Over the past couple of days I have read a couple of editorials on guest workers in which the level of arrogance has reached new heights.
This gem comes from the Austin American Statesman. In it, regular contributor John Young asserts that those of us who want to limit the number of foreign workers do so because our "policy is driven by wanting to curb the flow of brown-skinned people."
Holy race card, Batman!
According to Mr. Young, we don't hold our views because we are concerned about the wages and employment opportunities of American workers or believe that the displacement of U.S. workers by foreign workers is bad policy. No, Mr. Young says it's because we hate brown people. Mr. Young even goes so far as to assert that if it were Canadians coming to take jobs there would be no concern of immigration.
Hmmm.
It appears that Mr. Young is so intent to find racism that he misses the facts.
The title of Mr. Young's column, although probably supplied by an editor is, "So it's not about race? Prove it."
Well then, if it's not about race we should be just as outraged over white European foreign labor. And we are. The use of imported European labor simply has not escaped criticism.
In fact, this outrage has even extended to Canadian labor: Int'l Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union v. Meese, 891 F.2d 1374 (9th Cir. 1989)
Q.E.D. Mr. Young.