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It shocks me sometimes what people think they can get away with saying.
The anti-immigration argument that immigrants steal jobs from American workers has long been a transparently empty one, but current Human Rights Watch research on child labor debunks that myth even further. The Guardian comments on the HRW campaign, illustrating how "the false representation of immigrants 'stealing' farm jobs paints out the reality that children are being exploited to do the work."
Based on the HRW figure that at least nine percent of the farm workforce is under the age of 18, the Guardian story writes: "a very big percentage of the actual people doing the 'stealing' are kids rather than grown men, and those kids, more often than not, may actually be citizens, having been born in the US after their parents immigrated."
Often as young as seven years old, these children work long hours for less than minimum wage (they are paid by the bucket of collected produce rather than by the hour) without benefits like worker's compensation if they get hurt.
The ultimate greenwashing?
Then, a group known as Progressives for Immigration Reform is trying to get greenies on its side by saying immigration is bad for the environment—an increasing population, by their logic, contributes to sprawl, increases pollution, and wears on supplies of resources. A promo video for Californians for Population Stabilization claims, "immigrants produce four times more carbon emissions in the U.S. than in their home countries."
The increase is not a result of the simple act of moving—it comes from adopting the American lifestyle, and if we don't want people emulating it, we shouldn't be setting the example. If the world population consumed the way we do, we'd need five planets worth of resources to support it all.
Developing countries are already working their way to more resource-intensive lifestyles, and will sooner or later will reach the point where it's easy to consume just as much as we do without having to come here for the easy access.
Mother Jones points out that the argument is not new, but it is a little frightening, given the current political climate and how trendy it has become to be green.
Applying their own logic, these anti-immigration folks should also preach against procreation and for a wholesale lifestyle change in America. Which is exactly what they don't want.
Related Posts:
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Sen. Graham Walks Away From Climate Bill Over Immigration
Shakira, Indie Band Stars, and Others Threaten Boycotts Over Arizona's Immigration Bill
