Immigration
Compose a brief essay of at least 400 words but no more than 600 words (not including your references list) on the following topic, referring to and critiquing relevant ideas from at least three of the Week 9 readings as you develop your thoughts:
Immigration, legal and illegal, is becoming a highly charged emotional issue in America’s political landscape. Yet, as ‘Baby Boomers’ retire, birthrates indicate that American citizens are not reproducing at a rate sufficient to replace these retiring workers. A concern is that fewer domestic workers will cause our economy to shrink. Another concern is that tens of thousands of children and teenagers, fleeing poverty and violence in Central and South America, are congregating on America’s southern border.
Race Reproduction Rate
Euro-American 1.8
African-American 2.1
Asian-American 1.8
Latino-American 2.4
Figure 1: Source http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/05/17/explaining-why-minority-births-now-outnumber-white-births/
As we near the 2016 Presidential election cycle, the topic of immigration promises to become an issue in political campaigns at the Federal, State and local levels.
Some suggest that the solution to illegal immigration is a legal immigration policy that is enforced and that efficiently addresses the future needs of this country.
Some of the complexity of this issue includes the availability of labor, a lack of high skill versus an abundance of low skill workers, STEM and student visas, temporary work visas for agriculture workers, amnesty for the ~11.5 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in this nation, and ending “chain immigration.”
To complete this assignment, use the assigned course readings as well as your own research. As you know, students need to be careful when researching information. Please be certain that any external source you use in this course is legitimate and accurate. If you are uncertain whether a source is credible, ask. Be certain to properly identify your sources.
(HISTORY) Examine the conflict between the fact that the United States is a nation of immigrants and the hostility that is expressed toward each new group of immigrants who arrive here. Detail and discuss how this hostility has been overcome.
(ANALYSIS) In an effort to secure votes, both major political parties have immigration platforms. Examine each group’s proposals (there may be several: pick one and be certain to identify the sponsor). Between the two parties, which ideas are common? What are the ideas that differentiate these two groups?
(CRITICAL THINKING) Based upon the individual world-view you developed in the first five weeks of this course, identify the various issues and founding documents and ideas that bear upon a consideration of this topic and critique their importance in relation to this topic. Some values and rights may be in conflict with others. Critical thinking will help you establish what you believe is the relative weight each should have in reaching a resolution.
In an essay of no more than 600 words, synthesize what you have learned (equality, rule of law, States Rights, and so on), with your research to build a logical and non-emotional argument by which you are able to analyze and discuss this issue with some depth of insight.
What are the concerns regarding immigration? What are future issues that an immigration policy should address? Be certain to discuss the similarities and differences between the proposals of both parties. After carefully examining the proposals of both major parties, which, if any, proposal best addresses national concerns? Properly reference three of the assigned readings and include at least one, legitimate, external source in your composition.
Solution.
Immigration
History has not only been made due to the many life altering events that have occurred, but also by great writers who have influenced the thought patters of many and helped shift the focus of things from the traditional way to a more liberal and broader perspective. These writers and orators have shared their ideas, which in most occasions conflicted with the status quo and at times experienced harsh criticisms and oppositions, which nonetheless discouraged them from speaking and writing. They have been the opinion shapers in history who have in one way or the other shifted the course of events and presented factual information of what is actually happening in the ground. An example of such influential writings is the letter from an indentured servant in Virginia written by RichardFrethrone, which brings out a negative picture of the indentured servant’s life. Most indentured servants according to the excerpt were illiterate and poor and suffered greatly. Their plight is described in the writing such as parents selling their children due to poverty which is a common situation for illegal immigrants. The letter also brings out the health condition of the indentured servant and the helpless situations that they find themselves in. Immigrants who enter the country illegally face a limitation of seeking for medical attention (Dahlberg, 2012). Illegal immigrants also use very uncomfortable and dangerous means to enter the country which in some instances cost them their lives.
The immigrant situation has been an issue that has slowly encroached the nation and there is a potential risk of the country being unable to sustain the rising numbers of immigrants. People move from their nations for all sorts of reasons some leave to seek greener pastures in employment, others to further their studies, to reconnect with their families and others to escape wars and tribulations in their home country. For those who illegally enter the country they live in constant fear of being captured and sent back to their home country which is a similar fear that the indentured servant seems to hold. As much as the immigrants’ plight is reflected and acknowledged there is also a flip side which addresses the impact that the immigrants have on the country.
The Hamilton Project addresses the specific questions that are usually asked concerning immigrants such as the economic implication. It is noted that immigrants form twelve percent of the population (Michael,2016). They are more diverse in terms of where they come from and their skill set. Some are well educated while others do not have college degrees. The main economic concern is the implication that immigrants have on the employment and wages prospects of indigenous workers. The baby boom generation is at the retirement stage and the country’s birthrate has dwindled over the years which mean there are many vacancies being created but the American citizens cannot provide sufficient labor to fill the positions. The few domestic workers can lead to the economy shrinking if it were not for the ready labor market that is provided by the educated and uneducated immigrants. However even though the immigrants provide a ready market the rise in the numbers is alarming since it can impact negatively on the wellbeing of the economy if production is not able to meet demand. If the immigrants are deported it can cause insurgency and also discourage investors (“Alabama immigration law deterring investors”, 2016). Immigrants stream in with many needs especially those who enter the country illegally which mean a strain is created on the economy indirectly. Therefore for the situation to be managed the united states have to establish an immigration system that is both effective and structured.
References
Alabama immigration law deterring investors.(2016). Washington Post. Retrieved 7 July 2016, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/alabama-immigration-law-deterring-investors/2011/12/28/gIQAkxuINP_video.html
Dahlberg, S. (2012). “Doe Not Forget Me”: Richard Frethorne, Indentured Servitude, and the English Poor Law of 1601. Early American Literature, 47(1), 1-30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/eal.2012.0007
Michael G. & Adam L.(2016). Retrieved 7 July 2016, from http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/research/files/reports/2010/9/immigration-greenstone-looney/09_immigration.pdf
