Another Texan throws his hat into the ring:
TwT has it right IMHO
I'll tell what I know with first hand knowledge . . .
Teenaged boy from Mexico has no prospects for
a job in his home town. He has several family
members who years or months ago made it into
"USA". Those relatives will finance his way through
this country's borders (large black market controlling)
and give him a place to stay while he gets on his feet.
When he finds a job doing base tasks for under minimum
wages (paid in cash), he finds others who have a
simular situation who need housing. They band together
and live in overcrowded rental properties, sharing rent,
utilities and other expenses. Meanwhile sending their
savings home to Mexico. Also buying products here
and sending them home for the family members to sell
or use in some manner.
The "players" are not to blame in this type of case. The employers
are trying to cut labor costs to be more competitive, the Hispanic
laborer (over %40 of all illegals coming over the Mexican boarder
today are from Central American Countries) wants it worse than
the "lazy & overpriced" American worker and therefore is willing
to work harder for less money.
Under the current system, it works out for both of them. Almost the
entire "teeshirt" workforce (as I like to call it) in the construction
business will learn a valuable skill causing their wages to approch
$12 per hour within a few years allowing that worker to now be
in a position to help others come to the USA, but by this time the
worker in question has purchased illegal documents (making them
for all intents and purposes legals) and is now dutifly paying their
taxes and sending even more money to the family back home.
We as Human Beings always have the option to follow or break
the laws of our land. Some break them for greed, others for survival.
Until we strive change the system to befit all (impossible IMO),
we can expect immigration to remain un-changed, legal or illegal.
My advice to Americans worried about their jobs, sharpen your
work skills (we are behind most other nations in education
performance and reform) get the highest degree you can obtain
and work harder for your goals. A wage increase is almost always
due from arse kissing, brown nosing and good old fashoned HARD
WORK, the latter, it seems, being in short supply nowadays.
