Has Illegal-Immigrant Favoritism Pushed African-American and Teen Unemployment to the Back Burner?

Has Illegal-Immigrant Favoritism Pushed African-American and Teen Unemployment to the Back Burner?

By Tom Blumer (Bio | Archive)
June 2, 2007 - 08:39 ET

The three charts at the end of this post from the Bureau of Labor Statistics should be cause for concern.

They show the unemployment rates for Blacks (African-Americans), all teens, and African-American teens during the past 10 years.

Each low unemployment-rate point achieved in 2000, when the overall unemployment rate reached its low point of 3.8%, was much lower than it is currently. Specifically:

The Black/African American unemployment rate is 1.5% point higher (8.5% currently, 7.0% in April 2000). The percentage of African-Americans who are unemployed is still 21% higher (8.5/7.0) than it was at its low point in 2000.
The teen unemployment rate is 3.4% point higher (15.7% currently, 12.3% in June 2000). The percentage of teens who are unemployed is still 28% higher (15.7/12.3) than it was at its low point in 2000.
The Black/African American teen unemployment rate is 10.4% point higher (30.4% currently, 20.0% in April 2000). The percentage of African-American teens who are unemployed is still 52% higher (30.4/20.0) than it was at its low point in 2000.

If the 2007 unemployment rates in the these categories were the same as they were in 2000, the overall unemployment rate would be about 0.3% lower, and much closer to its 2000 low.

But why are the three unemployment rates just cited so much higher? What is present in 2007 that wasn't present in 2000?

How about perhaps 3.5 million or more (using a conservative estimate of 500,000 per year) additional low-skilled illegal workers who have entered the country since then, taking jobs away from relatively lower-skilled African-Americans and definitely lower-skilled teens -- jobs that African-Americans and teens could have and would have done?

Where are African-American politicians, and where is the self-described civil rights community, on this? As far as I can tell, totally AWOL. American Thinker letter writer James Bailey concurs:

Where are the African American Protests? Where are the outraged Black Leaders? Where is the Congressional Black Caucus?

Now that Democrats have gained power, look at how they treat their loyal constituents. First, they passed their "Keep labor so expensive that Inner City Youths will never get a job" law, I think they deceptively labeled it raising the minimum wage. And now, the Democrats are moving on to their "Give all those jobs to Foreigners" law. This doozy is called "Immigration Reform".

Democrats are condemning those who are still trapped in the ghetto to never get a chance to get out. Doomed to perpetual reliance on Democrats for hand-outs. Yet there is not a single peep of protest.

Meanwhile, Hispanic Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson opposes the immigration bill because he's "against the fence." ANY fence?

Additionally, why isn't Old Media harping on the African-American unemployment disparities, as it did throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s?

* * * * * *

The red boxes in each chart indicate the low point for each category during the last 10 years, all of which occurred in the second quarter of 2000.

Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.

—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters

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Sorry Tom - these numbers can

June 2, 2007 - 09:30 ET by FastEd

Sorry Tom - these numbers cannot be true - we have all these illegals coming into this country because they want to woek the jobs that americans don't want. Unless of course, well you know . . It seems that the demolibs have a better chance of getting these new workers to vote, probably for a lot less money, they their older, shrinking base.

You're right - where's al and jessie? Or, are they getting some cash to keep quiet?

There is no sense in being stupid, if you can't prove it! - my dad V

Tom Thank you.

June 2, 2007 - 11:18 ET by misterbill

Tom Thank you. I had posted earlier this week that I was sure that the people who were most impacted by the inflow of illegal immigrants and jobs were our black citizens. I had no numbers at the time--what you posted tells the story. Further, I checked the grading system at NumbersUSA and found that in my state of Georgia that Cynthia McKinney and John Lewis had the worst report cards of any Georgia politicians on immigration voting. They (she , thank Heaven is gone now), in essence , they have been elected by a majority black constituency and they vote against the very people who elected them. I never even thought about our teenagers and you are right on the money there. Are there any studies on the number of felons in our population? I know two young men who are felons. One is a probationer the other a parolee. Both are trying to rebuild their lives and are encountering extreme difficulty in getting good jobs. One of them has gone to a number of temp agencies and told me that even the agencies are populated with Hispanic employees. That does not mean they are illegal, but this young man felt that there was favoritism for Hispanics in general in being placed.

I am not in business , I am retired. However, if I were in business again, I would never put how fat my wallet was over my responsibilities as an American. There is an attitude of "make as much as you can, while you can" and patriotism is relegated to the background.

Given the fact that Hispani

June 2, 2007 - 11:24 ET by Dave R

Given the fact that Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority in the country, I think you are going to see a gradual shift among the dims away from the black community. They aren't going to throw them under the bus exactly, as they still need the black vote to obtain their defeat-proof socialist congress, but blacks will begin to drop down the dim list of priorities and will gradually be kicked to the curb.

Al & Jesse won't mind a bit, as those two race-hustling frauds surrendered their souls to the Democrat Party for political power a long, long time ago and will accept whatever crumbs are left on the table.

This republic will not survive the continued neglect of its people.-Neal Boortz

Var

June 2, 2007 - 11:32 ET by Tom Blumer

misterbill --

Appreciate the nice words. As to McKinney, she is rumored to be running for (hold your breath) president.

As to felons, the next post that I just completed is largely about felons in the illegal population.

I do believe that Hispanic-black tensions will increase in the coming years as more blacks experience what you described.

Dave R --

.... And if Jesse and Al don't respond to those increased tensions, look for a younger generation that is more Farrakhan-like or worse (e.g., maybe that Shabazz character) to grow their followings.

Locally, 2 Mexican agricultur

June 2, 2007 - 12:00 ET by Rackie

Locally, 2 Mexican agricultural workers, living in primitive conditions, were doing work no home-grown American will do .
Oregon police discovered 2 Mexicans living in a tent in the middle of nowhere while tending their crops. Apparently the two immigrant ag workers even felt they needed guns to protect themselves.
The police detained one, even as the other decided he was needed elsewhere in a hurry.
It was then that police confiscated their crop - 8900 pot plants with a street value of $9M, thus crushing the entrepreneurial efforts of these 2 hard working immigrants.

dear rackie

June 2, 2007 - 16:12 ET by tumbler

Rackie Baby;

Would you let us know, when it's clarified, if these 2 bad actors were American citizens or not ?

I also wish I knew who the intended customers for this trade would have been. Citizens, or poor peons from Mexico ? I'd wager that more Americans of diverse nationalities are selling drugs in our country than illegal aliens. And their customers are our American kids. The ones who won't go to work. They live off their parents; spoiled rotten. Or, they themselves traffic in drugs.

"Would you let us

June 2, 2007 - 17:51 ET by ckc1227

"Would you let us know, when it's clarified, if these 2 bad actors were American citizens or not ?"

Try reading it again. His implication is pretty clear concerning the status of these people from what he posted.

"also wish I knew who the intended customers for this trade would have
been. Citizens, or poor peons from Mexico ?"

Most likely the intended customers are whoever is willing to pay, including American citizens, which, as is usual in your lame defense of illegals, is meaningless to the issue at hand.

Rackie and tumbler

June 3, 2007 - 12:02 ET by Tom Blumer

Rackie and Tumbler:

Pot plantations growing big

Rackie's cite was not an isolated incident. Tumbler will happy to know that the linked article talks a lot about how Mexican gangs are involved, but the PC press never gots around to whether the gang members or those "tending the garden" are here illegally or not.

But (oops) towards the end, there is this tidbit that will burst Tumbler's bubble:

Last September, 32-year-old Ruperto Zuniga Torres died in a gunbattle along Oregon 730 east of Hermiston. Police found a 3,000-plant marijuana plantation nearby.

Torres, an undocumented immigrant, was shot at least five times and returned fire with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol, police said. Investigators believe he was shooting at two or more attackers and may have hit one of them. No arrests have been made, and police say the case has the earmarks of a drug deal gone bad.

I so despise the PC language. C'mon Tumbler, you can't possibly be holding on to the notion that a typical Mexican gang members has dotted his i's and crossed his t's and done all that is necessary to become a citizen or resident alien ..... can you?

As to McKinney, she is rumored to be running for

June 2, 2007 - 12:05 ET by misterbill

As to McKinney, she is rumored to be running for (hold your breath) president--

Dear sweet Lord--the inmates are clearly running the asylum!

She will garner the same number of votes nation wide as she did running for Congress. Methinks yon lady is a bit daft!

Let me ask a question: Why do

June 2, 2007 - 16:15 ET by balboa

Let me ask a question: Why does the mere presence of illegals immediately move black teens to the employment back burner? Is it because the companies would rather hire an illegal than an American? I have no preconceptions, don't know the answer. Honest question.

"Why does the mere pre

June 2, 2007 - 17:43 ET by ckc1227

"Why does the mere presence of illegals immediately move black teens to
the employment back burner? Is it because the companies would rather
hire an illegal than an American?"

It's because they can pay illegals less than they pay legal American teens, black, white, or otherwise.

Not to worry though. Once the blanket amnesty takes place, the previously "hard working illegals" will learn it's more profitable going the entitlement/welfare route, meaning those jobs that Americans won't do will become available once again and will be called "jobs that even previously illegal folks won't do", requiring yet another wave of "in the shadows" workers to fill these positions while waiting for the next last amnesty.

However, following sTumbler's logic, this is acceptable because, afterall, there are lazy Americans on the welfare roles too.

much as ckc12 would like it,

June 2, 2007 - 18:14 ET by tumbler

ckc1227 is dreaming. Much as she'd like this all to be about Tumbler's logic, it's just the obvious past history of our society. We haven't had to suffer the way impoverished people do. Our kids don't care if the job's there, it's silly to work if they don't have any responsibilties. Especially to work at a menial job, whatever the wage scale.

But an illegal immigrant hasn't any other option. He/she's at risk in this country and has to work at any job available.

For a self-serving, uninformed and prejudiced person like ckc to assume "logically" that all those immigrants are only after their "welfare-entitlements" turns logic upside-down. Is this something she can guage, a foregone conclusion; that she immediately judges the intent of others as only the lowest kind of opportunism ?

She has no way to tell us of ANY such situation. Bias is all that drives her to assume the worst.

The FACT is, Mexicans here illegally are anxious and willing to work. Otherwise they wouldn't be here. It's a no-brainer. Nobody starves in their country, not even the poor. There's a low-level standard of living there in which minimal effort will put tortillas and beans on their table. They own small-screen color TVs without making big bucks. There's no Black Hole of Calcutta, with people expiring on their streets in Mexico.

But the illegals aren't happy working for a few pesos. There ARE jobs they can fill in our country, and they WILL risk coming here for them. --Not for welfare. They have that at home, ckc; it's getting them nowhere. Here they HOPE to better themselves.

While our ghettoes are spilling their black youth into this fast lane society--! With all respect Mr. Blumer; --Where do they hope to work; out in the tomato-fields ? --No way ! They want jobs as rap-singing gangstah men; they want to buy bootlegged automatic weapons and boom-boxes. They wants ta be COOL ! They want to win at basketball and win at love. With their passionate babes ! Every day we see new ones of that sort trying to break into rap-song fame; certainly not fry hamburgers. And the few who aren't too proud to work at Burger King-- they're HIRED if they apply.

Let's open our eyes and not be liars about this situation. I've known many illegal immigrants over the last forty years in California. NONE of them went on welfare. When some poor family does need welfare, it's only the last resort. And I'm telling this honestly. I have no need to lie; I have SEEN the truth.

no

June 2, 2007 - 21:26 ET by Tom Blumer

I don't deny that there are cultural components to the employment issue, but:
- I don't see them being that much more destructive now that they were 7 years ago.
- If the ghetto culture is deteriorating more quickly, it's partly (emphasis partly) because there may be fewer opportunities for work.
- The unemployment rate is based on people actually looking for work. People who aren't looking for work aren't considered. That would included teens whose parents might be coddling them and others who might be in the underground economy or whatever.

Also, let's talk about the meatpacking plants, shall we? They got staffed up with illegals after citizens either retired, got let go, or moved on. Another NB post I did a couple of weeks ago was about how the plants are now staffed by citizens after the recent raids -- proving that the "jobs Americans won't do claim" is a canard.

unemployed teens

June 2, 2007 - 22:04 ET by tumbler

Teens have to begin at entry level. We've all been there, and so was everyone;. Black, white and aged. Taking what's made available by an employer. Going to work.

More relevant to the question is: Who is employing us ?

If it's a meatpacker, we aren't really talking of entry level. Those are not jobs Americans wouldn't bother with. --They're a few steps up the ladder. If illegals got in there, they've taken another step up the ladder. They didn't start there.

They began their illegal immigrant "careers" by mopping floors in a restaurant, or picking garlic out in a field. But they persevered and moved up. Exactly what Americans deny should happen. We have this morbid stereotype, a Mexican that would rather get "freebies,"--welfare, than fight to rise up out of poverty. It's an unjust stereotype and those illegal meatcutters prove it. They are illegals; YES. But illegals who struggled UP.

Why hasn't some black young man crawled up; become a meatcutter at a respectable wage (comparatively) --? SOME DO.

But some don't try. They either go after a kind of Pie in the Sky; boxing, football. Sports or show biz. Or follow after bad role models like Puff Diddy; they admire BAD guys. It's their fetish nowadays. Which even Americans like Bill Cosby tell them won't change their lives. Will never change their luck. They need leaders who LEAD. Not false arguments and victimology. They must work.

Have you seen a Mexican illegal immigrant so far; who claims he-she's a "victim" of the white man ? Hell no; there's work to do ! Don't cry and blame anyone. There is REAL opportunity in the U. S. -- WORK ! --Many hard-working black men & women are independent and thriving in our country. Not because the Mexican didn't ROB them. Because they were strong. And it didn't come easy.

illegal

June 3, 2007 - 08:15 ET by Tom Blumer

Re: Meatpacking -- you said that "If illegals got in there, they've taken another step up the ladder. They didn't start there."

That is absolutely not correct in that case. Illegal and legal Hispanic immigrants moved to SD, NE, etc. and got jobs in those plants virtually right away. I suspect that the migration was encouraged by the meatpackers (not meatcutters, which is a grocery store and often unionized job).

I will grant you the work ethic issue of adult illegals vs. teens, but that doesn't change the fact that illegals are, well, illegal and shouldn't be here. The fact that they are enables employers who flout the law to take the easy way out (hire a better worker at a lower wage who will stay in line because you've got their illegal status hanging over them) instead of having to invest a little time and patience in someone not as mature or used to the world of work. Hence the sticky unemployment rates for the groups identified.

If they are fooling employers with fake SSNs and other ID -- a rampant problem -- they still belong in prison .... right? Or are we supposed to ignore that too because someone is a "hard worker"?

.......but that doesn't chang

June 3, 2007 - 10:12 ET by Dave R

.......but that doesn't change the fact that illegals are, well, illegal and shouldn't be here.

:-) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This republic will not survive the continued neglect of its people.-Neal Boortz

I disagree with nothing Tom B

June 3, 2007 - 10:47 ET by dahliatravers

I disagree with nothing Tom Blumer says. But let us not lose sight of who is responsible for this attempt to make us the only country without borders: certain of our elected officials who, for stupid, selfish, extremely short-sighted reasons, have temporarily stopped enforcing those laws.

(I'm not altogether up on emoticons, Dave R. Do all those exclamation points mean that you are so worked up, you are spitting or just that you really, really agree with Tom's remark?)

But an illegal immigrant hasn

June 3, 2007 - 10:46 ET by dscott

But an illegal immigrant hasn't any other option. He/she's at risk in this country and has to work at any job available.

You are portraying these people as though they were victims of our society. They had a choice to work in "their" country, "their" country is responsible for "their" welfare, not us! They are not victims, they don't belong here, they are here without our permission, end of story. If you have a beef with "their" economic plight in life, take it up with "their" government regarding "their" incompetence of not providing for "their"citizens.

I refuse to pay my tax dollars to a foreigner, that's "their" responsibility. Claiming everyone or a majority of the 6.8 million people on unemployment is lazy is insulting and racist toward Blacks. When an illegal takes a job here, that person is creating unemployment here and depressing the wages of the poor.

“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.” – Marcus Aurelius

DSIt was i, mea culpa, with s

June 3, 2007 - 10:56 ET by

It was i, mea culpa, with some friends after a bit of training from Duane "Dog" Chapman who went to 20 different countries and kidnapped people only to leave them in canyon tent villages where they were forced to find work at any job available.

Oh //<sarc off>//

How is it these 'homeless people' wire Billions of dollars HOME every year?

Supreme Court, National Security, Borders, Fiscal Restraint, my litmus test for President.

tell us the truth

June 3, 2007 - 12:49 ET by tumbler

Tell the truth, dscott

I haven't distorted the facts. You know jobs are always available to people of color. They have to pound the ground just as I would or you would.

If you think I'm in favor of illegal immigration merely because I object to lying about the situation (Mexicans steal jobs) you're only telling another lie. I'm in favor of deportation. I only object to hate speech and THIS demagoguery: "When an illegal takes a job here, that person is creating unemployment here and depressing the wages of the poor." I'm serious, if this were REMOTELY possible, I'd have to agree. It just isn't so.

You and millions of others have swallowed all the pre-packaged insidious propaganda of the self-righteous extremist Right. Something which is uncalled for. As you rightly said, the illegal status of those immigrants is ENOUGH for us to deport them. The lies are just meant to incite anger and overreaction. HATRED. Examine your conscience: Do we need vicious propaganda in order to secure our border ? It's already being patrolled.

Tumbler

June 3, 2007 - 13:43 ET by acumen

With all due respect Tumbler, I have to disagree with your comment; "You and millions of others have swallowed all the pre-packaged insidious propaganda of the self-righteous extremist Right."

I think the video I have linked to here more accurately portrays the valid concerns of most Americans. It's not about compassion (or lack of), it's about demographics and logistics. Even the strongest supporter of immigrants would have to set a number as to the millions and millions of immigrants, legal or not, America can realistically accept before our support systems fail, our economy crumbles and we all become the very poor we are trying to assist. So the relevant questions becomes not if America should accept the poor, but how many of the world's poor can we realistically support on American soil and which ones do we accept/which ones get rejected? These questions could be perceived as callous; however, they cannot be avoided.

They are serious questions with serious consequences for many - not just legal American citizens but even those in the most remote corners of the world that rely on American generosity for their very existance (think AIDS relief in Africa for starters). I believe watching the video before offering a response would be useful in arriving at a reasonable conclusion and I strongly encourage you to take a look. Please note that at the very start of this video the issue of compassion is addressed and is put in proper context with all of the other issues mentioned above.

dear acumen:

June 3, 2007 - 14:13 ET by tumbler

I'm viewing the video.

Are you convinced the illegal immigrant steals jobs from American workers ? From black Americans ? Is a job available anyplace in the U.S. for those who make an application, or not ?

what about welfare ?

June 3, 2007 - 14:53 ET by tumbler

Dear acumen:

Do you think, as does ckc; that all of them will relax and start cashing in on our welfare and entitlements, as soon as the amnesty takes effect ? --That the work they found here will become unimportant ?

That's how many bigoted Americans feel about them, isn't it ? And would Mr. Blumen be offended if this were ever suggested of our black Americans' attitude ?

Why hasn't that occurred to ckc ? Americans who are happy on welfare & entitlements, and see no incentive to labor at a menial job ? She assumes illegal immigrants do it. WHO informed her of this ? Isn't it a pre-packaged, common lie, told us by a bigoted few ? It didn't come from the mainstream.

...requiring yet another wave

June 3, 2007 - 10:05 ET by Dave R

...requiring yet another wave of "in the shadows" workers to fill these positions while waiting for the next last amnesty.

Or the next one after that. :-(

This republic will not survive the continued neglect of its people.-Neal Boortz

Shouldn't we hold those hirin

June 3, 2007 - 12:21 ET by balboa

Shouldn't we hold those hiring illegals more accountable? I mean, if these people didn't hire illegals, maybe people would stop coming over here.

Bala third agreement? inconce

June 3, 2007 - 12:26 ET by

Bal

a third agreement? inconceivable!

Supreme Court, National Security, Borders, Fiscal Restraint, my litmus test for President.

I have my moments. :-)

June 3, 2007 - 12:41 ET by balboa

I have my moments. :-)

Incrediable balboa. Hold crim

June 3, 2007 - 12:53 ET by bassndude

Incrediable balboa. Hold criminals accountable for hiring criminals? Now there is a thought. If only it was this rational in the halls of congress, we could make a little head way.

Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!

Perhaps one of the problems

June 3, 2007 - 12:58 ET by sarcasmo

Perhaps one of the problems with a system biased towards having only 2 "sides" is that one side tends to only want to punish illegal employers and the other tends to only want to punish illegal employees... The rational alternative of punishing all who violate the law isn't ever seriously considered in such an environment, even as people who differ as much as the three of us can easily see it as the only fair & workable solution.
JMR

sarc - I am a strong opponent of

June 3, 2007 - 13:23 ET by misterbill

sarc - I am a strong opponent of illegal immigration. I know you know that because we have both posted for a long time here. I will list a fact from Small-Business Facts site:

Small businesses represent more than 99 percent of all employers (Small Business Administration, December, 2000).

Now you can accept that or not. I believe it to be accurate because of the source. I am not going to argue whether employers or employees should be punished. I will only say that those employers who hire illegal workers at below market wages put the other businessmen at a disadvantage and in order to compete (OR TO MAKE THE SAME PROFITS), they must do the same.

Most illegal workers do not have the wherewithal to pay steep fines. Attrition through enforcement should definitely be our policy. Unfortunately that means examples must be set and our government needs to catch a few of these businessmen and prosecute to the FULL extent of the law. There will be a significant decrease in the number of scofflaws if that is done. I do feel for the immigrants and their need to earn an income. I do not feel as strongly for them as for the people who are our citizens whose lives and wages are impacted by the influx.