Assimilation key to successful immigration

Both sides' proposals would frustrate that which is most needed

ROBERT SAMUELSON

Washington Post Writers Group

WASHINGTON - It's all about assimilation -- or should be. One of America's glories is that it has assimilated many waves of immigrants. Outsiders have become insiders. But it hasn't been easy. Every new group has struggled: Germans, Irish, Jews and Italians. All have encountered economic hardship, prejudice and discrimination. If today's immigration does not end in assimilation, it will be a failure. By this standard, I think the major contending sides in the present bitter debate are leading us astray. Their proposals, if adopted, would frustrate assimilation.

On the one hand, we have the "cop" school. It adamantly opposes amnesty and would make being here illegally a felony, as opposed to being a lesser crime. It toughens a variety of penalties against illegal immigrants. Somehow, elevating the seriousness of the crime would deprive them of jobs, so illegal immigrants would return to Mexico or wherever. This is a pipe dream; the numbers are simply too large.

But it is a pipe dream that, if pursued, would inflict enormous social damage. The mere threat of a crackdown stigmatizes much of the Hispanic population -- whether they're legal or illegal immigrants; or whether they've been here for generations. (In 2004, there were 40 million Hispanics, says the Pew Hispanic Center; about 55 percent were estimated to be native born, 25 percent legal immigrants and 20 percent illegal immigrants.) People feel threatened and insulted. Who wouldn't?

On the other hand, we have the "guest worker" advocates. They want 400,000 or more new foreign workers annually. This would supposedly curtail illegal immigration and also cure "shortages" of unskilled American workers. Everyone wins? Not really.

Guest workers won't leave

The term "guest worker" is a misnomer. Whatever the rules, most guest workers would not leave. The pull of U.S. wages (on average, almost five times what can be earned in Mexico) is too great. Moreover, there's no general shortage of unskilled workers. In March, the unemployment rate of high-school dropouts 25 years and older was 7 percent. By contrast, the unemployment rate of college graduates in March was 2.2 percent. Given the glut of unskilled workers relative to demand, their wages often lag inflation.Guest worker advocates don't acknowledge that poor, unskilled immigrants -- legal or illegal -- create huge social costs. Every year, the Census Bureau issues a report on "Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage." According to the 2004 report, Hispanic children in poverty are up 43 percent since 1990; meanwhile, the numbers of black and non-Hispanic white children in poverty declined 16.9 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively.

Result: A polarized society

One side would offend and ostracize much of the Hispanic community. The other would encourage mounting social and economic costs. Either way, we get a more polarized society.

On immigration, I am an optimist. We are basically a decent, open and tolerant nation. Americans respect hard work and achievement. That's why assimilation has ultimately triumphed. But I am not a foolish optimist. Assimilation requires time and the right conditions. It cannot succeed if we constantly flood the country with new, poor immigrants or embark on a vendetta against those already here.

Our policies should recognize these realities. Curb illegal immigration with true border barriers. Provide legal status (call it amnesty or whatever) -- first, work permits, then citizenship -- for most illegal immigrants already here. Remove the job lure by imposing harsh fines against employers who hire new illegal immigrants. Reject big guest worker programs.

The new Italians?

It's sometimes said that today's Hispanics will resemble yesterday's Italians. Although they won't advance as rapidly as some other groups of more-skilled immigrants, they'll still move into the mainstream. Many have -- and will. But the overall analogy is a stretch, according to a new study, "Italians Then, Mexicans Now," by sociologist Joel Perlmann. Since 1970, wages of Mexican immigrants compared with those of native whites have declined. By contrast, wages of Italians and Poles who arrived early in the last century rose over time. Second-generation Italians and Poles typically earned 90 percent or more compared to native whites. For second-generation Mexican-Americans, the similar figure is 75 percent.

One big difference between then and now: immigration slowly halted during and after World War I. Outsiders and insiders could adapt to each other. We should heed history's lesson.

Robert

Samuelson