The immigration debate remains one of the most controversial issues in the United States today. Many supporters and critics offer their unique arguments without considering the views of their opponents. The move by different arguers to select historical developments and events that resonate with their opinions has resulted in numerous misconceptions. This precarious situation explains why Americans should examine the available literature carefully if they are to present evidence-based conclusions regarding the future of this issue. This paper explains why there is a need for the government to implement appropriate policies that support immigration since it helps America.
Does Immigration Help or Hurt America?
The establishment of the United States as one of the most diverse nations in the world is attributable to the immigration. Between 1600 and 1800, North America experienced a long era of indentured immigration due to the unprecedented expenses associated with crossing the Atlantic Ocean (Abramitzky & Boustan, 2017). However, new technologies in shipbuilding resulted in the Age of Mass Migration whereby thousands of Europeans moved from the Old World to the New World. Despite the strict guidelines and quotas put in place, many people from Europe and Latin America found their way into the United States. These people triggered a new wave of economic development associated with steam technology.
The rate of innovation in the United States increased significantly from the seventeenth century. Similarly, the recorded level of regional and trans-Atlantic trade became new opportunities for promoting economic growth in the region. Additionally, both the nineteenth and twentieth century supported new immigration trends that influenced the economy of this country positively (McCorkle, 2018). For example, the arrival of scientists and engineers from Nazi Germany during and after the end of the Second World War set the stage for the nation’s space and moon exploration programs.
Past and recent developments in this country offer numerous insights that prove that immigration is a process that has been helping America in different ways. McCorkle (2018) indicates that the increasing number of immigrants has been contributing to overall economic performance. For instance, such individuals are usually capable of completing additional and complicated tasks at a higher rate in comparison with the average American worker. Such people are also capable of moving from one region to another across the country, thereby responding to workforce shortages that have the potential to disorient economic performance and reduce the quality of services available to different citizens (Abramitzky & Boustan, 2017). Without the support of these immigrants, chances are high that the economy could weaken and eventually become less competitive at the global level.
The US is currently one the nations with large percentages of aging citizens. Immigrant workers support and take good care of such elderly citizens while ensuring that their children engage in various economic activities. Some of these foreigners are able to take up the jobs of these elderly individuals. Consequently, the engines of the country’s economy have been running smoothly. These aspects reveal that the country has continued to record positive goals due to the presence of such immigrants. Most of their children tend to have higher chances of recording positive upward mobilities (Gubernskaya & Dreby, 2017). Additionally, they find it easier to provide for their respective family members and contribute to the country’s overall economy.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor has been providing timely statistics that guide more leaders to make informed decisions regarding the nature of this debate. For instance, the agency revealed that around 65.7 percent workers in the country were foreign-born individuals in 2018 (McCorkle, 2018). Most of such immigrants were completing tasks were critical to the country’s economy, such as manufacturing and processing. The agency has also indicated that immigrant workers who lack college degrees are found in almost every part of the economy. The absence of such workers would force most of the companies and industries to shutdown or pay higher wages if they are to achieve their business aims.
Several organizations and institutions have analyzed and presented their findings regarding the position of immigrants in the American society. For example, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) presented a crucial report that described the contributions of immigrants to this country’s economy. Such experts indicated that the US was in demand for unskilled and low-skilled labor than ever before (McCorkle, 2018). The high rate of employment for less educated individuals supported such an observation. Within the past four decades, most of these US citizens have been unwilling to complete low-skilled jobs. Others have been unavailable due to their educational levels and ambitions in life. This gap explains why immigrants are needed to fill such positions and support prolonged economic performance.
Immigration helps promote growth in a wide range of industries that support the American economy. For instance, foreigners provide the labor required to sustain the country’s housing industry. The increasing percentage of immigrants in the country is a trend that supports its gross domestic product (GDP). Some of the existing guidelines that allow such individuals to receive health benefits make it easier for them to provide long-term labor to the economy (Gubernskaya & Dreby, 2017). The beneficiaries are able to traverse the country looking for job opportunities that eventually amount to overall GDP growth. These facts reveal that immigration remains a necessary evil America.
Unfortunately, some leaders have justified laws that are capable of discouraging more immigrants from looking for jobs and livelihoods in the US. Such erroneous rules are capable of harming the country’s economy and affecting the availability of labor. Most individuals will find it hard to receive some of the available benefits or record meaningful upward mobility in their respective societies. The country will eventually experience an unprecedented shortage of labor and be unable to support some of its key industries and sectors that sustain the economy (Gubernskaya & Dreby, 2017). This knowledge explains why there is a need for the relevant leaders, politicians, and policymakers to consider evidence-based policies that are guided by the nation’s history of immigration. The ultimate aims should be to support the economy, provide new opportunities to all immigrations, and eventually make it possible for the country to retain its hegemony.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified immigration is a contentious topic that many Americans examine from diverse perspectives. The history of the US reveals that the current economic achievements and diversity are attributable to various immigration policies that different leaders have implemented from the fifteenth century. Government leaders should, therefore, appreciate the fact that such a process is helpful to the nation’s economy and consider the importance of implementing superior policies that are capable of supporting it.
Annotated Bibliography
Abramitzky, R., & Boustan, L. (2017). Immigration in American economic history. Journal of Economic Literature, 55(4), 1311-1345. Web.
The authors of this article use the United States’ history to discuss how Americans should address the longstanding immigration question and consider evidence-based strategies to address it. Over the centuries, the US has become one of the favorite destinations for foreigners looking for opportunities. The writers rely on their vast experience and knowledge of this country’s political history to examine the feelings of many individuals regarding this debate. While some of these immigrants might have significant negative implications on the American society, the reader observes that they eventually assimilate and support economic growth. This source is useful since it provides adequate information to answer the selected question.
Gubernskaya, Z., & Dreby, J. (2017). US immigration policy and the case for family unit. Journal on Migration and Human Security, 5(2), 417-430.
In this article, the authors discuss the history of immigration in the United States and how past policies have focused on the nature of the family unit. Most of the foreigners who come into the country are usually family-based migrants. However, some of the implemented policies have triggered new challenges that affect most of the undocumented individuals looking for opportunities in this nation. Some of the aggressive strategies aimed at deporting and apprehending such immigrants have affected the economic and social wellbeing of many children. The authors rely on their knowledge to explain why there is a need for the government to consider the real benefits of immigration and implement evidence-based laws.
McCorkle, W. D. (2018). Using history to inform the modern immigration debate in the United States. Journal of International Social Studies, 8(1), 149-167.
Immigration is one of the practices that define the history of the United States. The author of this article offers powerful insights regarding the achievements the country has recorded due to the availability of foreigners. The article reveals that such individuals have been on the frontline to complete a wide range of jobs that impact economic performance directly. This knowledge is what current scholars and leaders should consider if they are to formulate the best immigration policy for the country. This source is, therefore, informative and capable of supporting the intended research study.