The United States is often called the land of opportunity. This nickname has, for many years, attracted foreign immigrants from around the world to move to America. This, however, has sparked an increase in xenophobia in the American population as they believe that these immigrants will steal their jobs away from them. However, immigrants don’t steal their jobs; instead they help create them. Immigrants use productivity and human capital to cause economic growth which is beneficial to our nation. Besides having a positive affect, they also affect labor policies regarding discrimination and wages.
Many immigrants come to America for better opportunities and a better life for themselves and their children. Immigrants have different experiences …show more content…
Immigrants who lack human capital are at a disadvantage. As a result, parents invest in their children's education in order to build this human capital. Parents understand that having higher education and various skills will allow their children to have better opportunities. In Charles Wheelan’s Naked Economics it says “Human capital embodies not only classroom training but also perseverance, honesty, creativity-virtues that lend themselves to finding work.” (130) Human capital creates character and creativity allowing us to have innovations and technological advances. This can allow us as a nation to be more advance and be able to grow. However, not all immigrants lack human capital; there are some who are highly skilled, and in order for them to prosper, they work with people who are as equally skilled. This issue is known as brain dump because intellectuals with more human capital in developing countries will go to developed countries such as America. This results in an increase of human capital in America, since human capital positively correlates with productivity we benefit from brain dump. “Human capital is what makes individuals productive, and productivity is what determines our standard of living.”(Wheelan 130). By investing in human capital, we are able to have more skilled workers who are both productive and positively affect the economy because we make …show more content…
It is not that immigrants steal jobs, it is that Americans often think that immigrants should get jobs that match their human capital. In Wheelan’s book it says “individuals do things that make themselves better off”(Wheelan, 285). This applies to immigrants because they are willing to take on any occupation, even manual labor-intensive occupations. This is because they lack the human capital necessary for better jobs. Most Americans don't want or consider these intensive occupations because they believe they can do better. Charles Wheelan also mentions how in other countries workers are willing to work in bad conditions and longer hours because it's better than any other option they have. (288). This idea applies to immigrants as well because they are willing to make sacrifices in order to make ends meet. This misconception can actually be beneficial; immigration can motivate native workers since native workers think they are stealing jobs. This will then create competition which in return promotes productivity. Immigrants and natives actually have different skills that can help one another. Immigrants will take on less skilled jobs, and native workers who used to work those jobs will often move up to better job opportunities. This also allows the native workers to be more specialized which increases
Many immigrants come to America for better opportunities and a better life for themselves and their children. Immigrants have different experiences …show more content…
Immigrants who lack human capital are at a disadvantage. As a result, parents invest in their children's education in order to build this human capital. Parents understand that having higher education and various skills will allow their children to have better opportunities. In Charles Wheelan’s Naked Economics it says “Human capital embodies not only classroom training but also perseverance, honesty, creativity-virtues that lend themselves to finding work.” (130) Human capital creates character and creativity allowing us to have innovations and technological advances. This can allow us as a nation to be more advance and be able to grow. However, not all immigrants lack human capital; there are some who are highly skilled, and in order for them to prosper, they work with people who are as equally skilled. This issue is known as brain dump because intellectuals with more human capital in developing countries will go to developed countries such as America. This results in an increase of human capital in America, since human capital positively correlates with productivity we benefit from brain dump. “Human capital is what makes individuals productive, and productivity is what determines our standard of living.”(Wheelan 130). By investing in human capital, we are able to have more skilled workers who are both productive and positively affect the economy because we make …show more content…
It is not that immigrants steal jobs, it is that Americans often think that immigrants should get jobs that match their human capital. In Wheelan’s book it says “individuals do things that make themselves better off”(Wheelan, 285). This applies to immigrants because they are willing to take on any occupation, even manual labor-intensive occupations. This is because they lack the human capital necessary for better jobs. Most Americans don't want or consider these intensive occupations because they believe they can do better. Charles Wheelan also mentions how in other countries workers are willing to work in bad conditions and longer hours because it's better than any other option they have. (288). This idea applies to immigrants as well because they are willing to make sacrifices in order to make ends meet. This misconception can actually be beneficial; immigration can motivate native workers since native workers think they are stealing jobs. This will then create competition which in return promotes productivity. Immigrants and natives actually have different skills that can help one another. Immigrants will take on less skilled jobs, and native workers who used to work those jobs will often move up to better job opportunities. This also allows the native workers to be more specialized which increases