EXPERT Q&A

The highly polarizing immigration discussions between political parties have led to a lack of appreciation of the work done by those who come to this country, a University of Michigan professor says.

Silvia Pedraza, U-M professor of sociology and American culture, says despite misinformation by some people, Americans are not losing jobs to immigrants.

“Rather, they are taking the jobs that Americans do not want and contributing to our economy and our society rather well,” said Pedraza, who addresses immigration issues below.

What are the significant factors driving immigration today?

In studies of migration, we talk about the push factors in the homeland and the pull factors in the country of destination.

Thinking about the push, Latin America has always been the next-door neighbor to the U.S., but only recently do we see hordes of people from various countries at the border, hoping to get into the U.S., even illegally.

In the 1950s, many countries in Latin America stood at the door to enter the developed world—among them Cuba, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Colombia. Today, the economic and political conditions in those countries have deteriorated to such an extent that their young, well-educated citizens no longer see a future in their country, the homeland they love. They desperately try to leave, hoping to come to the U.S. to find a better life.

Thinking about the pull, the U.S. birth rate of the dominant white population has been steadily falling since the 1960s. The Black population’s birth rate has not fallen as far but their incarceration rates are very high. In recent decades, the Asian population has come to the U.S. due to the Professional Immigration Act of 1990 that targeted well-educated professionals—such as doctors, nurses, computer operators—to work in the U.S. And the level of education of all Americans has risen remarkably, to the point where a college degree is a necessity to enter the middle class.

The result is that there is a dearth of Americans willing to work in a number of low-wage industries—such as agriculture, construction and the service sector—especially the care sector that looks out after children and the elderly. Thus, immigrants come to work in those industries, where the hours are long and the pay is low. We do not have a high regard for their labor but see them as taking jobs away from Americans.

What is the best way for the United States to handle the immigration process?

American society is so polarized politically that I do not see Democrats and Republicans agreeing about anything, much less about immigration. Republicans are trying to use the immigration issue as fodder against the Democrats, blaming them for all the people at the border. It is surprising because there was a bipartisan border security package earlier this year that Republicans blocked after feeling pressure from former President Trump.

The plan would have reduced border crossings and made it challenging for immigrants to qualify for asylum. Before stepping down from the presidential race, President Biden had endorsed the bill. This is the third attempt at immigration reform that has failed since the early 2000s due to the failure of Congress to gather enough bipartisan support in both houses. Nothing will be resolved before the November elections.

The very high levels of undocumented people living and working in our midst are a problem. First, it is a problem for the undocumented because their lives are wrapped in fear, and hang on the mercy of strangers. Second, it is also a problem for everyone else because so many people are willing to work for low wages and in onerous conditions depress everyone else’s wages and keep the jobs from improving.

What would be an ideal immigration policy? One that involves not only the deportations of people who came here to live and work illegally but also one that makes it possible for people to come to the U.S. to live and work legally. That is, we can get tough with those who try to enter illegally but we should do so only if we can enable them to come here legally.

The recent humanitarian parole program that President Joe Biden and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas designed has those qualities. It enables many caring Americans and their institutions (such as churches and synagogues) to become sponsors of immigrants who will add value to this country, as they always have—economically and socially.

At present, the program encompasses Nicaraguans, Venezuelans, Cubans and Haitians whose homelands are so politically fraught. It should be extended to encompass other nationalities, particularly since it depends on the capacity of the sponsors to be responsible for them.

Are there misconceptions about immigration that you encounter in your research?

The most common misconception is when I point out to a white colleague that they also have an immigrant family history and that their family also came from another country. They immediately agree but soon say: “Yes, but they came here legally.”

To this, I reply: “Yes, but they came here before the 1924 Immigration and Nationality Act, the first set of immigration laws in America. There were no laws for them to break. They came from Ireland, from Scotland, from Italy, from Poland, from Eastern Europe—with the same despair that people today who come from Latin America, from Africa, from Asia.”

We would do well to acknowledge that the strength of American society has always been that it is a nation of immigrants. We are not a homogeneous nation, but a nation of people who brought all their various cultures, life experiences, despair and gratitude, and with it wove the cloth that fashioned American culture.