If we want to ensure a real and sustainable economic recovery, we must pass inclusive, comprehensive immigration reform that legalizes immigrants in the US.
Will those at the White House Jobs Summit today be talking about this? Not likely.
While pundits, or should I say ex-pundits, like Lou Dobbs have characterized immigrants as a drain on the economy as someone who grew up along the US/Mexico border, I know better. I've always been a part of vibrant immigrant communities that not only drove the region's economic development, but in times of an economic downturn, kept it going.
That's why it didn't come as a surprise when the Fiscal Policy Institute's new report, "Immigrants and the Economy: Contribution of Immigrant Workers to the Country's 25 Largest Metropolitan Areas," found that, among other things:
1) "Immigration and economic growth of metro areas go hand in hand," and,
2) "Immigrants contribute to the economy in direct proportion to their share of the population."
Yeah, no duh.
Given my background, maybe I'm too quick to judge those who despite the countless studies about the positive economic impact of immigrants remain unconvinced that their long history of financial and social contributions merits an equitable, rational, and humane immigration policy. Yet I can't help but wonder if those that are pushing for walls, militarized borders, and inhumane detention and deportation policies today would be doing the same to their white, European ancestors a hundred years ago. Not likely. But if we look at the numbers reported by the Center for American Progress, which easily warrant a chapter in the next Freakonomics book, it would be hard to argue that their views are anything but racially motivated.
So why the resistance to a smart immigration policy that allows people to contribute fully to the economy? In the US, we have a long history of xenophobia and racism that has shaped public policy to be equally xenophobic and racist and it continues to show its ugly face especially when the most pressing issues are on the table.
But as the numbers show, unless we begin to move towards a national policy of inclusion -- in immigration, education, and the economy -- large segments of the population will continue to be kept from fully contributing to society, which will undoubtedly keep us from having a fair and equitable economic recovery.
So while immigration will likely not be a part of today's Jobs Summit, we need to make sure the country has that debate when the new "Jobs Bill" is introduced early next year
Follow Victor Corral on Twitter: www.twitter.com/racialwealthgap
Dylan Ratigan: Americans Don't Have Jobs, Will Ben Keep His?
Nothing would more clearly display the inability of our leaders to deal with the terrible state of the economy than easily reconfirming Ben Bernanke for another round on the same day that they hold a "job summit".
Every Stimulus,Bail-out, Clunkers Program, Ect. Ect. , have been since January 2008, to counter-act the Disasterous E-fects of Deporting our Hard Working Devoted Hispanic TAX BASE!
(As counted for nearly thirty years by the U.S.Census to base the size of our now E-xcessive Government on!)
I guess you reap what you sew? (Karma?)
The hardests hit States are the ones that lost the most of these hard working Human's!
They not only have E-xcessive Government, however, due to vacated dwellings are now overbuilt, causing Construction/Growth to HALT, causing massive Job Loss! (DUH?)
An 1840's French Historian said: "America is Great, because it is Good, whn it ceases to be Good it ceases to be Great."
Whoop here we are!
Please E-verify no one has a job? (Action Re-action any-one?)
To: Liberty.