As an African American, I would find it quite refreshing to hear "leaders" in the minority community and editorial writers acknowledge the damage done by illegal immigration. The Americans most and first affected by the crime of illegal immigration are native-born Hispanics and African Americans.
"I don't believe there are any jobs that Americans won't take, and that includes agricultural jobs," says Carol Swain, professor of law at Vanderbilt University and author of "Debating Immigration." "Illegal immigration hurts low-skilled, low-wage workers of all races, but blacks are harmed the most because they're disproportionately low-skilled."
A new Zogby survey finds that minority voters' views are somewhat different than advertised by the "amnesty now" editorial writers. The poll of Hispanic, Asian-American and African-American likely voters finds that overall, each of these groups prefers enforcement and for illegal immigrants to return home. Moreover, significant majorities of all three groups think that the current level of immigration is too high. As Dr. Steven Camarota of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Immigration Studies notes, "These views are in sharp contrast to the leaders of most ethnic advocacy organizations, who argue for increased immigration and legalization of illegal immigrants.
The Zogby poll also exploded many of the myths of monolithic Hispanic views on illegal immigration and enforcement.
Most members of minority groups do not feel that illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration, as many ethnic advocacy groups argue. Instead, members feel it's due to a lack of enforcement.
Just 20 percent of Hispanics said illegal immigration was caused by not letting in enough legal immigrants; 61 percent said inadequate enforcement.
When asked to choose between enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants in the country to go home or offering them a pathway to citizenship with conditions, most members of minority groups choose enforcement. Fifty-two percent of Hispanics support enforcement to encourage illegals to go home; 34 percent support conditional legalization. Fifty-seven percent of Asian-Americans support enforcement; 29 percent support conditional legalization. Fifty percent of African-Americans support enforcement; 30 percent support conditional legalization.
We are endlessly bombarded with the worn out and absurd concept that the majority of Americans who demand border security and equal protection under the law - even immigration law - are somehow "anti-immigration."
We admit more legal immigrants than any nation on the planet. Most can see that we don't need even more "guest workers." An unreported but true and amazing fact: The U.S. legally imports about 125,000 foreign workers every month.
No one can envy the job of groups such as the ACLU that are charged with convincing us that we need amnesty for 12 million to 20 million more workers or welfare recipients while Americans and real immigrants struggle.
Officially, national unemployment sits at almost 10 percent as a whole. The numbers are even worse for black males, who suffer an unemployment rate of more than 17 percent. Each time the federal government conducts raids on employers that employ illegals, formerly shut out poor Americans fill the job slots. Consequently, wages increase.
It's not true that undocumented workers are doing the jobs that we won't do.
Honesty on immigration is at a premium these days. Americans should make a decision on who to believe: The writers and ethnic-based groups with an agenda or the voice of the people who demand a fair chance at jobs and the promised notion of law.
Inger Eberhart
Acworth
Follow us on Twitter!
WHAT is she talking about? Surely we aren't doing that now?
This is a great letter, thanks to Inger Eberhart for presnting the facts.
It doesn't say so in the paper, but she is part of D.A. King's Dustin Inman Society board. Pretty radical isn't it?
Great job on your letter Ms. Eberhart.
"The removal of illegal workers from the seasonal agricultural workforce would increase the summer-fall supermarket prices of fresh fruits and vegetables by about 6 percent in the short run and 3 percent in the intermediate term. During the winter-spring seasons, prices would rise more than 3 percent in the short term and less then 2 percent in the intermediate term. Imports would increase about 1 percent."
I share your belief that illegal immigration is, well, illegal and should be completely stopped. Certainly groups with lower earning skills are the most affected by the lack of political interest in stopping this illegal invasion. However, I wouldn't rely on the writings of college professors as substantiation of that effect. Such people have little or no understanding of the hard work of tomato picking or other manual labor.
We should work to remove and otherwise stop illegal immigration and see if indeed our own people will fill the job vacancies. However, a problem will arise if our native population demands more pay than the immigrants did, then prices will go up for everyone, and the minority groups will suffer the most from the increased cost. But, at least we can work on the problems without having to consider unwanted immigrants.