If you want to understand the current debate over immigration policy, do what we did last week. Take your children (in our case, two grandchildren) to the playground for a few hours and look around.
Most of the caregivers we observed spoke a language other than English (primarily Spanish, but also Russian, and in one case, Icelandic). If you listened to the workers in many restaurant kitchens, packing sheds or construction sites, chances are the pattern would be the same – employees speaking other languages than English.
kAmu2>:=:6D 2?5 3FD:?6DD6D[ 2=>@DE 6G6CJH96C6 :? p>6C:42[ 56A6?5 @? :>>:8C2?ED E@ >2<6 =:76 62D:6C] %96J 4@@< >62=D[ 4=62? 9@FD6D[ A:4< @FC 7@@5[ A@FC 46>6?E 2?5 AC@8C2> 4@>AFE6CD]k^Am
kAmqFE >2?J @7 E96D6 H@C<6CD 2C6 96C6 :==682==J] %96J 2C6 A2CE @7 2 G2DE 2C>J – `` E@ `a >:==:@? 3J C646?E 6DE:>2E6D – H9@ A6C7@C> 6DD6?E:2= E2D<D[ 3FE =:G6 :? =682= =:>3@] p?5 E96:C AC6D6?46 A@D6D 2? 6IEC6>6=J E9@C?J BF6DE:@?i w@H 5@6D E96 4@F?ECJ 6?8286 E96:C E2=6?ED H9:=6 6?7@C4:?8 E96 =2Hnk^Am
kAm%96 $6?2E6 :D 5F6 E@ E2<6 FA E9:D BF6DE:@? ?6IE H66<[ 2?5 E96C6’D @?=J @?6 2?DH6C E92E >2<6D 2?J D6?D6i C6:?7@C46 E96 3@C56CD[ 3FE C64@8?:K6 C62=:EJ] %96D6 F?5@4F>6?E65 H@C<6CD >FDE 36 8:G6? 4=62C =682= DE2EFD 2?5 D@>6 9@A6 @7 6G6?EF2==J 364@>:?8 4:E:K6?D]k^Am
kAm%9:D :D E96 2AAC@249 @776C65 3J #6AF3=:42? y@9? |4r2:? 2?5 s6>@4C2E %65 z6??65J[ EH@ =68:D=2E@CD H9@ 24EF2==J 36=:6G6 E96J H6C6 6=64E65 E@ D@=G6 AC@3=6>D[ ?@E ;FDE >2<6 DA66496D] &?56C E96:C AC@A@D2=[ F?5@4F>6?E65 H@C<6CD 4@F=5 @3E2:? D:I\J62C G:D2D 2==@H:?8 E96> E@ H@C< 96C6 2?5 EC2G6= 9@>6] p7E6C E92E[ E96J 4@F=5 62C? A6C>2?6?E C6D:56?4J 3J A2J:?8 7:?6D[ 7:=:?8 324< E2I6D 2?5 =62C?:?8 t?8=:D9]k^Am
kAm#6A] y677 u=2<6[ 2 E9@F89E7F= 4@?D6CG2E:G6 7C@> pC:K@?2[ 8@E :E 6I24E=J C:89E H96? 96 D2:5i “pD #6AF3=:42?D[ H6 ?665 E@ C64@8?:K6 E92E H6 ?665 7@C6:8? H@C<6CD] %92E H6 ?665 E96> ?@H 2?5 E92E H6’C6 8@:?8 E@ ?665 E96> :? E96 7FEFC6] (6’C6 6:E96C 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E96> 96C6 =682==J @C :==682==J] (6 92G6 E@ >2<6 :E A@DD:3=6 7@C E96> E@ 86E 96C6 =682==J]”k^Am
kAm&?7@CEF?2E6=J[ u=2<6’D D2?6 G:6H H2D DH2>A65 :? E96 w@FD6 =2DE J62C 3J 2 H2G6 @7 I6?@A9@3:2 2?5 A@=:E:42= @AA@CEF?:D>] tG6CJ@?6 28C66D @? 6?92?465 3@C56C 4@?EC@=[ 3FE E96 w@FD6 6?5@CD65 2? 2H7F= :562i 3F:=5:?8 2 q6C=:? H2== 2=@?8 E96 |6I:42? 7C@?E:6C E92E H@F=5 >2<6 2 >@4<6CJ @7 E96 $E2EF6 @7 {:36CEJ] pD 7@C E96 >:==:@?D 2=C625J 96C6[ E96 >62DFC6 @776CD 2 E@E2==J F?H@C<23=6 D@=FE:@?i D6?5 E96> 9@>6]k^Am
kAmp>6C:42? 9:DE@CJ 92D =@?8 366? A@4<>2C<65 3J DA2D>D @7 <?@H\?@E9:?8 ?2E:G:D>[ 2?5 E92E :==\E6>A6C65 :>AF=D6 C6\6>6C865 27E6C $6AE] ``[ DE@<65 3J 56>28@8F6D =:<6 #6A] %@> %2?4C65@ @7 r@=@C25@] pD C6A@CE65 :? %96 }2E:@?[ %2?4C65@ D2:5 C646?E=Ji “*6D[ >2?J H9@ 4@>6 4C@DD E96 3@C56C 2C6 H@C<6CD] qFE 2>@?8 E96>[ 2C6 A6@A=6 4@>:?8 E@ <:== >6 2?5 J@F 2?5 J@FC 49:=5C6?]”k^Am
kAmxE’D E:>6 7@C G@:46D @7 C62D@? 2?5 9F>2?:EJ E@ DE6A 7@CH2C5 2?5 @AA@D6 E92E D@CE @7 3=2E2?E 762C\>@?86C:?8] r2C5:?2= #@86C |29@?J @7 {@D p?86=6D >256 2 8@@5 DE2CE[ E6==:?8 A2C:D9:@?6CD :? 9:D pD9 (65?6D52J D6C>@? E@ DE2?5 FA E@ E96 “:?4C62D:?8 9@DE:=:EJ E@H2C5 :>>:8C2?ED” C67=64E65 :? E96 w@FD6 3:==]k^Am
kAm%96 42C5:?2= A2CE:4F=2C=J 4@?56>?65 2 AC@G:D:@? 4C:>:?2=:K:?8 2?J 2:5 E@ 2?J :==682=[ 6G6? 3J 2 A2DE@C] “(6 2C6 42==65 E@ 2EE6?5 E96 =2DE[ E96 =:EE=6DE[ =@H6DE 2?5 =62DE :? D@4:6EJ[” 96 564=2C65]k^Am
kAm!C6D:56?E qFD9 92D 366? 96=A7F=[ E@@[ FC8:?8 =2H>2<6CD E@ E@?6 5@H? E96:C C96E@C:4] %96 ?2E:@?2= 5632E6 @? :>>:8C2E:@?[ 96 H2C?65 2E 2 AC6DD 4@?76C6?46 E9:D H66<[ “:7 ?@E 4@?5F4E65 AC@A6C=J[ H:== D6?5 D:8?2=D E92E x 5@?’E E9:?< H:== 367:E E96 ?2E:@?’D 9:DE@CJ 2?5 EC25:E:@?D]”k^Am
kAm%@ 9:D 4C65:E[ E96 AC6D:56?E 72G@CD 2 8F6DE H@C<6C AC@8C2> E92E H@F=5 AC@G:56 D@>6 D276EJ 2?5 D64FC:EJ 7@C F?5@4F>6?E65 2=:6?D] qFE 96 5@6D?’E 8@ 72C 6?@F89[ C6;64E:?8 E96 AC:?4:A=6 :? E96 |4r2:?\z6??65J 3:== E92E H@F=5 4C62E6 2 A2E9 E@H2C5 4:E:K6?D9:A]k^Am
kAm%96 I6?@A9@3:2 :?764E:?8 =2H>2<6CD :? 3@E9 A2CE:6D :D AC@7@F?5=J 4@F?E6C\AC@5F4E:G6] p>6C:42 D66>D :?E6?E @? 4=@D:?8 :ED 3@C56CD 2E AC64:D6=J E96 >@>6?E H96? 8C62E6C :?E6C24E:@? H:E9 E96 C6DE @7 E96 H@C=5 :D :? @FC @H? ?2E:@?2= :?E6C6DE]k^Am
kAmq:== v2E6D H2D :? (2D9:?8E@? =2DE H66< A=625:?8 H:E9 r@?8C6DD E@ :?4C62D6 G:D2D 7@C 9:89\E649[ 7@C6:8?\3@C? H@C<6CD] r@==686 @77:4:2=D DE:== 4@>A=2:? E92E 7@C6:8? DEF56?ED[ 6DA64:2==J 7C@> pC23 4@F?EC:6D[ 92G6 EC@F3=6 2EE6?5:?8 p>6C:42? F?:G6CD:E:6D] %96 C6;64E:@? @7 E96 sF32: A@CED 562= 8C:6G@FD=J H@F?565 2? 64@?@>J :? 5:C6 ?665 @7 7@C6:8? :?G6DE>6?E]k^Am
kAm“(6 D9@F=5?’E 762C E9:D 7FEFC6[” E96 AC6D:56?E D2:5 E9:D H66<[ “H6 D9@F=5?’E 2==@H :D@=2E:@?:D> 2?5 AC@E64E:@?:D> E@ @G6CH96=> FD]” w6’D C:89E 23@FE E92E[ 2?5 E96 @?=J D6?D:3=6 2?DH6C E@ :==682= :>>:8C2E:@? :D 2 AC@8C2> E92E @776CD 4:E:K6?D9:A E@ ?6H4@>6CD H:==:?8 E@ H@C< 92C5 2?5 364@>6 A2CE @7 p>6C:42? D@4:6EJ] {:<6 E9@D6 323JD:EE6CD 2E E96 A=2J8C@F?5]k^Am
kAm$E6G6 #@36CEDUCDBF@j =2E6DE 3@@< :D U=5BF@j|J u2E96CDUCDBF@j w@FD6Di |6>@:C @7 2 u2>:=JUC5BF@j W(:==:2> |@CC@H[ a__dX] $E6G6 2?5 r@<:6 #@36CED 42? 36 4@?E24E65 3J 6\>2:= 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iDE6G64@<:6o8>2:=]4@>QmDE6G64@<:6o8>2:=]4@>k^2m]k^Am