The Case for Mexican Border Leniency

Most of the arguments against illegal immigration are spurred by ignorance. Simple economics repudiate the claims of Mexicans taking American jobs and lowering American wages. Unemployed whites use social services more than illegals do, and illegals actually contribute more government money than they use. Ethnic tensions arise partly from racist nativists ignorant to the benefits of immigration. Finally, illegal immigrants contribute to American culture rather than subvert it.

Some people are worried that an influx in cheap labor takes potential jobs away from natives. Statistically, this warrant is unfounded. A study of aliens found that mostly “illegals are taking jobs that no other Americans want (Corwin, 285).” For example, almost all California seasonal farm hands are Mexican because no one else wants the conditions and pay associated with the job. “In 1975, the depths of the recession in Los Angeles, 2,154 jobs were opened by the apprehensions of illegals, and the State Human Resources Development agency could not fill them (Corwin, 285).” Other jobs “opened” by the removal of illegal labor could only be filled by greencard commuters from Tijuana.

As Americans, it is easy to overlook the benefits Mexicans gain from the system. Their country needs to be modernized, but turbulent government over time has hindered the process. Foreign investors help, but only to a limited degree since profits leave the country. Illegal immigrants counterbalance this “peso drain” by injecting American dollars into Mexico. This influx of capital allows for modernization, and as a result jobs will shift back into Mexico (del Olmo, 95).

Those opposed to immigration and foreign labor follow their argument to the personal level. Not only does it draw money away form the country, they argue, but also lowers the income of native workers. Again, this argument follows simple gut logic and is oblivious to economic patterns. Studies of immigrant labor actually show a positive correlation between immigrant influx and native wages. In the decades between 1950-1990, a 1% increase in immigration was associated with a significant increase in native earnings (fig.A) (Kposowa, 94). The decrease in 1940-1950 may be attributable to lowered immigration resulting from the Great Depression. In fact, illegal immigration from Mexico nearly came to a halt during this time (Kposowa, 95). The large jump in 1980-1990 may be due to the legalization of numerous aliens by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1886. This furthers the idea that increased immigration does not lower native wages.

As tensions rise, some nativists feel a threat from immigration—both legal and illegal—as an attack upon American culture. The most visible effect of this is the immigration language barrier. However, this barrier is lower than perceived, as most immigrants want to be Americanized and learn English. 93.5% of Mexicans in the U.S. believed they should learn English (Fig C)(Heer, 199). This process apparently takes time since most Mexican immigrants still speak Spanish, but their children are more likely to speak mostly English (Fig D)(Heer, 198). This shows that while language results are not immediate, immigrants are making an attempt to assimilate into American language and culture.

Fig. D. Persons of Mexican Origin: Distribution of Language spoken at Home

llegals do the “dirty work” no one else is prepared to do, but they do jobs that are economically unfeasible to others. The labor overflow has driven prices for menial labor so low that an American citizen could make more money on welfare. “It is unlikely that persons eligible for welfare benefits would work for the wages that the majority of illegal aliens receive (Corwin, 285).” The claim that Mexicans steal native jobs is economically unfounded. “Employment is not a zero-sum game: workers are also consumers and may create jobs as well as fill them (Brown, 16).”

For example, the numerous agricultural businesses that employ illegal immigrants are comparable to the silver mines in Mexico. They are the undesirable jobs that partly form the base of the nation’s economic pyramid. Due to the lack of an industrial sector, Mexico relied heavily on silver as its foreign capital, while in the U.S. today agriculture in a major branch of the economy. Since the respective jobs come with little prestige or chance to advance, lower class workers need to be brought in. The Zacatecas imported north to the silver mines (Meyer, 165) are like the Mexicans who come north to find American jobs. Both are attracted by higher relative wages. Since the workers are lower class citizens, they enjoy little to no government protection, and are subject to exploitation. As such they both suffer hardships and substandard living conditions. “Poor diets, fatigue, and unhealthful conditions... made the workers susceptible to disease and early death. Yet, because the pay was good... there seems to have been enough labor (Meyer, 165).” This statement referring to the exploited Indian miners changes l

Some topics in this essay:
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