Politics, U.S. Demographics and Immigration: Tying it all together

Careful what you ask for...and so I have learned the hard way.  For years I have talked about farmworkers, their circumstances, their quality of life, the need for reform to eliminate the fear caused by their legal status.

Unfortunately I received what I asked for - just not in the way I would have liked.  Awareness came in the form of rabid Republican cries for immediate justice - an inarguable by-product of elections.  Rather than viewing films of workers in the field working for pennies, I witnessed Lou Dobbs commentaries which effectively rounded all illegal immigrants up into one package and declared them "terrorists, invaders, aliens." 

I watched in horror as the topic became hot news, shaking my head in awe at the level of ignorance of some of the more outspoken opponents - mainly politicians and other elected officials.  I watched dumbfounded as they jumped on the bandwagon, wagging fingers and passing legislation at every level of government.

Numbly, I withheld comment and stood, scratching my head.  Is it possible the people of this nation knew so little about those they attacked?  I learned quickly that it was absolutely true.  Some were just frustrated and frightened by the demonstrations.  Some were outraged and terrified into action, their thoughts more and more in tune with true hatred - the kind of hatred that results in death.

A greater majority were silent and began searching.  More and more, they asked questions, diversity trainings were requested - the college educated leaders of city and state could be seen thinking through an issue they had barely noticed - until now.

So, how serious is illegal immigration?  Where does it fit in to our daily concerns?  Well, according to almost all the polls, it is important - but not as important as the war. 

What information do we lack as we try to comprehend the changing face of our nation?  What are the foundations of illegal immigration?

It's simple, really - as a Gather friend pointed out.  Supply and demand are at the crux of the influx, which by the numbers is stil modest compared to 100 years ago.  Is it possible that we need these people?

It is not only possible.  It is a fact.  Demographically, we have not kept pace.  We made choices - some cultural, some dictated by business, other choices were educational.  50% of us dropped out of high school to take entry level positions and work our way to the top.  Now, 10% of us do.  So much for entry level labor.

One has only to look at the job outlook for some sectors to realize the labor trends are there and will continue.  Restaurants are the single largest employer of entry level labor.  Their employee needs are expected to grow by 15% by the year 2015.  The native work force will only grow by 10% in that time period and those in the 16-24 year old category - those most likely to be employed in this arena - will not grow at all.

And that is but one example.  There are thousands of others, including construction - both skilled and unskilled.

Paying more money will not account for the fact that we simply do not have enough uneducated workers to perform the labor that continues to be the backbone of this nation.  Keeping prices low - preventing inflation, is paramount to those lower-middle class workers.  The ones who have some training and earn a decent wage while qualifying for tax breaks, are beyond a doubt, the population most at risk when we choose to deny the obvious and deport critical workers - particularly in the food chain.  After that, there is that dream of owning a home someday - a dream that will be decidedly out of reach if contractors are forced to pay more for labor. 

Clothing is another issue.  While many are comfortably capable of clothing their children, some of us still rely on Goodwill and yard sales for "deals."  Raising the cost of goods critical to the lower middle class may assuage the belief that we have met ouir obligation to enforce a law that was never previously enforced but it will cause those precariously near the poverty level to tumble.

None of us want to see "sweat shops," and if they are found, they should be shut down.  Many of us realize that whatever clothing manufacturing remains in our country has significant competition from Korea, China and other countries.  However, by increasing labor costs related to retail, corporations will simply pass those costs on to us.

Persecution of people who were never given an opportunity to do it right, who live in fear of deportation, who create new "businesses" for anyone legal willing to drive them or purchase their groceries, who would rather die than go to the hospital, who feel as if they meet anger on every corner, who want nothing more to meet us on the street and smile, do not deserve the current political climate.

The Republicans gambled on 25% of the U.S. citizen population.  This 25% want to "cleanse" our nation of its brown impurity.  A majority of this 25% want to rid our nation of this "filth," no matter the consequences.  This population is mostly male, white, and uneducated.

My belief is what is currently revealed by the latest polls.  U.S. citizens want resolution.  They want those who have been here for a number of years and worked and paid taxes offered a path to legalization.  They see the need not to reward illegal activity but at the same time concede that this situation is the result of two wrongs.

Passivity and apathy are not part of the solution.  We are truly at risk of being overrun - but not by illegal immigrants.  We are at risk because we have legislation that cannot be enforced, we have a minority who is working in a dedicated fashion at every level of government and within our general population to spread ideals that are in complete opposition to the majority.

This is an important year for us as a nation.  Let's keep our eye on the ball.