Agenda - 04-16-2002 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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EXECUTIVE VOICES >" w 4 ffispanics Illegal aliens or,believers in the most fundamental law of economics? FROM the Census 2000 data we number of these people simply work learned our state is not onl more B Y D R. H. NOLO M A R T I N E Z Y alongside other immigrants or American diverse than it was 10 years ago, workers under exactly the same working but also thatrecent immigrants have made workers and health care aides.These in- conditions. Significantly, their employ- tremendous contributions to the commu- dividuals often work in the jobs that many ers most likely withhold all the same nines where they settle in North Caroli- Americans do not choose,but which are payroll taxes as for any other employee. na. The influx of immigrants workers essential to keep our economy and our There are revealing contributions of into the metropolitan areas of Charlotte, country growing. undocumented-essential workers to the the Triangle, and the Triad area have Most essential workers in N.C. are U.S.economy.When the Social Security done more to help revitalize neighbor- Latino immigrants.For example,accord- Administration collects payroll taxes for hoods than any government program. ing to the state Employment Security someone for whom a valid Social Secu- Many of our rural counties experiencing Commission,75 percent of construction rity number cannot be found,these earn- graying and consequentretirement of their workers in metropolitan counties are His- ings go into a"suspense file."Since 1937, workforce continue to benefit from Lati- panics, as are more than 95 percent of this file has collected $265 billion in no immigration, particularly for blue- Mexican guestworkers in agriculture and wages and, the report says, the file has collar jobs that require manual labor but more than 50 percent of those working in grown $17 billion annually since 1990. not necessarily an English-speaking meat processing plants. This makes a good case that those work- tongue. Even with the recent slowdown of the ers that many like to call illegal aliens are The 1990 census counted 79,000 economy, the employers of essential really undocumented taxpayers. Latinos in the Tar Heel State. Ten years workers are still looking for employees. Regulating the presence of undocu- later, the state's Latino population in- The service, retail, construction, health mented but essential workers in N.C. creased 394 percent to 378,963. North services and other similar industries all would bring all of those people into the Carolina leads the country in the percent- gained jobs while the high-tech and manu- mainstream economy,where they would age growth of its Mexican population,an facturing sectors were laying off employ- be less vulnerable to economic and civil increase of 655 percent, far ahead of ees.However,it appears that these work- exploitation.Legalization would also help second-place Georgia and Tennessee, ers are finding other employment quickly, reduce the resentment of many who com- which was third. Over the next 50 years while essential worker employers are still plain about paying for public services Hispanics population is expected to in- begging for applicants. like schools and hospitals that serve the crease 238 percent.Current demograph- President George W. Bush long has families of "non-taxpaying" undocu- ics also reveal that over the next 20 to 30 recognized the disconnect between eco- mented workers because they would be years a large percentage of the current nomic reality (supply and demand) for treated like everyone else. workforce in N.C.will retire. essential workers, on the one hand, and Even when the economy is not grow- Over the years the United States has the U.S.immigration system,on the other. ing,the ambition and energy of the immi- been called a nation of immigrants. We It was this realization that brought him grants can fuel the state's economy.Far are also a nation of laws.Parts of our legal and President Vicente Fox of Mexico to from taking jobs, the newcomers have system are designed to support the eco- the brink of an historic agreement on and will create jobs for themselves and nomic law of supply and demand.By and trans-border migration issues. Unfortu- other that simply would not have existed large, the current U.S. immigration sys- nately, the events of Sept. 11 have de- without the migration.How many North tem also supports the law of supply and layed the discussions but issues of eco- Carolinians intend to start a Puerto Rican demand for all but one type of worker— nomic reality will bring speed to these restaurant,an Aztec gift shop,or a 24/7- the essential worker. discussions. taxi bilingual service in rural counties? An essential worker is the unskilled Mexico's economy is the largest in The federal government sets the poli- and semi-skilled worker employed in all Latin America and is the United States' cies that determine how many and which sectors of our economy.Essential work- second-largest trading partner after immigrant enters the U.S. We cannot ers include restaurant workers, retail Canada.Mexico's imports from the U.S. continue to accept the benefit of the labor clerks,construction trades people,manu- are the equivalent of more than $175 of essential workers while supporting an facturing line workers,hotel service work- billion,more than Germany,Italy,Spain immigration system that treats them as if ers,food production workers,landscape and France combined. they do not exist.Many essential workers The problem of illegal immigration in and those employers that hire them have Dr. H. Nolo Martinez is director of the U.S. has been a recurring one since clearly violated the U.S. immigration Hispanic/Latino Affairs in the Office of the introduction of restriction policies in laws,however,these workers have obeyed the Governor and a faculty member at 1954.The illegal alien problem is largely one of the most powerful laws of all:the N.C. State University. a creation of government. An unknown law of supply and demand. m NORTH CAROLINA/MARCH 2002 49