Immigration is one of the most hotly debated topics of our day, and one of the most poorly understood. Everyone seems to have an opinion, and everyone seems to know “the facts,” yet there is no consensus as to what those facts are. Immigrants are good for the economy. Immigrants are bad for the economy. Immigrants revitalize our society. Immigrants are a scourge on our society. You all have seen the headlines. Everyone seems to know x, y and z, but what is going on beneath the headlines? What is the reality beneath the myths?
Myth #1-Most immigration occurs within the United States and Europe.
According to the U.N., in 2005 three percent of the human population lived outside of their country of birth. Of a global population of 6.5 billion, that is about 195 million people, equivalent to 65 percent of the U.S. population. Many of those people are economic migrants from second or third world countries migrating to developed nations like the U.S. and Western Europe. However, a lot of immigration actually takes place within the second and third world, between countries such as Myanmar and Thailand, Rwanda and Tanzania, and Nicaragua and Mexico. And not all of these individuals are simply economic migrants. Many are fleeing violence and persecution, and growing numbers are fleeing environmental disasters and degradation. In addition, this three percent statistic only includes individuals who cross national borders. Millions more are migrating within countries. For example, this number does not include more than five million civilians fleeing violence in Darfur. Since they are still within Sudan, they are classified as IDPs, internally displaced persons, and not granted the rights or protections given to immigrants or refugees.
Myth #2-In the United States, immigrants are an identifiable voting bloc.
In the upcoming presidential election, there will be news stories on how candidates are trying to appeal to the “African-American vote” or the “Women’s Vote” or to “NASCAR Dads.” Although there may be stories written about the “Hispanic vote,” they can be misleading. Hispanics are better classified as “swing voters.” Although group affiliation was thought to be significant in the past, recent research has revealed that income and education, especially for second and third generation immigrants, are much better predictors of voting behavior.
Myth #3-Only the federal government makes laws regarding immigration.
On July 17, 2006, the Saint Louis suburb of Valley Park passed legislation making English the official language of the city, as well as fining landlords and employers $500 for renting to or hiring undocumented immigrants. As of now, over 100 municipalities have enacted or are considering immigration related legislation, and immigration-related bills have been introduced in every state legislature. Among other things, these laws relate to housing, police regulations and state IDs. Currently, few of these anti-immigrant regulations have been enacted. Many of the laws, including the Valley Park ordinance, are currently tied up in litigation.
Myth #4-All undocumented immigrants must be held responsible for their actions.
There are thousands of individuals who were brought to the United States by their parents before they were old enough to be responsible for their own actions. These include kids, many of whom are our age, who came to the United States as minors and risk deportation to a country they barely know. In congress, there is currently a bill called the DREAM Act that would give such individuals a path to citizenship. The provisions of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act is only open to students who arrived in the U.S. before turning 16, have lived in the US for at least five years, have graduated from an American High School or earned a GED and have a “good moral character.” It is not open to their parents.
The issue of immigration in the world and in the United States is unbelievably complex. It affects so many aspects of life for so many people. In order to foster conversations about immigration on Wash. U.’s campus, and in order to continue to discuss and dispel these myths, Washington University is holding an “Immigration Week of Dialogue” just after Thanksgiving. Immigration is here, and its real. Let’s talk about it.
Lieselot Whitbeck is a senior in Arts & Sciences. She can be reached via e-mail at
[email protected].