David M. Kennedy published a very interesting article which compares immigration during the last century to the current rate and type of immigration. The article was published in the Atlantic Monthly in November, 1996. The title of the article is “Can we still afford to be a Nation of Immigrants.” This is a question that is often discussed on radio shows and political commentators. This essay proposes that there is still room for immigrants in the USA. In other words we can still afford to be a nation of immigrants because of the important skills and cultural diversities which enhances living in the USA for everyone.
First Wave of Immigration
Before WWI people in Eastern and Southern Europe were suffering because of their poor living conditions. The Europeans immigrated in a great wave over about 25 years to the USA. They also immigrated to other places such as Australia and Argentina. During that period approximately 13.5 million counted in the 1910 census had been born in a foreign country. Although it is often repeated in the USA that these people were drawn to America by its opportunity and liberty. The polar opposite opinion that America received only the unwanted “refuse” of Europe is also popular. History does not necessarily agree with either assessment.
Kennedy explains how two major motivations for leaving Europe at the time were (a) population growth, and (b) the Industrial Revolution. In total approximately 70 million people left Europe but the number of people staying still amounted to a doubling of population from about 200 million to 400 million people. The Industrial Revolution changed the working culture of Europe from farming to manufacturing employees. So many farmers moved into cities for factory jobs that there were not enough jobs to employ everyone.
Immigrants sometimes immigrated alone to the USA, sending money back home to help their families survive. Kennedy tells us that Italy is an example of this because the men would immigrate with an intention to come back when the European economy improved. Other immigrants were whole families and they helped to settle the country from New York and on the eastern coast to the Midwestern states as far away as Minnesota.
The number of immigrants was a small percentage of total population so that social conflict was not great between the new comers and the Americans. Fourteen and seven tenths percent was the peak of foreign-born reported by the 1910 census. This number also helped fill the jobs that were opening up; they were needed to help the economy move along healthily. Kennedy explains that ‘pluralism’ was a characteristic of the immigration at the time. Pluralism meant that not one single place or culture was the center for a large number of immigrants. The population was diverse with a variety of different cultures. This pluralism also helped reduce the social conflict that happens when one nationality predominates as in modern times.
Immigration Wave of the late 20th Century
The number of immigrants in the late 20th Century was about 8.7 percent of the total population. The amount in the 1910 was a little more than twice that amount. In general immigrants are considered valuable for a healthy economy. Unskilled workers entering the labor force may hurt the chances for unskilled workers in the USA to find a job. On the other hand the American unskilled workers are able to find better jobs.
In this later wave of immigration the USA is offering incentives for immigration firstly based on the 1965 law which supports family unification. Secondly incentives are programs such as Social Security which help the elderly when they are reunified with their families. Historically though the same basic reason for immigration is to find a good job. Most immigrants are employed and in that way add productively to the economy of the USA. There is a give and take between Mexico and the USA. A study by Clark W. Reynolds demonstrates that Mexico cannot absorb the amount of people who need jobs into their economy whereas the USA needs more people to employee. Also the border between Mexico and the USA is marks the place of the highest amount of ‘income gap’ between two countries (from low in Mexico to high in the USA).
Pluralism is not a feature of the modern immigration. Social conflict has resulted due to the large amount of immigrants from Mexico who congregate in the southwest. According to Kennedy the total number of Hispanics from Mexico, Central and South America account for 28 percent of Texas’ population and about 31 percent of California’s population. Whether or not English should be the official language of the USA are fueled by the social conflict generated.
Conclusion
In conclusion the original thesis that we ‘can still be a nation of immigrants’ has been proved. From a worker’s point of view this is true based on two of Kennedy’s arguments. First of all better opportunities for native born unskilled workers are made when other employees are available to take those jobs. Secondly the USA needs more workers in a growing economy than the number the native born population can provide. The challenge is to accept the immigrants with dignity and respect for their different cultures so that social conflict does not continue to increase.
