IMMIGRATION:
Why is everyone making a big deal about it?
Have you heard any talk about immigration these past couple of months? If you haven't, then you must be completely out of it! Immigration is one of this year's hot debates so everyone probably has heard of it, but if you haven't, read this post as an introduction to what this whole immigration thing is actually about.
The Hot Debate on Immigration : Dating back to the late 19th century, illegal immigration has been a problem in the United States, especially in the latter half of the twentieth century. Basically, illegal immigration is when immigrants enter the United States without any legal papers or documents or a legal status. Examples of this situation is when someone from Mexico crosses the border without any legal documents and starts a life in the U.S., or when someone from Pakistan applies for a visiting visa to the U.S., and is granted one, he or she stays and lives in the U.S. even after the visa expires.
Stance: Supporting illegal immigration
- Some of the most intelligent and ambitious individuals, who are unsatisfied with their own countries, bring their skills to America.
- It increases the diversity and expands the culture of the country.
- Immigrants often taken the low-paying jobs (like food service & hotel cleaning) that most Americans don't want to do at such low wages.
- Decreasing or eliminating legal immigration will inevitably create more incentive to come to the country illegally, which leads to less assimilation and fewer taxpaying, law-abiding citizens.
- It improves the overall image of America internationally, as it is seen as an open, welcoming country; and immigrants who return home or maintain contact with family back home have a true image of America, not the one propagandized in much of the international media.
- Adding an additional group of cheap labor adds to the flexibility of business, leading to cheaper prices, better quality products, and higher profits.
- It gives struggling people all over the world an opportunity for a better life. This country was built on immigrants who sought opportunity, political & religious freedom, etc.
- More immigrants means more opportunity for terrorists, drug dealers, and other criminals to enter the country.
- Immigrants, especially the poorer ones, consume a high amount of government resources (health care, education, welfare, etc.) without paying a corresponding high rate of taxes.
- The national identity and language is disappearing. The great "melting pot" is being replaced by divisive multiculturism.
- The emigration to the United States hurts the home country, as much of the male population, workers, and top intellectuals often leave their country.
- Less-skilled American citizens earn less money and have fewer job opportunities because they must compete with immigrants in the job market.
After reading this, I believe that both sides make equal amount of sense. Personally, I compare the situation the U.S. is in with the time before America was even created. Americas was created when people from Europe and Britain left their countries and old lives behind and came to the Americas. But, here in the Americas, they were already people residing and living their own lives: the Indians. We all know what happened after that, the immigrants took over and killed so many of the Indians that they almost went into extinction. Now, the tables have turned. Americans are the residents, and they are scared of being taken over by the immigrants. But, people have to remember that America, to many people, is a land of opportunity. Just like it was for those immigrants centuries ago. But, that doesn't mean that people can just enter a country and use up its resources without giving anything in in return.
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