Immigration in the United States: Immigration/Immigrants Myths -- sample articles

...Top Ten Immigration Myths and Facts Pamphlet By: National Immigration Forum Date: June 2003 Source: "Top Ten Immigration Myths and Facts." National Immigration...

"There are some common underlying themes in these various accounts of illicit globalization articulated by scholars, policymakers, pundits, and journalists. In short, illicit globalization is the poster child for arguments that states are losing control. Andreas challenges common myths and misconceptions about the illicit side of globalization and emphasizes the ways in which states shape and even exploit the illicit global economy. He argues that illicit globalization is not new, and its relationship to the state is not only antagonistic but also in some respects mutually profitable."

"A list of top ten myths and fallacies regarding immigration and immigrants in the United States today: immigrants are needed to do the jobs natives will not do; there is no effect of immigration on the earnings of native-born workers; immigrants pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits; sealing the border will solve the illegal migrant problem; temporary workers (guest workers and undocumented migrants) will go home on their own; if low-skilled immigration was a benefit to the United States in 1910, it must be a benefit to the United States in 2010; immigrants do not want to and do not need to learn English; family-based visas promote fairness while employment-based visas are elitist (if not racist); charging large fees or auctioning visas is discriminatory; immigration: are you for it or against it? The chapter argues that these myths and fallacies have impeded the development of a national consensus regarding the reform of immigration law and policy so as to better serve the economic, humanitarian, and international interests of the United States."

' "Are there any Americans who can't recite by rote the many allegations leveled by politicians against undocumented immigrants? They are violent, dangerous lawbreakers. They steal jobs from citizens. They cost taxpayers billions for social services. And then there are the proposed solutions: Washington should deport the millions who are in the country illegally and build a wall on the Mexican border to prevent them from returning. Lots of people believe all of this, but how much of it is true? And would the proposed solutions be effective, and at what cost?" (Newsweek) This editorial breaks some of the myths associated with illegal immigration.'

"This article focuses on history, specifically on how history affects our understanding of contemporary immigration. The spotlight is on the United States and the two massive immigrations of the last one hundred and forty years as well as on the integration of immigrants and their children. History is what the present chooses to remember about the past, and to that extent it inevitably distorts. This distortion is what is meant when I use the phrase abuses of history. Myths about the past, selective retellings, cherry-picked examples - they all shape how the story of immigration in the United States is perceived today. History, however, can be an extremely effective and illuminating tool. In examining the uses of history, the article pays special attention to the way that earlier immigrants and their children had an impact on cultural, social, and political institutions and patterns, which, in turn, helped shape the context for present-day arrivals. History, in fact, can deepen and expand our understanding of the contemporary immigrant and second generation; it can also provide some useful hints about the future."

"The standard account of American immigration focuses on the acculturation and assimilation of immigrants and their children to American society. This analysis typically ignores the significant contributions of immigrants to the creation of American culture through the performing arts, sciences, and other cultural pursuits. Immigrants and their children are not born with more creative talents than native-born citizens, but their selectivity and marginality may have pushed and pulled those with ability into high-risk career paths that reward creative work. The presence of large numbers of talented immigrants in Hollywood, academia, and the high-tech industries has pushed American institutions to be more meritocratic and open to innovation than they would be otherwise."

This paper characterizes "the contribution of immigrants to US innovation, both through their direct productivity as well as through their indirect spillover effects on their native collaborators."

"Undocumented immigrants contribute significantly to state and local taxes, collectively paying an estimated $11.74 billion a year.2 Contributions range from just over $550,000 in Montana with an estimated undocumented population of 1,000 to more than $3.1 billion in California, home to more than 3 million undocumented immigrants..."

"This paper examines the relationship of contemporary immigration, including undocumented."

"Using semistructured interviews and participant observation, this two-year pilot study of male Mexican migrants in Freehold, New Jersey, explored how day laborers perceive their struggles to support families despite escalating anti-immigrant legislation at virtually all levels of government. In particular, the author looks at efforts by Mexican migrants to contest characterizations of them as "illegal," a term that has clear connotations of criminality, and to distance themselves from others who commit crimes. Migrants questioned the moral legitimacy of U.S. immigration laws, an indicator that vigorous legal efforts to thwart their arrival could prove fruitless. This finding is critical for social work, which must find the means to serve this vulnerable population."

"There has been great interest in the relationship between immigration and the welfare state in recent years, and particularly since Alesina and Glaeser's (2004) influential work. Following literatures on solidarity and fractionalization, race in the U.S. welfare state, and antiimmigrant sentiments, many contend that immigration undermines public support for social policy. This study analyzes three measures of immigration and six welfare attitudes using 1996 and 2006 International Social Survey Program (ISSP) data for 17 affluent democracies. Based on multi-level and two-way fixed-effects models, our results mostly fail to support the generic hypothesis that immigration undermines public support for social policy. The percent foreign born, net migration, and the 10-year change in the percent foreign born all fail to have robust significant negative effects on welfare attitudes. There is evidence that the percent foreign born significantly undermines the welfare attitude that government "should provide a job for everyone who wants one." However, there is more robust evidence that net migration and change in percent foreign born have positive effects on welfare attitudes. We conclude that the compensation and chauvinism hypotheses provide greater potential for future research, and we critically consider other ways immigration could undermine the welfare state. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that factors other than immigration are far more important for public support of social policy."

"The significant growth of the Latino population in the midst of an economic recession has invigorated anti-Latino, anti-immigrant sentiments in many US states. One common misconception is that Latino immigrants are a burden to safety net services. This may be particularly true in nontraditional immigrant states that have not historically served Latino immigrants. Oregon data suggest that despite a higher prevalence of poverty, use of safety net services among Latino immigrants in Oregon is lower than that among non-Latino Whites. Immigration status, costs, lack of insurance coverage, and discrimination are among the reasons for this group's limited use of services. Nevertheless, policies designed to strengthen community and institutional support for Latino immigrant families should be considered in the context of current health care and immigration reform efforts."

This paper analyzes how the belief and fear by mostly older, white voters, politicians, and poll workers that “illegal” Latino immigrants were seeking to vote in local elections led to stigmatization of and discrimination against some Latino citizen voters in Port Chester, New York. Stoked by and closely echoing national voter ID law rhetoric, this fear fueled an “illegal Latino voter threat” narrative. This article documents how Port Chester's leaders and citizens repeated this narrative in public life, sometimes enacting it in politics, including in voting. The resultant stigma denies Latino voters the presumed legitimacy other citizens enjoy, discrediting them in one word: illegal. Such processes harm democracy in Port Chester and America, and were on display in the 2016 presidential election.

From CQ Researcher. Don't forget to click on the left panel for more resources; for example, the Pro/Con views.

"At the heart of the battle over immigration is an issue that all sides claim as their own but on which few agree: What is the economic impact of immigration on the nation?"

"This survey reviews both theoretical and empirical papers that examine the economic effects of labour mobility. We address three broad sets of issues: firstly, the effect that immigration has on the host country's labour market. Although the possible adverse effects that immigration can have on the wage and employment levels of natives are typically examined, immigration may also have a role to play in raising skill levels. This leads to the second broad issue: the effect of migration of a particular skill composition on the long-term (endogenous) growth of the host country. Finally, immigration can have a major economic impact on the source country. These effects can either be positive or negative depending on the interplay between the effects of growth, remittances and the brain drain."

"More than 10 million illegal immigrants live in the United States, and 1,400 more arrive every day. Once concentrated in a few big states like Texas and California, they are rapidly moving into non-traditional areas such as the Midwest and South. Willing to work for low wages, the migrants are creating a backlash among some residents of the new states, which have seen a nearly tenfold increase in illegal immigration since 1990. While illegal immigrants only make up about 5 percent of the U.S. work force, critics of the nation's immigration policies say illegal immigrants take Americans' jobs, threaten national security and even change the nation's culture by refusing to assimilate. But immigrants' advocates say illegal migrants fill the jobs Americans refuse to take and generally boost the economy. Proposals to deal with illegal immigration include the Real ID bill, which would block states from issuing driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, and “guest worker” programs granting temporary legal status to illegal workers."
Don't forget to click on the left panel for more resources; for example, the Pro/Con views.

"The article discusses misconceptions regarding the academic ability of Asian American students. The authors discuss the perception that Asian American students perform better academically than other ethnic groups but suggest this is a generalization as gender and nationality can affect achievement and some Asian American students struggle academically. They note a longitudinal study suggesting that cultural rather than biological factors play a role in Asian American students' academic achievements in science and math. They note how social stereotypes can increase psychological stress for Asian American students and suggest emphasis on academic achievement can result in decreased creativity for Asian American students."

"The educational experiences of Southeast Asian Americans, particularly Cambodian Americans, Hmong Americans, Laotian Americans, and Vietnamese Americans, are characterized by numerous challenges, which can be attributed to their migration history, socioeconomic status, and English proficiency. By the end of 11th grade, a high percentage of Southeast Asian American students are not college ready. The educational challenges of Southeast Asian Americans have been overshadowed by the model minority stereotype. Educational policies targeting issues affecting the education of Southeast Asian Americans and teacher preparations that focus on getting Southeast Asian American students to be college ready could help change the educational story of this population."

"A collaboration of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the Health Initiative of the Americas, this report explores the health care challenges faced by Latin American immigrants, and Mexican immigrants in particular. The report dispels the common misperception that these immigrants come to the United States primarily to seek health services. Key findings from the report include: Latino immigrants come to the United States to work The U.S. relies on Mexican immigrant workers in agriculture, construction and service jobs These jobs pay very low wages and rarely offer health insurance These jobs have higher levels of occupational health risk."

"In its battle against "illegals," the anti-immigrant right has unleashed not only cowboy justice along the U. S.-Mexico border, but also urban protests at worker centers and home improvement stores where mostly immigrant men gather in search of work.1 Groups like Save Our State, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and the Minutemen have targeted these day laborers (jornaleros) as the face of undocumented immigration, blaming an easy target. [...] New York City only recently (2006) established a commission to assess the efficacy of opening worker centers with city resources.15 Finally, through partnerships with the ACLU, MALDEF, and the National Employment Law Project, NDLON has waged key legal battles that are shaping national precedents on how federal, state, and local courts rule on local ordinances that would shut down employment solicitation, but instead prompt harassment, vigilante justice, and wasted law-enforcement resources."

"This article reviews what research by economists says about how immigration affects workers"

"The article discusses U.S. immigration from an economic perspective, with a particular focus on international labor migration, labor markets and productivity. The author contends that U.S. immigration is a major element of economic development and improves the competitive advantage of American workers and companies. An overview of the impact of U.S. immigration on investment, skilled and unskilled labor, job creation and wages is provided. The level of education that U.S. immigrants hold in relation to their employment is also discussed."

This is a print book available at Cañada College and some PLS libraries.

"A collaboration of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health and the Health Initiative of the Americas, this report explores the health care challenges faced by Latin American immigrants, and Mexican immigrants in particular. The report dispels the common misperception that these immigrants come to the United States primarily to seek health services. Key findings from the report include: Latino immigrants come to the United States to work The U.S. relies on Mexican immigrant workers in agriculture, construction and service jobs These jobs pay very low wages and rarely offer health insurance These jobs have higher levels of occupational health risk."

"This article examines the career barriers experienced by Chinese immigrants in the United States. It begins with an overview of the history and background of Chinese immigrants. The rest of the article is based on an adapted ecological model for studying career barriers for Chinese immigrants that is an integration of Bogardus's social distance theory and Bronfenbrenner's (,ecological systems theory of human development. Career barriers are discussed along the multiple nested contexts at the societal, community, schools and colleges, and workplace levels. Within these contexts, career barriers range from ethnic stereotypes to unintended consequences of the model minority myth. Other barriers include language, lack of social support, and workplace discrimination. The article concludes with recommendations for overcoming these career barriers."