Chelmsford Public Library

"They take our jobs!", and 20 other myths about immigration, Aviva Chomsky

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 215-243)

no index present

non fiction

"They take our jobs!"

bibliography

1005817773

Aviva Chomsky

and 20 other myths about immigration

"Revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book which demystifies twenty-one of the most widespread myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigrations. In "They Take Our Jobs!" Aviva Chomsky challenges the underlying assumptions that fuel misinformed claims about immigrants, radically altering our notions of citizenship, discrimination, and U.S. history. Since it was first published, many of the same myths about immigration such as "immigrants take American jobs," "immigrants don't pay taxes," and "immigrants increase crime" continue to be perpetuated and used to promote aggressive anti-immigration policies. In a new introduction, Chomsky reflects on the events of the past ten years. She analyzes declining Mexican immigration patterns, illuminates Mexico's little-known Southern Border Program, and assesses Obama's complicated legacy as "deporter-in-chief" which, Chomsky argues, inadvertently laid the groundwork for Trump's anti-immigrant racism"--, Provided by publisher

Introduction 2018 -- Introduction 2007 -- Part one. Immigrants and the economy. Myth 1 : Immigrants take American jobs -- Myth 2 : Immigrants compete with low-skilled workers and drive down wages -- Myth 3 : Unions oppose immigration because it harms the working class -- Myth 4 : Immigrants don't pay taxes -- Myth 5 : Immigrants are a drain on the economy -- Myth 6 : Immigrants send most of what they earn out of the country in the form of remittances -- Part two. Immigrants and the law. Myth 7 : The rules apply to everyone, so new immigrants need to follow them just like immigrants in the past did -- Myth 8 : The country is being overrun by illegal immigrants -- Myth 9 : The United States has a generous refugee policy -- Part three. Immigration and race. The United States is a melting pot that has always welcomed immigrants from all over the world -- Myth 11 : Since we are all the descendants of immigrants here, we all start on equal footing -- Myth 12 : Today's immigrants threaten the national culture because they are not assimilating -- Myth 13 : Today's immigrants are not learning English, and bilingual education just adds to the problem --Part four. How have U.S. policies created immigration? Myth 14 : Immigrants only come here because they want to enjoy our higher standard of living -- Case study : the Philippines -- Part five. The debate at the turn of the millennium. Myth 15 : The American public opposes immigration, and the debate in Congress reflects that -- Myth 16 : The overwhelming victory of Proposition 187 in California shows that the public opposes immigration -- Myth 17 : Immigration is a problem -- Myth 18 : Countries need to control who goes in and out -- Myth 19 : We need to protect our borders to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering the country -- Myth 20 : If people break our laws by immigrating illegally, they are criminals and should be deported -- Myth 21 : The problems this book raises are so huge that there's nothing we can do about them -- Epilogue -- Timeline