Should+American+citizens+blame+undocumented+immigrants+for+the+economic+difficulties+in+the+United+States?

The United States with “the largest and most technologically powerful economy in the world,” (Country Watch) had its largest economic growth beginning in 1991. However, in 2006 the economy began to decline into a recession with financial problems and inflation of prices. The unemployment rate in 2008 was 5.8% with a 40.2% public debt and increased in 2009 to 9% unemployment and 53% public debt (Country Watch). Many Americans were wondering what the cause of the economic downturn was; possibly government reforms that were not working, the war, the rise of prices in the real estate market, or the increasing number of illegal immigrants? Although most of these possible causes of the recession started near the beginning, the increase in illegal immigration can be traced back to the 1970s. The changing views of illegal immigration can be shown in polls taken in 1997 compared to 1999. For instance, as stated in an article //Immigration: Shaping and Reshaping America //, “A 1997 poll, for example, found that fewer than 50 percent of Americans wanted immigration reduced or stopped, but 63 percent were concerned about immigrants taking jobs from Americans or causing racial conflict, and 79 percent were concerned that immigrants were overburdening the welfare system and pushing up taxes,” (Martin and Midgley). Also, another poll described in the article was, “…1999 poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found that opinion shifted as the economy boomed: 52 percent of Californians considered Mexican immigrants a benefit to the state because of their hard work and job skills, while only 36 percent described them as a burden because of their use of public services and schools,” (Martin and Midgley). The American population has been fickle over the dispute of whether or not illegal immigration benefits or detracts from the economy and the opinions change dependant on the economy of the time. However, the facts remain constant showing that, “1997 the National Research Council (NRC) found that legal and illegal immigration adds between one billion dollars to ten billion dollars each year in gross domestic product,” (Martin and Midgley). Despite the common misconception, illegal immigration does benefit the economy by taking low wage jobs, providing more taxes, and being consumers to circulating the market economy. Therefore, American citizens should not blame illegal immigrants for the increased economic difficulties. One way that illegal immigration helps to benefit the economy is through being hired by companies for jobs that American citizens do not want and would otherwise go to other countries off the coast. Although many people will assume that the illegal immigrants are stealing jobs during times of unemployment, they actually take the ones that no one else would take. For instance, “Foreigners unauthorized to work in the United States can be found in restaurant kitchens, garment factories, tomato fields, parking garages and taxicabs, or pushing brooms and performing a host of other menial tasks whose common features are long hours and low pay,” (Griffin). In their pursuit of a new life for themselves, facing all odds against the law at times, they will take any work in order to bring food to the table for their families. They do not take the jobs that even most teenagers today are looking for. They are the ones in the background, the ones who clean, the ones who work long and arduous hours, the ones who are on the fields all day, the ones who we discriminate because they are striving for the same thing we are, the American dream. Even Lawrence Fuchs, a professor at Brandeis University and former executive director of the U.S. Select Commission on Immigration and Refugee Policy, states that illegal aliens, "probably create more jobs than they take away," (Griffin). Not only do they not affect the unemployment by taking the jobs that are unwanted, but even if they did not take those jobs the companies would just move to other countries and have their factories there. For example, Douglas Massey, a sociologist at the University of Chicago, agrees, "Without illegal immigrants," he says, "many U.S. factories would go offshore,” (Griffin). The assumption that illegal immigration negatively effects unemployment issues is not supported as stated by an economist, George Borjas, in an article when he said, "…modern econometrics cannot detect a single shred of evidence that immigrants have a sizable adverse impact on the earnings and employment opportunities of natives in the United States," (Martin and Midgley). Consequently, illegal immigration helps to circulate the economy by getting jobs that then let them to pay taxes thus promote the economy furthermore.

﻿ Another common misconception is that most undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes. In actuality, they contribute large sum of money to taxes. “Illegal immigrants pay about 9 million in social security alone.” (Loller). Since most immigrants have fake social security numbers they cannot collect the portion of their paycheck that automatically goes to social security and Medicare. This is only one of the numerous ways that immigrants contribute to taxes. They use some of the benefits that the taxes provide, but not all. This spare money goes to the government and benefits all Americans. Immigrants even sometimes pay more than Americans. Overall, “Illegal immigrants pay more taxes than major corporations …” (Colmes). Immigrants are as much a part of America as any person who was born here. “Like U.S. citizens, most working-age immigrants seek jobs, earn wages, pay taxes, and consume public services.” (Martin). Allowing for certain causes America would not be so easily climbing out of the recession as it is without the funds that undocumented immigrants provide.  It is already known that Immigrants provide a large portion of the taxes paid, but they also pay money to everyday Americans. It is often overlooked that… “Immigrants are also consumers , increasing demand for American-made goods and services.” (Hina). This is excellent for the economy, because it allows more Americans to make a living and support themselves and their families. In addition, this not only helps the person who is selling or making the goods, but it helps everyone. How is this possible, one person buying one thing? Well the answer is that helps to stabilize the economy. “More people mean more consumers and more workers, which helps the economy grow .” (Martin). This is not just a small fluke in the system either. “They add 700,000 new consumers to the economy every year…” (Grow). These numbers have accurate since at least 2006.Most people see immigrants as helpful to the economy by the cheap labor and taxes that they formulate, but it is time to see them in a new light. Now we bring out of the shadows that immigrants are just as helpful as consumers, as they are as producers.

Although they have come here illegally, the undocumented immigrants do have a positive net impact on the economy through being producers, tax payers, and consumers and consequently American citizens should not accuse them of the general economic problems. As Martin Luther King Junior once said, "All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence." We need to remember that these immigrants are more than just another number in the estimate of illegal immigrants, they are people. They work like any other citizen, they pay taxes, and they contribute to the supply and demand of our market economy. These people are beneficial in our economy, and citizens need to recognize that. We cannot simply place the blame on them for hurting our economy, when it is actually the lack of action on our part and ignorance to how much this issue is actually harming the economy of the United States.

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