They Took Our Jobs
There is a perceived crisis in our country, a crisis of the border, and politicians of all shapes, sizes, and colors (particularly orange) are getting involved. According to prevailing political thought of the last couple of decades, the “‘silent invasion'” of illegal immigration has threatened the nation both realistically, by “‘taking away jobs and milking the taxpayer,'” and symbolically, by shepherding in a group of “morally suspect deadbeats and tax cheats” (Massey, et. al 1561). Naturally, the only way to quell illegal immigration is to bolster border security, right?
In fact, researchers have found that heightened border security has the opposite effect on illegal immigration. As the United States continues to pour billions of dollars to contribute to the militarization of the border with Mexico, the perils of continuous crossing continue to grow as well. Though researchers did not find that increased border enforcement effectively kept migrants from entering the country, due to the undeniable dearth of opportunities for work and higher wages in the United States, it did prevent many migrants from leaving. They could employ “coyotes” to avoid capture and assist them in entering the country, but the risks of keeping with the old “strategy of circular migration” were too high (Massey, et. al 1581). All the U.S. government has received for all of its trouble is an influx of illegals who have chosen to stay rather than risk apprehension or even death, and “what had been a circular flow of male workers going to three states” has become a “settled population of families living in 50 states” (Massey, et. al 1558).
The widespread fear surrounding illegal immigration and the mysterious border have all the characteristics of a moral panic. Just as the residents of South Park, Colorado feel that the flood of Canadian immigrants is characterized by a bunch of “dirty” people who are coming to “[take their] jobs,” Latino immigrants have likewise been framed as “‘criminals’ and ‘lawbreakers'” who have come to take jobs away from hardworking Americans (Massey, et. al 1591). The issue of illegal immigration has been blown out of proportion, and in this case, Canadians are seen as the popular scapegoat and viewed with hostility by a predominant segment of society. The situation mirrors the current quagmire of immigration in America, as societal elites have used disproportionate figures and evidence to prompt policies that are incompatible with the “underlying volume of undocumented migration” (Massey, et. al 1591).
Watch from 0:23 – 1:14
