What is behind the intense interest in the recent immigration debate?
First, to clarify, any controversy I have heard about is not over immigration, but rather illegal immigration, which is vastly different. And illegal immigration is an increasing problem. Many issues reach a tipping point where they can no longer be ignored, and illegal immigration seems to have reached that point. I don’t know if there is a definitive answer as to “why now?” Perhaps it’s like having a bad tooth. You can ignore it for a while; sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn’t. But eventually it gets to the point where it can no longer be ignored. Maybe illegal immigration has reached that point. Someone will be along soon to say it’s all about politics, and of course there is truth to that. It’s an issue that can help candidates get elected, so it’s going to be discussed. It’s also an issue that sells papers and advertising. Issues can be a vicious cycle: the more we tune in to shows that spotlight the issue, the more the issue will be covered. The more the issue is covered, th
It’s largely a way from taking debate away from the real “most pressing issue” of our day, which is US involvement in the Iraq War. From what I can tell, the GOP have turned their electoral campaign politics to immigration issues (on which they are viewed as strong) from the war (on which they are taking immense heat). As the media tend to follow the GOP on issues (at least from what I’ve seen in the past decade of media-watching), the media have absorbed the current political frenzy are are turning it into a media frenzy. Now, having said that, it is absolutely true that immigration numbers, particularly lately are at the highest levels they’ve ever been. In the so called “golden era” of the US (1925-1965), we averaged about 180k new immigrants a year. 1965-1990 it crept up to around 500k a year. 1990 to present, we’re average 1 million a year (and, in some circles, they suggest that’s approx 1 million legal, and another 1-2 million entering illegally). Why the sudden focus? Perhaps t
Holding up illegal immigration as the problem is usually just a fig-leaf over plain old-fashioned xenophobia. The phrase “illegal immigration” does not, as it is actually used, mean “immigration into the US that happens to violate law.” It si code-talk for “immigration of spics and maybe chinks.”posted by ROU_Xenophobe Absolutely true for some people. No question about it. (And hey, you are the Xenophobe! Says so right there in your name!) One of my lifelong flaws is giving people too much benefit of the doubt. I would love it if the issue was and is about illegal immigration, without any xenophobia. Of course that’s not true. Whether it’s true for the vast majority of Amurrican White People… I hope not, and I seriously doubt. And I can tell you that it’s not true for anyone I hang out with, who tend to be right-leaning, but I don’t hang out with racists. There is of course more focus on Mexican illegal immigration than Canadian; because it’s way more of a problem, regardless of skin
I’m by no means lacking in cynicism, but I find it hard to believe that the machinations of Karl Rove and his right-wing ilk are fueling the intensity of the recent debate. Several reasons: — Unlike popular wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage, the Republican party is far from united on the issue of (Mexican) immigration. Pro-business Republicans are clamoring for an influx of cheap labor into the US. They benefit from paying low wages to illegal immigrants, and they’re pushing for MORE legalized immigration, not less. The xenophobic elements of the GOP may be loud and obnoxious, but the pro-business side has money and influence that the rednecks lack. — In addition to the pro-business Republicans, Bush & co have spent years courting the Hispanic vote. Hispanics are (generally) Catholic and socially conservative; as their numbers grow, so does the number of socially conservative, potential Republican votes. Alienating the Hispanic community isn’t in the long-term interests of
The vast majority of the United States’ population has lived with widespread immigration for decades, given the fact that 83% of the country lives in one of the 361 Census-defined metropolitan areas^, which are naturally places where the most jobs and money are, and where immigrants would naturally gravitate. But in the exurbs and outermost suburbs, many of which didn’t exist even 10 years ago and are both some of the fastest growing areas of the country, immigration is new and unexpected in two ways: First, the people who are leaving cities and older suburbs are heading out to communities where they might subconsciously assume that undocumented immigrants won’t be able to live, either because of the price of houses, or the distance from the city, or a presumption that because there’s no public transit, it would be hard for a poorer immigrant to get there. These people might also come from an area where Hispanics hav
