> Most countries have MUCH higher standards for immigration and their citizens much better off for it.

I think your math is off. The US is in the top 10 for GDP per capita, 99% literacy rate when the global average is 87%, the poverty rate is below average, the list goes on. Most countries in the world aren’t even considered developed nations. Immigration has been America’s core growth engine for two and a half centuries. There may be problems but you are deluding yourself if you think the whole economy hasn’t benefited from immigration. Even when that immigration was through chattel slavery.

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profdevloper 9 hours ago | parent [-]

I'm relieved that the magic soil in the United States can improve these peoples' lives.

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preg_match 8 hours ago | parent [-]

It’s a symbiotic relationship. The reason the US is so prosperous is due to immigration, mostly during the 20th century. The US cannot run off of just the existing citizens. Well, it can, for a while, but not indefinitely.

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throwaway85825 6 hours ago | parent [-]

Can't? Do citizens expire? Are you unaware of the concept of children?

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preg_match 5 hours ago | parent [-]

I am aware of the concept of children, thank you. Not sure why we have to argue like we have a stick up our asses, but here we are.

As you're well aware, the US is just barely meeting replacement birth rate. Most developed countries are under it. And the big picture: the US is all about growth. Economic growth, cultural growth. If you want more of that, you need immigrants. Sorry, that's how the US has always worked. If you don't agree with it, then I'm not sure the US is the country for you.

There are plenty of developed, homogeneous countries. Diversity is what makes the US the US. Please, feel free to seek a country that better aligns with your beliefs.

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unselect5917 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

>As you're well aware, the US is just barely meeting replacement birth rate.

Oh no, they'll have to raise wages due to lack of labor. How terrible for the working class (everyone).

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throwaway85825 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Without immigration lowering wages more citizens would be able to afford having children.

> Diversity is what makes the US the US.

Is this meant as a joke? I can't tell, but it is completely ahistorical. The foundera wrote about their demographic intention extensively.

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preg_match 4 hours ago | parent [-]

The founders were, themselves, immigrants. From multiple different countries.

Of course racism existed when the founding father's were alive, we had slavery. But, from the beginning, the US has been a country founded on immigration and racial diversity. Yes, we did not, at the time, consider black Americans Americans. But we certainly do now, and have for a very long time.

I'm also not convinced immigration lowers wages. People throw this around, while providing no evidence. And, even if it did, I think it's obvious that wages is not the cause behind birth rate decline.

All the developed countries, with the high wages and standard of living, have poor birthrate. All the developing countries, with low wages and low standard of living, have high birthrates. Hmm.

If we look at the demographic progression of nations the "culprit" behind birthrate is development. Particularly, social development, the liberation of women. Turns out lots of women don't actually want to have children, and when we stop pressuring them socially, they don't. They work instead.

Obviously this is a hard problem to solve. If you want to solve birthrate, you need to de-develop your nation. Not good. Or, some other solution, which nobody has found yet. Or, you just have immigration, which we do and have had.

	▲	throwaway85825 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		George Washington was the 4th generation of his family in america. He and his community has deep roots in america and did not consider themselves immigrants. The American nation existed before the revolution and was a precondition for such. Only supply a demand economic denialists cannot understand than an increase in the supply of something leads to falling prices.