Dependence on Immigration

When you go out to buy a Starbucks, sit at your office, or simply purchase a meal, it is very
likely that at least one of those people you encountered is an immigrant in California. Employers
depend a lot on immigrants for these kinds of services because they are low wages and not many
people who are legally living in Californiaaccept the low pay, some employers would go
bankrupt if they were to pay higher wages. In her article, State Needs a Time-out from Mass
Immigration, Yeh Ling-Ling argues that, Unchecked Immigration and the drain on social
services, including education, that is caused by immigrant-driven population increases are to
blame for Californias inability to make ends meet. However, while it is true that there is a mass
flow of immigrants to California, they are not to blame. Her argument is weak and in many ways
inaccurate.
Ling-Ling says that, In the 1950s, Californias educational system was one of the finest in this
country. Sadly, Californias 2000 education achievement ranked near the bottom in the nation
She is stating a fact here, but if we closely examine the premise for her argument we realize that
she is missing the point. It is true that many schools have to deal with new student enrollment
due to immigration, but that is not the entire reason that schools are ranked low in the nation.
Many factors contribute to this and one of the major causes for this are teachers who fail their
students. Some teachers are either unable or unwilling to thoroughly commit to their jobs as
educators. She says that one of the major lows are in math, but this is where her argument begins
to fall apart. English deficient kids, while they may struggle in this area, are well versed in
mathematics and the sciences.
One of her main premises says that immigration advocates argue that Californias Proposition
13 has curbed property revenues to fund education. She tries to knock their argument down, but
in doing so she commits the straw man fallacy. She asks, has high immigration improved or
exacerbated the problem of overcrowding? Ling-Ling fails to fully dismiss the counter
argument because she presents the reader with a diluted version of her opponents point of view.
California is one of the few states that invest a large sum of money to education, and the
immigrant enrollments are not as exaggerated as the author presents it.
Similarly, she states that immigrant workers do not pay enough taxes to offset the costs for
their childrens educationand that many low income families qualify for government support.
Again, she is presenting us with a diluted version of the opponents argument. She fails to
recognize that immigrant workers contribute a large amount to the state. In a study by University
of Southern California professor, for example, says that immigrants in California make up nearly
10 percent of the states workers and contribute $130 billion annually to its gross domestic
product. She does not present us with real proof to backup her claim and her attempt to support
her conclusion is at the cost of committing the straw man fallacy again.
The biggest flaw in her argument lies in the assumption that immigrants deteriorate the quality of
life in California when in fact they have become an integral part of California and many other
states around the nation. Her premise is an appeal to ignorance; she does not provide real proof

that they are the problem because according to University of California Berkeley professor and
department chair of economics, Giovanni Peri, Immigration has always been a formidable
engine of economic and demographic growth for the United States. Immigrants provide labor to
many business and help them keep in business. While it is true that increase in supply lowers
wages in the competition for jobs, many fail to recognize that many factors are play. Nonetheless
it still remains that Immigrants are beneficial to California.
Yeh Ling-Ling's arguments are full of fallacies that are easily pointed out. She is unable to prove
her point and makes many assumptions that are not completely true. California businesses
depend on immigrants who provide labor and take jobs that many natives do not want to
perform. Ironically, immigrants have higher employment rates than natives because they are
willing to take those jobs that natives do not take. The state does not need a time-out, as LingLing proposes, but instead it needs a reform that would take into consideration that in a modern
world where globalization is the new standard, immigrants are an essential part for progress and
efficiency.