Revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book that demystifies twenty-one of the most widespread myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigration
Aviva Chomsky dismantles twenty-one of the most widespread and pernicious myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigration in this incisive book. “They Take Our Jobs!” challenges the underlying assumptions that fuel misinformed claims about immigrants, radically altering our notions of citizenship, discrimination, and US history. With fresh material including a new introduction, revised timeline, and updated terminology section, this expanded edition is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how these myths are used to promote aggressive anti-immigrant policies.
About the Series
In the Myths Made in America series, experts debunk pervasive and harmful myths across a wide variety of topics. As misconceptions about groups of marginalized people and misunderstood concepts in the world persist, these deeply researched, frank, and user-friendly books
- identify commonly held myths by name and equip readers with facts and context to better understand why these myths were created in the first place
- serve as a resource for people to resist, whether it be in organizing efforts, advocacy and policy work, or the classroom
- arm readers with the necessary tools to be informed, think critically, and be prepared with facts and language to have effective and meaningful conversations about some of the most important societal issues of our time
The series has exposed myths about Indigenous people, immigration, LGBTQ+ people, prison reform, homelessness, unions, fat people, climate change, gun violence, and more written by critically acclaimed, award-winning, and New York Times best-selling authors.
“A must-read for anyone who wants to understand immigration in the US.”
—Eva Longoria, actress, businesswoman, producer, and philanthropist
“An indispensable guide to the current debate on immigration. If you are at all uncertain about how to deal with anti-immigrant arguments, you will find Chomsky’s book a perfect response. She makes her points with clarity and uses unassailable evidence while offering constructive short- and long-term solutions.”
—Howard Zinn, author of You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train
“[Chomsky] not only demolishes virtually every myth about immigrants and immigration to the US, but also offers policymakers and activists solutions for tackling many of the issues created by globalization and an immigration policy grounded in falsehoods, and in so doing destroys the greatest myth of all: that nothing can be done.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams
“Chomsky’s book provides us all with a much-needed sense of history and justice—and injustice—that must be included as we struggle for fair and humane immigration policies.”
—Catherine Tactaquin, executive director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
A Note on Terminology
Introduction, 2018
Introduction, 2007
PART ONE: IMMIGRANTS AND THE ECONOMY
Myth 1. Immigrants take American jobs
Myth 2. Immigrants compete with low-skilled workers and drive down wages
Myth 3. Unions oppose immigration because it harms the working class
Myth 4. Immigrants don’t pay taxes
Myth 5. Immigrants are a drain on the economy
Myth 6. Immigrants send most of what they earn out of the country in the form of remittances
PART TWO: IMMIGRANTS AND THE LAW
Myth 7. The rules apply to everyone, so new immigrants need to follow them just as immigrants in the past did
Myth 8. The country is being overrun by illegal immigrants
Myth 9. The United States has a generous refugee policy
PART THREE: IMMIGRATION AND RACE
Myth 10. The United States is a melting pot that has always welcomed immigrants from all over the world
Myth 11. Since we are all the descendants of immigrants here, we all start on equal footing
Myth 12. Today’s immigrants threaten the national culture because they are not assimilating
Myth 13. Today’s immigrants are not learning English, and bilingual education just adds to the problem
PART FOUR: HOW HAVE US POLICIES CREATED IMMIGRATION?
Myth 14. Immigrants only come here because they want to enjoy our higher standard of living
Case Study: The Philippines
PART FIVE: THE DEBATE AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM
Myth 15. The American public opposes immigration, and the debate in Congress reflects that
Myth 16. The overwhelming victory of Proposition 187 in California shows that the public opposes immigration
Myth 17. Immigration is a problem
Myth 18. Countries need to control who goes in and out
Myth 19. We need to protect our borders to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering the country
Myth 20. If people break our laws by immigrating illegally, they are criminals and should be deported
Myth 21. The problems this book raises are so huge that there’s nothing we can do about them
Epilogue
Timeline
Acknowledgments
Notes