march when many slaughter houses had to close for one day.

There has been debate about illegal immigrants taking jobs from Americans and jobs Americans do want to do.  This argument is a farce in the period of full employment according to the Labor Bureau.  I wonder how many young Americans graduating from the Wharton School of Business, Princeton, Harvard, and Yale will be heading to California to pick lettuce and cherries, and oranges in Florida?  I wonder how many could afford the American Dream, owning a house if others (outsiders) were not willing to get minimum wage to work in construction?  I wonder how many families would afford a glass of orange or tomato juice or a head of lettuce if those willing to work in harsh conditions were paid $15 per hour?  I think that as long as the axiom of American business philosophy is to maximize its operating profit regardless of how, cheap labor will find its way to the Untied States even if the Great Wall of China were to be moved and placed between Mexico and the United States.  Until American business’ appetite for maximum profits is changed or American families are willing to pay $5 per pound for vegetables or $2 for an orange, the debate over illegal immigrants in the United States will continue. 

Latino vote in 2008

 

The right wing Republicans’ argument about border security is absolutely a farce.  All of the terrorists that have brought havoc to America can get here by way of JFK or attempt to get in via Canada.  But I do not hear my right wing Republicans talking about building a wall between Canada and the United States or beefing up the northern border with the National Guard.  I think that their real concern is about the 2008 election but they have shrouded it in the Shroud of Turin.  As always in American politics, newcomers are more likely to vote Democrat and later change to voting Republican.  Since the Latino community is the fastest growing community in the United States, they are likely to change the dynamics of local elections.  And the Republican fear is that if they can change local and statewide political structures in favor of the Democrats, they are likely to change national politics in favor of Democrats in years to come.  Until this mass of poor Latinos can move into middleclass America, they will vote Democrat and that is the greatest fear of Republicans coupled with the xenophobic attitude of some.

Conclusion
In the 20th century, America was the richest and most powerful country in the world.  And in the 19th and 20th centuries, America was an open country that needed a large pool of cheap labor to accelerate its industrialization.  Those days are long gone.  She had the capacity to absorb the wretched poor and huddled masses from around the world who made her great and powerful.  But the capacity to absorb the homeless and wretched refuse from around the world no longer exists in the 21st century.  In the 21st century, America is no longer the most powerful and richest country on earth.  Yes, she has the weapons to destroy the world ten times over, but that is not greatness.

Mexico is nearly 200 years old and has failed to create a society where the gap between the haves and haves-not is so wide.  To accept your country as a source of cheap labor supply for the next door labor market is utterly inhumane.  Mexico, like most other developing countries, has not controlled its fertility rate to be commensurate with its arable land to sustain its population. 

The Republican Party should embrace population control around the world especially in areas where the land cannot sustain the population due to corruption and climatic conditions.  Since the first instinct of human nature is survival, the hungry will do anything to escape and find the means of subsistence for him and his family.  If population control is not embraced, are the rich nations willing to free and adequately share the material blessing they possess?


About the Author:

J. Patrick Flomo resides in Columbus, Ohio.

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