16 FIRST THINGS

public and private gnef ? Because of his skills as a writer is distinctive. His attempt to imagine in fiction "The of narrative prose? Last Days of Mohammed Atta" is almost as flat and lumbering as John Updike's Terrorist. (One of the few uch inquines are equally relevant to The Second unexpected insights in The Second Plane., however, Plane, Amis' new collection of essays and stories comes in a review of the movie United 93 in which he Sthat revolve, in one way or another, around the points out that, harsh and blunt as the movie is, the events of September 11,2001. Thefirst piece in the col- filmmakers do "spare us something": They put no chil- lection, the title essay, was written in the days immedi- dren onboard that flight.) ately following the attack, and Amis himself expresses Perhaps all my questions amount to this: When it is reservations about it in his author's note: It "indulges in time to talk about terror, tragedy, and world-historical ... a reflexive search for the morally intelligible, which occasions, what do writers—precisely as writers- always leads to the chimera of'moral equivalence.'" bring to the table? Do they bring anything we especial- Interestingly, he sees a similar tendency in one of the ly need? most recent pieces in the book, and the longest, "Terror It is hard for me to see what that might be. In the and Boredom," from late 2006: There, he says, he goes description and narration of such events, great literary "rather heavy on 'respect' for Islam." He flatly calls skills can actually impede the proper response, as many these traits "misemphases" but allows them to remain, of us learned when Updike reported his view of the presumably as marking his own mind's developmental towers' fall—from a house in Brooklyn—in the most changes. Yet those with anything less than a passionate delicately pointillist of st}'les. The result proved to be interest in the history of Martin Amis' mind could be grotesque: As Leon Wieseltier memorably commented for^ven for wondering what this collection is really of Updike's prose, "the loveliness is invincible." Amis worth. His current willingness to confront Islamic is not as elegant a writer as Updike, but he too seems extremism is, I think, highly admirable—but do I need often to be trying too hard to accomplish something to see the steps along the way to this strong stand? that is not worth accomplishing. When Amis writes, Moreover, these essays share with Koba the Dread "It was the plane itself that was in frenzy, one felt, as it the Digested Read problem. (The Digested Read, for gunned and steadied and then smeared itself into the the uninitiated, is a regular feature in The Guardian of South Tower," I only think: No, no, please don't. That London in which John Crace effectively retells a book is not wanted here. in just a few paragraphs and then, in "The Digested Read Digested," in one sentence.) If the substantive Alan Jacobs is professor of English at Wheaton College historical material of Koba is just Conquest and and author most recently of Original Sin: A Cultural Solzhenitsyn digested, then "Terror and Boredom" — History. the center of this collection—likewise masticates, swal- lows, and regurgitates Lawrence Wright's The Loom- ing Tower and Paul Berman's Terror and Liberalism. {The Second Plane also includes a review of The Loom- ing Tower, published almost simultaneously with "Ter- More on the Ethics ror and Boredom.") Now, as it happens, I have myself digested those of Immigration excellent books by Wright and Berman, which leads me to ask—those Koba questions returning—what am I gaining by having them re-presented to me by Amis? William W, Chip writes: As far as I can tell, not much. It is possible, I sup- pose, that some people who would find Wright or n "The Ethics of Immigration," a debate in last Berman relatively hea\')- sledding will be touched by month's issue of FIRST THINGS, Michael Scaperlan- Amis' way with "personal relationships." His relating Ida and I exchanged views on the question of reli- of his sister-m-law's experience in lower Manhattan on gious believers' response to immigration. Scaperlanda the morning of September 11 is eerily effective, I think; was not convinced by my arguments or supporting his account of a flight from Montevideo to New York data that "the flow of foreign workers into the United with his daughters—this is the boredom part of "Ter- States threatens the public treasury as well as the ror and Boredom"—far less so. None of these events economic security of those on the lowest rungs of takes on significantly more meaning because Martin American society." He offers to readers of FIRST Amis or someone he knows experienced them; nor THINGS a "wealth of data" that purportedly refutes the does he have the expertise or insight to add much that data cited in my own submission. JUNE/JULY 2008 17

In fact, there is no wealth of data on the economic over, this minuscule benefit came after a "staggering" impact of immigration. Scaperlanda comes closer to the $350 billion reduction in the wages of workers who mark when he obsen'es that "disentangling" the impact competed with immigrants. The National Research of immigration from other factors that influence our Council study had concluded that, in any event, the net immensely large and complex economy is "difficult." economic benefit from immigration was more than Only a few academic economists have tried to do so, outweighed by the increased taxes needed to provide and they have hedged their conclusions with multiple essential government services to the migrant workers. qualifications. Immigration is heavily concentrated in Although the Council of Economic Advisors does particular sectors and geographies, and its economic state, as Scaperlanda claims, that immigration may have impact can reliably be measured only through local, a positive fiscal impact over the long term—based on sectoral studies, such as the study of Los Angeles jani- tbe 1997 study, which had to extrapolate three hundred tors, which confirmed the massive displacement of years into the future to arrive at a positive fiscal result, a unionized African Americans by nonunionized time frame that the council itself admitted was Mexican immigrants. Scaperlanda reports a "dynamic " absurd. " If Congress were to enact even a single part of turnaround" in that situation, with a "reunionized" jan- Scaperlandas "six-part plan," offering a "path to citi- itonal workforce employmg almost as many African zenship" for most of the undocumented population, Americans as before. He does not report, however, the "the net retirement costs to government (benefits minus finding of Cornell economics professor Vernon Briggs taxes) could be over $2.5 trillion," according to Robert that these "reunionized" janitors were paid less than 50 Rector of the Heritage Foundation. percent of what their pay two decades earlier. Macroeconomic studies will move no one, includ- s Scaperlanda himself cautions, the Council of ing me, to favor or oppose mass economic migration Economic Advisors document covers legal as from Latin America. Such studies serve only to indicate Awell as illegal immigrants. Consequently, most whether the adverse economic consequences of such of its findings relating to crime, fiscal impact, and eco- migrations have been balanced or outweighed by nomic assimilation are useless in evaluating the adjustments elsewhere in the economy. For example, migration policies favored by the American Catholic native CaHfomians displaced by Mexican immigrants bishops' Committee on Migration. The statistics in the may preserve their standard of living by moving to Council of Economic Advisors' document cover tens Nevada or Arizona (and millions have), the daughters of millions of immigrants who amved before 1%5 and of immigrant dishwashers may join the next generation who were admitted primartly on the basis of economic of doctors and scientists (and some surely have), and an criteria. Time-line studies showing that the grand- immigration-induced reduction in the wages of Ameri- children of Italian stonemasons and Hungarian school- can farmworkers may also reduce food prices for all teachers have advanced beyond their ancestors in Americans. educational attainment may disguise, but will not abol- For those consequences, Scaperlanda relies pnmari- ish, the frightening reality that nearly half of the sons of ly on a publication from the President's Council of Eco- today's economic migrants are dropping out of high nomic Advisors. This document (the council itself was school and nearly half of their daughters are giving too embarrassed to call it a report) was a tendentious, birth outside wedlock. All the studies that show a neg- six-page summary of cherry-picked findings from earli- ative wage impact from immigration also conclude that er economic studies that was released in the middle of the most severely affected workers are earlier waves of last year's Senate debate on legislation, supported by the immigrants. No wonder the offspring of today's immi- president, to legalize undocumented migrant workers grants are falling behind. and admit millions more through a "guest worker" pro- Statistics at the national level are misleading indica- gram. Most of the findings were, in fact, extrapolations tors of where the policies advocated by Scaperlanda and from a 1997 report from the National Research Coun- the bishops are taking the country. Immigrants tend to cil, which was itself based on a 1995 study by the Har- concentrate in certain communities, and it is the out- vard economics professor George Borjas (whom Scap- comes in those communities that suggest the future for erlanda himself cites). the rest of us. No community has been more changed Shortly after the White House released the docu- by the sort of migration favored by Scaperlanda than ment from the Council of Economic Advisors, Borjas Southern California. According to the Public Policy published a rebuttal. He first noted that the alleged $30 Institute of California, from 1969 to 1997 the real wages billion benefit realized by having twenty miUion launi- of the bottom 25 percent of California workers grant workers in the workforce amounted to less than a dropped by 40 percent, even as the wages of those at the third of 1 percent of the gross national product. More- top increased by 13 percent. 18 FIRST THINGS

The visible result of this cavernous wage gap, First, as to cause and effect. Chip curiously returns accompanied b\' a mass exodus of native-bom workers, to the Los Angeles janitors' example. As he now recog- is a state increasingly divided between a mostly white nizes, the General Accounting Office, like others class of haves and a mostly brown class of have-nots. reporting on the economic impact of immigration, The reality of Los Angeles, and not the dreamy extrap- "hedged their conclusions with multiple qualifica- olations of the Council of Economic Advisors, is the tions." A later study concluded that "it would be mis- best evidence of the road where Scaperlanda s immigra- leading to suggest a casual link" between immigration tion policies will eventually lead the rest of the country. and worsening conditions for janitors in Los Angeles. If We already have bitter experience from our own California suffers from economic, cultural, and social long history of how the coincidence of racial identity malaise, are Hispanic immigrants to blame? Chip does and economic inequality can tear apart the fabric of not seem to have made the case. even a wealthy, modem society. I agree with Scaperlan- Second, California has a well-worn history of anti- da and with the bishops that Amencan Christians immigrant—even xenophobic—fervor. A couple of should do more to relieve foreign poverty, but this is the examples will suffice. As the Supreme Court recounted wrong way. in the infamous Chinese Exclusion Case., the Califomia constitutional convention, in 1878, implored Congress to limit Chinese immigration, concluding "that the Michael A. Scaperlanda writes: presence of Chinese laborers had a baneful effect upon the material interests of the state, and upon public illiam Chip accepts the Catechism's teaching morals; that their immigration was in numbers that "the more prosperous nations are approaching the character of an Oriental invasion,. . . obliged, to the extent they are able, to wel- that they retained the habits and customs of their own W country, and in fact constituted a Chinese settlement come" immigrants in search of économie security. Unlike the Catholic bishops, however, he doesn't within the state, without any interest in our country or believe that the United States has the resources to wel- its institutions." come those who currently reside here illegally or those According to the court, part of the problem was that who would enter on a guest-worker program. the Chinese "were generally industrious and frugal. Chip recognizes that "any Christian who opposes Not bemg accompanied by families, except in rare their admission ought to have good reasons. " In other instances, their expenses were small; and they were con- words, he correctly assigns himself the burden of tent with the simplest fare, such as would not suffice for proof. In our exchange last month, and again in this our laborers and artisans. The competition between issue. Chip presents his case with a combination of data them and our people was for this reason altogether in and anecdote to try to justify his position and persuade their favor, and the consequent irritation, proportion- others to that position. My task, as I see it, is not to ately deep and bitter, was followed, in many cases, by refute Chip s argument point by point but rather to open conflicts, to the great disturbance of the public argue that he hasn't made his case —he hasn't offered peace. The differences of race added gready to the diffi- good reasons for rejecting the bishops' call for immi- culties of the situation." gration reform. The Japanese fared no bener, with many of the same Although Chip refers to the Council of Economic complaints lodged agamst them in a fifty-year struggle Advisors' report as a "political document," he doesn't leading up to intemment during World War II. In 1905, refute its findmgs, just the interpretations to be drawn for instance, dozens of organizations met in San Fran- from those findings.There is a wealth of data on the cisco to form the Asiatic Exclusion League {later the economic effects—or potential effects—of immigra- Japanese Exclusion League), which worked tirelessly to tion. Both sides of the immigration debate have mined marginalize Japanese immigrants and their Amencan this data, exploiting it for their cause. Since Chip has offspring. Answenng charges from a religious organiza- conceded the point and now says that "macroeconom- tion in 1920, a leader of the Exclusion League denied ic studies will not move" him to favor or oppose His- that it was appealing to racial prejudice among white panic immigration, I won't belabor it. He now focuses voters. The league's positions find support, he opined, on immigration's impact m "certain communities," in "incontrovertible and startling facts," including the especially Southern California. There are at least nvo economic advantages possessed by the Japanese, their problems with his argument. First, he fails to show that failure to assimilate, and the dislocation of Americans. immigration is the cause of California's woes. Second, In the 1930s, Califomia tumed its attention to indi- when it comes to immigration, California is like the gent migrants seeking refuge from the Dust Bowl. After boy who cned wolf one too many times. noting California's general openness to migrants. Cali- JUNE/JULY 2008 19 fomia attorney general Earl Warren unsuccessfully today the worry concerns the "mosdy brown class of argued to the Supreme Court that the state ought to be have-nots" (Hispanics). allowed to take measures to inhibit the inflow of A review of our nation's immigration history reveals migrants when concerns for economic and fiscal health that the same arguments resurface dme and time again. of the state reach cnsis proportions. A century ago, tlie DiUingham Commission, examining Like the Chinese, Japanese, and Oklahomans, Mex- particular locales, reported that the influx of Italians and icans and Mexican Americans have found an unwel- other Southern and Eastern European immigrants come mat at various times in California's history, begin- "seriously retarded the advance of wages," driving the ning shortly after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildago in natives out of certain low-paying jobs. The United 1848andthediscoveryof gold. The 1911 Report of the States culture and economy proved to be dynamic Dillingham Commission, which was created by Con- enough to accommodate massive immigration then, gress four years earlier, found that "the Mexican being and I believe—along with the bishops—that we remain without ambition and thrift and being content with the vibrant enough to accommodate those who, at great wage relation and a dependent position, his progress, risk to themselves, have left tragic circumstances for a unlike that of the Japanese, has been slow." Similarly, better life here. the commission found that Mexican children in Los Angeles schools performed at a below-average level and William W. Chip, an international attorney practicing "leave school early." in Washington, D.C., is an adviser to several national Given its poor record, I don't think Califomia has organizations for immigration reform. Michael A, earned the right to lead the nation in the development of Scaperlanda holds the Gene and Elaine Edwards immigration policy. A century ago, the state worried Family Chair in Law at the University of Oklahoma about the invasion of "litde brown men" (Japanese); College of Law.

The Future of Christian Learning AN EVANGELICAL AND CATHOLIC DIALOGUE Mark A. Noll (University of Notre Dame), James Turner (University of Notre Dame); Thomas Albert Howard, editor (Gordon College) 9781587432132 • 144 pp.- $16.99p

Evangelicals and Roman Catholics have been responsible for the establishment of many colleges and universities in America. Until recently, however, they have taken very different approaches to the subject of education and have viewed one another's traditions with suspicion.

In this volume, Noll and Turner offer critical but appreciative reassessments of the two traditions. Noil, writing from an evangelical perspective, and Turner, from a Roman Cathoiic perspective, consider the respective strengths and weaknesses of each approach and what they might tearn from the other. The authors then provide brief responses to each other's essays.

"This voiume is a sign of hope in the changing landscape of Catholic and evangelical relationships. And the dia- logue it records is a modei for many others that need to take place both in the academy and among the churches—candid, insightfui, drawing on the wisdom of the past but looking to the future, marked by respect yet filled with hope. That such an exchange should be sponsored by a historic evangelical institution {Gordon College], whiie no longer surprising, does show how far we have come."—Timothy George, Beeson Divinity School

"The cail-and response format allows Professors Noli and Turner to put their considerable erudition and wisdom to lively and provocative use. They agree on much, but it is their disagreements that make this engaging and enjoyable volumea memorable chapter in a larger, vital conversation about the future of faith-based education." —R. Scott Appleby, University of Notre Dame razosPress Available at local bookstores or by calling 1-800-87 7-2665. Subscribe to Border Crossings, the Brazos monthly electronic newsletter, at w ww.brazosp ress, com