Controversial Topic

The topic of immigration has always been a controversial topic, with many complications and technicalities, and this issue appears to be even more present in our current political landscape. As our current leader in the White House fights for stricter borders, many activists are leading efforts to help refugees and other foreigners seeks a home here despite strict immigration laws. Authors Aisha Dodwell and George Gallatin express their conflicting viewpoints in articles that try to help us understand the different viewpoints on our borders.

One of the most commons thoughts of having open borders is how it would affect our economy as a nation. Aisha Dodwell of newint.org believes that having open borders does not have a negative effect on our economy but might actually help as new immigrants would be willing to do jobs most americans wouldn't. Dodwell stresses that the belief that immigrants hurt our minimum paying jobs is a myth without any factual evidence. She states that immigrants work hard and benefit our economy in many different ways by also buying goods and being apart of society.

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“Economists followed the wages and employment of every worker in the country between 1991 and 2008, and monitored the impacts of large influxes of refugees.”(Dodwell) She examines studies supporting her claim the negative impacts of immigration are false. “They found that low-skilled wages and employment actually rose in response to the influx of refugees.”(Dodwell) One of her biggest arguments is based on the notion that there is strong evidence in immigrants benefit to society.

However, she never credits one specific study or any scientists. As illistured by Darrell Huff, in How to Lie with Statistics, not crediting a certain source for information can be an easy indicator as to the credibility of the statistics themselves.

George Gallatin of quillette.com, sees the topic of open borders as an issue in a completely different light. Gallatin views open borders as an easy opportunity for mass immigration that could ultimately harm the culture and demographics of the home country. Gallatin supports his argument by claiming that mass immigration would lead to profound changes on our economics. “The open borders philosophy is wrong, because, like the failed ideologies of the past century, it doesn’t account for unpleasant facts about human nature and society.” (Gallatin) The author urges the importance of avoiding border although it might seem like the moral move. Another intriguing point Gallatin makes is the challenge of bringing together different cultures and how they will respond to each other. “People from across the world differ significantly in behavior and custom. When migration occurs, we have to be aware that these behaviors and customs come along and can cause considerable strain in the receiving nation.”(Gallatin) It is interesting to inmagine how welcoming or hostile a nation will be when accepting mass amounts of immigrants, especially when the country is already divided on the issue.

Dodwell views immigration has inevitable even with or without open borders. However, she illustrates that far less refugees would die in there attempt to enter into a new country compared to the difficult conditions refugees are faced with now. Dodwell explains the thousands of refugees who died in the poor conditions fleeing to europe. Crossing the mediterranean in make shirt lifeboats has resulted in many deaths even including small children. In many instances the few refugees who do make it to the country they are fleeing to, they are forced back to their original unsafe and poor condition homeland. Having closed borders does discourage immigration, it rather just creates hardship and dangerous conditions for poor struggling families trying to seek a better future. Dodwell hopes that developed countries could be more accepting and understanding of the difficult conditions many individuals are in when trying to enter a more safe and better country.

Both authors were thoughtful and compelling in their arguments, however I believe George Gallatin failed to connect with his audience on a more personal level. In an issue involving struggling families and desperate immigrants I believe it is important to have an emotional connection with supportive facts. I believe Aisha Dodwell was successful in creating a more well rounded article then was more convincing in helping understand the controversial outlook of immigration and open borders.

Works Cited

7 Reasons Why We Should Have Open Borders - Aisha Dodwell, newint.org

https://newint.org/blog/2017/11/29/why-open-borders

Why “Open Borders” is a Dangerous Idea - George Gallatin, quillette.com

https://quillette.com/2018/02/03/open-borders-dangerous-idea/