Unfortunately, there are countless myths about immigrants and immigration. We will talk about the most common ones that nobody should actually believe. The truth is that most of the things that people say when referring to immigration are false. This is why education is so important.
Myth 1 – Immigrants In The US Are Illegals
There is a lot of controversy surrounding immigrants these days. This is especially true when referring to undocumented immigrants. Since the media focuses so much on illegal immigrants, it is very easy to miss out on the fact that the majority of foreign-born individuals in the US have lawful permission to stay.
In reality, there are around 11 million people that are not authorized to stay in the US, which is 25% of foreign-born people. Out of them, it is estimated that around 40% did legally enter the country and just let visas expire.
Myth 2 – It Is Much Easier To Enter The US Legally
US customs entry requirements are very strict at the moment. Also, for the first 100 years, the country did have a fully open immigration system. This means that anyone could have entered the country without any problems. The big obstacle in the past was just getting to the US.
Nowadays though, there are countless rules that specific who can remain in and enter the country. Receiving the documentation needed to enter the US is also very difficult.
Myth 3 – Immigrants Do Not Want To Learn The Language
Most of the first-generation immigrants speak their language when at home but 35% of immigrants over 5 years old speak the language very well. 21% speak it well. Immigrants had to get over serious obstacles, like traveling to the country, finding a job, dealing with language barriers, and paying lawyer fees.
The truth is that most immigrants do want to learn the English language. However, this is not at all something that is very simple to do. There is often not enough time available and no resources to pay for English lessons.
The situation is actually really bad. Look at these immigration quotes. They are the things that refugees and immigrants need to worry about before being able to learn English.
Myth 4 – Immigrants Are Taking Jobs Away From The US Citizens
This is, most likely, the most damaging myth related to immigrants and the reason why so many horrible actions against them were labeled as being justified by people that do not know the truth. All you have to do is to look at statistics issued by third-party operators, like the American Immigration Council. This will show you that there is not much connection between native-born unemployment rates and immigrant labor.
The civilian workforce in the country is made out of under 10 million unauthorized immigrants. This adds up to only 5% of the actual workforce. Immigrants who do not have authorization are just overrepresented in farming, construction occupations, and farming. In reality, this is because of a void present in how many low-skilled US workers exist. because US citizens do not want to perform some jobs, employers look at unauthorized immigrants as a solution.
Myth 5 – Only The Worst People Come To The US
A large part of the media talks only about the immigrants that break the law in the US. This leads to so many thinking that just the worst of the worse come to the country. In reality, most immigrants come because they want to work, be with their families, or get away from a very dangerous situation. According to official statistics, immigrants are actually much less likely to end up committing a serious crime in the US than native-born people.
Final Thoughts
The five myths mentioned above are just some of those that could be mentioned. It is a shame to notice the fact that so many people see immigrants in the US as being a huge problem when the truth is that these are just people looking for a better future. Immigrants are generally safe and do all that they can to stay out of the way of authorities or other people. This is because they realize they could be deported when they brake laws or cause problems.
