Peter
Brimelow writes:
Banu Suresh is "an English as a Second Language
instructor at the College of Alameda," a telling example
of the way in which immigration is creating
self-reinforcing interest groups. What I find
interesting about his response, given that its extreme
emotionalism is typical if depressing: an intense
disinclination, rationalized in various ways, to accept
that "American" is a legitimate and meaningful term. So
America is not merely being transformed, as I said in my
original article - it is also being deconstructed.
[Note: The
original article spelled
Brimelow as Brimielow throughout. This was corrected to
avoid confusing the search engines.]
GUEST COMMENTARY
Times commentary all wrong about the ills of
immigration
By Banu Suresh
Published Sunday, December 12, 1999
PETER BRIMELOW'S article (Contra Costa Times,
Dec. 4) titled "Immigration policy stupid, evil and
hurting Americans," is itself stupid, evil and
hurting immigrants. Not to mention inflammatory.
We need to stop being afraid. We need to keep
reminding ourselves that skin color doesn't run.
The writer is sadly half-informed or blatantly
envious of the apparent success of immigrants in this
country. If anything, immigration should motivate
"native-born Americans" to clean up their act and
get a better education. Brimelow needs to encourage
people to compete. A little competition is good for the
soul.
If only he could see from the other side of the
fence. I have lived in four ethnically diverse countries
Australia,
India,
Singapore, and now the United States - and the story
is always the same:
xenophobia, or the fear of the unknown. Just get to
know one "immigrant" and you will see what I mean. If
you can even visualize what hardships many of these
"immigrants" have gone through, the humiliation they
have experienced, you just might begin to understand
life from their point of view.
Some of us feel big by making others feel small. An
"immigrant" on the bus with bright smiley earrings was
confronted by an elderly woman who came right up to her
face and said with a gentle smile "I love those
earrings. They make up for your face."
Brimelow argues that "Americans as a whole are no
better off economically because of mass immigration."
Define American.
Are Americans those who, according to recent studies,
originally drifted to this continent from Asia?
Are Americans those
inhabitants who were first discovered on this land
by
Christopher Columbus?
Are Americans those who were born of the
immigrants who stepped off the Mayflower?
Are Americans those who were born in captivity when
the slaves were brought to this country?
Are Americans those who were
born in this country after California was
taken away from Mexico?
Or does the word American today include
all those who pay their
taxes? Let's keep it simple.
He also says the immigration policy
"second-guesses the American people who have shown
through smaller families that they want to stabilize
population size." Has it occurred to anyone that
people are so busy trying to make a living that they
cannot cope with the thought of sharing their lives with
yet another child? Have you considered that
religious factors may have prevented some immigrant
families from keeping their size small? Have you
considered
ethical reasons that may have prevented immigrant
families from seeking an abortion? Have you considered
that fear of being alone once the children are gone may
have something to do with having more than one child?
Brimelow also says " ... and ultimately
threatening the American nation itself -- what Abraham
Lincoln called "the last, best hope of Earth -- with
cultural and linguistic "fragmentation."
Have you ever experienced learning another language?
If you studied it with your heart, you might hail it as
a divine experience. Here are some real-life facts.
People whose first language is not English appear to
make a greater effort to learn English than the other
way around. And as long as the United States continues
to entice people of a non-English speaking background, I
believe it has a responsibility to give them the same
linguistic opportunities to succeed in life as
main-English speakers.
I am sure Congresswoman Barbara Jordan meant well for
the poorer people already in this country when she
recommended that the United States halve its immigration
intake, but I am equally sure that Sen.
Spencer Abraham must have had greater foresight when
he "sabotaged"
the most recent chance of reform, the Smith-Simpson
immigration bill, in 1996, Instead of finding excuses
for our lowly performances, if we could improve our lot
through education and training, we may not need to close
our doors to competition.
Needless to add,
Professor Borjas' book, "Heaven's Doors,"[sic,
actually
Heaven’s Door]
has been hailed as "brilliant" because of his honest
admission that his "thinking on this (immigration)
issue has changed substantially over the years." I
am sure there are other successful people like Borjas
whose views on immigration may have changed over the
years. But scholarly statistics aside, we are talking
about real people here, not numbers. People with
families to feed, educate and clothe; people with the
same burning desire to succeed as the Borjases of the
world, who want the same opportunities that their
predecessors got. And maybe in 30 years time, these
folks too will write "brilliant" books about why the
United States should stop immigration.
Brimelow also says "the benefit to native-born
Americans is infinitesimally small." As compared to
what? Without the contest provided by immigrants, we may
not even see this "small" benefit. So let us be
grateful for small mercies. Unless you wish to add
"as compared to what we have to put up with ... "
He also says "current mass immigration is not
benefiting Americans overall -- but it is transforming
their country. For nothing." May I remind that this
transformation began hundreds of years ago, possibly
thousands. And certainly not for nothing. Immigrants
down the centuries have always had to work twice as hard
for half as much. And this is an undisputed fact if only
you would care to interview some of them.
Brimelow argues that "almost half of the
increased wage gap between high school dropouts and
high school graduates can be attributed to immigration."
Instead of "attributing" everything to immigration, why
don't we motivate our young people to think beyond
high school? Then there need
be no concern about such disparity.
He argues that immigrants tend to be unskilled, but
many immigrants actually come to this country quite
skilled in
various trades, occasionally in areas that cannot be
used in this country. That does not diminish their
aptitude for retraining. Neither does it mean that we
should stop training our own "native-born Americans."
In case you are not aware, many highly qualified
immigrants actually have to go through with what I would
like to call "the equalization process." Their overseas
degrees are assessed for equivalency, and almost
inevitably reduced by at least a couple of years.
Occasionally, overseas experience is blatantly
discounted because it has not yet stood the "rigorous"
test of American standards.
While I am not against such practices that protect
those who immigrated to this country earlier, I may
point out that degrees from main-English speaking
countries are generally given approval right away. The
rest have to fight it out the best way they know how.
Foreign Ph.D.s are required to retake their master's
here. Overseas
doctors have known to take up jobs as CNAs because
of such practices, and often can diagnose a patient
before the local student doctor can even begin to
understand the problem. But he must hold himself back,
because his overseas experience is not recognized here.
Brimelow also says that employers prefer to import
cheap young
immigrant programmers, but he left out
"better." The fear of competition is clearly
against the capitalistic culture this nation boasts. In
the words of Bill Gates "If all the Indians were to
leave America, I would follow them." Gates would
know, wouldn't he?
If immigrants tend to accept
low-paying jobs in unskilled markets, it may not
always mean that they are unskilled. It might simply
mean that they are going through the painful process of
resettlement.
But all immigrants bring to this nation a wealth of
experience,
expertise, and above all,
hope. So let us not discount their experiences nor
dismiss their past by a sweep of the pen, brandishing
all immigrants as the culprit of our problems.
Suresh is an
English as a Second Language instructor at the College
of Alameda.
