Many educators often credit Christopher Columbus with the Discovery of America in 1492 however archaeologists have unearthed discoveries from the Chinese Ming Dynasty that Explorer 'Zheng He' may have actually discovered the New World nearly 70 years before Columbus set sail. Artifacts unearthed in what is now New York and Boston show evidence of Zheng He's fleet of ships.
Father Junipero Serra (Founder of the California Missions) was born in 1713 and at the age of 16 became a Monk, some twenty years later Father Serra was determined to become a Missionary in the 'New World' and at the age of 54 was given charge to establish the California Missions.
Some 500 years after Chinese Explorer Zheng He, Discovered America and 238 years after the founding of the California Missions by Father Serra from Majorea of the Kingdom of Spain, many Americans are choosing to forget our rich heritage that we are a land of immigrants.
In the sometimes heated debate about immigration and the political rhetoric we have become all too familiar with, public sentiment often wants to cast blame on immigration as the chief culprit of all the many problems we are experiencing.
One of the biggest myths about immigration is that foreign born nationals steal jobs away from Americans that are desperately seeking employment opportunities and that immigrants are responsible for the ever increasing costs of social welfare.
Contrary to this myth, the U.S. Dept. of Labor (prepared by the Bush Administration) reports that Immigrants pay over $90 Billion Dollars in taxes every year and only receive about $5 Billion in social welfare programs.
Immigration is fueling the American economy and during periods of high immigration, we have experienced high economic growth in the United States. As reported in the 'Washington Times' (May 01, 2006) '...during the late 90's when immigration surged to a peak of 1.5 million entrants a year, economic growth picked up by more than 4% a year and unemployment fell to below 4% the lowest level in a generation. By contrast, when immigration dropped dramatically after 9/11 to about 1 million a year, economic growth stagnated and the job market sank into a recession and a sluggish recovery. The jobs recession finally receded in 2004 about the time that immigration picked up again to 1.2 million...'
Without immigrants we would have a declining labor force in the United States, immigration is crucial for the continued strength of our present growing economy.
Currently we are experiencing a crack down of undocumented workers, when in May, 2006 the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security began an operation called 'Return to Sender' where Immigration Agents have netted more than 18,000 individuals nationwide and in Los Angeles County, Agents have detained more than 1,500 people, tearing apart families.
Economists have argued that not only does the United States benefit from the lower costs as a result of the lower wages undocumented workers are paid but the availability of lower wage labor helps to create more job opportunities for higher skilled and higher paid workers who tend to be native born.
During the crack down by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shortages of undocumented workers needed to harvest the lettuce crop in California resulted in what some farmers estimated to be a $1 Billion Dollar loss for the industry and this resulted in higher prices for the consumer.
In 2006 Congress passed legislation for the construction of a massive wall between the United States and Mexico that will cost tax-payers $1.2 Billion Dollars to build even though wide gaps will exist in the wall in such places as Tribal Lands that may not permit the construction of a wall.
This boon doggle legislation enacted by Congress with wide bi-partisan support helps to facilitate the continued exploitation of undocumented workers by helping to foster a continued atmosphere of distrust of the government within immigrant communities.
A 1994 study of 'Unemployment and Immigration' by Richard Vedder and Lowell Galloway of Ohio University, spanning 100 years (from 1891-1991) concluded, '...that higher rates of foreign born population historically have corresponded to lower unemployment rates...that immigrants expand total output and the demand for labor, tends to be highly more productive and helps to promote capital formation through higher savings rates.'
Immigration contributes to the strength of our economy by helping to keep overall costs lower which helps to spur continued investment, further development and growth of our economy.
We are a land of immigrants and we are all better off in our land of rich culture and diversity by our many new friends that choose to live and work with us in this great land of freedom and opportunity.
