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2186120 Responseshttp://www.racerelationsproject.org/2010/04/what-about-people-who-can-only-afford-hard-work/What+about+people+who+can+only+%22afford+hard+work%22%3F2010-04-23+04%3A57%3A22Sam+Richards to What about people who can only “afford hard work”?
I will start up by saying that this is a very good and thoughtful question and I am glad that she brought this point out. Many American tend to treat illegal immigrants, especially Mexicans with no respect because they believe that these immigrants are harming their economic. Many Americans are concerned about the negative impact of illegal immigrants, especially in particular to jobs and wages. They claim that illegal immigrants take Americans’ jobs, threaten National security, and even change the nation’s culture by refusing to learn. If these are true, why have illegal border crossings been increasing when the United States spent billions of dollars on national security? I think the answer to this question is clear-because the United Sates need illegal immigrants to fill out unwanted jobs and small businesses will not function without them which can lead to a great harm on the economy.
Americans filled to realize that illegal immigrant actually help boost up the American society. The reason for this is illegal immigrants fill the jobs that Americans refuse to take, are willing to labor for low wages and generally boost the United States economy. For example, illegal immigrants in the United States jobs include farming, constructions, repairs and installation, insulation, housekeeping and transportation services. These are all jobs that most poor and uneducated American refused to do for low wages. They also work twice as hard to be equal to average U.S. workers, and they are less likely to own properties (land, houses, stocks and business) due to the policies and restrictions placed on illegal immigrants. Therefore, Illegal immigrants are more beneficial than costly to the United State Economy.
Going back to the question, many illegal immigrants will rather become legal immigrants but they cannot afford it due to lack of funding because of low wages. I am not saying that it is okay to encourage illegal immigrants because it not fair to other immigrants who suffers to come to this country legally. However, I do not think they should be look down upon because they are great help to the United State economy, most specifically the labor market. I think the government should create some form of policy that will be much easier and cheaper for illegal immigrant to become legal. This will help more illegal immigrants become legal because money is more important in becoming legal than hard work is. “If you work hard, you can achieve anything” this is what many people in the United States and in other countries believe the American dream is. This is a myth to me, because money rules everything, if you have money, you can achieve anything. Hard work may help, but it is not enough!
I think that immigrants who do put in the hard work, especially those who do the work that most Americans are unwilling to do (evidenced by the crop growers in California who let all these fruits rot because there was no one to pick them) should be commended for what they are doing. If you think about it from the perspective of many of these immigrants, I’m sure they don’t want to be illegal. I’m sure they’d want to work jobs that pay more and allow them to do more with their lives, but they simply can’t because they can’t afford to become citizens. So then they are penalized for coming here illegally just so they can make some money to typically make a better life for themselves. If you were in that situation, isn’t that what you’d want?
I think that hard work should always be rewarded in generally, and especially when it comes to immigrants. However, we discussed in class that in the early 1900s and late 1800s, when immigrants were coming to this country in droves (and coming in legally), they had literally nothing in terms of money or clothes or other possessions. Now, when money is worth more and is more available, immigrants should be doing things the same way as long ago. I may be a cynic, but I doubt people will be entering this country illegally just because they do not have the money. More likely they do so because it is convenient and much more simple than doing it the “right way.” If people are willing to work hard, they should also be willing to put in the extra time to come into the country legally. The only people who get punished by this not happening are the legitimate American citizens. I would like to believe that hard work is all people need to succeed and be happy, but that is just not the case in today’s world.
This whole argument about illegal immigrants taking jobs that Americans don’t want versus illegal immigrants taking jobs away from “hardworking Americans” is a little tiresome for me to have to listen to. I don’t necessarily believe that either side is true all the time. Lots of times I think the former is true, that immigrants take jobs that most Americans don’t want, (or, as Sam talked about Tuesday in class, that they aren’t legally allowed to take) but also there are those extremely destitute Americans who can only take jobs where they scramble to make ends meet. In most cases, these people, just like the immigrants in the video we saw, can’t make ends meet.
The belief that we as Americans are brought up with is that we can do anything we set our minds to, and with hard work, we can achieve anything. Unfortunately I think that is much more true for us as naturalized citizens than it is for immigrants, illegal or legal. This basically says that despite how a immigrant enters the country, the “right way” or the “wrong way”, it won’t matter because Americans have the upper-hand. While I would prefer immigrants to enter the country in a legal way, as long they are prepared to work honestly and hard, they should be given all the chances of naturalized citizens here. The way our immigration issues are progressing, I think incentives will be increased to legal immigrants who enter the country the proper way, and this will also increase the number of hardworking immigrants in this country. While I disagree with the use of incentives or “hooks” to get people to do things (rather than having motivation to do things because they are right), I understand why incentives are used
I will start up by saying that this is a very good and thoughtful question and I am glad that she brought this point out. Many American tend to treat illegal immigrants, especially Mexicans with no respect because they believe that these immigrants are harming their economic. Many Americans are concerned about the negative impact of illegal immigrants, especially in particular to jobs and wages. They claim that illegal immigrants take Americans’ jobs, threaten National security, and even change the nation’s culture by refusing to learn. If these are true, why have illegal border crossings been increasing when the United States spent billions of dollars on national security? I think the answer to this question is clear-because the United Sates need illegal immigrants to fill out unwanted jobs and small businesses will not function without them which can lead to a great harm on the economy.
Americans filled to realize that illegal immigrant actually help boost up the American society. The reason for this is illegal immigrants fill the jobs that Americans refuse to take, are willing to labor for low wages and generally boost the United States economy. For example, illegal immigrants in the United States jobs include farming, constructions, repairs and installation, insulation, housekeeping and transportation services. These are all jobs that most poor and uneducated American refused to do for low wages. They also work twice as hard to be equal to average U.S. workers, and they are less likely to own properties (land, houses, stocks and business) due to the policies and restrictions placed on illegal immigrants. Therefore, Illegal immigrants are more beneficial than costly to the United State Economy.
Going back to the question, many illegal immigrants will rather become legal immigrants but they cannot afford it due to lack of funding because of low wages. I am not saying that it is okay to encourage illegal immigrants because it not fair to other immigrants who suffers to come to this country legally. However, I do not think they should be look down upon because they are great help to the United State economy, most specifically the labor market. I think the government should create some form of policy that will be much easier and cheaper for illegal immigrant to become legal. This will help more illegal immigrants become legal because money is more important in becoming legal than hard work is. “If you work hard, you can achieve anything” this is what many people in the United States and in other countries believe the American dream is. This is a myth to me, because money rules everything, if you have money, you can achieve anything. Hard work may help, but it is not enough!
[Reply]
I think that immigrants who do put in the hard work, especially those who do the work that most Americans are unwilling to do (evidenced by the crop growers in California who let all these fruits rot because there was no one to pick them) should be commended for what they are doing. If you think about it from the perspective of many of these immigrants, I’m sure they don’t want to be illegal. I’m sure they’d want to work jobs that pay more and allow them to do more with their lives, but they simply can’t because they can’t afford to become citizens. So then they are penalized for coming here illegally just so they can make some money to typically make a better life for themselves. If you were in that situation, isn’t that what you’d want?
[Reply]
I think that hard work should always be rewarded in generally, and especially when it comes to immigrants. However, we discussed in class that in the early 1900s and late 1800s, when immigrants were coming to this country in droves (and coming in legally), they had literally nothing in terms of money or clothes or other possessions. Now, when money is worth more and is more available, immigrants should be doing things the same way as long ago. I may be a cynic, but I doubt people will be entering this country illegally just because they do not have the money. More likely they do so because it is convenient and much more simple than doing it the “right way.” If people are willing to work hard, they should also be willing to put in the extra time to come into the country legally. The only people who get punished by this not happening are the legitimate American citizens. I would like to believe that hard work is all people need to succeed and be happy, but that is just not the case in today’s world.
This whole argument about illegal immigrants taking jobs that Americans don’t want versus illegal immigrants taking jobs away from “hardworking Americans” is a little tiresome for me to have to listen to. I don’t necessarily believe that either side is true all the time. Lots of times I think the former is true, that immigrants take jobs that most Americans don’t want, (or, as Sam talked about Tuesday in class, that they aren’t legally allowed to take) but also there are those extremely destitute Americans who can only take jobs where they scramble to make ends meet. In most cases, these people, just like the immigrants in the video we saw, can’t make ends meet.
The belief that we as Americans are brought up with is that we can do anything we set our minds to, and with hard work, we can achieve anything. Unfortunately I think that is much more true for us as naturalized citizens than it is for immigrants, illegal or legal. This basically says that despite how a immigrant enters the country, the “right way” or the “wrong way”, it won’t matter because Americans have the upper-hand. While I would prefer immigrants to enter the country in a legal way, as long they are prepared to work honestly and hard, they should be given all the chances of naturalized citizens here. The way our immigration issues are progressing, I think incentives will be increased to legal immigrants who enter the country the proper way, and this will also increase the number of hardworking immigrants in this country. While I disagree with the use of incentives or “hooks” to get people to do things (rather than having motivation to do things because they are right), I understand why incentives are used
[Reply]