Transcript Immigration Fellowship - Arizona State University

Different Perspectives on
Immigration
Rick Van Schoik, Director
Erik Lee, Director of Policy and Programs
AGENDA
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Erik, Rick, and NACTS
Big Picture and Connectedness
North American and other perspectives
Environmental issues
Solutions sets
WHO WE ARE
WHAT NACTS IS
• Seven university collaboration
• Four foci: Borders and Transborder;
Awareness of North America; Trade,
Transportation, and Tourism,
Sustainability
• Actionable policy analysis and options
INTRODUCTION
Arizona State University, the New
American University is taking on the
challenge of reinventing how
universities do their three jobs. The preeminent directive is transdisciplinary
work.
What does this mean for how universities
understand immigration?
NACTS CHALLENGE
“The central challenge of the twentyfirst century is how to integrate the
developing nations.”
Robert Pastor
American University
NACTS Board of Advisors member
CENTRAL FRAME
“It is unrealistic to hold that the large
income difference between the
Northern and Southern shores of the
Mediterranean or between United
States and Mexico…can continue
without adding further pressure to
migrate.”
Branko Milanovic, World Bank
ISSUE CONNECTEDNESS
• The All-American Canal is a water, and a
diplomacy, and an immigration issue
• NAFTA maize tariff reduction on Jan 1 is
a trade, and an energy, and an
immigration issue.
• Name an issue that is NOT immigration
related!
FALSE CONFLUENCE
• Immigration conflated with terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction is
unsubstantiated, misguided, and
unfortunate.
• The 1% solution fostered such mis- and
disinformation and misperceptions.
WE STARTED IT
“I’ve seen many migrants crop-picking
about the country. It seems to me that,
just as the Carthaginians hired
mercenaries to do their fighting for
them, we Americans bring in
mercenaries to do our hard and humble
work.”
WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
“I hope we may not be overwhelmed one
day by people not too proud or too lazy
or too soft to bend to the earth and pick
up the things we eat.”
IT’LL BE EXPENSIVE
• “Getting rid of these workers means we
are deciding as a matter of policy to
shrink our economy.”
– Judith Gans, Udall Center, WSJ Dec 14
ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE
• US and MX trade $1.5 million each hour
• US and MX trade 30 people in same hour
• Labor mobility does not equate to skill
exchange
WORLD PERSPECTIVE
• Feminization
• Very poor to poor nations
• Remittances run some countries
DEMOGRAPHIC
PERSPECTIVE
• As we age fewer workers, fewer
productive supporters of social security
and fewer able and willing to labor
• As we move to cities, fewer available in
rural and remote locations
• As more women migrate they stay
longer
MEXICAN PERSPECTIVE
• Drug crack-down
• Evolution of “Coyotes”:
– Very lucrative (now)
– Drug-link: Absolutely.
– Conflation with terrorism? Doubtful.
REMITTANCES
• Mexico’s economy is oil, tourism,
remittance driven
• Worldwide remittances are worth
$318B (double 2001), twice the value
of all foreign aid. Economist
• Remittances to Mexico are US
economy dependent
CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE
• Canada is much more welcoming
but U.S inability to reform policy has
a stalling and confounding effect on
Canada
• Migrants to Canada through U.S
have been mistreated.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PERSPECTIVE
• After economic refugees, environmental
and now climate refugees are
maintaining the flow
• Migrants who adopt a U.S lifestyle add
to the footprint/load ie energy and
greenhouse gas emissions
• Construction of the fence without a TEIA
• Crossers destroy habitat, leave litter,
ignite fires, and can host pathogens
EUROPEAN OR EXTERNAL
PERSPECTIVE
• Schengen union
• Value of an external defense
perimeter
• EU border-free travel zone now
includes ex-Soviet bloc nations
ULTIMATE SOLUTION
• Development in Mexico to stem the
push. GAO recommended a rural
compensation fund fro Mexico
• Stop the perverse subsidies ($220K per
farmer in US versus $770 in Mexico)
• MX imported $2.5B of corn in 2006
driven by price rise due to our ethanol
thirst
• Legitimize the flow
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
• North American Investment Fund
• North American Advisory Council
• Early and sustained help for new arrivals
pays off
• High fences and wider gates and in both
directions!
• Local integration and assimilation
• Joint (multi-agency) risk assessment
• Legal activity by the irregulars enhances
the system as well as the migrants
RICHARDSON
• Double border agents
• Crack down on document fraud and
create an ID system
• Fine and punish employers
• Establish a pathway
• Allow guest workers commensurate with
our need
• Help Mexico create jobs
Immigration Stories we would
like to read
• More comparative stories (particularly stories
on Canadian, Mexican, and European
perspectives)
• Stories that explore the linkages between
climate change and immigration
• Interviews with state- or municipal level
government officials in Mexico and Central
America
• Articles exploring North American
demographics
LAST THOUGHTS
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We are big and long thinkers
We can help connect
We advocate North America
We know out-of-the-ordinary people
We are available for perspective
Contact Us
• Rick Van Schoik, [email protected],
480-965-1846
• Erik Lee, [email protected],
480-727-8926