Get to the Heart of Illegal Immigration, Leader – Nu Leadership Series

An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Does illegal immigration impact the traditional workforce? Let’s focus on a popular debate “Mexican Immigration to the US.” There are over 8.5 million Mexican-born people in the US, and three million are undocumented. Legal immigration is a “Hot Button.”

Is this issue about ethnic discrimination? Tsui and Gutek, demographic gurus, argue that individuals have a tendency to exaggerate the positive stereotypes about their own group while promoting the negative characteristics about other groups. Is it more than stereotyping? I think so.

Many critics argue that Mexican illegals aren’t assimilating into American culture because these illegal Mexicans keep both their language and traditions. Given this position, some may feel that these individuals don’t offer any high value for American interest besides cheap labor.

What about the transitional culture? This relates to the culture of the illegal Mexican’s children. They are taught in the old culture while being immersed in classic American culture. There is a transformation process. Strangely, these children form a new culture (combining both). Therefore, this transitional culture starts influencing the dominant culture (music, social trends, etc.).

Likewise, this transitional generation will one day heavily influence the US workforce and US dominance of the global marketplace.

References:

PBS (n.d.). Beyond the Border. Retrieved July 24, 2006, from http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/immigration.html

Tsui, A. & Gutek, B. (1999). Demographic Differences in Organizations. New York: Lexington Books.

© 2006 by Daryl D. Green