Image via bertsaam @ photobucket
There’s an ABC news article that’s basically a version of “A Day Without a Mexican” set in Alabama. Many may be aware that Alabama is at the center of criticism for implementing some of the most stringent anti-illegal immigration laws to date.
According to the article, Alabama growers complain that Americans (read: non-Hispanics) don’t want to pick produce for low wages; that many American workers “last about two days max” then go back to their couches to resume collecting unemployment.
If naturalized and native-born Americans are intent on eradicating illegal immigration then maybe it’s time for actions to speak louder than complaints. This would require leaving the couch to go pick produce or perform any other menial job most illegals find themselves performing rather than staying home to collect unemployment. Part of that issue according to the ABC article is that unemployment usually pays higher than what Americans (read: non-Hispanics) are able to generate from picking produce either because they are unskilled, out of shape, not built for the job, or just not motivated to do it.
Though it may be early as far as gauging the effects of Alabama’s new laws go to really hang criticisms, perhaps if state government starts taking people off the dole we’d see just how willing (or unwilling) folks are to do the work many illegal immigrants (and legal immigrants) were doing.
One of the most frequent complaints is that illegals come here and live off our tax system and take advantage of our “free” medical and other welfare services. What I have witnessed has been mostly the opposite. Sure, I’ve seen the welfare and Social Security offices flooded with a majority Hispanic population but I live in Texas so that’s no surprise. I’ve also seen Hispanic men stand for hours every day waiting to be selected for any kind of work they can get. I have never seen any other race—legal or illegal do that. I’ve seen truckloads of Hispanic workers exhausted from a day working outdoors as Husband and I make our way home from our office jobs.
Not to make this out to be a soft stance on illegal immigration—I’m against it—as there are lawful ways to come to America for work. Many of the Hispanics crossing our borders are coming here to make a better life for their families (not just sending money home to Mexico and abroad) and just as I’ve seen Hispanics at the welfare office, I’ve seen blacks and whites at the welfare office. When we lived in Louisiana the welfare office was mostly peopled with blacks. Pardon my assumption but I’m betting the further up north one travels the more whites one would see or at least the more diverse the demographic would be in the welfare office. Still, I can’t say for sure as I’ve not visited welfare offices up north.
State legislators and their supportive communities taking action against illegal immigration talk a tough game yet at the end of the day, if Americans really want to support tougher laws meant to quell thriving communities of illegal immigrants then Americans will have to have solutions for dealing with the many job vacancies this will create. Americans against illegal immigration will need to be willing to step in to the jobs left vacant by any legislatively created exodus.
Image via ohsnap13@ photobucket
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For more see: "Few American's Take Immigrant Jobs in Alabama" abcnews.com article by Alicia A. Caldwell and Jay Reeves Associated Press ONEONTA, Ala. October 21, 2011 (AP)
Your blog is alive ... again. Yay!! This is a tough issue for a myriad reasons, but for Americans to work these jobs they will have to raise the wages, which will raise food prices and further hurt the pocket book of Americans. I hope some one much wiser and more influential than me can come up with a reasonable solution.
ReplyDeleteRed, there is no doubt that this is a REAL problem. I can comment for hours about the Mexicans I see around here doing back-breaking work (landscaping, concrete finishing, roofing, etc.) in miserably hot and dry conditions...and just stay at it all the doo-dah-day.
ReplyDeleteOne reason Dubya took so much flack (and Perry, too) was this very thing. You've hit the nail on the noggin. As long as welfare is easy...and unemployment lasts forever...it's gonna be this way.
Sadly, I'm afraid we've gone past that. We've allowed too many generations of it. Many (if not most) won't take the option of picking vegetables for a living. They'll just come take yours, and get your TV while they're at it.
Yes, I'm alive!(again) I've discovered I can bog at work when inspiration strikes so for now, I'm back in the saddle with this thing.
ReplyDeleteShife, that is a problem because if Americans are demanding higher wages for these jobs then how hypocritical have we been by allowing Hispanics to come here and pick produce for so much less? That's how they got to be so adept because to be otherwise means less money earned. That's just about modern day slavery if you want to look at it that way yet they are willing to do it just to come over here. There is industry in Mexico. There are American companies employing Mexicans but I don't know what the work conditions are like. If the motivation is to simply oust illegals then Americans would have competed for those lower paying jobs in the first place rather than work so hard for legislative action. I agree that a lot of these physically demanding jobs don't pay hardly anything. Maybe we all just need to suck it up and pay more for services rendered instead of crying for more at cheaper prices.
Andy, Sadly you are right. There is no motivation. Not yet anyway. Take away the government money then see how many folks take those physically demanding jobs.Then again, those jobs should pay a more livable wage in the first place. The folks who are working those jobs now are getting gypped.
Americans used to do those jobs. Illegals likely drove down the wages. That might recover with time.
ReplyDeleteWe definitely need to suck it up. Good points made, and thanks for commenting on my blog. Appreciate your words.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe the cheap bastards growing the tomatoes could try paying more than the bare minimum for laborers.
ReplyDeletePerhaps farmers will bring up the wage once illegals have left the scene and/or when Americans start trying to be productive again. Who knows.
ReplyDelete