Speech #1040056988

For example. the death of the Soviet Union has ended our fear of nuclear annihilation. At the same time. the resulting military downsizing has cost over 1.1 million jobs in the defense sector alone since 1987. As a result. and not for the first time in our history. politicians and voters have seized upon immigration. especially illegal immigration. as a scapegoat for the deeper uncertainties we feel. Illegal immigration has also become a lightning rod for worries about the budget crises we face at all levels of Government. There is no doubt that illegal immigrants impose a cost on taxpayers. According to the estimates by the Urban Institute. the seven most affected States pay approximately $3.1 billion yearly on education. $471 million on incarceration. and $313 million on providing medical treatment for undocumented aliens. The Urban Institutes fiscal year 1993 estimates for my own State of New Jersey. which has the sixth largest population of illegal aliens. are $146 million for education. $6.6 million for incarceration. and $0.53.9 million for Medicaid. for a total of $153.1156.5 million. Anger over illegal immigration inevitably creates a backlash against legal immigrants and even citizens of different ethnic backgrounds. However. this is a selfdefeating response. Our country is increasingly a mixture of races. languages. and religions. as new immigrants arrive in search of economic promise and political freedom. By the year 2000. only 57 percent of the people who enter the work force in America will be nativeborn white Americans. That means that the economic future of all Americans will depend increasingly on the talents of nonwhite Americans. We will all either advance together or each of us will be diminished. We most need to appreciate the remarkable opportunity that our racial and ethnic diversity represents for the future of our country. Our immigrants and new citizens can be our guide to the cultural rhythms in the fastest growing areas of the world economy. Given highquality and pricecompetitive goods. the cultural knowledge they have can American the advantage. Our diversity can mean more jobs. more prosperity for all Americans. if we can seize the moment and not run away from it.