Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Has anything changed in 30 years? Yes! It's worse.
In the International Migration Review, Vol. 9, No. 4, 1975, Professor W. Tim Dagodag of California State University summarized the "socio-economic disequilibriums" of illegal immigration endemic to the southwest.
1. Domestic labor patterns--domestic underemployment or unemployment in the region is exacerbated by availability of a large illegal labor force which is regularly employed in agriculture, marginal industrial, and service occupations. The only change here is they have moved into the skilled trades--see the story about a black businessman being put out of business in today's WSJ.
2. Labor law violation--unskilled illegal aliens work for less than legally prescribed federal, state, or local minimum wages. The biggest change here is they are now being recruited and hired by labor unions, at much higher than minimum but lower than journeymen.
3. Loss of revenues--wages paid to illegals have not been subjected to either federal or state taxation procedures. Because of cash exports to Mexico, a sizable portion of wages paid to illegals does not enter into the regional economy. Only change here is the word "regional," because now it is national.
4. Health--Tuberculosis, typhoid, hepatitis, veneral diseases and dysentery have been linked to the presence of illegal immigrants. Food service workers are particularly putting the population at risk. Does spinach or green onions come to mind?
5. Welfare--contrary to state and local laws, illegal aliens are receiving public assistance, diverting resources from domestic recepients. Now apparently that has been solved by making assistance legal.
6. Law enforcement--manpower drainage of federal and local law enforcement agencies, and now drug importing with 80% of the drugs seized coming from illegal alien apprehension. Not much new here.
Dagodag's article (he was Dept. of Geography) goes on to pinpoint the areas of Mexico where the aliens were born and raised. Not terribly useful information, as it turns out.
"Source Regions and Composition of Illegal Mexican Immigration to California," W. Tim Dagodag, International Migration Review, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter, 1975), pp. 499-511. Twenty years later the author was chair of the urban planning department; I didn't pursue it any further. But he might want to revisit this article and come up with some better ideas.
1. Domestic labor patterns--domestic underemployment or unemployment in the region is exacerbated by availability of a large illegal labor force which is regularly employed in agriculture, marginal industrial, and service occupations. The only change here is they have moved into the skilled trades--see the story about a black businessman being put out of business in today's WSJ.
2. Labor law violation--unskilled illegal aliens work for less than legally prescribed federal, state, or local minimum wages. The biggest change here is they are now being recruited and hired by labor unions, at much higher than minimum but lower than journeymen.
3. Loss of revenues--wages paid to illegals have not been subjected to either federal or state taxation procedures. Because of cash exports to Mexico, a sizable portion of wages paid to illegals does not enter into the regional economy. Only change here is the word "regional," because now it is national.
4. Health--Tuberculosis, typhoid, hepatitis, veneral diseases and dysentery have been linked to the presence of illegal immigrants. Food service workers are particularly putting the population at risk. Does spinach or green onions come to mind?
5. Welfare--contrary to state and local laws, illegal aliens are receiving public assistance, diverting resources from domestic recepients. Now apparently that has been solved by making assistance legal.
6. Law enforcement--manpower drainage of federal and local law enforcement agencies, and now drug importing with 80% of the drugs seized coming from illegal alien apprehension. Not much new here.
Dagodag's article (he was Dept. of Geography) goes on to pinpoint the areas of Mexico where the aliens were born and raised. Not terribly useful information, as it turns out.
"Source Regions and Composition of Illegal Mexican Immigration to California," W. Tim Dagodag, International Migration Review, Vol. 9, No. 4 (Winter, 1975), pp. 499-511. Twenty years later the author was chair of the urban planning department; I didn't pursue it any further. But he might want to revisit this article and come up with some better ideas.
# posted by Norma : 12/13/2006 11:32:00 AM
