Misconceptions
There are many Americans today that are still very misinformed about immigrants. There are still many misconceptions that these individuals have towards immigrants. It is important to be informed and enlightened about the misconceptions regarding immigrants and immigration before continuing with the contributions immigrants have made in the United States.
Many may believe that immigrants are more likely to become criminals, immigrants take lower paying jobs, and undocumented immigrants have no rights in the United States. Anyone can become a criminal. However, it has been shown that immigrants have a lower incarceration rate than native born Americans (Desnoë, 2008). Immigrants, both legal and illegal, have a lower incarceration rate because most immigrants come to America to make a good life forthemselves. Most try to keep out of trouble to make sure they can have that new life; especially those immigrants who have come to America illegally because they don’t want to risk deportation.
For some immigrants coming into America, employers would pay them less for not being able to speak the English language. However, immigrants contribute to the workforce by taking up job positions that native-born American workers are unwilling to take up themselves. Immigrants also create new small business' and contribute to the economy by purchasing consumer goods. There are other reasons that immigrants seem to take up low paying jobs; according to the Equal Rights Center article, education is a major factor:
The reason there are so many low-wage jobs open right now is because over the last fifty years, the education level of the American worker has changed; [whereas] fifty years ago about 50% had graduated from high school, now it’s over 80%. The economy reflects that with higher paying jobs that require college degrees. That doesn’t mean that janitorial and food preparation services have gone away—those jobs still need to be filled.
Many may believe that immigrants are more likely to become criminals, immigrants take lower paying jobs, and undocumented immigrants have no rights in the United States. Anyone can become a criminal. However, it has been shown that immigrants have a lower incarceration rate than native born Americans (Desnoë, 2008). Immigrants, both legal and illegal, have a lower incarceration rate because most immigrants come to America to make a good life forthemselves. Most try to keep out of trouble to make sure they can have that new life; especially those immigrants who have come to America illegally because they don’t want to risk deportation.
For some immigrants coming into America, employers would pay them less for not being able to speak the English language. However, immigrants contribute to the workforce by taking up job positions that native-born American workers are unwilling to take up themselves. Immigrants also create new small business' and contribute to the economy by purchasing consumer goods. There are other reasons that immigrants seem to take up low paying jobs; according to the Equal Rights Center article, education is a major factor:
The reason there are so many low-wage jobs open right now is because over the last fifty years, the education level of the American worker has changed; [whereas] fifty years ago about 50% had graduated from high school, now it’s over 80%. The economy reflects that with higher paying jobs that require college degrees. That doesn’t mean that janitorial and food preparation services have gone away—those jobs still need to be filled.
In the United States of America there is a constitution that is made up of amendments that spell out the rights of the people. These constitutional amendment rights give specific freedoms to the people. The fourteenth amendment provides “…equal protection under the law to all persons (not only citizens) within their jurisdictions. Moreover, no person can be denied the right to due process” (Desnoë, 2008). Both legal and illegal immigrants have rights in the United States. The only difference is that illegal immigrants only have the right to due process. They cannot have their liberty, life or property taken away without having a proper legal proceeding. Undocumented children also have the same rights as United States citizens to receive an education in primary and secondary schools in the United States.