Migration FYI’s + issues raised in debates Who welcomes immigrants and who doesn’t?

Welcoming- usually strong economies: Resistant- usually xenophobia coupled with declining/stagnant economies: • ***Canada- low population & density • Japan (~36 million), plenty of room- esp in the north. Strong economy. • Russia • Sweden, Germany, other Nordic • Many western European countries are countries- strong economies, need moving in this direction workers, very liberal. This is changing. • Australia (in fact, the moved a bunch • USA- strong economy, need workers, of refugees to islands off the coast or generally cool with legal immigration, nearby island countries with pretty division on illegal. poor conditions) • “Gulf states”- oil workers, service workers, etc. Do the work and don’t ask questions or cause any probs. Where are the guest workers?

• Gastarbeiter: German for “guestworker.” German gov’t launched program to get primarily Turkish workers in 1950’s-70’s to fuel post war economic boom • Bracero Program: USA. Needed agricultural workers esp during WWI. The program ran from 1942-1964. Some call for a return to this approach. • Middle East: the oil rich countries of the Persian Gulf. Why are some people concerned about guest workers and economic migrants generally?

• Sometimes they stay (until recently, Turks made up the biggest Muslim minority population in Germany, largely after they had kids and married and such) • “Chain migration”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW7q0UwJEdk • Assimilation. • Example: “Learn English” • Example: “harmony” in Japan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2WkKrAVJw Pittsburgh synagogue shooter

• https://www.npr.org/2018/10/30/662032612/synagogue-shooting- suspect-had-social-media-history Migrants: “Don’t pay taxes”

Mixed truth to this one: • They all pay at least some- sales taxes & excise taxes. • Many employers actually do report undocumented migrants’ income to state and federal gov’t. (labor is usually a business’ biggest expense, so showing less revenue means they pay less taxes…but it also means the migrants pay taxes) • Still, many undocumented workers work for much lower wages “under the table.” (Don’t get reported)….which benefits employer, which benefits consumers… Migrants: “They’re criminals” Migrants: “They took our jobs”

• Might contribute to gap in wages- those at low end of salary scale are more likely to compete for jobs with migrants. Migrants may put downward pressure on those wages. However, relatively few migrants compete at high end of job market. In fact, many employers must turn to migrants to find enough workers especially in technology and medical sectors where their aren’t enough native workers.

• Fun side note: Mexico is both a source and destination for migrants- the majority of unauthorized migrants to the US are Mexican. Simultaneously, many Central Americans migrate to Mexico in search of better work or en route to the US.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GY2tr-7l9Cw • https://twitter.com/ufwupdates/status/1038809098450436096?lang=en Migrants: “Don’t have skills”

• Depends. • Some are relatively unskilled- especially those fleeing Central America and Mexico. • However, unauthorized Mexican migrants have (on average) more years of schooling than the average Mexican non-migrant. • From the rest of the world- Asia & Africa in particular, they are on average, more educated than the average American (more college degrees and so on). (“Brain drain” in those countries) Barriers to migration AKA “intervening obstacle”

• Historically: physical barriers including distance • Modern example: “Calais Jungle” outside the French side of the Chunnel station in Calais, France: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuCGzDTr9dw • Modern example: US-Mexico border is inhospitable. • Contemporary barriers tend to be political or economic (transportation technology make physical barriers less daunting) • Passports & visas • Discrimination: for example, in Japan, migrants can’t lease an apartment without a Japanese cosigner • Constructed physical barriers: about ¼ of US-Mexico border is fenced or walled. Much of it is patrolled by border patrol agents. • Quotas US Migration Policy

• Naturalization Act of 1790- rules for naturalization (becoming a citizen)- 2 year residency before applying for citizenship. (it’s changed over the years) • 1882- (prohibited Chinese laborers) • Loosened over time. Eventually, specific racial barriers removed by Immigration & Nationality Act of 1965 • Gentlemen’s Agreement (1907) Japanese agreed to stop issuing passports to Japanese who wanted to emigrate to the US • - restrictions for “lunatics,” intellectual disabilities, illiteracy, illness. Limited Asian migration. Marked turn toward nativism. • – created national Origins Formula & first numeric limits on immigration (severely curbed immigration from South & East Europe- fear of anarchists & commies). Prioritized groups already present in the US for family reunification & maintain the WASPy nature of the country. • 1980- Refugee Act. US begins resettling refugees in a systematic way (around 270,000/year) • 1990’s- a bunch of laws that established current preference system & restrictions/punishments for illegal immigration Migrant caravan- we’ll see

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/migrant-caravan-what-happens-if- it-reaches-the-us-border/ Who gets preference in America’s legal migration system? • Family reunification- chain migration • Diversity lottery- preference is given to migrants from countries with low historic migration to the US • High skill migrants using H1b visa (sponsored by an employer) • Concern is growing (esp in tech sector) that US will not be a top destination for these types of migrants or foreigners attending US universities in the future because of growing anti-migrant sentiment. Issues related to migration in the US:

• Stop and Verify laws • Sanctuary city movement • “Amnesty” • “Path to Citizenship” • Historic opposition/racist attitudes: Started with Irish, then Chinese, then Italians, and Eastern Europeans. Anti-migrant sentiment generally coincides with economic downturns. Issues related to migration in Europe

• Migrants from Eastern European countries (esp in Schengen Zone) to Western Europe • Migrants from Middle East & Africa (more recently refugees, too) • Opponents of migration make similar charges of those in the US- high crime, economic problems, unemployment, and so on. • Fun side note: 65-70 million Europeans emigrated during 1800’s- 1900’s. Ironic that many now oppose immigration (not the same people…) • The migration of so many Europeans has had a profound effect: their language, religion, culture, forms of government, food, etc. has shaped the landscape of every other continent.