The Effect Of Citizenship On American Culture

Many of today’s native-born Americans are demanding the deportation and rejection of millions of immigrants that search for a better life in the United States. Disease, crime, illiteracy, and monetary instability are all points that anti-immigrant supporters like to point on on popular media outlets today, but most of these “facts” are either untrue or exaggerated. The acceptance of these immigrants into our country will help our economy, create a more diverse culture, and lower overall crime for minorities.
The arguments that both documented and undocumented immigrants will strip us of our jobs and throw the economy on its head are based solely on hyperbole. Foreigners that make, or attempt to make, lives in this country actually increase wages for native-born Americans that do not have a high school diploma according to a 2012 economic analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research. This is largely due to that fact that immigrants are consumers as well as employees. People will not just get a paycheck and then stuff it in a secret stash somewhere, they are going to spend it. The majority cycles that money back into the economy and makes businesses more profitable. Not to mention that the job prospects are increased for those born in America by immigrants as well. Census data from a 2007 shows that immigrants own businesses, start businesses, and hire employees at a much higher rate than any native-born Americans have in the past. Immigrants have a positive effect on high school graduation rates and, in turn, employment rates also. Our struggling economy can only benefit from the acceptance of working immigrants.
A popular argument today that has been going around is that the giving of citizenship to foreign people will damage our American culture, and ultimately make whites a minority in the country.

Now, it is true that at the current rate of birth and death in America shows a projection of white people becoming a minority by the year 2043 according to the Census Bureau, but why is this statistic a bad thing? What negative connotations or effects does a white minority carry? The simple answer is that there is no negative consequences of this, and it should be treated as such. If anybody objects to a majority that is non-white majority is the exact same thing as racism. Acceptance of new and differing cultures is what makes and will continue to make this country great.

Crime is also an issue that a lot of conservatives like to point out when talking about immigration, but he numbers show that immigrant crime is at an all time low and were never that high to begin with.

The American Immigration Council recently released a study that showed a triple in in immigrant population influx for the United States, yet there was a 48% drop in the overall violent crimes committed nationwide. “There’s no evidence that immigrants are either more or less likely to commit crimes than anyone else in the population” said Janice Kephart, a CIS researcher. Even though native-born American males represent the higher number of jail inmates at 3.3% , compared at a 1.8% of foreign-born males, we tend to gravitate towards the crimes committed by minorities. Immigrant crime has not been, and most likely will not be, a major issue for

America.
Most right-wing politicians today are in favor of immigration, but a few are totally against the matter for no good reason. The only reason that is is seen as an issue is because of media coverage that is overly exaggerated. Helping to educate and give work opportunities to the less fortunate immigrants will only benefit the United States. An improved economy, a more accepting and diverse culture, and lowered crime will all come if we all just learn to accept and welcome those who wish to come to our country with open arms.