Zeke Hernandez’s book The Truth About Immigration tackles one of the most contentious topics in modern politics. He examines the impact of immigration on society. Critically, he advocates for a view based upon a better understanding of the impact of immigration on the societies that receive people. In doing so he makes a positive case for immigration. (BTW I took some courses with Zeke when we were doing our PhDs at Minnesota).
Immigration As A Threat
Many people see immigration as a threat. In this thinking, ‘people from over there, come over here, and cause all sorts of problems’. The challenge is that we often don’t have a good perception of what causes problems. Sometimes we see things as threats when they aren’t.
Do people commit crimes? Yes, they do.
Are immigrants people? Yes, they are.
So logically they will commit crimes. The question is whether they commit more crimes than other people.
Do immigrants especially undocumented immigrants really commit more crimes than natives?….
Hernandez, 2024, page 163
No.
Not by a country mile.
And anyone who tells you otherwise is either misinformed or lying.
You should read the book to understand how researchers come to that conclusion. Note that this isn’t based on the idea that immigrants are simply better people for some reason. Instead, the logic is simple economic thought. Doing something wrong has higher consequences for immigrants, e.g., deportation, than the native people, and so they take more care not to commit crimes.
Allowing Immigration Isn’t Just About Being Saintly
Part of the problem with discussions about immigration is that many people who advocate for immigration make the case as one of charity, helping the huddled masses. Yet, that is far from the full story. Many immigrants bring skills, ideas, energy, and investments that make the receiving society better off.
Hernandez discusses how the immigration system was set up in two major stages. The 1924 approach had an explicitly racist approach. E.g., the lawmakers said ‘no Chinese’. This was modified in 1965 to be less racist but strange ideas were left in place partly to get the new approch passed. There was a limit on the visas that can be issued to those from any single country. If you come from a small country that isn’t too much of a problem. If you come from China or India it is. Hernanadez notes that with over half a million Indians with graduate degrees in the queue for EB-2 (employment-based) visas the wait was once projected at 195 years. I’m going to say something controversial; but nearly two centuries seems too long to be in a queue to me. Think of all the talented people who the US is never going to issue a visa to because they happen to be Indian. (Various efforts have been made to improve this but it has proved tough despite it being an obvious problem).
It also makes you think that those who argue immigrants should just wait their turn in the queue perhaps aren’t completely thinking through what a wait of even thirty years means. When you get past a certain age you probably won’t be able to come to the US. (And absolutely not if you have any pre-existing medical conditions).
A Positive Case For Immigration
Hernandez suggests an overhaul of our immigration procedures.
When it comes to immigration, we need to change our approach. The US and European countries are facing situations where native-born populations are declining/or will decline. It doesn’t take a genius to see that someone needs to be working to pay for the older people these Western countries will have. While birth rates are falling worldwide there are still plenty of people who would like to come. Setting up a system that allows for this can be better for everyone. There is a positive case for immigration.
The good news is that allowing these courageous movers to pursue their dreams makes the societies that welcome them more successful.
Hernandez, 2024, page 262
For more on population see here and here.
Read: Zeke Hernandez ( 2024) The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers, St. Martin’s Press