Monday, 8 December 2008

No Blacks No Irish No Dogs

I don't really have a problem with immigration - legal or otherwise - it's one world. It doesn't matter where someone has come from or how they have got here - it's what they do here that matters.

There are plenty of asshats in the UK that have had family here for generations. Sure there are bad seeds on every boat but I have respect for those who have given up their homes, their family and their lives to try and make a new life elsewhere. That's quite a price to pay - immigration isn't cheap.

The real issue with immigration is how it is managed and how we interact with the new arrivals. Many agencies are not sufficiently circumspect about their abilities or qualifications for particular roles. That gains cheap headlines and undermines better work.

One important effect of immigration is that it keeps wages low and they do the jobs that the "indigenous" population don't want to do, and are often grateful for the work.

If you actually study urban geography over the years you can see where the successive waves of population stablish themselves, and then gradually move into more affluent areas as time goes on.

I did this for a research thesis on the inner city areas of Glasgow, in particular at the Irish immigrant population of the late nineteenth century. Their story at the time was not dissimilar to New York. They came over en masse, established in certain areas, had conflict with the local population but eventually became part of the fabric of the city and its culture. That's how my great-grand father did it anyway.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Obama did it for us! There is a bailout for the people. Everyone qualifies. I got $750,000.00USD in grants for my bailout.

Bailout for the People