Immigration: It’s present power and the future of our nation

May 21, 2017

Lyle Roggow Editorial published in The Oklahoman

The spine is the core of our skeletal system, the structure that allows us to stand upright. Its importance is uncontested. Our spine is the instigator of forward movement.

What's the spine of Oklahoma's economy? One might throw out a few suggestions: small business. Agriculture. High-tech industry. Oil and gas. Or perhaps our innovative medical facilities that draw people here from all over the nation.

While these industries are certainly components of Oklahoma's economy, they are not the bedrock. Its foundation, the spine of our economy, are the laborers, the hard-working employees who show up every day to do grueling work like lay sod and man oil rigs — to work in restaurants, hospitals and manufacturing plants. Without them, commerce in our communities would cease to exist.

These people use their bright minds and tire their bodies to keep us progressing. Many of these laborers hail from Oklahoma, but many do not. The H-2B visa brings people to our state to fill holes and end labor shortages so that industry is able to thrive. They are often held by those who do not want to be U.S. citizens, but rather, those who come to this country for a limited period of time to fulfill a very specific economic need. In other words, these immigrants are essential to economic stability.

Some contest this. They say that immigrant workers take jobs from natural-born citizens. This simply isn't true; quite the opposite, in fact. Did you know that immigrants employ 29,000 people in Oklahoma, and are twice as likely to start a business than American citizens? So, not only do immigrants do jobs that others won't, but they create them.

And we are a nation of immigrants. Not many of us, excluding the Native American community, can say differently. The proud rhetoric of America being the melting pot of the world has been lost somewhere, and the diversity that once defined us now divides us. Allowing for controlled immigration would present an opportunity. We may not see its positive impact immediately, however; immigration has the potential to help grow our future, and benefit our communities, state and nation.

In a study conducted by the New American Economy, immigrants paid $1.1 billion in taxes in 2014 and have $3.2 billion worth of spending power. Our relationship with Oklahoma's immigrants is mutually beneficial, and programs like the H-2B visa and a path to legal status for these workers must be streamlined to promote economic prosperity.

Immigrant labor is as vital to the economy as the spine that runs up your back. Let's continue to move forward and consider immigrants as an integral part of our labor force as we contemplate reform.

Roggow is president and CEO of the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation, which works to increase job opportunities and develop a favorable business climate and workforce development programs.