American Culture
31 August 2006
The Editor, Washington Times
To the Editor:
Pam Algea agrees with Pat Buchanan that Mexicans are 'invading' America and 'reconquering' the U.S. southwest (Letters, August 31). This view is as narrow as it is baseless. First, real invaders violently plunder; they do not work and produce on terms agreeable to both employer and employee.
Second, as Princeton sociologist Douglas Massey points out,* the data on Mexican immigration powerfully contradict the claim that America is being "overrun" with Mexican immigrants: "Mexican immigration is not a tidal wave. The rate of undocumented migration has not increased in over two decades.... Rates of migration between Mexico and the United States are entirely normal for two countries so closely integrated economically."
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
* Douglas K. Massey, "Seeing Mexican Immigration Clearly," Cato Unbound, August 20, 2006:
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2006/08/20/douglas-s-massey/seeing-mexican-immigration-clearly/
The Editor, Washington Times
To the Editor:
Pam Algea agrees with Pat Buchanan that Mexicans are 'invading' America and 'reconquering' the U.S. southwest (Letters, August 31). This view is as narrow as it is baseless. First, real invaders violently plunder; they do not work and produce on terms agreeable to both employer and employee.
Second, as Princeton sociologist Douglas Massey points out,* the data on Mexican immigration powerfully contradict the claim that America is being "overrun" with Mexican immigrants: "Mexican immigration is not a tidal wave. The rate of undocumented migration has not increased in over two decades.... Rates of migration between Mexico and the United States are entirely normal for two countries so closely integrated economically."
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Chairman, Department of Economics
George Mason University
* Douglas K. Massey, "Seeing Mexican Immigration Clearly," Cato Unbound, August 20, 2006:
http://www.cato-unbound.org/2006/08/20/douglas-s-massey/seeing-mexican-immigration-clearly/
Posted by Don Boudreaux on
Wednesday May 16, 2007 at 2:57pm