Study Finds Immigrants Don't Hurt U.S. Jobs

The above is a recent Washington Post headline. From the Pew Hispanic Center, I would expect that to be the finding.

The headline is misleading as usual. Third paragraph states: "We cannot say with certainty that growth in the foreign population has hurt or helped American jobs."

I venture to say with certainty that if immigrants began taking top level executive jobs at the Pew Center at half the salary and none of the benefits the findings would be somewhat different.

The Pew Hispanic Center is one of several research groups funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts to develop and distribute unbiased information on controversial topics … The Pew Hispanic Center has published respected polls and reports on the role of Hispanics in the United States.

Unbiased. I can't stop laughing, give me a minute.

From Bumdunk, Heartland let me explain how immigrant labor has effected jobs.

Employers here, such as corporate farms, landscape and construction contractors, a few remaining factories, maintenance crews, etc. have quite the immigrant worker system going on. Legal and illegal. (Although it has become easier for employers to be legal in the last decade.)

For instance, Farmer White, Inc. pays his workers $5/hr. He provides makeshift housing, usually rundown trailers but in the last couple of years "bunkhouses" have popped up. Cheap short term housing and extended stay hotels, or as the brochures say : "Designed for temporary/seasonal workers." Kind of like the old days when cattle ranchers hired extra cowhands for the season and provided a place to hang your spurs. There is also almost always a "company store" with ethnic foods and liquor.

For the more independent immigrant and the crafty labor-runner, there's the lady down the road from me who brings in dozens of workers, rotating them every 6 months or so. She houses some in a small 1 bedroom house across the road and down from my property. Her latest crew of 5 are all Guatemalan. I occasionally invite them to sit on my front porch and have a few beers and chat. They talk of wives and children back home. They find nothing wrong with American politics or government.

They love this country because it took them out of poverty. There are no death squads. Their children will not die of malnutrition. Their mother has clothes and their siblings can attend grade school instead of working as street vendors. They are grateful to the US government. Nevermind that the wife had another baby which Jose says can't be his, or that Jose has a couple of babies here in the States who he proudly claims are American citizens even if he is not.

None speak English although all have been in and out of the States for 8 years. All have worked in Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas. They ride their bikes to a soybean plant 6 days a week. It's dirty, lung dusting hard work but at $6/hr and plenty of hours, it's their jackpot.

They receive no benefits but that's okay. If they are injured or get sick the local ER will treat them without question; the bossman will pick up the tab. There is more or less a "silent pact" between the local hospital and business owners here: if treatment is paid the hospital heads won't cause any problems for Bossman, Inc. But Jose is rarely sick or injured as it might terminate his very, very tiny sliver of the "American dream."

Thirty years ago the local corporate farms, factories, contractors, etc. were forced to pay Joe Schmoe somewhat of a living wage to support his family, unemployment insurance, health insurance, life insurance, pay raises, Worker Comp, pension plan, retirement – once called benefits. There were company sponsored picnics, baseball teams, and Christmas bonuses. The working man's perks that immigrant labor finds unnecessary and will forgo. Jose will return next year, after wintering a couple of months down south with the family he misses. (My neighbors cure for homesickness seems to be getting drunk and falling in love with a different white girl every Saturday night.)

I have no ill will for my temporary neighbors (how can I, they named me Lolita and refuse to believe my age) – but don't tell me immigrant labor has not and does not hurt US jobs or workers. This talking point to "support immigrants" is the "left" giving their sheep warm fuzzies while enriching themselves and the "right" - and maintaining labor practices which impoverish and/or break down working families on both sides of the border.