Michelle Dunn

Argumentative Speech

Mrs. Kight

SC105-11AM

13 April 2011

General Purpose: To Persuade

Specific Purpose: I want my audience to agree that illegal immigrants from Mexico are more beneficial to U.S. society than harmful

Thesis: Undocumented immigrants help more than harm US society

Formal Outline of Speech

Introduction

  1. Whenever you hear the word illegal, it’s automatically associated with “bad” or “wrong.” This may be the reason that people are so intolerant against undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.
  2. There are thousands of undocumented immigrants living within our borders, not because they do not want citizenship, but due to the current US immigration laws, they are not eligible to become citizens.
  3. Their presence and our policy is a matter of great controversy with few speaking up in their defense.
  4. As we deliberate we need to be honest about who these people are and what they do.
  5. With this understanding, you may feel as I dothat[thesis]undocumented immigrants help more than harm US society.
  6. I will explain two things that everyone should consider. I’ll examine how undocumented immigrants provide less costly labor resulting in cheaper goods for us all, and how they actually generate more revenue for the economy than what they take away in social services. Let’s explore both of these factors, in turn.

Body

  1. Undocumented immigrants provide less costly labor which has always been essential to our country’s growth and economy.
  1. The United States has not always turned away immigrants from Mexico.
  1. Times Magazine notes that “the country welcomed so-called guest workers into the U.S. since World War I, during which tens of thousands of Mexican workers were allowed in temporarily to help on nation’s farms. The idea that when harvest time is over, they return home.”
  2. This shows that the U.S. is willing to allow the “illegal” immigrants in when we need their labor services, but is unwilling to let them stay after they are no longer needed.
  1. Without the labor that undocumented immigrants provide, industries such as agriculture will be negatively impacted.
  1. A recent issue of the St. Petersburg Times observes that, “Charles Hall, executive director of Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Association, said farmers are finding only between 30 and 50 percent of the 11,000 farm hands needed to the harvest their crops, producing a labor shortage that will hit the industry with a loss of $250 million.”
  2. If these peoples’ absence from our country would prove so detrimental to an essential industry, it is obvious how greatly our country still depends on their labor.

[transition] It’s obvious that even the government knows how valuable their labor is to our economy, but what’s even more ironic, if that’s the proper word for it, is that some of the best known “anti-immigration” critics also depend on these people’s labor.

  1. Take, for instance, Meg Whitman, who recently ran for governor in California. Ms. Whitman adamantly supported“anti-immigrant” policies. However, at the same time she was speaking badly of these people, her faithful maid and nanny, Nicky Diaz ,was undocumented and under her employ—and had been so for nine years!
  2. Similarly, Lou Dobbs—a former CNN host known for his anti-immigration views—wasfound to have employed at least five illegal immigrants in for landscaping jobs on his home.
  1. Such hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed by the press. Nation Magazine, for example, observed that “the more important revelation here is that undocumented workers are so thoroughly woven into the fabric of our economy that even two professional immigrant-bashers found it difficult to avoid relying on their labor.”
  1. The author makes a good point, and the statement should give us pause. It reveals a lot about the negative attitudes toward illegal immigrants. Are we simply denying the logical facts in their favor? Might we, like Whitman and Dobbs, be hypocritical? Heaven forbid that we are prejudiced!
  2. We would not want to think so, but please allow me to continue this line of thought so that we can engage in some healthy self-reflection.

[transition] Not only have immigrants become an integral part of our economy, but their work has positive effects upon you and me, the average consumer.

  1. The labor undocumented immigrants provide decreases the cost of many popular goods.
  1. Since undocumented immigrants providean abundance of labor, employers are able to pay a lower wage. Naturally, this allows the prices of the goods to go down as well. Illegal immigrants rarely get paid overtime or even minimum wage.
  1. According to Nation Magazine, “on any given day, we’ve all probably eaten fruit harvested by undocumented workers or meat they butchered.” That bears repeating. We are able to purchase affordable vegetables, fruit, and meat because of undocumented workers that help bring them to us.

[internal transition] Nation Magazine is not the only source to note this fact. Other reputable agencies likewise discuss the positive impact of undocumented workers on our purchases and on our economy, in general.

  1. Most notably, perhaps, the International Science Review observes that“Americans need to recognize the contributions undocumented immigrants make to the US. Economy. Their labor allows American citizens to live in affordable houses and eat food at lower prices. Their labor also helps American businesses compete in a global economy.”
  2. People may say they feel strongly about closing off our borders to such people, however, I doubt that these same people would be happy about the negative consequences on their daily lives.Who of us, for example, wants to pay more for that bag of apples or bottle of juice?

[transition] Not only do undocumented immigrantshelp U.S.economy, they help our nation’s bottom line as well by generating more revenue for ourgovernment than they take away in social services.

  1. The taxes that undocumented immigrants payoffsetwhat they use in social services.
  1. Time magazine quotes Dr. Capps, a senior researcher at a Washington D.C. institute, who notes that undocumented immigrants pay taxes. According to Capp, “the costs [of what they take in return] are much smaller compared to the economic benefits [they produce]."
  1. Specifically, Time notes that most undocumented immigrants pay things such as sales tax, property tax, income tax, and Social Security.
  2. Just because an individual is illegal does not mean that they are immune from the taxations of our government. If an illegal alien purchases goods, they will be charged the same sales tax that we pay. If they purchase property, it will be taxed just as if they were a citizen.
  3. An observation made by Generations Journal is that in California it has become common practice for illegals to purchase a “fake ID kit” from any street corners. The kits come complete with fake ID, green card, and Social Security card.
  1. This means that employers will pay these undocumented workers “by the books” with the standard payroll deductions for income tax, Social Security, and even Medicare.

[transition] A lot of people discuss the future of the Social Security system, and right now it’s actually being shored up by undocumented immigrants!

  1. The Social Security System depends a lot on the work of undocumented immigrants.
  1. Lots of undocumented immigrants pay into the Social Security system, without ever receiving the benefits to which American citizens are entitled.
  1. Beginning in the 1980’s, the Social Security Administration began to receive W-2s with incorrect or simply made up Social Security numbers. The result is an ever increasing folder documenting received (and anonymous) payroll taxes.
  2. Since even the Administration is unable to track down who these mysterious workers are, they feed the Social Security system by taking no benefits themselves.
  3. The International Science Review also notes that “as the "baby-boomers" begin to retire, Social Security will need to be supported by immigrant workers for the U.S. government to meet the retirement needs of its citizens. The author of the article goes on to explain that “people, capital, and technology are vital components for sustaining a growing economy.If the U.S. continues to embrace policies that prevent people from entering the country while the current population fails to replenish itself there will not be enough resources to maintain a prosperous economy.”
  4. If you agree, as I do, that Social Security is important, then we should value how undocumented immigrants helpto keep it going.

Conclusion

  1. Undocumented workers get a bad rap, and few are willing to speak up on their behalf.
  2. Hopefully I’ve helped you see the value and contributions of the persons who are casually dismissed as“illegal aliens.”
  3. When we get past the labeling and study the matter carefully, we can see how undocumented immigrants actually help our country.
  4. By providing less costly labor, they allow our market to provide us the cheapest goods possible —from what we put on our table to the apartment buildings and homes that many of us call home. And in doing so, they also help us compete in the global marketplace.
  5. In addition, the revenue they generate more than makes up for the little that they ask for in return, and it is the revenue stream they produce that helps maintain our troubled Social Security system—a system that countless Americans rely upon.
  6. I hope you will join me in speaking up for those who work hard for us yet have few who acknowledge their worth and value. The next time you hear someone dismiss them so casually, I hope that you will point out the various ways that undocumented immigrants help more than harm US society.

Works Cited / Annotated Bibliography

Mark Thompson, et al. "SHOULD THEY STAY OR SHOULD THEY GO?." Time 167.15 (2006): 30-40. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. This article reflects on the two different stances that many Americans take toward immigration. Should we control the border more strictly or offer citizenship opportunities to these people?

"Make It Legal." Nation 25 Oct. 2010: 3. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. This magazine article fights vehemently to make the Mexican immigration legal. It shows how much of an essential part that illegal immigrants actually play in our economy.

Marietta, Melissa. "UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS SHOULD RECEIVE SOCIAL SERVICES." International Social Science Review 81.1/2 (2006): 61-66. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2011 This article details how immigrants actually support our economy much more than they take away and argues that they should receive social services like everyone else.

Evans, Becky W. "Do Illegal Immigrants Help or Hurt Economy? | SouthCoastToday.com." SouthCoastToday.com - Home Page - Your Link to SouthCoast Massachusetts and beyond. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. < This article discusses statistics that actually show that illegal immigrants contributed more to the revenue in California than they take away.

Porter, Eduardo. "Not on the Radar: Illegal Immigrants Are Bolstering Social Security." Generations 29.1 (2005): 100-102. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 15 Apr. 2011 This article also explains how illegal immigrants are actually bolstering Social Security.

BILL MAXWELL. "AS LAWS GET TOUGH, CROPS ROT."St. Petersburg Times 26 Jun2011,ProQuest Central,ProQuest. Web. 4 Aug. 2011.