Gallagher, Charles, PhD

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La Salle University Digital Commons

La Salle UniversityLa Salle University Digital CommonsExplorer Café Explorer ConnectionSpring 2-18-2015Good, Bad or Indifferent? What Do PhiladelphiansThink About Our 500,000+ Immigrant Neighbors?Charles Gallagher PhDLa Salle University, gallagher@lasalle.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/explorercafePart of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, and theRegional Sociology CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Explorer Connection at La Salle University Digital Commons. It has been accepted forinclusion in Explorer Café by an authorized administrator of La Salle University Digital Commons. For more information, please contactcareyc@lasalle.edu.Recommended CitationGallagher, Charles PhD, "Good, Bad or Indifferent? What Do Philadelphians Think About Our 500,000+ Immigrant Neighbors?"(2015). Explorer Café. 31.http://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/explorercafe/31Explorer Café: Spring 15 Perceptions and Attitudes of Immigrants in Philly and the US  Charles Gallagher Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice 1 SIZE MATTERS!   What do people think is the size of the foreign born population?:  USA 38% Philly 42%  What  are the ACTUAL Numbers?:  USA 12% Foreign Born Philly 13% Foreign Born   2 W. I. Thomas, “if a person perceives a situation as real, it is real in its consequences.”   Santa Claus and George Zimmerman  If you think every third person you see is an immigrant how might that shape how you think about immigration policy? 3 Immigrants and Crime • “More Immigrants Cause More Crime”  • 73% of Americans think this true  • Immigrants have lower crime rates than the native born, cities with a large proportion of immigrant populations have seen the crime rates go down, and violent crime throughout the nation has dropped significantly at the same time the documented and undocumented population has more than doubled over the last two decades (Rumbaut and Ewing 2007).  4 If you think the majority of immigrants are criminals how might this shape your views  about immigration policy or immigrant communities? 5 Immigrants and Social Welfare Use • Percent saying immigrants cost too much because they “over” use social welfare  • 63% • Contrary to those concerns, immigration to the United States does not pose a long-term burden on U.S. taxpayers. The typical immigrant and his or her descendants pay more in taxes than they consume in government services in terms of net present value (Cato Institute 2012) • According to the New York Times, the chief actuary of the Social Security Administration claims that undocumented workers have contributed close to 10% ($300 billion) of the Social Security Trust Fund. WHY? They never collect!!! 6 Immigrants and Jobs • Percent who Say Immigrants Take Jobs Americans Don’t Want • 51% • Percent Who Say Immigrants Take Jobs From US Citizens • 37% • Although many are concerned that immigrants compete against Americans for jobs, the most recent economic evidence suggests that, on average, immigrant workers increase the opportunities and incomes of Americans…. immigrants and U.S.-born workers generally do not compete for the same jobs; instead, many immigrants complement the work of U.S. employees and increase their productivity. For example, low-skilled immigrant laborers allow U.S.-born farmers, contractors, and craftsmen to expand agricultural production or to build more homes—thereby expanding employment possibilities and incomes for U.S. workers. Another way in which immigrants help U.S. workers is that businesses adjust to new immigrants by opening stores, restaurants, or production facilities to take advantage of the added supply of workers; more workers translate into more business  7 Majority of Philadelphians believe immigrants bring NET BENEFITS to Philly:  • Can do the dirty work because the native born have other options • Possess a strong work ethic • Renovate and reopen vacant retails stores providing good and services to the community • Inhabiting housing that has been unoccupied averting further decay • Bolster the city and regions economy 8 

Good, Bad or Indifferent? What Do Philadelphians Think About Our 500,000+ Immigrant Neighbors?

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Good, Bad or Indifferent? What Do Philadelphians Think About Our 500,000+ Immigrant Neighbors?

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