More Misinformation from the Media:
The immigration debate is about more than just policy. It’s about what it means to be an American, and whether that beacon of hope will continue to shine. . . . Much about the present moment is uniquely contentious. At the same time, these debates are consistent with our collective history. Immigration, especially in times of national challenge or unrest, has often met with fierce and ugly opposition. . . . Immigration has sometimes brought out the worst of our nation. Other times it has brought out the best as we have remembered what kind of country we claim and aspire to be. History demonstrates that when we have widened the circle of opportunity and welcomed new arrivals from beyond our shores, America has been made better and stronger. . . .
Research shows that immigrants are more likely than their American-born counterparts to start businesses. . . . In our present difficult moment, it is important to reflect on our history and remember how much America has benefitted by choosing to embrace, rather than exclude, immigrants from a diverse range of backgrounds. – Immigrants Helped Build Our Nation. We Need to Embrace Them, Not Exclude Them, David Skorton, Opinion contributor, USA Today, 7/4/18 [link]
Fact Check: This article uses deceptive tactic immigration enthusiasts commonly use. It manipulates sentiment about immigration to deflect any critical and intelligent analysis of immigration policy. Let’s concede that immigration can bring some benefits to our country. But does this mean that it is always beneficial, regardless of the numbers and diversity and regardless of the time and context? That is like saying that fire is beneficial. Really? It depends on whether you’re talking about a pleasantly warming flame in a hearth, or a raging forest fire.
One can acknowledge immigration helped to build America in the 19th century when we were a frontier land of wide open spaces. But today America is built and developed, so why do we need to keep on admitting massive numbers of builders?
Skorton claims that opposition to immigration has been ugly. He should concede that support for mass immigration—particularly today—is most ugly as it proceeds from greedy “conservatives” who want an endless supply of cheap labor and power-seeking “progressives” who want cheap votes. Their disreputable agendas truly reflect “the worst of our nation.”
Skorton says we should look to what history “demonstrates” with respect to immigration. An outstanding example which seems to have escaped his attention is the aftermath of our country shutting down mass immigration in 1924. Following that step the wages of workers rose, and immigrants were able to rise into the middle class—a process which greatly enabled them to assimilate into our society. If we could only learn from this history, we would cut mass immigration and enjoy the same benefits.
The claim that immigrants are more entrepreneurial than native-born Americans is a commonly tossed cliché of immigration enthusiasts. It’s one that doesn’t square with statistics from the Census Bureau which show that immigrants and natives are self-employed at almost exactly the same rate. Another of their clichés is that the diversity we get from immigration strengthens our society.
Robert Putnam, a prominent sociologist and supporter of diversity, decided to test this theory. As he compiled his research he found to his dismay that the most diverse communities were the ones most lacking in civic ties and a sense of common purpose. Common sense could have told him what his studies revealed.
Immigration is a crucial issue in our society, and it deserves intelligent analysis. Sadly, that is seldom seen in the corporate “mainstream” media.