Response to, "Do Americans Really Want Jobs?"

    Illegal immigration in America has always been a hot topic of debate and it surely will remain this way for many years to come. In the short essay, “Do Americans Really Want Jobs?”, which can be found on page 547 of The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, the author, Ruben Navarrette, Jr., delves into the topic of illegal immigration and the effects it has on the American industry. The author believes that many people are misinformed on the topic and tries to explain many of the misconceptions. Firstly, the author believes that there is a big lie hidden in the illegal immigration debate. This lie is that Americans would be happy to do jobs that illegal immigrants are currently doing, but only if the wages were higher. He believes that while this may be true in some cases, generally Americans are lazy and would rather work less physical jobs that provide them with good benefits, as well as a large sum of money. Obviously there are jobs out there that may not be the most “glamorous”, but they do need to get done. The author then discusses cases involving several meat-processing companies. Supposedly, these companies were more prone to hiring illegal immigrants rather than Americans because they would work for smaller wages and didn’t complain as much. After delving deeper into these issues, the author then ends his essay by saying while he doesn’t condone the hiring of illegal immigrants over Americans, he is beginning to understand the concept more.
    After reading this essay, I was shocked. While I knew that illegal immigration has been a big problem in the United States for many years, I didn’t know of these specific consequences that we are facing due to not enforcing stricter rules on illegal immigration. It’s horrifying to think that an American would not receive a job in their own country, where they legally reside, just because there is a bad rap for some Americans and their work ethic. This practice is totally unfair and stricter actions should be taken on those companies who choose to hire people who illegally reside here. I truthfully can see why a company might be drawn to hiring someone who doesn’t complain a lot and who will work for less money, but that doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. In my opinion, unless you are a legal resident of the United States, you should not even be given a chance to get a job in America. Some people may call my philosophy harsh, but these immigrants are taking part in an illegal situation, and until they come to our country legally, there is no excuse for them.
    While I do understand that some Americans may have poor work ethic, the author should not put us all in this unfair category. I know of many people who may not enjoy working, but they push through this to do the best work that they can do. They don’t sit around complaining and they surely do not ask for constant vacations of pay raises. Many Americans even take pride in their work, although I am not sure the author of this essay could even understand this concept. I can quite obviously agree with the author when he suggests he is learning more about this topic, but does not condone it. I do not condone illegal immigration and I surely do not agree with hiring illegal immigrants over American citizens. If we do not take action against this practice now, when and where will the line ever be drawn?