Isn’t the answer here pretty obvious?
One the one hand, the economy is being hit by shortages of people needing or wanting work, which drives up labor costs, adds to inflation, and generates labor strife.
Worker shortages are fueling America’s biggest labor crises, Washington Post, Sept 16.
U.S. Construction Industry Lags Due To Global Labor Shortage, BusinessWest.com, Sept 16.
America’s small businesses are running out of workers, CNN Business, Aug 19, 2022
And on the other hand…
Immigrant farming key to solving labor shortage, News5, Cleveland.
Retiring baby boomers are creating a labor shortage—immigration could be the solution, Fast Company, Sept 17.
Immigrants are key to addressing America’s labor shortage, lowering inflation, and growing our economy, The Hill, August 29.
There’s a solution to the labor shortage — and it’s the undocumented workers who are already here
We need to stop insisting that immigration is a problem to be used for political stunts, and begin treating a rational immigration policy as a solution.
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Says the retired college-educated liberal who’s comfortably ensconced in an inherited single family home in one of Hawaii’s wealthiest neighborhoods.
By the way, the debate is not so much about immigration per se, as it is about widespread illegal immigration and the flagrant, organized, systemic, and relentless abuse and exploitation of our well-intended process for accepting true refugees and asylum seekers.
Your flippant and reductionist virtue signaling pretty much exemplifies the attitude and tone that has driven too many alienated blue collar Americans to the right and toward manipulation by populist ideologues who at least pay lip service to their concerns and anxieties, the great tragedy of our time.
And then there’s that whole undermining of collective bargaining power, enormous drain on public resources, and Balkinization of American society and culture thing, not so easily dismissed in the real world by knee-jerk cries of “racism” by those who enjoy cheap yard maintenance service as they peruse the internet while awaiting the next academic junket or vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.
Unless you are an actual Native American, your ancestors were immigrants as well. And it’s close to 100% accurate to guess that they arrived in response to a labor shortage. Even those who landed in the Carolinas and Virginia did so in response to a need for people to occupy and work the land granted to wealthy titled individuals and families. Your wordy response to Ian, who actually worked in the real world, not academia, was disrespectful and, I believe, reeks of bigotry against these particular true refugees and asylum seekers.
Ian a.k.a. “Old Owl”.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, Mr. Lind, but my friends went through the long and difficult legal process to become United States citizens. Why should others get a pass?
I think getting on a city bus and visiting other parts of Oahu outside of Kahala may also be a positive thing in terms of seeing what goes on with people and their daily struggles.
So did your friends become U.S. citizens before entering the country? Or did they enter as immigrants and then earn their citizenship?
They entered the U.S. on a tourist visa and then they obtained the status of Permanent Resident before becoming a Naturalized Citizen (unsure if this is the proper term).
The entire process took about 5 years.
Generates labor strife? You mean a push for liveable wages???
Immigration is not the problem. Illegal immigration is. Maybe we should invest in adding more immigration officers to process getting folks into the US instead of IRS agents?
Most immigrants, legal or illegal, simply want to work and get paid, and will often work for far less than Americans, and without complaining as much. There’s good and bad there, depending a lot on your economic situation, education and prospects. But the argument that mass immigration is good for “the economy” and “the labor market” all too often just means “for bosses and corporations.” Yes, immigration CAN be a big help to virtually all, but it isn’t necessarily so, and certainly is not always without “challenges.” Right now, the system is badly broken and cynically abused in all directions while laws go unenforced and frustration mounts. In Hawaii and Guam, COFA migrants who can’t support themselves are theoretically deportable but that sure doesn’t happen much and the unreimbursed impact on state finances and resources just is not discussed in polite company because hey, that would be outrageous scapegoating or something. Meanwhile, corporate Waikiki and Tumon get cheap dishwashers while public schools get lower test scores and the criminal justice system gets sucker punched. Stereotypes? Certainly. Grounded in truth? Believe it.
(And since the terrible effects of previous US nuclear testing in parts of Micronesia are often invoked to shut down all discussion in this area, let’s remember that “Micronesia” is a vast geographic area and that most COFA migrants come from places that were not impacted by the testing but that have received copious US aid in exchange for US security rights and have often squandered said aid. It’s a little like arguing that because Texas constantly grapples with massive illegal immigration and drug trafficking, income taxes should be waived for owners of second homes on Martha’s Vineyard since that’s also part of the US. And if you don’t just shut up and agree, you’re a bad person.)
Don’t like to see the needless personal bashing . Wishing for the days of respectful dialogue…
Where will the immigrants live? It’s already difficult for many people already living in this country to find housing they can afford.
One of the major contributors to inflation has been increases in the cost of housing. Wouldn’t increased immigration exacerbate that?