I don't think Americans refuse to do them. What we refuse to do is work for less than minimum wage in substandard / unregulated working conditions etc. They are not filling jobs as much as they are taking them away in an illegal market. It is almost impossible to have certain businesses without using illegal workers because you will always be outbid by those who do. It is human exploitation.
think again. unemployment in houston is at 3.9%. this while having a ton of illegal workers here as well.
But they are not filling jobs that Americans don't want, unless you want an illegal job. It's not the same market, but one effects the other.
if those jobs had the same safety standards and made decent money . .. you think americans would not do them? Decent money more than anything makes americans Go Rocket River if you paid 23$ a hr to pick grapefruit . . . i bet americans would line up for it [just an example]
You and Sishir keep looking at this in a different angle. You said since there are low paying jobs here and these people can't make a living in their homeland, it's ok for them to come and work, damm the working conditions, exploitation, ... What you don't see if what happens to the infra structure, the social services, health care, education ..... for everyone including those immigrants. What you also fail to see is that, assume there are 50 millions low paying jobs in all of America. You open border and 100 million people come over, what do you do then? You hope they would go home then, but what if they don't? Who will support them? Once the goverment declare open border, it can not possible leave these people to starve and die in the street. Those who are lucky to get jobs, instead of getting $5/ hr, the employers will pay $2.5/hr ... I don't doubt joblessness, hunger, despair ... will lead to social unrest and crime. That is the quickest way for the US to become a 3rd world country itself.
The idea that illegal immigrants do jobs that Americans don't want or won't take has been proven wrong often by several studies. (the Center for Immigration studies to the Pew Hispanic Center). The govt. produced a report last summer that debunked the idea completely. I will try to link it later. I read this today (I will go back and link that also - sorry) - A little over 20% of illegal workers are in the farming sector and the other 75+% of the same jobs are held by US citizens. About 17% of illegal workers are in the cleaning industry and the other 83% are jobs held by US citizens About 14% of construction workers are illegal immigrants -86% are US citizens About 12% of food service workers are illegal immigrants- 88% are US citizens. Check the studies, they are online... Bottom line is that US citizens covet the same jobs and hold the very same jobs that illegal immigrants hold. Unemployment figures varify low paying jobs are more likely to be filled by US citizens than illegal immigrants. There is a very large percentage of the US legal workforce holding minimum wage jobs. And there is still a demand for these low paying jobs among US citizens depending upon education, experience and skill level. While illegal immigrants do hold a small percentage of low paying jobs they in no way do so at a service to US economy or the US worker. While it is nice that illegal immigrants can find low paying jobs and it is a blessing that they have a better life in the US, I believe there would be no employment impact if they were not holding those jobs, only a natural market adjustment. I would like to see a plan in place that is equitible to immigrants and to the US workforce without using such tactics as Bush used when he said that 'Illegals do the work Americans won't do' .
did anyone watch larry king live last night...with the mexican guy who braught a basket of fruit and then starting going into a speech about illegal immigrants picking this great fruit which we all enjoy...good lord, made me sick.
ummm..they're coming on their own. we're not bringing them over on slave ships. i'm telling you, there's no way in the world i wouldn't leave to make money for my family...the alternative sucks.
it's effectively open right now. we have what we have. i just see this breaking down on lines i'm not comfortable with. immigration is what's built this country. it IS the culture of this country. and i have no problem with immigrants coming here to work. it's always been somebody's job. first it was the damn irish taking the jobs...then it was the blacks...in the 1970's we heard that women would be taking jobs away from men. THE HORROR!!! i'm not comfortable with any of that. i'm for making it as easy as possible, provided security, for people to go back and forth. i find that to be more humane.
true. i dont think anyone has problems with immigrants coming to america and working to become legit citizens. But, do it legally. Go through the proper channels, learn the freaking language, etc....Just like our ancestors.
In the last place I worked, a refinery, during a turnaround (where the plant was shutdown for maintenance), temporary unskilled workers (welder's helpers, pipefitter's helpers, laborers) were being paid $22-$30/hour. The only qualification was to show up, pass a 1-day course on plant safety, and not fail a drug test. We needed 3000 workers and could only find (at the peak) about 2200. Total. And many of those left other similar temporary jobs in the area to take this one. That situation is played out every day in the South and West, right now.
