Garth Rattray | America’s insularism will backfire – Part 1

The United States became the leading power and influence in the Western hemisphere and [to some extent] across the globe. People from many nations flocked to America in search of sanctuary, protection, freedom, and the opportunity for a better life.

As an apparent testimony to America’s assertion of openness and willingness to accept diverse people within her borders, the Statue of Liberty stands in the New York Harbour. The 305 feet and 1 inch (approximately 93 metre), 225-ton (450,000 pound) statue was a gift from France. It is a copper-clad statue that was designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi. Its metal framework was built by Gustave Eiffel. The Statue of Liberty was dubbed, the New Colossus, it was dedicated on October 28, 1886.

On a bronze plaque, located in the pedestal, is a poem that was written by Emma Lazarus (November 2, 1883). The poem is 105 words long, but the most important and relevant section reads ...

“Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

Notably, the only original inhabitants are what’s left of the Native Americans. Everybody else came from somewhere else. Some came with the false notion that the streets of America were [literally] paved with gold. Within the archives of Ellis Island was found a quote by an unknown Italian immigrant, “Before I came to America, I thought the streets were paved in gold. When I came here, I learned three things: The streets were not paved in gold, the streets weren’t paved, and that I was expected to pave them.”

This quote stands as an enduring reminder that (willing and unwilling) immigrants make up what is known today as America, and they built America. In other words, America is a land of immigrants.

Over the years, America’s success has attracted so many people that the official (legal) system for registering and documenting immigrants became overwhelmed. Consequently, innumerable individuals and families sneaked into her borders to seek asylum or the opportunity for a better life for themselves, their families and/or the loved ones back home.

SIGNIFICANT PORTION

Illegal/undocumented immigrants make up a significant portion of the workforce in low-income, menial or labour-intensive jobs. A significant portion of America’s construction workforce is made up of undocumented immigrants (once called ‘illegal aliens’). About 24 percent of America’s agriculture industry (farm workers) is made up of undocumented workers. It is an open secret that hotels, restaurants and hospitality services rely heavily on undocumented labour. Many maids, housekeepers, cooks, and janitors are undocumented. Many undocumented immigrants are employed in food preparation and serving roles – as cooks and various categories of restaurant workers. Additionally, undocumented workers serve as [essential] home health aides and similar services.

Undocumented workers contribute to America by providing labour and services that most American citizens either find too difficult, find too low paying, or do not want. Undocumented workers are not stealing jobs from Americans; they fill a need and contribute to the government coffers with direct and indirect taxation.

Instead of finding and ramping up ways to regularise the undocumented immigrants already living and working in America (with work permits, temporary visas and so on), and increasing the processing of those attempting to sneak across the border, the current administration has initiated an all-out war on undocumented immigrants. If the government should win this war, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, a shotgun blast to the foot.

Getting rid of undocumented workers in America would result in significant negative social and economic impacts. There would be resultant severe labour shortages in construction, agriculture, hospitality, and healthcare industries. The loss of about 1.5 million construction workers and 225,000 agricultural workers would obviously cause reduced productivity, and increased costs.

ECONOMY WOULD CONTRACT

By some estimates, the American economy would contract – the GDP may shrink by 4.2 to 6.8 per cent, that is between $1.1 trillion to $1.7 trillion because of the reduction in economic activities and the consumer spending that undocumented workers generate. There will be increased inflation. Prices are estimated to rise by 9.1 per cent by 2028 because of labour shortage and reduced production. Less undocumented workers could result in 44,000 fewer jobs for US-born and legal workers because businesses would have reduced their overall hiring and investment.

Less undocumented immigrant workers mean less tax revenue. Some claim that the federal government could lose $46.8 billion in tax revenue and that state and local governments could lose $29.3 billion. These significant losses would noticeably impact social safety net programmes – like those covering health assistance, nutrition assistance, cash assistance, and shelter assistance.

An indeterminate number of undocumented immigrants are entrepreneurs, small businesspeople. They perhaps generate $27.1 billion in business income and provide jobs for regular, documented American workers. Removing them could disrupt some local economies and communities.

As a general rule, contrary to what is being proffered and popularised, undocumented workers / immigrants are not the criminal, non-productive, non-contributory parasites and louts that they are being made out to be. The wholesale expulsion of undocumented labour will have extensive and disturbing consequences for the American society and economy.

Not only will this current policy of insularism seriously damage America internally, but it will also damage America’s international relations and its economy. Next week, the far-reaching ramifications of Americas insularism.

Garth Rattray is a medical doctor with a family practice, and author of ‘The Long and Short of Thick and Thin’. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and garthrattray@gmail.com