Does California suffer from an excess of illegal immigrants, an excess of welfare statism, or both?  No doubt, many readers caught the recent Register article concerning the new book by UCI anthropology professor, Leo Chavez, "The Latino Threat: Constructing Immigrants, Citizens, and the Nation".  If the article is any indicator, Prof. Chavez seems to intentionally or unintentionally misunderstand people's concern with illegal immigration.

Prof. Chavez cleverly sets up a straw man argument (a position that superficially resembles an opponent's actual view but is easier to refute) which he deftly attempts to knock down.  He argues that people are concerned about the "Latino Threat" (conjuring Cold War reminisces of the "Red Menace" or the "Yellow Peril") - "Latinos are a threat to the nation. Latinos have too many babies. Latinos can't or won't learn English. Latinos refuse to integrate. Latinos are replicating their own culture in the U.S. Latinos are part of a conspiracy to take over the American Southwest."  The issue, he argues, is about changing demographics.

Prof. Chavez' "Latino Threat" straw man entirely misses the point of most people's concerns about illegal immigration - how millions of undereducated low wage earners overtaxes the welfare state.  People are concerned about the impact on state finances, our schools, and our healthcare system.  They are concerned about high illegitimacy rates in the Hispanic community (with Hispanics accounting for 85% of teen births, according to the Orange County Grand Jury report.)  People are angry at politicians that support policies favoring illegal immigrants over the native born (in-state tuition, college financial aid). 

Yet, these concerns do not seem to make it into Prof. Chavez "Latino Threat" narrative.  He is right, no doubt, that many are concerned about assimilation.  But, Prof. Chavez does not further the sort of honest discourse that he favors by ignoring the very real threat that illegals pose to our bloated welfare state.

Prof. Chavez is right that immigration is "an economic benefit to the nation".  But nations need sensible immigration policies.  An immigration policy that favors educated workers, better suited for a technological economy, seems a sensible policy.  Importing poverty into a U.S. welfare state on the brink of insolvency seems a bad idea. 

Yet, illegal immigration is the de facto policy of this country. The reality is that most illegals come here because they have to, not because they want to.  Perhaps, we would be better off drying up supply by pursuing policies that help better the lives of poor Mexicans at home, like Orange County restaurant owner, Carlos Olamendi is doing.  Wouldn't we rather have a prosperous neighbor on our southern border?