Community | March 02, 2011 | 41 comments

GOP: Illegal immigrants taking minorities' jobs

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WASHINGTON — Black lawmakers accused Republicans on Tuesday of trying to "manufacture tension" between African-Americans and immigrants as Republican members of the House of Representatives argued in a hearing that more minorities would be working were it not for illegal immigration.

Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, criticized the hearing's premise in a statement.
Several other Democratic lawmakers echoed that argument, saying Republicans were ignoring their lack of support for job training, affirmative action, college financial aid and other programs more critical to employment of minorities.
"I am concerned by the majority's attempt to manufacture tension between African-Americans and immigrant communities. It seems as though they would like for our communities to think about immigration in terms of 'us versus them,' and I reject that notion," Cleaver said in his statement.
Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, issued a warning at the start of the hearing against any attempts to pit blacks against Latino immigrants, a notion that he said he found "so abhorrent and repulsive."
Shaping the immigration debate
The Republican takeover of the House has given the party a chance to shape the immigration debate this session. Republicans have been couching their immigration agenda in the context of the slumping economy and consistently high unemployment.
Tuesday's hearing by the immigration and enforcement subcommittee was the third focusing on jobs, the economy and immigration enforcement.
Republican Elton Gallegly, the subcommittee's chairman, argued that the "real victims of the failed immigration policies" are low-skilled legal workers. Gallegly said the topic is often ignored by immigration supporters.
"Our focus should be on ensuring every U.S. citizen American who is willing to work has a job instead of (filling) jobs with foreign laborers," Gallegly said. Immigrants often compete for jobs with low-income laborers, he said.
Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, pointed out that after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided Georgia Crider Inc., which had 600 jobs filled by people not working in the country legally, the company raised wages $1 an hour and attracted legal workers, primarily black Americans.
"With unemployment at over 9 percent for 21 months, jobs are scarce. And that is especially true in minority communities across the U.S.," Smith said.
The GOP has been trying to balance its immigration enforcement agenda with its need for greater Hispanic voter support to win the White House in 2012. Republicans hoped to show some minorities support deporting immigrants and oppose granting legal status to those who are in the country illegally.
The three witnesses supporting the Republican view at the hearing were Hispanic and black. Lawmakers and witnesses presented their own studies and statistics supporting their positions.
A recent Pew Hispanic Center report found immigrants were returning to work more quickly than native-born workers but earning less than they had before the recession, stoking views among advocates for tough immigration enforcement that jobs held by Americans were being taken by immigrants. Studies indicate that the correlation is not as direct as some would suggest.
Reports on black workers
On Tuesday, the Economic Policy Institute issued three reports on the low wages of black workers. One report found that the average annual wages of jobs in which black men are overrepresented is $37,005, compared with $50,333 in jobs where they are underrepresented. In another institute study, researcher Patrick Mason found that black immigrant men are not better off in weekly wages than black American men.
Wade Henderson, chairman and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, acknowledged that because of the higher unemployment in their communities, African-Americans fear the immigrant work force will make it harder for them to get jobs.
Henderson said high unemployment among blacks has a wide variety of causes. Unemployment rates for more than 50 years have been almost double what they are for white Americans, he said, even as the population of foreign-born people in the U.S. has increased.
Denial of equal opportunity in education, criminal justice, housing and jobs "continues to contribute more directly to the high unemployment rate that African-Americans endure and not the issue of illegal immigration as has been cited by virtue of this hearing," Henderson said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41866272/
  1. groups:
    Community,   Politics,   US Politics,   US News,   2 more
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    Republican,  GOP,  Jobs,  Immigrants,  1 more
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41 comments // GOP: Illegal immigrants taking minorities' jobs

  • extracrazykiwi2008
    • 0
      extracrazykiwi2008  

    • Divide and conquer is a time tested GOP tactic. Don't let them divide us! Stand together and look for a solution that will benefit the greater good (not the rich).

    • 1 year ago
  • rustyred
    • +1
      rustyred  

    • And just what in the hell ARE "minorities' jobs"? How dare the GOP pigeon-hole ANY person's job based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, creed, sexual persuasion, or religion?

    • 1 year ago
  • Warren_Merrill
    • -2
      Warren_Merrill  

    • Why do Democrats have to play the race card all the time? It's obvious illegals take low paying jobs at lower pay from American citizens. What should be done is any business caught employing illegal aliens should have their business license suspended long enough to make it hurt. If there aren't Americans to perform certain jobs provide work visas for those who want to come to the US and work.

    • 1 year ago
  • Seauvan
  • fjt805
    • 0
      fjt805  
    • Warren_Merrill:

      So what you are saying is punish the business? I am glad you are opening your eyes thats what the Democrats are proposing.See if you punish the business they will stop hiring and illegals will leave very simple but why they don't do it because they want cheap labor.

    • 1 year ago
  • div
    • 0
      div  
    • Warren_Merrill:

      People considered illegal aliens aren't exactly distinguishable from other minorities, if you catch my drift. Why does the GOP suddenly care about minorities jobs now? What's so special about this period in history?

      And why blame small business owners who are being just as capitalistic as large corporations? The only difference between the two is that small business owners don't have the cash to send their jobs overseas in order to hire non-US citizens in order to pay smaller wages while large corporations DO have that money. Furthermore, the large corporations get tax breaks for what they do while small businesses are targeted and vilified.

      Methinks something is not right.

    • 1 year ago
  • bike10
  • Nancy_J_Powell
  • Nancy_J_Powell
  • wyndesonge
  • E_Sanchez
    • +3
      E_Sanchez  

    • This is an old tactic. The minutemen were holding rallies in South Central LA a few years back trying to convince poor, uneducated African Americans that if it were not for Mexican Illegals they would have better housing & job opportunities. There were enough people with wisdom in their hearts to know that the minutemen could give 2 shits about the plight of the urban poor & that they would be total fools to let them manipulate black against brown.

    • 1 year ago
  • 2000dan2000
    • 0
      2000dan2000  
    • E_Sanchez:

      Hell, it's a lot older than that! Once upon a time it was former slave owners manufacturing tension between the newly freed slaves and the American immigrants of that day, the Irish. The best way for the old white plantation owners to assure they had no opposition was to foment hatred between the two major groups of "lower-classes".

      It's one of the oldest tricks in the book...

    • 1 year ago
  • kennymotown
  • mitekillem
    • +1
      mitekillem  
    • hindotka:

      Like most Retardlicans, I think you're projecting your shame and guilt upon everyone else.
      You accept no person responsibility, take government welfare checks or disability, smoke pot, take pills, and don't look for work. Which is why you troll all day.
      Either that, or you get paid to troll.

      I think what's sad is that in the US, convicted criminals get better health care, food, and shelter than the poor of our country.
      Can you honestly justify that?

      If you can, then you need to go pray to Jesus.
      Because the devil is in your soul.

    • 1 year ago
  • bundlebear
  • extracrazykiwi2008
  • hindotka
  • mitekillem
    • 0
      mitekillem  
    • hindotka:

      This is why there are so many Hispanics and Black-Americans in the GOP right?
      Because the GOP has never done a damn thing to help anyone but themselves.

      But I don't suppose you'd know anything about racism since your mommy and daddy obviously paid for your private school tuition. It just sucks that you didn't learn proper grammar, or English speaking skills.
      Go back to school and learn to read, and stop living off of the government Tax Dodger.

    • 1 year ago
  • mitekillem
    • +1
      mitekillem  
    • hindotka:

      Also, thank your mom for me.
      I don't know about the DNC, but your mother has all of the right stuff that keeps me coming back for more. If you get what I'm saying.

      ...I'm saying she's really good at sex.

    • 1 year ago
  • Warren_Merrill
    • -4
      Warren_Merrill  
    • hindotka:

      About twenty years ago "Tribes" was written by Joel Kotkin about how the Jews, British, Chinese, Japanese and Indians (India) became business powerhouses by using the strength and numbers to work together to become powerful. They created a global network based on mutual trust and communal self-help. The book discussed how Blacks and Hispanics have not done this, relied on government and paid the price.

      What has changed in the past twenty years is Hispanics have started seeing the power they possess if they work together. Jesse, Al and the Black Caucus just keep playing the race card.

    • 1 year ago
  • tverdell
  • remanns
  • wyndesonge
    • +5
      wyndesonge  

    • The last group of people on this planet that is concerned about minority employement is that bunch of rightwing, reactionary, Koch-sucking, republicans in the House of Representatives.

    • 1 year ago
  • Nancy_J_Powell
  • COMMONSENSEFORCOMMONGOOD_COM
  • Milieu
    • +1
      Milieu  

    • Free Trade! Free Trade!! Free Trade!!!

      FREE workers TRADE lives for pennies rather than dollars and health care, and dignity.

    • 1 year ago
  • remanns
  • Arizona_Huey
    • +2
      Arizona_Huey  

    • I love the Republican logic - it is the illegal immigrants that are causing unemployment rates to stay high - NOT the fact that they are encouraging and rewarding their corporate lords to outsource (off shore and on shore) as many of their jobs as possible.

    • 1 year ago
  • postlapsaria
    • +1
      postlapsaria  

    • the sentiment is true.
      if illegals didn't take the crappiest jobs in america then someone-- refugee haitians, asylum-ed asians, really dumb (but not prideful) black and white people-- would have those jobs.

      it doesn't need to cause tension between minorities though, it should cause tension between americans and the companies that hire illegals. and then secondarily it should cause tension over how we treat illegals.

      why do "polish americans" or "italian american, irish americans" deserve to be here more than brown americans? because they came here decades earlier and waited in line to put their name in a book?

      immigration didn't used to be a hard thing to do, america wanted the world, then when they got it, and used the world's meek and poor to build railroads and highways and skyscrapers to become the biggest power in the world, then we build a fence? that's not fair-- especially considering the proximity that latino people have to the US, just let them come here and work if they want.

      make it easier to be here, they don't have to become citizens, they don't have to vote if you don't want them. but they can be allowed to work, and pay taxes, what's wrong with that? criminals can get deported, we don't need foreign criminals, but hard workers are always welcomed-- aren't they?

      and hell, if the illegals weren't illegal they'd be competition and would drive the quality of employee and in turn the pay and benefits of jobs would go up to make sure one gets the best employee instead of business extracting great work for cents an hour.

    • 1 year ago
  • floydyboy
    • 0
      floydyboy  
    • Image
    • postlapsaria:

      "Because they came here decades earlier and WAITED IN LINE TO PUT THEIR NAME IN A BOOK?" I say yes. There's not enough room here for everyone. If they left it too open we would wind up like France, with towns & states wanting to enact sharia law. Germany also has immigration problems. current.com/news/92729163_merkel-says-german-multicultural-society-has-failed.htm

    • 1 year ago
  • postlapsaria
    • -1
      postlapsaria  
    • floydyboy:

      oh, so you're scared of muslims. that's why we should crack down on mexican immigrants (since ya know... there's not a lot of illegal muslims sneaking over in planes or anything)

    • 1 year ago
  • floydyboy
    • 0
      floydyboy  
    • postlapsaria:

      Actually I'm scared of all religious people who wish to use their religion to force laws on other people. My point was, integration & I used 2 countries that are having problems with their immigrants integrating into their society, it just happens to be Muslims. My point is, why do I have to press 1 for English when I call somewhere when I live in an English speaking country. Learn English or get out. If they want to follow proper procedures & come here legally I have no problem with that. I do agree that our immigration system has its faults, but just opening the gates & saying come on in is not the answer.

    • 1 year ago
  • postlapsaria
    • +1
      postlapsaria  
    • floydyboy:

      so you speak english? do you read it? because i never said "open the gates." I said "make it easier" to be here.

      are you familiar with what it takes for a person to become legal... ESPECIALLY after 9/11?
      unless you are, shut up. you don't know what illegal people go through and you can't just say, "we can't open the gates and say come on in."

      also, i take umbrage with your "i live in an english speaking country" what does that mean? english is spoken in hundred of countries. but so are other languages, like in this country. native american (which was here first) is spoken, french which got here at the same time as english is spoken, spanish-- because the southwest belonged to mexico for hundred of years. and then the invitation we put out to the world, on the statue of liberty plaque, that we want the world to come, introduced other languages.

      who are you to decide that this is an english speaking country? we were built on immigrants, we loved the idea mixing the world in a new land of freedom and creating a new way-- that way was not defined in english or for white people.

      finally, in your example, you used countries with immigration problems? Muslims aren't a nationality, it doesnt come only from immigration. citizens of countries are muslim since it's a religion. so your example just sounded scared of muslims, not specifically an immigration thing.

    • 1 year ago
  • wyndesonge
    • +3
      wyndesonge  
    • floydyboy:

      Besides improving your knowledge of immigration law you also might work on your history. The oldest US city is St. Augustine, Florida founded by Spanish speakers. The second oldest is Santa Fe, New Mexico also founded by Spansh speakers. A vast section of our country including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and California were Spanish speaking long before English became the predominate language. And I haven't even touched upon the Native American languages that were here long before the Europeans. English is simply the language of conquest.

    • 1 year ago
  • floydyboy
    • 0
      floydyboy  
    • postlapsaria:

      Who am I to decide this is an English speaking country? Are you kidding me? What language do they use in our schools, our government, our press, our street signs? To think otherwise is just ridiculous. I'm gettin dizzy with all the spin you put on everything I said. I guess you think large numbers of people in France & Germany just decided to become Muslim all the sudden & the majority of them aren't immigrants. That's not even my point. When I worked at McDonald's I had to learn Portuguese to be able to tell the kitchen crew no pickles on a burger. That's bullshit, I was a manager at 18 with 40 & 50 yr olds working under me who had been there years longer than me. If they bothered to learn the language, I'm sure I would've been on the grill while they were counting the money & time cards & all the other benefits that go along with it. Follow the laws (which an ILLEGAL immigrant can't do) learn the language or go home. If I moved to another country the 1st thing I would do is learn the language of the majority of people.

    • 1 year ago
  • floydyboy
    • -2
      floydyboy  
    • wyndesonge:

      Thanks for the history lesson, totally irrelevant to the conversation by the way. You say "english is the language of conquest" so you confirm english is the language of the land. What did I say wrong about our immigration laws?

    • 1 year ago
  • alexandrek
  • floydyboy
  • floydyboy
  • toyotabedzrock
  • remanns
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