Speech #1090065550

Mr. Speaker. I rise today to recognize and praise the immigrant contribution to the United States. To say that immigration is a driving force in the American economy is to make an understatement. According to the 2005 Economic Report of the President immigration is shown as being a key to the growth of the labor force and has cemented the traditional belief that immigrants provide a positive net fiscal benefit to the American economy. Current governmental policies toward immigration. however. dont reflect the Reports findings. Facts now point to the fact that today. 23 percent of the population is either foreignborn or children of someone who is. According to the most recent census. over 34 million people living in the U.S. were born outside of the U.S. with most of those coming from Latin America. about 25 percent hailing from Asia. nearly 15 percent from Europe and 8 percent coming from elsewhere including primarily Africa. Another 30 million are "second generation" Americans with one or both parents having been bom elsewhere. Immigrants play a vital role in American society. They are found in diverse occupations ranging from construction work and cooks to computer programmers and medical doctors. Their impact on American society can be seen in everything from musical icons such as Jennifer Lopez to our affinity for exotic cuisine. It is the contributions of this wide and varying group that give America its diversity. Immigrants are our nextdoor neighbors. friends and colleagues. They are hardworking and diligent members of our society. who live. work. and pay U.S. taxes. In New York State alone. undocumented workers pay more than $1 billion in taxes a year. Although it is true that we have unemployment among American citizens. we also have labor shortages. for example agricultural workers. Immigrants generally fill those jobs. which American citizens simply do not want to fake. Americas continued economic growth requires a steady flow of immigration. It almost always has and will in the future. perhaps more than at any time in the past. Therefore. rather than placing up barriers we should embrace and celebrate the contributions of immigrants to our society. I introduce in the RECORD an article from July 19. NYCarib reporting on the economic benefits of immigrant labor.