Should we still allow immigration?

[JSmile]

As my parents are immigrants, I can make a fair opinion on immigrants. I've had this theory:

People who are immigrating from their country are coming to seek refuge in America, therefore they did not live a good life in their own country. Aren't we then just taking in the bottom of the barrel of other countries?

I've thought about this and would like other's opinions. Should we say they need a certain income, or how many family mebers can come into the country? What do you think?

 

[Steeplerot]

We should allow immigrants until there is no more America -this is what we all are (except the Native Americans)
Locking the borders out from the more recent immigrants that happen to not be white is pretty lame and
our melting pot dilutes in the same foul way we came here to escape from in the first place.

 

[Stunt]

My friend's parents immigrated from Iran. His mom majored in CS and his dad in Elec Eng. Both were not accredited when coming to Canada. Ususally immigrants are some of the most qualified in their original country but cannot practice here.

Becoming an immigrant is a tough and long process. The US gets some great immigrants, I think you may be refering to refugees.
In which case the NEW US economy is great. Low paying service jobs are on the rise!

Besides, if you are making the assumption that they are low income earners, they are doing nothing more than investing in the economy with their labour and consumption of goods and services.

 

[Steeplerot]

When I see 50 zillion illegal workers up on a bigass mountain picking tons of food for our safeways(grocery stores)
for like no pay at all but shelter and a little bit to try to climb there way up in a society obsessed with money and quite
a few intolerant folks in charge that treat them like sh1t I want to get out climb up there and thank them.
They are the true Americans nowdays not some flag waving suburban fool hiding in his mchouse covering the landscape with dreary sameness.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: JSmile
As my parents are immigrants, I can make a fair opinion on immigrants. I've had this theory:

People who are immigrating from their country are coming to seek refuge in America, therefore they did not live a good life in their own country. Aren't we then just taking in the bottom of the barrel of other countries?

I've thought about this and would like other's opinions. Should we say they need a certain income, or how many family mebers can come into the country? What do you think?

usually immigrants are the top of the barrel of other countries... it takes a certain kind of person to uproot and move to a completely different culture.

 

[rickn]

Should we still allow immigration?

absolutely

 

[DWW]

Yes--if they promise to lose the accent and speak decent Engrish

In Canada they mostly to the major urban centres so you can avoid them and live in quaint little villages with like-minded folk if you want to. It isn't wrong to say that some people just want to live with their "own type" when own type can often be stereotyped by race because (not always but still more than not) it is a an approximate reflection of what cultures and views they'd possess.

*flamesuit on*

 

[Infohawk]

I don't think we need more immigrants. I think we should help people in their own countries. I just don't see a good reason to have immigration on such a large level.

What especially irks me today is that we train so many people to be doctors and such from other countries. I mean wtf? Not only do I want to be able to communicate with my doctor but I think our kids should have first dibs. Now if someone wanted to help fund hospitals in poor countries, I'd be all for it. But in a lot of ways all this outsourcing and immigration is making life worse for the people still here. And I don't give a crap about having cheap farm hands or janitors. I'm willing to pay more for Americans to do these jobs.

PS. I don't think people who want to emmigrate are bottom of the barrel on principle (just like I dont' think people here who aren't rich because their daddy wasn't rich are bottom of the barrel). That said I have a feeling the people saying they're all super-awesome are a little biased. They're people like anyone else, no better or worse.

 

[daveshel]

The way things are headed with the merger of church and state, immigrants will be required to convert to Christianity.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: daveshel
The way things are headed with the merger of church and state, immigrants will be required to convert to Christianity.

The way things are headed, Americans are going to be the ones emmigrating soon.

 

[Hecubus2000]

I'm all for LEGAL immigration.

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: Infohawk

Originally posted by: daveshel
The way things are headed with the merger of church and state, immigrants will be required to convert to Christianity.

The way things are headed, Americans are going to be the ones emmigrating soon.

Hehe, lots of space for New Englanders in Canada...we will start a rich, centrist, productive country with few radical biblethumpers from the south.

 

[Luck JF]

Anyone who wants to move here should be able to. Likewise, I should be able to move anywhere else I want.

 

[sandorski]

Like Europe, North America(Canada and US) needs Immigrants just to maintain population levels. In fact, Immigration is an important part of keeping SS/CPP afloat as the Baby Boomers retire.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Like Europe, North America(Canada and US) needs Immigrants just to maintain population levels. In fact, Immigration is an important part of keeping SS/CPP afloat as the Baby Boomers retire.

You know, I never really bought this population levels thing. There's an alternative, our standard of living will go down relative to other period of time but still taking in the natural rise of the standard of living. Look at Japan, they have a dwindling population but they're not taking in TONS (yes some but not tons of people). Sure, having a declining population is bad but it's not the end of the world and you don't have to deal with the social and cultural costs of immigration.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: Stunt
My friend's parents immigrated from Iran. His mom majored in CS and his dad in Elec Eng. Both were not accredited when coming to Canada. Ususally immigrants are some of the most qualified in their original country but cannot practice here.

That's messed up. A degree from a third world country university is generally more prestigious than a degree from most Canadian universities.

 

[Vic]

We should continue to allow legal immigration on a strictly limited and regulated basis. Illegal immigrants should be deported on sight.

 

[biostud]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Stunt
My friend's parents immigrated from Iran. His mom majored in CS and his dad in Elec Eng. Both were not accredited when coming to Canada. Ususally immigrants are some of the most qualified in their original country but cannot practice here.

That's messed up. A degree from a third world country university is generally more prestigious than a degree from most Canadian universities.

Is this based on a scientific report or is it a personal belief?

 

[CanOWorms]

I think the US should ramp up immigration to even higher quantities.

I also think that we should make efforts to retain all of our graduate-level foreign students in the country. Remove restrictions on foreign students so that it's easier for them to study and stay here. Over half of our engineering graduate schools are foreign students. We should encourage them even more so to stay here. It's one of our biggest assets. We get the top foreign students in the world. Our domestic population is supplemented by this class. It's one of the reasons why the US is the leading technological country in the world.

Another thing to think about is that 60%+ of our students that excel in sciences & math are immigrants or the children of immigrants. What would our future be like if immigration was restricted 20 years ago?

 

[rchiu]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I think the US should ramp up immigration to even higher quantities.

I also think that we should make efforts to retain all of our graduate-level foreign students in the country. Remove restrictions on foreign students so that it's easier for them to study and stay here. Over half of our engineering graduate schools are foreign students. We should encourage them even more so to stay here. It's one of our biggest assets. We get the top foreign students in the world. Our domestic population is supplemented by this class. It's one of the reasons why the US is the leading technological country in the world.

Another thing to think about is that 60%+ of our students that excel in sciences & math are immigrants or the children of immigrants. What would our future be like if immigration was restricted 20 years ago?

Hehe, very good point, but the sad reality is what you proposed will never happen, not until politicians has the balls to do what's right and not what is popular.

Middle/upper class American will never support removing the immigration restrictions on foreign students because they afriad those students will take away the good paying job. On the other hand, those Mexican immigrations who come accross the border will probably have a better chance of becoming permant residents because they have strong support from the hispanic community.

It doesn't matter if those skilled foreign students can be more productive than the average Mexican immigrants from across the border . As long as it is not politically beneficial for the people making laws to help those foreign students, politicians won't make it easy for the skilled foreign students to stay here, even if that is the right thing to do.

 

[Infohawk]

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I think the US should ramp up immigration to even higher quantities.

I also think that we should make efforts to retain all of our graduate-level foreign students in the country. Remove restrictions on foreign students so that it's easier for them to study and stay here. Over half of our engineering graduate schools are foreign students. We should encourage them even more so to stay here. It's one of our biggest assets. We get the top foreign students in the world. Our domestic population is supplemented by this class. It's one of the reasons why the US is the leading technological country in the world.

Another thing to think about is that 60%+ of our students that excel in sciences & math are immigrants or the children of immigrants. What would our future be like if immigration was restricted 20 years ago?

What about the Americans who get booted out because of the increased competition? Better scientists but less jobs. I'd rather have a job or a place at a university.

 

[CanOWorms]

Originally posted by: rchiu

Originally posted by: CanOWorms
I think the US should ramp up immigration to even higher quantities.

I also think that we should make efforts to retain all of our graduate-level foreign students in the country. Remove restrictions on foreign students so that it's easier for them to study and stay here. Over half of our engineering graduate schools are foreign students. We should encourage them even more so to stay here. It's one of our biggest assets. We get the top foreign students in the world. Our domestic population is supplemented by this class. It's one of the reasons why the US is the leading technological country in the world.

Another thing to think about is that 60%+ of our students that excel in sciences & math are immigrants or the children of immigrants. What would our future be like if immigration was restricted 20 years ago?

Hehe, very good point, but the sad reality is what you proposed will never happen, not until politicians has the balls to do what's right and not what is popular.

Actually there's a bill being proposed by politicians to not include foreigners graduating from an MS or PHD program in the US into the H1-B visa count.

 

[Ethex]

I think all immigrants should be forced to live in Iowa or North Dakota for their first few years in America. Freeways in California are way too crowded.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: biostud666

Originally posted by: CanOWorms

Originally posted by: Stunt
My friend's parents immigrated from Iran. His mom majored in CS and his dad in Elec Eng. Both were not accredited when coming to Canada. Ususally immigrants are some of the most qualified in their original country but cannot practice here.

That's messed up. A degree from a third world country university is generally more prestigious than a degree from most Canadian universities.

Is this based on a scientific report or is it a personal belief?

Flung dung.

 

[cpumaster]

Hmm,but immigrants are some of the biggest contributor to American advances today. eg. Intel ex-CEO Andy Grove is an immigrant (or his parents are?), Einstein was an immigrant, most of US atomic scientists are immigrants, etc
Do you want to ban them? Or you just want to be able to pick and choose who you'll allowed into the country, assuming you have perfect hindsight into the future of what their contribution are to US?