By Elliot Millner on May 25th 2010 1:12PM
Filed under: Careers, News, The Economy
The recent uproar over
Arizona's new immigration law has re-focused attention on an issue that has festered for several years. Immigration reform has been a hot-button political issue for a long time, though little has been done by the federal government to actually address the problem. This lack of government response has been one of the main reasons many people sympathize with (and even support) Arizona's over-the-top legislation.
One on the main areas in which illegal immigration affects people directly (particularly black people) is employment. It is no secret that many companies hire illegal immigrants because they know that they can pay them less and work them more hours without worry. An illegal immigrant is highly unlikely to complain about being overworked or underpaid for fear of being deported. It is a basic business practice to attempt to get the cheapest labor possible with the maximum amount of production. In that context, it is virtually impossible for American citizens to compete with the thousands of illegal immigrants now filling many low-paying, unskilled positions. Even in skilled trades (such as the construction industry) the situation is the same. From a pure business standpoint, it's just common sense. Who would you hire? An employee who is willing to work long hours for half the salary and no benefits or the one who will demand a decent wage, benefits and a reasonable shift?
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Throughout history, there has always been conflict among those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder for job opportunities. Some of this conflict is a natural outcome of being in an environment with limited earning possibilities. Yet, there are still many of us who, instead of addressing the root issues relating to unemployment in our communities, choose to take the easy and ignorant path of attacking immigrants for "taking our jobs."
The reality is that the majority of jobs that have been lost in the United States have been shipped overseas to countries with cheaper labor. Many of the remaining jobs (that some claim were taken by illegal immigrants) have been difficult for companies to fill because they pay so little.
There does need to be immigration reform in the United States, for a variety of reasons. But making illegal immigrants the scapegoat for present employment conditions is simply a continuation of a foolish pattern of workers attacking other workers, instead of organizing toward a common goal of having basic rights and privileges as employees for all.
Comments: (20)
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By: Jimmie on 5/28/2010 2:45PM
The omly problem I have with the new immigrants, they denounce being American and speak their own language and fly their country's flaggs once they are sworn in. They don't accept the American laws and culture.Immigrants from European countries not counting Spaine blend into the American culture, and don't stand out as a country in a country. The Haitians, Jamaicans and Bahamians distance themselves from American Blacks, but like the White man, they love our American Black women.Foreign Blacks unite with the Spanish in Miami because they know that not identifying with Black Americans ,can reep benefits, immagrants don't recognise the Black Civil Right struggles of the past..
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By: charles on 5/28/2010 3:20PM
mine is the illegal adults dont contibute to the economy yet their children proliferate the educational system. I dont like to hear how prosecuting them violates thier constitutional rights how they got rights no one ever says, I'm wondering what about my rights.
oh and the myth of them geting lower pay is bunk .
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By: black, sick and tired on 5/28/2010 11:15PM
I agree with all the comments so far except elliot and randy- they must live in an area that's not full of illegals. They need to shut up until they know what they are talking about. Come to where one of the rest of us lives and it would be a whole different article and a whole nother conversation- yes they are taking people's jobs and they can't even speak the language right and when you tell them you don't understand what they are saying they get an attitude. How are you just going to get an attitude with me when I am in my country born and raised here and my parents and their parents are from here and you just got here? if they don't like blacks then they can run back over the border and go back to their country where they don't have to be around any blacks how about that? I have had to get so many of them told its not even funny anymore. i am praying to God that more states get some laws on the ballot like Arizona and then these loud azz people will see how everyone feels about them they think they can protest and get loud about stuff that they don't even have a right to get loud about- wake up dummies you aren't even supposed to be here- if you want rights go back to your country and fix it and then you will have rights. please CA somebody get some laws together for us to vote on everyone who isnt mexican in my area is SICK of these fools trying to take over and run things. Now they are putting on job descriptions here must be bilingual, so you can forget black kids working and black adults working and anybody else that isn't bilingual. it makes me sick. i can't wait until a politician with some guts offers up a law that i can vote on like the one in AZ i will vote even if I have to crawl to the polling place. We need to take our country back thats what we need to do. by the way an illegal was just convicted of a random triple homicide in my area and the news people emphasized the fact that if we had the law like in AZ maybe it never would have happend
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By: connie on 5/29/2010 1:21AM
a job uppose to be a place where you go and work .punch the clock in and out for 365 days in the year including sick leave and vacation time etc.according to that position and place of employment. within this company you have state.federal. medical and sdi witheld from from your earning fo as long as you are employed. but when you have company hiring anyone at their own risk they do not care about you at allor your family. because if they did they would cover you 365 in the year legally.to think that any race of peoples are angry or upset that you are working is very bad statement. everyboby needs to work lawfully and legaling.usually where there is no protection .there is always a battle if you chose to work first and fight later
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By: cheryl on 5/29/2010 1:49AM
Illegal aliens are everywhere here and only Spanish people working for Verizon running cables (yet speak no english), the city, the trash collectors, etc.They have roofing, painting, lawn service sewed up, undercutting black and white Americans.
They have worked for The Auto companies, Walmart, Chix factories, the Airports, and the US government (45,000 under Bush)Etc. Just the other day I saw an MS 13 gang member in Tom Thumb (He had on a jacket that ID' d him). Remember also Bush set the stage for the NAU. Look at your future and the future of this country. I believe u will change your mind.
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By: Ronald on 5/29/2010 7:39AM
There are a lot of things we should be doing to combat the invasion of illegal immigrants,because it's wrong no matter how anyone tries to defend it.In Arizona it has already started and Arizona is predominately white.It is not only blacks that are losing out on jobs,etc but it is hurting the white man who does not own a business.Hispanics are and everyone keeps bashing the Mexicans,but the Puerto Ricans are worse have turned America into a third world country.Have any one of you gotten sick to your stomach when you see a Coca-Cola,Verizon,Potato Chip truck pass by with Puerto-Rican flags posted on them.Complaints should be made to all of the companies involved and the last time I looked there is still competition for the dollar even if its an African American dollar.A simple solution stop buying.Support Arizona to the fullest and a message to Rev Al Sharpton stay out of this one and where is Fernando Mateo the appointed illegal gypsy taxi Hispanic spokesperson.I also find it amazing that the NAACP is also wasting valuable time lending their support.Write or e-mail them and let them know how you feel.Puerto Ricans so sadly believe they are white and now look whats happening in Arizona by predominately white folks who have begun to get fed up with this.More states should have the balls and guts like Arizona and although I haven't been to a baseball game in about 8 years due to the ruining of the game by the invasion of imposters Jose,Jose,Jose(Bring back the days of Willie,Mickey and the Duke)brings a tear to your eye doesn't it? I will be buying tickets to the all star game in Arizona.Bastards
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By: Anjay on 5/29/2010 10:27AM
President Obama please send thes illegals back to their own countries, not just hispanics, but West Indians and Africans too. If you're for the Amerian people like you say. We need jobs. I'm tired of searching for a job and having to know spanish, this is America, if I were going to a spanish country that would be one thing. We can't just pop up all over the world in different countries and stay as easily as these illegals come here and stay.
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By: Angelo on 5/29/2010 5:22PM
There needs to be a modern day HILTER to do away with these illegals. They need to be lured to a building that's about to be imploded with promise of a job and once the building is full of them, imploded it. I'm not only talking about Hispanics, but West Indians, Africans, Indiains, Portuguese, the Polish, etc. If you weren't born here you need to go back to your own country, if you refuse to leave, you'll leave one way or another. I'm tired of looking at these ugly, short, round pie face hispanics, the women with there funny shapes, the short damn near midget men and there ugly children, they all look inbreed.
WAKE UP BLACK PEOPLE AND STOP WORRYING ABOUT THINGS THAT DON'T MATTER LIKE WHO HAS MORE THAN YOU, OR STANDING ON THE CORNER SELLING DRUGS, AND HANGING OUT, WHILE THE WHITE POLITICIANS CONTROLS YOU OUT OF FEAR OF YOU BY LETTING ALL OF THESE HISPANICS OVER HERE TO TAKE WHAT YOU COULD HAVE. FIGHT BACK!!!!! I DON'T CARE WHEN THOSE WHITE BOYS K-LL THOSE HISPANIC IMMIGRANTS BECAUSE THEY'RE HISPANIC. JUST MAKE SURE IT'S ONLY HISPANICS, GET RID OF THEM. EVERYONE WHO WAS BORN HERE NEED TO STAND UP AND SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. COME ON PRESIDENT OBAMA, ARE YOU REALLY FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPE? IF SO, YOU NEED TO SEND THESE ILLEGALS BACK TO THEIR OWN COUNTRY.
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By: Mr. A on 6/02/2010 12:01AM
DIDN'T THE INDIANS THINK THE SAME THINGS WHEN THE ENGLISH CAME OVER?
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By: sobey on 6/12/2010 12:39PM
illigal alians hispanics to be exact hate american blacks and everywhere they go they will drive blacks out either by killing them of terrifing them until they get out.they will take over whereever they are able to get a foot hold and they are rothless blacks better run because just look at CA and AZ,NY,NY,MD the list goes on unless we elect people that are against illigals this will just get worst there will be no blacks left the illigals look for blacks of all kinds to get rid of them don;t trust the illigals when they try to reachout to you they have a machete in the other hand.
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