By Freddie Allen
WASHINGTON (NNPA) – As lawmakers and special interests groups paint immigration reform as a critical component in shaping the future of Latinos living in the United States, Black leaders say that there is too much at stake, economically and politically, for Blacks to allow the debate to be framed in narrow terms.
Despite many reports, the pathway to citizenship for undocumented individuals is just one ingredient in the multi-layered immigration policy, yet to be written, that will have far-reaching impacts for Blacks and African descendants in the United States and abroad.
“This is a very controversial issue on the ground in the Black community,” said Ron Daniels, president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, an organization that works to advance the social, political economic growth of the Black community in the United States and around the world. “If you hear the leaders talk about [immigration reform], it sounds like everything is hunky-dory and it’s all kumbaya.”
According to Daniels, everything isn’t hunky-dory and Blacks aren’t singing old feel-good songs. He hears the grumbling voices opposing immigration and the misconception that “illegals” flood the job market crowding out American-born workers, driving down wages and contributing to high rates of unemployment, nationally and in the Black community.
It’s not just disgruntled, out-of-work Blacks that feel that way.
According to a recent Angus Reid Public Opinion poll, more than half of Americans oppose immigration and say that illegal immigrants “take jobs from American workers.” Thirty-nine percent said that the number legal immigrants should be decreased.
The Labor Department reported that the national unemployment rate was 7.7 percent and the Black unemployment rate was 13.8 percent in February. The jobless rate was 6.8 percent for Whites and 9.6 percent for Latino workers over the same period.
According to Daniels, opposition to immigration and the misconception that immigrants are to blame for depressing wages and taking jobs could hinder progress and support for any immigration bill that is crafted by Congress.
Daniels and the Institute partnered with a number of groups from the African diaspora to form the Pan-African Unity Dialogue to develop an immigration agenda tailored to meet the needs of Black Americans and Blacks of African descent in the U.S. and abroad.
“Immigration affects us all, immigration is local, national and international,” said Waldaba Stewart, economic advisor for Southern Caucus of Non-Governmental Organizations for Sustainable Development. “Immigration involves economics and political power.”
Stewart said that right now Blacks and African descendants are not being considered and it’s the fault of the Black leadership for not explaining the significance of the legislation.
“That was our fault,” said Stewart. “We as a people acted as if immigration was someone else’s concern.”
The group said that any immigration reform needs to address a number of key issues important to the economic and political future of Blacks and people of African descent that reside in the United States.
The group wants the U.S. Commerce and Agriculture departments to foster partnerships between Blacks in the United States and Blacks in the countries where the federal government is already working to advance it’s own interests in agriculture.
The group said that all legislation for immigration reform must include provisions that “are applicable to Blacks and other groups that are historically victims of racism.”
Companies and organizations that utilize the special visa and guest worker programs must make those same opportunities available to Blacks and documented workers before new permits are granted, stated the group. The group also wants to make sure that the immigration process provides equitable allocation of visas to Sub Saharan African countries, to the Caribbean and to countries in Latin America that are underrepresented.
Experts say that both the powerful business lobby and labor groups want to change the way the guest worker program works. Business owners want more visas and a streamlined process, while unions want more control over the number of special visas that are allocated during tough economic times.
Utilizing the special visas, companies import foreign workers to perform housekeeping, landscaping, food processing and other low-wage jobs that they claim that Americans no longer want. PAUD said that the government needs to apply more pressure on those companies to pay a living wage and hire American workers.
The group also asserted that the immigration process should provide equitable allocation of visa quotas to Sub Saharan African countries, to the Caribbean and to countries in Latin America that have a disparity in processing of visa applications by people of African descent.
Daniels and the PAUD group also want provisions included in the immigration bill that will protect the interests of Black farmers in the United States and around the world. Stewart said that because of globalization and discrimination in the industry, Black farmers who once controlled a quarter of agriculture industry in the U.S. now only make up about 7 percent.
Although Daniels said that he looks forward to working with leading Latino and Asian groups to address immigration reform, it was important for Blacks and African descendants to develop their own agenda first, so that all parties can benefit from a future coalition.
Latino interest groups are greatly concerned with any pathway to citizenship language that will ultimately go into the final bill.
According to 2009 Pew Research study, Hispanics account for 76 percent of the 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, including 7 million from Mexico alone. If those immigrants became legal citizens, the nation could see a dramatic shift in economic and political power.
Daniels acknowledged that the road ahead isn’t going to be easy and that educating the Black community about immigration reform will be important in gaining their support, but it’s something that must be done.
“The worst thing that we can do is to not have this conversation or have this struggle because the power elites, the business community will end up pitting, the different groups against each other,” said Daniels. “But to act as if there are no consequences, politically or economically, would be disastrous.”
 – As lawmakers and special interests groups paint immigration reform as a critical component in shaping the future of Latinos living in the United States, Black leaders say that there is too much at stake, economically and politically, for Blacks to allow the debate to be framed in narrow terms.){kind=link}
THE ISRAELI “MOSSAD” SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CONTRACT TO BUILD THE ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC BORDER FENCE(S) (THAT’S PLURAL) AND COMPLETELY FUNDED?
So we are finally learning this outrageous truth, which our good king Obama is going to sacrifice us to the special interest entities and the open border advocates? So that with no worthwhile enforcement such as the 2006 Secure Fence (s), the we will be in a whole lot of trouble with the encouragement of foreign nationals sweeping across our borders; far worse than the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control policies (ICRA), that both political parties had deliberately forgotten and that they are elected to defend and protect the American people not to financially support millions of illegal aliens from across the world? What was the purpose of either the Democrats or Republics placing their hand on the bible, and then reciting the oath of allegiance? After they passed that blanket Amnesty, the “Rule of Law” as cited in the federal register demanded any businesses that hired illegal workers was contravening those policies, that could be severely fined would get mandatory prison. Hardly any prison sentences have been delivered by the courts, and very few exemplary harsh fines. But then has it’s been said many times before, why even making any new laws, when illegal entry into America is not a felony? Why even bother with any laws at all, let illegal aliens roam America, slaughtering Americans on the highway in the thousands annually. Why not have the Border Patrol that has been cut right back by the Obama administration to teach the American Republicans a lesson to chauffeur desperate and poor illegal aliens along with their offspring directly to the welfare office, so they can collect cash cards for all their children?
By now we should realize that Homeland Security Secretary (what a laugh) Napolitano is NOT going to show the lawmakers, the thousands of miles that are not SECURE? They are going to drive the Gang of Eight or their aides (some will stay behind, because it’s far too dangerous) along the southern border, especially Texas where the drug cartels have taken over areas just inside the border region, threatening land owners. Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric H. Holder will take the Politicians to the most built up heavily populated sector, not the miles of non-existent fencing. Any of these politicians can be shown the real border that ranges for miles on open federal or Indian reservation lands, where the Border Patrol agents are prohibited to go. WANT TO SEE THE FACTS ABOUT THE BORDER, VIDEO AND OTHER INFORMATION, THEN GO TO “AMERICANPATROL”.
By Stephen Frank on 03/26/2013 of the California News with Views blog, who drafted an extract from the Huffington Post, a well oiled Liberal oriented media.
This is as expected. Obama wants a path to citizens for criminals from foreign nations. He wants them to be immediately eligible for jobs, welfare and government subsidies. What he does not want is to close the border.
His version of “comprehensive: immigration reform would if passed, bring a flood of illegal aliens into our nation—since he has already cut back border patrols, stop most security, stopped building the fence mandated by Congress. He wants no security ore-condition on giving over ten million people the keys to our economy and treasury. He wants “certainty” when these illegal aliens can become citizens, no concern over the protection of our borders.
“Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that lawmakers should not set a minimum standard of border security as a precondition of amnesty for illegal immigrants, though the White House said President Obama is committed to border security.
“I think that once people really look at the whole system and how it works, relying on one thing as a so-called ‘trigger’ is not the way to go,” Napolitano said at Christian Science Monitor breakfast, per Huffington Post. “There needs to be some kind of certainty in the bill so that people can know when they can legalize and then when the pathway to citizenship, earned citizenship, will open up.”
Hundreds of billions of dollars, that could reach trillions in another generation, if we don’t commit this nation to sealing our borders tight with two or three fences, not dissimilar to the Israel fences we funded for their defense. After this potential incentive for illegal migrants/immigrants arriving from every corner of the world, I am expecting that President Obama will go back on his promise and affix them to the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). No matter how demanding your time is, it is of supreme importance to phone, fax, email, send a postcard or take a personal trip to confront each and every member of Congress, including you state Representative. It is your taxes you will be spending on the illegal aliens already here, and those encouraged to the upcoming Amnesty, Path to Citizenship or suchlike passes? It really doesn’t matter if you’re in the last generation ethnic majority, minority or whether you arrived here for South of the border, Northern or Southern Europe, the Pacific or Caribbean islands, Asia or any location and you came here LEGALLY, that all of us are in jeopardy from paying higher taxes to make it comfortable for illegal aliens; not just illegal aliens but for citizens and residents that prey on the rest of us as pampered welfare recipient who pays no taxes, but still collect state money or even phone the Washington phone terminal at (202) 224-3121 to contact your member of Congress. Illegal aliens also fall into this category as low income, but many have good incomes from fraud; collecting child tax credits reimbursement, for over 7 billion annually and the IRS does nothing? Many facts will be exposed that the Liberal Press are hiding, plus the urgently inform your Representative in Washington by going to NumbersUSA. Also available at NumbersUSA is where you can join the hundreds of thousands of Americans, who have signed the NO PATH TO CITIZENSHIP OR ANY FORM OF AMNESTY FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANTS OR IMMIGRANTS.
We must demand mandatory E-Verify for every business within the United States, with hefty penalties if they hire illegal workers. We must demand an repeal to the Birthright citizenship, so no longer can illegal aliens use their children as “Anchor Babies” to stay and reap the financial rewards of the child/children and only allow the progeny of a U.S. citizen. This leads to Dream Act, Family Chain Migration (on a grand overpopulated scale) Sanctuary Cities and a huge burden of extreme taxes
and our children and grandchildren. Lastly, we must demand a national picture ID card, for every American that costly as they say it is, it will stop welfare, immigration, credit and voter fraud, just to name a few.
PS: It’s a strange coincidence that part of the Gang of Eight was at the border fence, when that young illegal alien climbed across the single fence. She would not have circumvented the 2006 Secure Fence (S) that would be adorned with flesh tearing concertina razor wire?