Woe is America. In the past 10 years we’ve experienced two recessions, an overall loss of 1 million jobs – and an influx of 13.1 million legal and illegal aliens streaming across the borders.
File photo from illegal alien bust with 97 packed in a truck
Somehow the math is not working here.
Take the United States back to the 1990s, which came with an overall growth of 21 million new jobs – yet an influx of fewer immigrants, at 12.1 million.
The verdict? Just because the country dries up, sours up and seems to have lost that shimmying sheen of the American Dream, people keep on coming.
These fun facts – and more – are in a report from the Center for Immigration Studies, which analyzed data from the Census Bureau’s March Current Population Survey.
Yes, we know. Pro-immigration folks are none too fond of the Center for Immigration Studies, calling it slanted and anti-human rights for illegal aliens.
Let’s continue anyway.
Census results are not yet available, but the Current Population Survey, also known as the Annual Social and Economic Supplement, gives us a glimpse into population trends.
The big immigration trend continues, the Center argues, because immigration is not based solely on job availability.
This does not mean the economy is irrelevant to immigration levels, the report notes. Rather it means that many factors in addition to the economy impact the flow new immigrants into the country.
Such factors as the desire to be with relatives, political freedom, lower levels of official corruption, and the generosity of American taxpayer-funded public services are all among the reasons people come to the United States.
These things do not change during a recession or even during a prolonged period of relatively weak economic growth, like the decade just completed.
Other fascinating findings from the study include:
– Among the states with the largest proportional increase in their immigrant populations over the last decade are Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky, Alaska, Mississippi, Arkansas, Washington, North Carolina, Maryland, and Nebraska.
– In 2008 and 2009, 2.4 million new immigrants (legal and illegal) settled in the United States, even though 8.2 million jobs were lost over the same period.
– The new data indicate that, without a change in U.S. immigration policy, the level of new immigration can remain high even in the face of massive job losses.
Not looking good for the math ever working here.
Some may immediately go on the defense, saying the numbers are all wrong and to look at 43 other studies from 62 other agencies that go and prove immigration is down or job loss never reached an overall 1 million or that Tennessee really did not experience a large proportional increase in immigrants.
Others may continue the crusade that immigration to America is a basic human right, regardless if its done through the proper channels or not and regardless of its impact on current U.S. citizens.
But no matter how much arguing is done until we’re all blue in the face, one solid observation remains the same – Woe is America.
Note on terminology: In its report, the Center for Immigration Studies uses the term “immigrant” to mean all persons living in this country who were not U.S. citizens at birth.
[tnipoll]
What do you think?
Has the past decade been woeful or joyful for you?
Have you lost a job due to the recession?
Have you found yourself in the process?
You make it sound like its an invasion we just have to accept?
that’s the response the issue has had – a kind of ‘o well, whatever’ to it all.
when measures are enacted to do something, they are yelled about and shot down.
what else should we expect?
Just think my comments are “awaiting moderation” even at your blogsite. What happened –is the Three Sonorans running your blogsite too?
hiya again fraser007 –
every time you comment, this little line appears:
‘Unapproved because the commenter has been reported as a spammer by a blogger.’
so yes, whomever marked the ‘spammer’ little check box put up an alert all others must manually go through. i’ll see if i can change my settings because it’s dang annoying.
Thanks. I have no idea what he heck that is about? As you know I dont do that kind of stuff. I do make life miserable for “Progressives”, Socialists, leftists and Open Borders folks. Someone has to. But I never insult or use personal insults.
Probably some Leftist did that to me!!! lol
Don’t consider myself lucky, but things haven’t been good or bad. There has been the reaching of a point of my career where things just go ahead.
hey alan in kent wa,
thanks for input – and that must mean you picked a career that fits you dandily – if you had not, things would not just go ahead but instead just go down the toilet – hahah
good for you!
Leave the Legal immigrants out. They are the reason this country has been going forward for more than a century. Job loss and bad economy are result of bad governance and bad economic policies. Even with an no-immigrant-ideal state, the economic cycles are bound to happen. In fact legal immigrants bring a lot of new and innovative ideas. Look at the entrepreneur statistics. Name any scientific or technology company. They are all thriving with brilliant minds that help the society. I don’t see any problems with legal immigrants who contribute to the society and play by the rules. And remember this is a country of immigrants and it will always be.
hi adam,
thanks for the comment – i don’t see any problems with legal immigrants, either – the main reason they are included above is because the stats offered mixed all immigrants – legal and illegal – together. no breakdown between legal and illegal, just u.s. citizen and non-u.s. citizen.
if people want to immigrate legally and, as you say ‘play by the rules’ i say go for it! i, too, agree that a lot is gained.
Attrition through enforcement is the only feasible solution to the illegal immigration problem. Be sure and vote for politicians who support this approach or these numbers will keep climbing.
And by doing that it really shows just how dedicated the illegal aliens really are. If they were here to become citizens they would stay and try to do it right. Or more properly dont come at all. That would be better. They just think of us as a big job market inhabited by a bunch of evil white people. Other than cheap lettuce, motel rooms and drywall workers we gain nothing from them.
See my comments are “still awaiting consideration”. The comments are the same as anyone else. Guess the liberals dont like me. Sick. So much for democracy.
hey fraser007 –
sorry about your plight. there is no setting i see that i can change to override whatever was done.
guess it’s just another example of double standards – freedom of speech, as long as you agree with whomever is graciously granting that ‘freedom’
Illegals will keep coming into this country, because they know our justice system doesn’t work. They know that if they get caught, they will probably be released, to appear on a set date. They never show up. There is NO penalty. We must do like European countries. Lock them up until they get deported. Lock them up without all the fancy extras. The current jail system is like staying in a hotel for a lot of them, our criminals too. Jail should not be a pleasant place to stay.
The current jail system is like staying in a hotel …
Spent enough time there to know?
Let’s see – complaints about how immigrants are draining the economy and “taking our jobs”, complaints about lax enforcement of the law and the “coddling” of criminals. If it wasn’t for Jimmie Johnson, there’d be nothing to be thankful for.
Seeing opportunity in the inevitable financial collapse and demise of the middle classes my red friend? 😉
Hey Rynski…doesn’t this fit into the nasty little unmentionable truths category that no one else cares to discuss rationally? You rebel… 😉
ha! sometimes i just can’t help myself…sigh….