Immigrant-Owned U.S. Companies Said to Generate $775 Billion

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Bloomberg

Immigrant-owned businesses employ one in 10 U.S. workers in private companies and contribute more than $775 billion of revenue to the U.S. economy, according to the Partnership for a New American Economy.
The businesses generate about $125 billion in payroll, the nonpartisan advocacy group of 450 mayors and business leaders said in a report to be presented in Chicago and Boston today by the group’s founders, News Corp. (NWSA) Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Chicago and the Boston area, the respective campaign headquarters of Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney, are appropriate locations to present forums on immigration policy, Bloomberg said.

“Immigration is what built this country, immigration is what kept this country going for the past 235 years and now we seem to have walked away from it,” Bloomberg said today in Chicago. “Both candidates have been supportive of immigration when they were running earlier, appeared to be in favor of making changes and yet -- nothing.”
He called for visa laws that would make it easier for educated medical and technical workers as well as low-wage and seasonal farm laborers to gain entry to the U.S. Easing those laws has been a signature issue for Bloomberg, who in June 2011 said the U.S. wouldn’t remain a global superpower “if we continue to close our doors to the people who want to come here and work hard.” The mayor has described restrictive immigration laws as “national suicide.”



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-14/immigrant-owned-u-s-companies-said-to-generate-775-billion.html

[Confusious]

1. All for immigration

Not at the expense of the people who live here though.

[alfredo]

2. If you can't out compete a person new to this country and culture, then you are doing something wron

[Confusious]

3. So I suppose you're all for

Corporations bringing over as many low wage workers as they can?

Corporate love on DU, who would've thought.

[cosmicone]

4. This is not about outside companies bringing workers.

This is about immigrants to this country who are enterprising enough to start their own businesses and employ the local people. It works for the benefit of the natives is what the article is saying.

[Posteritatis]

7. And even then, half the posts in the thread so far are hostile to the idea. It's depressing. (nt)

[cosmicone]

18. I know. Astonishing isn't it? n/t

[closeupready]

36. OMG. You so make me laugh, with that shocked/appalled routine

you pull out when it serves your own interests.

[cosmicone]

41. You shocked me again

Looks like you're capable of laughter!

Cheers

[Confusious]

23. Yea it is about that

I have that reaction when I hear Republicans like Ruppert Murdock and Micheal Bloomberg talk about immigration.

If it's Republicans talking about immigration, then it's about bringing low wage workers in from other countries, because that's all they usually care about.

They should have picked a better messenger.

[cosmicone]

31. I suspect that you're confused

There IS a difference between immigrants who come here and do well for society as a whole versus those who are brought in simply to replace the American workers at a lower wage.

Let's not paint with a broad brush. There are some of us who start companies and employ Americans.

[Confusious]

32. No you're confused

There IS a difference between immigrants who come here and do well for society as a whole versus those who are brought in simply to replace the American workers at a lower wage.

But Republicans only care about lower wages, and that's who the article quoted. Rupert Murdock and Micheal Bloomberg.

So I reacted the way I did.

[closeupready]

9. +1000. We're no longer "in it together"; it's sink-or-swim, I guess.

Dovetails with the union-hatred many on DU harbor.

For all the talk about what a douchebag Ayn Rand was, we certainly have many here who sympathize with her outlook, but who do not recognize it in themselves.

[lunasun]

21. +1

[Confusious]

27. I come from a blue-collar family

I get the feeling here sometimes that most don't, and don't care.

[4th law of robotics]

13. I've argued before that with higher wages

we wouldn't have a shortage of american farm workers.

I was told that that would raise the cost of fresh produce too much so it's not worth it. On here. I was told higher wages are unacceptable because it might make things cost a bit more.

I don't get it.

[AlphaCentauri]

22. it's been an old excuse

it's been an old excuse to ask to be pay first then work

I guess there are not too many american farm workers with enough experience to ask for higher wages, in any field most people won't start making piles of money instantly it takes a while to make good money, so why many un-employees won't train to work as farm workers and ask the labor department to connect them with the jobs?

[alfredo]

33. I was talking about the fear of immigrants in general.

[Confusious]

35. I have no fear of immigrants

I just don't like companies hiring illegal immigrants, and I don't like companies that hire foreign workers at a lower wage when there are people in this country trained and willing to do the job.

[alfredo]

38. Many illegals came here because they had jobs waiting. We have to insist on fair wages for all.

That will remove some of the incentives to hire and then exploit immigrants.

[4th law of robotics]

12. If you can't outcompete some kid in China

then you're doing something wrong.

Suck it prole, you've been outsourced.

[limpyhobbler]

26. How can I compete with someone who will wash dishes and mop floors for $3 per hour?

[alfredo]

34. Insist the minimum wage laws are enforced.

[limpyhobbler]

37. There is a restaurant in my neighborhood that has about 15 illegal immigrants working the kitchen.

I went in and asked if they are hiring and then told me no. It's impossible to compete because they work for below minimum wage.

I'm pretty angry about that situation. There are many other restaurants I could apply to instead. There is a taco bell and a mcdonalds.

But I wanted to work at this particular place because it has the kitchen where people can't see you as much. It's more hidden. It's within walking distance from the garage I sleep in. I also think it probably affects wages in the whole neighborhood.

This restaurant owner is getting away with too much shit. I don't want to get the dishwashers in trouble, but the restaurant owner should hire people locally instead of importing undocumented workers from abroad just because they are cheaper. It has a negative impact on my community. In some ways the impact is positive, it's more vibrant and diverse here now. But overall, it seems to contribute to long term unemployment. I'm surprised nobody really talks about that aspect of illegal immigration. Seems to be almost a forbidden topic.

Trying to decide if I should report this restaurant, and if it would even make any difference.

[alfredo]

40. yes, report them

First make sure they are illegal.

[JI7]

42. how is he going to find out if they are illegal ? if he knows they are being paid 3 dollars an hour

they must be illegal. it's illegal to pay that much anyways.

he should report it and see what turns up.

[Posteritatis]

5. "I'm all for X, but.." (nt)

[closeupready]

6. ".. not if X subtracts value from my world/family/society."

I don't see the problem with that notion.

[ponsheki]

10. I'm curious...

What kind of immigrant would satisfy the above conditions for you?

[closeupready]

11. I don't understand your question -

Are you asking me if I favor conditional immigration? Obviously, that's what we already have - for example, we don't allow violent criminals to immigrate.

As a counter-question, do you favor unconditional immigration?

[ponsheki]

14. Of course I don't favor Unconditional Immigration

But people around here seems to be hostile to both legal (H1B) and illegal immigrants so exactly what kind of immigrant are you ok with? It feels like people just don't want to admit they're against all forms of immigrants because those immigrants could inconvenience them in some way because they're afraid of being called xenophobic or something. There's even a thread where some people are hostile to Canadian visiting the USA to vacation and spend money...

[closeupready]

15. Personally, I'm pro-immigration, but you see upthread what happens

when people here say that, but state they also have reservations about how it's practiced here.

To drawn an analogy, many here imply that those who say, "some of my best friends are Jewish" are the same people who are also subconciously anti-Semitic.

Similarly, DLC Third Way conservative Democrats and their sympathizers will often apply that logic to discussions about immigration, implying that those who say they have reservations with how immigration rules and laws are enforced in the US are "really" just xenophobic or racist.

[ponsheki]

16. Then How Do You Want the Current Immigration System Changed?

I would love if someone who doesn't like the current US immigration system to provide some actual proposals on how it should change. If you were to ask me, I think it's not fair to make H1B immigrants to wait a decade(s) to get a green card and another 5 years to be allowed to be citizens. I think you should make it easier for them to becomes citizens so they can start their own business and hire their fellow citizens.

[closeupready]

17. I'm not sure I think immigration needs change; rather, global labor markets

need to be opened commensurate with the degree of freedom enjoyed by capital markets.

Having said that, however, as a liberal and a traditional progressive Democrat, I feel labor needs to come first; thus, if Republicans won't play ball, then we need to re-negotiate all these fucking fraudulent "free trade" treaties that aren't "free trade" in any sense of the term. Certainly not for workers.

[Confusious]

25. I didn't know those where the only two form of immigration

h1b's or illegal.

I thought, and I could be wrong here, that people applied to come to this country, and after a check, they were allowed to come, take a test and get citizenship.

you know, how it works around the rest of the world.

I'm really, really, really sick of people acting like "well if you don't like h1b's and illegal immigrants those things, you hate all immigrants, you racist NAZI." Very black and white thinking that we usually attribute to Republicans. (the NAZI part was a joke for effect)

[AlphaCentauri]

29. Unlike the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis

Unlike the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis, who make no attempt to hide their racism and bigotry, these anti-immigrant groups and coalitions often use more subtle language to demonize immigrants and foreigners. They are frequently quoted in the media, have been called to testify before Congress, and often hold meetings with lawmakers and other public figures. However, under the guise of warning people about the impact of illegal immigration, anti-immigrant advocates often invoke the same dehumanizing, racist stereotypes as hate groups. And increasingly, they do not make a distinction between illegal and legal immigrants.

http://www.adl.org/civil_rights/anti_immigrant/

[Confusious]

30. I don't care about legal immigrants

"care" as in more power to them. Welcome to the United States.

[Confusious]

28. Black and white thinking

I'm all for the first amendment, unless someone shouts "fire" in a crowded theater. (sorry, thats the usual analogy)

See how that works?

[Dreamer Tatum]

8. Um, immigrants live here.

Your sentiment is pretty RW.

[Confusious]

24. I know immigrants live here

I just get that reaction when I hear Republicans like Rupert Murdock and Micheal Bloomberg talk about immigration.

When they talk about immigration, it's a good bet that it's not good for the middle class.

They should have picked a better messenger.

[lunasun]

20. say what?

[qwlauren35]

19. I Support Immigration. Period.

I agree with Bloomberg that it has been the backbone of our country from day 1. Immigrants have drive that somehow dies after a generation or two. How typical is it to see the children of immigrants working in their parents' stores. Those kids are AMERICAN. But they have a work ethic that many of us have forgotten about.

These people are willing to do all kinds of things to achieve "the American Dream". They will live with umpteen in a house, to be able to afford it. They will forego luxury foods. They will work all kinds of hours. They will invest in businesses and take little to no pay until they make it.

I applaud them. I am too lazy to do what they do, but I would never question their right to make America their home, and achieve their dreams.

[LanternWaste]

39. Immigrants... emigrants... citizens... workers...

Immigrants... emigrants... citizens... workers...

All seem to be humans on one or another side of one or another imaginary red line on a map that we call borders and then allow to dictate who we love, who we hate, where we work and what we think.

Imaginary thinking does rule us all so very efficiently... to excess it may oft seem.