Immigration Facts Over Fiction

by Tracy Parker, GCC Member

Years ago, while attending college in Minneapolis, I had a campus job with a refugee who had survived incredible hardship to pursue an education in the U.S. I remember him quietly bringing me a syllabus for a future class and asking whether the professor listed (“Brenda”) was a man or a woman, so that he could appropriately address an email. That small moment reflected both how unfamiliar this country was to him and how determined he was to succeed. He embodied the values we often say we admire: perseverance, humility, and respect.

I recently attended the Immigration: Facts vs. Fiction presentation co-sponsored by GCC and Unitarian Church North because I wanted clear, accurate information without spin. One of my core values is I believe that everyone deserves to build a good life for themselves and their families—and I wanted to better understand how immigration fits into that value.

In this presentation, we heard from Darryl Morin, National President & Chairman of the Board at Forward Latino, as well as President & CEO of Advanced Wireless, Inc. The data he presented challenged several common assumptions:

• There are 447,000 Hispanic immigrants in Wisconsin (as of 2021 census), and Hispanics make up the largest minority group in the state.

• Up to 75% of undocumented immigrants pay federal, state, and local taxes and contribute over $15 billion annually to Social Security — a benefit they will never collect.

• Dairies employing immigrant laborers contribute 79% of the U.S. milk supply – a big deal in the “Dairy state” – and a big consideration when we think about employment in Wisconsin!

• Recent research from Stanford Institute for Economic Research revealed that, despite the perception that immigrants drive up crime rates, that hasn’t been the case in America for the last 140 years.

• The likelihood of an immigrant being incarcerated is 60% lower than people born in the United States.

  
  

Facts matter—but so do people. What stayed with me most were the personal stories that showed how quickly anti-immigrant rhetoric can spill over into criminal acts against people based on accent or appearance, even when they are here legally.

I’m excited to familiarize myself with the work the Forward Latino and Casa Guadalupe do in our community and get involved. When I moved back to Wisconsin from Minnesota, I was so impressed at how neighborly people are here. I needed this presentation to remind myself that being a good neighbor requires facts, reflection, but also action.