While much of the immigration debate in the presidential race has surrounded crime and costs, there’s the issue of the impact to jobs and to the overall economy. A new report from Harvard is shocking, but it also reinforces what many folks already know- illegal immigrants are getting all the jobs. This is why Main Street firmly believes in the deportation of 11 million illegal immigrants. It will open up jobs that currently pay too little.
There’s no doubt employers would have to fork over more dough if there were no alternative to cheap workers that rarely complain.
But what about legal immigrants who also enjoy a higher rate of employment than native-born men? There’s no shipping them out. On the contrary, employers are fighting feverishly for ways to bring in even more. I understand the major pushback when I echo Silicon Valley sentiment that Americans are not educated enough to fill some jobs; on the other end of the spectrum, Donald Trump says Americans will not do things such as work seasonal jobs in the hot Floridian sun.
What Happened to Our Native Sons
“Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread.”
¯ Richard Wright, Native Son
However, it is not the slowdown in being an employee. It’s also the reluctance to be the boss, which is a cause of concern with Americans, particularly native-born Americans.
Entrepreneur trends continue to point to reluctance to start businesses in this country of milk and honey. There are some reasons for the changes, including massive funding opportunities for immigrants whether it is in Silicon Valley or in a neighborhood fish market. But it is more than that as well, something is slipping or being stripped from our DNA that makes us the envy of the world.The lack of self-realization has resulted in a broken nation. Or has a broken nation resulted in a lack of self-realization? I am not quite sure, but something is amiss.
Entrepreneurship |
1996 |
2014 |
White |
77.1% |
59.1% |
Black |
8.4% |
9.2% |
Latino |
10.0% |
22.1% |
Asian |
3.4% |
6.8% |
Other |
1.0% |
2.7% |
Entrepreneurship |
1996 |
2014 |
Native-Born |
86.7% |
71.5% |
Immigrant |
13.3% |
28.5% |
Kauffman Index
For me, the point is what does it say about Americans in general, particularly men coming out of the woodwork to vote for the first time in years that the American dream seems so unattainable? The issues are real; while voting is great, the solutions have to come from within. Maybe a leader can have an honest conversation that serves as a collective and an individual call to arms.
Moreover, it is not to throw the bums out, but it’s to bring our inner self out.
The clock is ticking, native-born Americans can ill afford the next 20 years to change the way the last 20 have.
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