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Needed, but unwanted: The dilemma of migrants and migration in the era of globalization. v isit us on the web at www.nalacc.org. What is NALACC?.
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Needed, but unwanted: The dilemma of migrants and migration in the era of globalization visit us on the web at www.nalacc.org
WhatisNALACC? It is a network of migrant-led organizations from around the country, which seeks to contribute to the achievement of a dignified and sustainable way of life for our communities in the U.S., as well as our peoples in our countries of origin. We strive to represent our communities in political spaces where key decision affecting our lives are made. We are also committed to enhancing the skills and the knowledge needed to make migrant leaders effective advocates.
Needed, but unwanted… A future Democratic candidate for the American presidency may have to choose between getting the union vote by opposing immigration, or getting the vote of Latinos and other newcomers by supporting it. Equally, a future Republican candidate may have to choose between the support of business, which is clamoring for workers, and the vote of a white middle class that increasingly opposes immigration. Peter Drucker, The Economist, Nov. 2001
The baby boomers factor… Though other generations, from the Greatest to the Millennial, may mutter that it’s time to get over yourselves, this birthday actually matters. According to the Pew Research Center, for the next 19 years, about 10,000 people “will cross that threshold” every day — and many of them, whether through exercise or Botox, have no intention of ceding to others what they consider rightfully theirs: youth. This means that the 79 million baby boomers, about 26 percent of this country’s population, will be redefining what it means to be older, and placing greater demands on the social safety net. They are living longer, working longer and, researchers say, nursing some disappointment about how their lives have turned out. The self-aware, or self-absorbed, feel less self-fulfilled, and thus are racked with self-pity. New York Times, Dec. 31, 2010
What has changed about migrants and migration over the past 30 years? • The make up of who has been coming to the U.S. • The wealth and income distribution pattern. • The nature of the labor market. • The technology revolution, especially as applied to transportation and communication. • The strength of the anti-immigrant sentiment. Current recession has only fueled it even more.
Changes in the labor market: • Good old manufacturing jobs where sent offshore or these “services” have been subcontracted. • As wealth has been amassed in the U.S., the services sector of the economy grew far more than any other. • Millions of jobs that require no to low skill workers have been generated. U.S. has become addicted to cheap labor. • Economies in countries of origin of migrants were restructured and became addicted to remittances.
How has the technology revolution impacted the migratory landscape? • Transportation has become much more commonplace and affordable. • Experiencing nationhood has become less bound by physical borders. • Migrants today are connected to their countries of origin like never before: Phone, e-mail, chatting, texting, virtual newspapers, etc. • Rejection of new migrants only reinforces their connection to place of origin.
Evolution of our response to immigrants and immigration: • For a nation that describes itself as a nation of immigrants, we have never been really nice to new comers. • The basic architecture of our current immigration law has been the same since 1965. • In spite of the changes in the make up of the new comers, we never enacted an immigrant integration policy to facilitate their journey to become new Americans. • Political forces motivated by xenophobia and racism have effectively manipulated economic insecurity to advance a hate-driven agenda.
Cont… • Our local and federal laws have become more restrictive and punitive when it comes to foreign born population. • Immigrant communities have been systematically demonized. The use of erroneous terms such as “illegal immigrant” are common place. • Our still strongly segregated society does not help in demystifying our fears. • Fear of immigrants is being used to move U.S. society towards more control and less individual freedoms.
Where do we go from here? • Let’s recognize the fact that migrants are not the causing factor of our greatest challenges. • Let’s reject old recipes that are ineffective and wasteful. • Migration, in today’s reality, cannot be reduced to a domestic policy remedy. It requires a multi disciplinary, long term and international coordinated policy response. • Let’s not forget we are dealing with human beings, not raw materials or commodities. • Let’s foster greater interaction between foreign and native born members of our society.
Reading suggestions: • Lies My Teacher Told Me, by James Loewen • When Corporations Rule the World, by David Korten • The Coming White Minority, by Dale Maharidge • Impossible Subjects, by Mae Ngai • Winner Takes All Politics, by P. Pierson and J. Hacker
Where to contact me: Oscar A. Chacón Executive Director 1638 S. Blue Island Ave. Chicago, IL 60608 Tel. 877-683-2908, ext. 1 E-mail: ochacon@nalacc.org
