An Important Issue in the United States, Essay Example

Immigration is an important issue in the United States and around the world. As we become an increasingly global society, many of the barriers of national borders have become weaker or less important. This is especially true in terms of trade, as trade agreements make it possible for international and transnational corporations to do business around the world. Companies ca now look for labor markets in one part of the world and sell goods in other parts of the world to a greater extent than ever before.  At the same time, some countries, like Japan, have strict immigration policies that are leading to issues like labor shortages now and most likely in the future. Immigration is a fact of life, and no one policy or set of policies will always work in a world that is constantly changing and evolving.

It appears that the reality of the situation for the United States is that immigration is necessary, and that there are also many immigrants who are here after bypassing legal immigration rules. There is no practically way to even find all these people, let alone to make tens of millions of immigrants return to their home countries. The U.S. needs a sane labor policy that makes it as easy as possible for people to come here, and that attracts people with good educations and backgrounds who can contribute to society. An immigration policy that is too strict and too slow will simply keep out many of the people that could offer positive contributions to the country at all levels, and encourage people with the fewest prospects to come here illegally and to live on the fringes of society. That does not mean we must have completely open borders, but we should make it as easy as possible for people to come here so they will not bypass the system and the nation can do all it can to ensure their success.

The issue of “privilege” is something that gave me much to think about, as it is relevant to do many aspects of society and life in general. It can be seen when people of colr are shot by police and many members of society react with indifference. It can be seen when people born into wealth and social advantage think that poor people are simply poor because they are “lazy.” It has an impact on how people view themselves and others in almost every context of society. I also struggle with this, as I sometimes consider whether I am a victim of privilege or if I benefit from it (and the truth is probably somewhere in between).