Macon Telegraph

Are there jobs Americans won’t do?

By INGER EBERHART

Like most Americans, as an African American, I would find it quite refreshing to hear “leaders” in the minority community and editorial writers acknowledge the damage done by illegal immigration. The Americans most and first affected by the crime of illegal immigration are native-born Hispanics and African Americans.

“I don’t believe there are any jobs that Americans won’t take, and that includes agricultural jobs,” says Carol Swain, professor of law at Vanderbilt University and author of “Debating Immigration.’” “Illegal immigration hurts low-skilled, low-wage workers of all races, but blacks are harmed the most because they’re disproportionately low-skilled.”

Not the concept promoted by the uniformly constructed columns from the media elite who are now in panic mode because President Obama has not pushed for another amnesty for illegal aliens as promised during the campaign.

As if with one voice, editorial writers and guest columnists nationwide are hopefully promoting the notion that our economy, job market and national morality would somehow be boosted if we legalized 12-20 million illegals who were able to make it past our Border Patrol agents.

Nonsense.

A new Zogby survey finds that minority voters’ views are somewhat different than advertised by the “amnesty now” editorial writers. The poll of Hispanic, Asian-American and African-American likely voters finds that overall, each of these groups prefers enforcement and for illegal immigrants to return home.

As Dr. Steven Camarota of the Washington, D.C. based Center for Immigration Studies notes, “These views are in sharp contrast to the leaders of most ethnic advocacy organizations, who argue for increased immigration and legalization of illegal immigrants.

The Zogby poll also exploded many of the myths of monolithic Hispanic views on illegal immigration and enforcement. Most members of minority groups do not feel illegal immigration is caused by limits on legal immigration, instead, members feel it’s due to a lack of enforcement.

Hispanics: Just 20 percent said illegal immigration was caused by not letting in enough legal immigrants; 61 percent said inadequate enforcement.

When asked to choose between enforcement that would cause illegal immigrants in the country to go home or offering them a pathway to citizenship with conditions, most members of minority groups choose enforcement:

Hispanics: 52 percent support enforcement to encourage illegals to go home; 34 percent support conditional legalization,

Asian-Americans: 57 percent support enforcement; 29 percent support conditional legalization,

African-Americans: 50 percent support enforcement; 30 percent support conditional legalization.

We are endlessly bombarded with the worn out and absurd concept that the majority of Americans who demand border security and equal protection under the law — even immigration law — are somehow “anti-immigration.” We already take in more immigration than any nation on the planet.

No one can envy the job of the propagandists who are charged with convincing us that we need amnesty for 12-20 million more workers or welfare recipients while Americans and real immigrants struggle.

Officially, national unemployment sits at 10 percent and the numbers are even worse for black males. That group suffers an unemployment rate of more than 17 percent. Each time the federal government conducts raids on employers who employ illegals — formerly shut out poor Americans fill the job slots. Many times, wages then go up.

It’s just not true that undocumented workers are doing the jobs that we won’t do.

Honesty on immigration is at a premium these days. Americans should make a decision on whom to believe: The writers and ethnic-based groups with an agenda or the voice of the people who demand a fair chance at jobs.

Inger Eberhart is a resident of Acworth. HERE