Interview with a Journalist about Anti-Immigrant Policies.
- Madeline Gibbs
- Jan 9, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Aug 21, 2021
Hi all!
So, I was interviewed by a journalist regarding the 2020 US Presidential Election. Below is a copy of the piece and the link to find it on the local news website. I had wanted to post it earlier, but, given the extreme tension of the election, the delayed results due to the mail-ballots (thanks, COVID-19!!), I held off. The last thing I wanted was anyone accusing me of trying to sway their vote...
So, I figured I'd let the dust settle, then post it. However, as we've seen, the results of the election were contested to the point of violence, and even death. People died because they believed their party leader had lost the election- a belief based entirely on what they had been told and warped facts and information.
Seems ironic, doesn't it, that the followers of this leader scream and shout about 'alternative facts' and 'false media' and other nonsense all the time, yet are so willing to offer up these same morsels when confronted about the information they've been given....? Anyways! I didn't want to delay any longer, so here it is.... My interview with a journalist. The focus is the economic importance of immigrants in America and why America should focus on facilitating their naturalisation, because, believe it or not, we ALL benefit from naturalising immigrants.
Thank you, and happy reading.
* * *
Written by: Ms. A. E. Walker from the New American Economy. https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/
I moved to the U.S. from Manchester, UK in early 2016, just as the last presidential campaigns were heading into their final stretch. I’d visited America many times in my late teens and early twenties, and I always thought it was a wonderful place. But when I moved here full-time to be with my American fiancé while pregnant with our son, reality hit. It wasn’t only the lack of universal healthcare and paid family leave—which are standard in other leading countries including Germany, Canada and my native U.K.—that shocked me.
It was the fact that a country founded by immigrants, which calls itself a bastion of tolerance and boundless opportunity, had embraced an anti-immigrant candidate. America had long been a place known for welcoming outsiders from around the world and giving them the chance to thrive. It made me question whether the country still lived by these ideals. But one man does not define a nation. I know many people here in North Carolina who voted for Trump in 2016 and may do so again.
But they have never treated me with anything but warmth and kindness. Getting to know them, I understand why they long for a different kind of government. Life here can be challenging. Our state’s minimum wage is just $7.25; that’s well below the annual salary of $87,426 that the Economic Policy Institute estimates a family of four needs to live modestly here in Hyde County. Trump presented himself as a businessman who and promised to boost the economy. For many people here, that was enough.
Please consider that anti-immigrant policies won’t save your job, help get you hired or raise your minimum wage. Instead, anti-immigrant policies out will reduce money for social security and Medicare by billions. It will mean fewer new companies, smaller workforces and a slower recovery. That’s as true here in North Carolina as it is nationwide.
As a group, immigrants in our state pay $7 billion in taxes annually, according to the immigration nonprofit New American Economy. And we create jobs: more than 56,000 immigrant business owners in North Carolina employ 151,117 North Carolinians. These companies add $26.7 billion to our GDP. Even some of Trump’s top aides have admitted that the U.S. relies on immigrants to help expand the economy and get more Americans working. Immigrants are also crucial to our economic recovery. After the 2008 recession, immigrants created businesses at twice the rate compared to native-born Americans. Immigrants are also heavily represented in healthcare and other essential sectors. In fact, nearly half of all immigrants—and over 78 percent of undocumented immigrants—work in fields that the Department of Homeland Security considers essential and critical.
Furthermore, the more we treat immigrants like Americans, the more they contribute to our economy. An Urban Institute Study of 21 U.S. cities found if eligible immigrants naturalized, their individual earnings would increase on average by nearly 9 percent, translating to a combined $5.7 billion more for the GDP and $2 billion for taxes.
And yet the federal government is leaving a lot of money on the table. Over 290,000 immigrants in the naturalization backlog who should be able to vote next month won’t have the chance. COVID-19 delays are partly to blame.
But so is unnecessary vetting and mismanagement of USCIS. Naturalization wait times have doubled since 2016. In Raleigh, where the closest USCIS field office is located, the process can take up to 22 months. Now, more than 5,000 North Carolinians, who were still waiting to be naturalized at the end of August will likely miss the state’s October 31st voter registration deadline. It’s undemocratic to keep eligible people from voting. But economically, it’s not in America’s best interest.
I was lucky to be naturalized last month. On November 3rd, it will be my honor and my duty as an American to cast my ballot. When I do, I will vote for candidates who understand that welcoming immigration policies strengthen our economy, create jobs, and fund our most prized government programs. I will do this on behalf of immigrants who missed their chance to vote this year but also for my American-born neighbors. I care deeply about my community and don’t want to see anyone here struggling. Immigrants will help lift up this country as they have done for generations. If only we’ll let them.
Madeline Gibbs is a new U.S. citizen and first-time voter living in Greenville, NC.
News Link:
Image source:
Comments