By Jeff Thielman, President and CEO at the International Institute of New England
Many Americans have celebrated the character and composition of our country with the phrase “We are a nation of immigrants.” We recognize that the United States is an ideal and that being an American does not mean having an ethnic or national origin. People from any background, born in any country, and from any ethnic or racial origin can, and have, become American.
Today, over 12% of native-born Americans have a parent or grandparent who was not born here, and immigrants comprise over 14% of the U.S. population. The United States continues to benefit economically, culturally, and politically from our welcoming of immigrants as it has since the founding of this nation. Our standing in the world, our ability to maintain the world’s leading economy, and the richness of American culture would not be possible without the significant contributions of immigrants.
Every day at the International Institute of New England, we have the privilege of welcoming and supporting newcomers to our region, and the honor of helping them find success and opportunity in their new nation. We are horrified by the racist, xenophobic remarks made by the Republican nominee for president, his campaign, and many in his party who are making a very cynical and immoral attempt to demonize immigrants and ethnic groups that have been essential to the success of the United States from its very founding.
It’s important to focus on the facts, and what’s at stake when we ignore them. Immigrants today make up 19% of the workforce; each year, immigrants pay around $500 billion in federal, state, and local taxes; immigrants start businesses at twice the rate of the general population; and, based on extensive research going back over 140 years, immigrants today are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than the domestic population.
Most Americans understand the importance of managed immigration and celebrate the unique ability of our nation to embrace and integrate new arrivals from across the globe. We enjoy the ideas, the art, the food, the music, and the richness that each new immigrant and ethnic group brings to our culture. We stand tall as a nation that acts upon the moral imperative of rescuing refugees and asylum seekers who have fled war and violence, persecuted by their own governments or lawless criminals in their home countries.
“Those who ignore racism are doomed to repeat it.”
Despite the myriad successes and contributions of immigrants and their descendants, U.S. history is littered with damaging actions to restrict certain immigrants and discourage their recognition as new Americans. Examples go back over 150 years. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 sought to prevent Chinese immigrants from staying here after welcoming their labor to build the transcontinental railroad. Country quotas were instituted under the Immigration Act of 1924 to severely limit, among others, the number of Southern and Eastern European immigrants and completely exclude Asian immigrants. Following waves of Irish and Italian immigrants to Boston, businesses stating “Irish need not apply” or “Italians not welcome,” were not uncommon and the nation has only recently acknowledged the harm of the internment of American citizens of Japanese descent on the West Coast during World War II. There are more examples of misguided, frequently racist, attempts to prevent certain groups of immigrants from coming to America.
Fortunately, for our economy, our society, and our American identity, most of these efforts have been overcome. However, in the presidential campaign today, we see a resurgence, if not a horrific increase, in the demonization of immigrants, their descendants, and even “American” ethnic groups through appeals to racism, through blatant lies, and through a sweeping disregard for the long history of economic, social, and moral benefits of immigration to our nation.
The vast majority of immigrants coming to the U.S. are here to pursue a better life. They recognize the great opportunity that a thriving economy offers them and cherish the freedoms that come with living in the U.S. They are incredibly grateful to this nation for providing them and their families, and especially their children and grandchildren, with the chance to enjoy peaceful, productive lives. This is true of all immigrants, whether arriving here through a work visa, a family connection, through the refugee program, through temporary visas issued due to war and strife in their home countries, and even for those unauthorized to enter.
Our newest neighbors are not mostly “criminals and murders.” They are not draining resources or taking jobs from Americans. And they are not eating our pets.
On the economic front, restricting new arrivals and implementing mass deportation would reduce activity and growth. Fewer immigrants would mean significant price increases for U.S. products, particularly in agricultural, meat, and dairy industries, as well as in construction and healthcare fields, that rely heavily on immigrant labor.
On a global level, closing our borders would significantly reduce our moral authority and ability to find better solutions to displacement and migration issues worldwide.
Immigrants are not just an integral part of our history; they are the driving force of our future. What’s at stake in the presidential election on November 5th is the American character. Will we remain a welcoming nation built on the principles of freedom, justice, and equality for all? Will we continue to understand that being an American means embracing those values and not just being born here to the “right” parents? Or will we close our doors, denying the reflection of a community of immigrants when we look into our collective mirror? The choice is ours.
