Busting Myths!

Immigration ReformAnswering Tough Questions

AFSCME ConventionJuly 15, 2014Presenters: Fran Bernstein, FGASookyung Oh, RCBSfbernstein@afscme.orgsoh@afscme.org

On screen as people walk in.1

Where Are Your Ancestors From?Map exercise: Where Are Your Ancestors From?

Please put a dot, which are on your tables, on the country or countries that your most recent ancestors came from. It could be you, a parent, grandparent, child, whoever came here most recently.2AgendaParallels with the Past: Immigrants and the Labor MovementImmigrants Impact on ElectionsPublics Views on Immigration ReformImmigration Reform: Answers to Tough QuestionsLatest from Congress, Obama Administration and StatesResourcesTake Action!

3Parallels with the Past

4Immigrant Population: Then and NowThe United States is not experiencing large-scale immigration for the first time.Early twentieth century America was as much an immigrant country as it is today5Immigrants: Work & Labor

Chinese railroad workersGerman immigrant newspaper in Chicago

Protest signs in English, Yiddish, and Italian

Because many immigrants today arrive with low skill levels, do not know English, and are new to the United States, they, like their predecessors a hundred years ago, often enter the economy at the bottom: taking low-paid jobs with long hours and unpleasant working conditions that nobody else wants.

Italians in the past dug ditches and tunnels; today many Mexicans work in construction (and even more did before the recession!). Some of the jobs are even the same -- working in garment sweatshops, for example, taking care of the gardens and children of the well-to-do

And whether they participated in the formal labor movement or outside of it, immigrants who were sometimes more radicalized about the importance of labor unions because of the situations in their home countries were in the streets demonstrating, educating their communities about labor issues, or organizing themselves.

Big difference with today: A hundred years ago, there were few restrictions on European immigration so that hardly any European immigrants were illegal. And while the US still receives migrants from European countries, there are larger numbers from Latin America, Asia.

Until the 1920s, there were no numerical limits on European immigration -- no immigrant visas or special papers that had to be secured from the United States. (Bear in mind: specific exclusion laws barred Asians, in the case of the Chinese as early as 1882.)

And work authorization not necessarily needed to work. Today, thats a totally different story.6Where Immigrants Live

Many newcomers to the U.S. today, like those a century ago, cluster in ethnic residential enclaves, often sharing homes or apartment buildings with people from their home communities and giving many neighborhoods a distinct ethnic flavor. Reasons: choice and constraint

Also: their low incomes and recent entry into the housing market force many immigrant families today, as in the past, into crowded and sometimes substandard living quarters and to rent out space to their compatriots in order to make ends meet.

Today though we know that large numbers also go to the Georgia, North Carolina, and the Southwest7The Question of Race

Baseless fear of the other.

It is often said that a major distinction between todays immigrants and those a hundred years ago is that then they were white Europeans and today most are people of color.But southern and eastern European immigrants a century ago were not viewed as white in the same way that people with origins in northern and western Europe were. They were seen as inferior whites as probationary whites(Jacobson), in-between peoples (Barrett and Roediger), or color insiders but racial outsiders (Guglielmo)

A hundred years ago, a common belief was that southern Italian and eastern European Jewish immigrants belonged to inferior mongrel races that were polluting the nations Anglo-Saxon or Nordic stock. Then Vice-President Calvin Coolidge: America must be kept American. Biological laws show that Nordics deteriorate when mixed with other races.Madison Grant (patrician founder of the NY Zoological Society): America is being swept toward a racial abyss the type of American of colonial descent will become extinct.

Jewish and Italian immigrants were believed to have distinct biological features, mental abilities, and innate character traits. They looked different to most Americans, and were thought to have certain physical features that set them apart facial features often noted, for example, in the case of Jews, and swarthy skin, in the case of Italians.

To refute the stereotype, Dr. Maurice Fishberg, a professor of medicine at New York University and a Russian Jewish immigrant himself, classified the noses of nearly 3000 Jewish men in New York City, finding that only 14 percent had the aquiline or hooked nose commonly labeled as a Jewish nose.

Irish immigrants: In 1785, when Catholics proposed building St. Peter's Church in the heart of Manhattan, city officials, fearing the papacy and sinister foreign influences, forced them to relocate outside the city limits. (In this incident, it's easy to hear echoes of the Murfreesboro protests, as well as the ongoing protests against an Islamic center proposed for 51 Park Place in contemporary Manhattan.)8Learning English

A common fear is that todays immigrants and their children are not learning English and that this is different from the past.

But when it comes to language, the similarities with the past stand out and the fears that immigrants and their children today will not learn English are unfounded.

The standard three-generation model of linguistic assimilation still holds: the immigrant generation (arriving as adults) makes progress but is usually more comfortable and fluent in the native tongue; the second generation tends to be bilingual but speaks English fluently; and the third generation is, overwhelmingly, monolingual in English.

A recent U.S. study: 88 percent of second-generation Latinos 18 and older spoke English very well (vs. about a quarter of first-generation Latino immigrants). Although many in the second generation are also bilingual this does not hinder English language fluency.

Once again: by the third generation, English monolingualism is the dominant pattern today. Among school-aged children in immigrant families in 2000, about 70 percent of the Mexican third generation in the U.S. were monolingual in English, 92 percent of the Asian third generation.

Research shows that most grandchildren of Latino immigrants dont speak proper Spanish and cant even be persuaded to watch Spanish language television.9Growing Political Voice

2012 elections: LatinosAPIs

What if they ask about Cantor?102012 elections75% of Latinos, 73% of Asian Americans, and 90% of African Americans voted for Obama

Obama improved his performance among Asian-Americans more than among any other ethnic group between 2008 and 2012, according to exit polling. His support in the community jumped 11 percentage points, from 62 percent in 2008.

And a driving reason for voting for Obama--- his support for immigration reform.11

During each two-year election cycle over the last decade, almost 1.4 million legal immigrants acquired citizenship and the right to vote. These new citizens also represent diverse demographics. About 36 percent come from Asia and more than 30 percent come from Latin America.

In the 2014 elections, there will be approximately 9.3 million newly eligible voters. These include both people who were 16 or 17 years old at the time of the 2012 elections, as well as immigrants who become naturalized U.S. citizens between 2012 and 2014.

Of these 9.3 million newly eligible voters, 1.8 million will be Asian or Latino. Another 1.4 million will be new U.S. citizens through naturalization. Together, these 3.2 million people will comprise 34 percent of the new electorate.

12Recent polls show that a large majority of Americans support immigration reform that would give legal status to undocumented immigrants. This poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, shows that 73 percent of those surveyed felt that undocumented immigrants should be given some path to legal status.

Undocumented immigrants should have some way to stay in the U.S. legally73%Should have a path to citizenshipShould have a path to permanent residency only Dont know which path 4%Should not be allowed to stay legally Dont know 4%Source: Pew Research Center, via National JournalLarge Majority Support for Citizenship73% says undocumented immigrants should be given a path to legal status.13Support on both sides of the aisle

June 2014 Poll by GOP Pollsters14

This cartoon shows Uncle Sam on border giving mixed signals much like our current immigration system.

On one hand, we say the border is closed and theres no way for many to apply. But at the same time, companies recruit immigrant labor for high tech, health care jobs, food service, agriculture and other industries.

This system is only benefiting CEOs, who use the status quo to drive down wages and weaken worker power.Why do immigrants come here illegally?No common-sense immigration process exists

Economic push and pull

Violence in home country

Family reunification

As Sookyung said, our immigration policies have changed overtime, leaving us now with almost no immigration system at all it is so broken. The rules we have dont work and dont reflect smart economic or social policy.The cartoon in the last slide shows the pull from U.S. employers to hire immigrants for work people already in the country dont want to do farm work is a good example of this. As long as the employment opportunities, immigrants will come.Then theres the economic push from immigrants home countries where work is scarce and parents cannot afford to take care of their children. This situation is often at least in part the result of U.S. economic policies with Mexico and Central American countries.And, we have also seen in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador extreme violence fueled by the U.S. initiated War on Drugs where kids lives are in danger from gangs that wont take no for an answer.There is also the very strong pull for parents, children, siblings and spouses to reunite, which we all understand.The unaccompanied children and families who have been crossing our southern border are a perfect example of all of these realities coming together.

16Often no line to get into

If you are lucky enough to be able to get in line the process takes decades.

2011 Jesse Springer springercreative.comShouldnt undocumented immigrants get in line like everyone else?For many immigrants, there is no line to get into in order to become a fully-participating citizen.

If you are lucky enough to be able to get in line the process takes decades. For instance, if youre from Mexico and the sibling of a U.S. citizen, you might want to look into cryogenic freezing, because youll have to wait over 100 years to obtain a visa.17Dont immigrants take American jobs?Economy relies on immigrant labor Immigration reform will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs

New immigrants often start in jobs that Americans do not want to do.

Immigration reform would create LESS competition by raising working standards and protecting good jobs.

The higher earning power of aspiring citizens in just the first 3 years after the passage immigration reform would generate enough consumer spending to support 750,000 to 900,000 jobs.

18Fact:The Congressional Budget Office estimates that immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship would generate an additional $1.5 trillion to the economy over 10 years.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship would generate an additional $1.5 trillion to the economy over 10 years.

This economic boost would translate into more tax revenues and therefore more resources at the federal, state and local levels to support all of the work AFSCME members do and lift the standard of living for working families across the board.

19Dont undocumented immigrants drive down wages?They are underpaid because of their undocumented status

Solution is to provide legal status with full rights and protections on the job

Immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship can raise wages for immigrant workers by 6%.

Raising wages for low-wage workers protects good jobs and raises working standards for EVERYONE. Now, bad actor employers hire workers off the books and pay them less than the prevailing wage and often less than the minimum wage.

With immigration reform, high road employers whoobey the law and treat workers with respectwill no longer be at a competitive disadvantage and will be in a position to offer more generous wages and benefits.

Studies show that immigration reform with a roadmap to citizenship can raise wages for immigrant workers by 6%.

Source: Immigration for Shared Prosperity.

20How is immigration reform a workers rights issue?Workers living in the shadows frequently experience threats of deportation or violence, unsafe conditions and wage theft.

Employers have an incentive to hire out-of-status workers because they can pay them less and fire and/or threaten them with deportation if they try to unionize.

Immigrant rights ARE workers rights.

Workers living in the shadows frequently experience threats of deportation or physical violence, unsafe conditions and wage theft because they have not choice but to work in an underground economy at really low wages and without full workplace protections.

Under the current system, employers have the incentive to hire out-of-status immigrant workers because they can pay them less and fire and/or threaten them with deportation if they try to unionize.

Immigrant workers come here because they want to contribute to our communities. Immigration reform would unite workers and strengthen AFSCME, helping to stop unscrupulous employers and enabling our brothers and sisters to unionize more easily.21Dont undocumented immigrants use public services while not paying taxes?According to the IRS, undocumented immigrants paid almost $50 billion in taxes between 1996 and 2003.

Undocumented immigrants paid MORE in taxes than General Electric in 2010, contributing $11.2 billion in state and local taxes alone.

Even so, federal law has closed almost all options for government assistance for out-of-status immigrants.

Immigrant families come here because they want a better life for their children and want to contribute to our economy.

Federal law has closed welfare options for undocumented immigrants (Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, etc.). And most states have as well.

In 2006, the IRS Commission told Congress that many undocumented immigrants have been using Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers to file federal taxes paying almost $50 billion at tax time between 1996 and 2003.

Undocumented immigrants paid MORE in taxes than General Electric in 2010, paying $11.2 billion in state and local taxes.

Source: Immigration Policy Center, Time.com

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/study-estimates-illegal-immigrants-paid-11-2b-taxes-year-ge-paid-zero-article-1.113569

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2008-04-10-immigrantstaxes_N.htm22On the Right Side of HistoryAll labor has dignity. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The need for common-sense immigration reform isnt just the right thing to do for our economy its the right thing to do, period.

AFSCME members are part of a long and proud legacy of standing on the right side of history. Back in 1968, we were there, helping Memphis sanitation workers form their union and proclaim that every worker deserves dignity.

We campaigned in the 1980s to end South Africas oppressive apartheid regime. Weve fought and continue to fight against dangerous voter suppression laws. And we are continuing our legacy by joining together with families and allies across the country to fight for common-sense immigration reform.

23Grassroots PartnersAFL-CIO and other laborFaith communityImmigrant advocacy organizationsBusiness groupsCivil rights organizations

Throughout this struggle, we have worked closely with the AFL-CIOboth in our Hill lobbying and field work through the state feds and CLCs.And, AFSCME is part of broader coalitions at the federal, state and local levels that include labor, civil rights groups, community and faith-based organizations and others.24President Obamas ActionsProsecutorial discretion

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

In response to Congress inaction on fixing our broken immigration system, President Obama has used his executive power to improve the situation for immigrants in the U.S. Prosecutorial discretion: In 2011, the Obama Administration introduced a new policy that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) should consider a number of factors when deciding whether to prosecute immigrants and put them into deportation proceedings. It included reviewing 300,000 pending cases to see if they met the high priority factors like likely criminal activity. This policy has been implemented unevenly and needs to be better enforced.

DACA: Then, in 2012, the Obama Administration went a step further and offered indefinite reprieves from deportation for young immigrants who were brought to the US as children and meet education or military service requirements. These DREAMers have been given work authorization, and their status can be renewed every 2 years, which is happening now.

(Specifics: entered before age 16; 30 or younger; lived continuously in US for l5 years; no felony or significant misdemeanor; in school or graduated from high school or earned a GED or served in military.)

Unfortunately, even with these two policies in place, hundreds of thousands of immigrants are being deported every year, which is why achieving CIR is so important.25Lots of action in the statesIn-State Tuition 17 states and 3 university systemsAccess to Drivers Licenses 12 statesLawsuits to block anti-immigrant lawsCalifornia, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington. In addition, Rhode Islands Board of Governors for Higher Education and the University of Hawaiis Board of Regents voted to provide access to in-state tuition at the states public colleges and universities to certain students, regardless of their immigration status. The University of Michigans Board of Regents has adopted a similar policy for its campuses.

Most recently Florida and WA passed in 2014.

Drivers license: WA, CA, NV, UT, CO, NM, IL, VT, CT, DC, MD, and OR (pending referendum).

June 18, 2014 federal district court blocked several provisions of Utahs HB 497.South Carolinas SB 20 --- lawsuit prevailed and strictly limits the racial profiling aspects of the law. Still litigating Arizonas SB 1070.26Congressional InactionSenate passed a bipartisan bill June 27, 2013

House leadership has blocked any floor votes

Even DREAMers left with nothingSenate voted overwhelmingly for its CIR bill, 68-32. Not perfect but has path to citizenship, worker protections, family reunification provisions, some improvements in employment visa programs (labor-market test; petition for green card; more wage parity), more border control resourcesThis bill will expire at the end of this year if it doesnt become law.House leadership, especially Speaker John Boehner, has made excuse after excuse for abdicating his responsibility to fix our broken immigration system. Bottom line: he wants to keep his speakership and is afraid of a tea party rebellion if he does the right thing.This, in spite of an extraordinary grassroots movement for CIR thats included civil disobedience, rallies, marches, press conferences, prayer vigils, phone calls, emails, twitter storms and every other possible form of pressure.No one except the extreme right-wing crazies think DREAMers, who were brought here as children and who know no other country as their home, should be denied full rights of Americans. But Boehner has even left them open to being deported to a country in which they may not even speak the language and know no one. Fortunately, many DREAMers have been eligible for DACA status, but far from all.27What Will Obama Do?Looking to executive action by President Obama

DHS will issue new, more humane deportation policies in August

Imperfect solutionWidespread agreement that the failure of the House to move forward this month, before its 5 week August recess, is the death knell for immigration reform this year. In September, Congress has to fund the government through appropriations bills to avoid a government shutdown, then members will be leaving by early October to campaign.

President Obama delayed having the Department of Homeland Security issue a more humane deportation policy until August to give the House a final window of time to move a bill to the floor. That hasnt happened.

We hope DHSs policy will alleviate the terrible deportation crisis, but the administration may feel constrained politically from going as far shielding everyone from deportation who would have been eligible for a path to citizenship under the Senate bill. And, whatever he does could be undone by a new administration28How does immigration reform strengthen AFSCMEs Four Pillars?Undocumented immigrants will not fear joining the union whether a current fee payer or in a newly-organized workplace

A path to citizenship will grow pro-working families electorate

Were building important allies through this fight

29Immigration Resources: LaborOnline Resourceshttp://www.afscme.org/issues/immigrationwww.afscme.org/en-espanolwww.aflcio.org/immigration www.aflcio.org/ImmigrationUniversity www.workingfamiliestoolkit.com Wewanted to share some resources with you. This slidelists labor web sites where you can get more information about comprehensive immigration reform.30Immigration Resources: AlliesAlliance for Citizenship www.allianceforcitizenship.orgAsian American Justice Center www.advancingequality.org Immigration Policy Center www.immigrationpolicy.org National Council of La Raza www.nclr.org National Employment Law Project (NELP) www.nelp.org National Immigration Forum www.immigrationforum.org National Immigration Law Center (NILC) www.nilc.orgUnited We Dream www.unitedwedream.org We also wanted to share with you the websites of our allies and partners.31Take Action Today!32