The 3rd Güey

Dr. George Borjas, Harvard Economist,

internationally renowned expert on

labor and immigration economics.

A large portion of the immigration debate is dominated by race-ists; that is, ideologues who view social phenomena according to race and not pertinent economic factors.

On one side there are race-ists who are opposed to non-white immigration and are deeply troubled by the ethno-demographic changes that have occurred since 1965. A small segment of this group harbors little more than primitive, reprehensible racism. A larger segment of this group is not truly racist; rather they are simply concerned about the negative social and economic repercussions of immigration. They correctly point out that the rate of welfare use among certain immigrant groups is far higher than among native households (15.4%): Dominicans (54.9%), Cambodians (47.9%) and Mexicans (34.1%). But, as I shall discuss later in this posting, they incorrectly attribute the source of this costly burden to race and ethnicity.

On the other side there are race-ists who mindlessly sing the virtues of diversity and immigration without analyzing the economic costs and benefits of our current immigration policies. Debates on costs and benefits are silenced by empty, emotional platitudes like "we are a nation of immigrants." These race-ists incorrectly attribute all reservations about our current immigration policies to racism and xenophobia.

There is a 3rd, rational güey (Mexican slang for "guy") that transcends race and focuses on real economic issues. The best example of this is the Harvard Economist George Borjas who believes that race and national origin are largely irrelevant factors. Dr. Borjas proves that education and skill level of immigrants and native born Americans alike are the prime factors that determine if they offer net economic benefits or impose a net economic costs on the United States. A highly trained engineer or doctor will contribute more in taxes than they consume in government services, regardless if they are from Maine or Mexico, Texas or Thailand. And a high school dropout with few marketable skills will inevitably be a tax burden regardless if they are from South Carolina or South Korea, Alabama or Albania. Accordingly, the reason why welfare use is nearly 10 times higher in Dominica immigrants (54.9%) than in Indian immigrants (5.6%) is not because Dominicans are inferior; rather it's because our current immigration policy brings in the most educated segments of Indian society and the least educated segments of Dominican society.

The 3rd güey offers a clear, rational, honest, economic approach to immigration bereft of the irrational fear and dogma that dominate our current debates. The 3rd güey seeks to educate Americans about the economic and social impact of our immigration policies, but doesn't mandate a direct course of action because as Dr. Borjas states "facts alone do not have any implications for immigration policy. The country must first decide what it is that the policy should accomplish. Depending on the objectives, the same set of facts can have very different policy implications." Such a rational, empirical and intellectually honest approach to public policy is painfully rare. I am resolute in my belief that the only way to create immigration policies that offer the greatest social and economic benefits to immigrants and native born Americans alike is to purge the debate of irrational race-ism and mindless dogma and instead focus on rational economics, coupled with well defined goals. Unfortunately in a nation in which even the political elites are economically illiterate, the chances of that are slim to none.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Borjas