This Just In: Immigrant Unemployment Approaches 0%

"They take our jobs..." is a popular idea used to describe the negative effects that illegal immigrants have on our society, but very rarely does the person saying it give any details as to WHAT jobs these "illegals" are taking. I'm pretty sure I'm not an illegal immigrant, nor do I know any (at least I don't think so), so I can't give a definite answer either... but let's think about this a little...

Lets start with a history lesson, and go back to the 1940s- when the US enacted the Bracero, or guest worker program, which INVITED Mexicans to come to America and work in the agricultural and railroad industries (as well as other low skilled jobs.) At its height, over 430,000 of these guest workers entered the US annually! And in the late 1980s, many of these immigrants were granted amnesty with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which granted legal status to those living in the US since before 1982.

"430,00 people a year? Damn, they must really be hurting for workers... is that my grandpa???"

Fast forward to today, where the Mexican population has a college graduate rate of ~13%. A majority of those college graduates are legal immigrants who earned their degrees and better paying jobs. That leaves just under 90% of Mexicans, legal AND illegal, that are working the average and low paying jobs that they can only get with their limited education.

Are we as Americans, demonizing a population for not only taking the lowest paying jobs in our economy, but also jobs they have been doing since the 1940s? 

Is "Joe 6-pack" mad because he aspires to be a field worker, with low pay and no benefits?

Or maybe he's mad because he wants Americans picking his vegetables and not immigrants? Joe's parents and grandparents didn't have a problem with the millions of guest-worker immigrants picking their vegetables...what's the deal?

Well Joe, or anyone else who wants to take your jobs back, we have some good news: The United Farm Workers (UFA) are willing to GIVE THEM BACK TO YOU! That is, if you're willing to take them up on their offer. 

The UFA's "Take Our Job's" campaign is inviting ANY legal citizen or resident to come and work in the fields, all you have to do is give your name and email at the following link, and they will put you in contact with an employer:

http://www.ufw.org/toj_play/TOJNEW_12_JAL.html

Also, how many Mexicans or Hispanics do you see on street corners with cardboard signs looking for handouts vs. any other population? Usually when you see them on the street, they are looking to do work, not holding their hands out for some free change...

"Give me money for nothing...I don't have a job (and I'm not looking for one)"

"Can we work for some money? We want a job and we'll do anything"

So to recap:

-We invited millions of immigrants to come and work in America from the 1940s - 1960s.

-We gave them legal status in the 1980s.

-Now, almost 90% of the Hispanic population are working low skilled, low paying jobs, while just over 10% gets college degrees.

-People are angry because the 90% of immigrants with little education are taking their jobs. Really?

To me, it sounds like people are looking for excuses to negatively portray Hispanic immigrants in American society. I do think immigration reform is needed; but no wall should be put up- besides it'd just be a waste of money, I guarantee they'd still find ways to cross the border. We need to provide a system that makes it easier to obtain legal status for the immigrants that do want to come to America for a better life...does the American Dream sound familiar? Hell, maybe we should help make Mexico a better place, so that less would want to leave. I mean, we love going to the middle east and other parts of the world to spread democracy, why not help out our neighbors to the south?

Has your job been taken??? Think about it...