Is an illegal immigrant who makes $17.50 an hour doing a job "Americans won't do?"?

Question

Allan Calderon, a 22-year-old from Guatemala who crossed the U.S.-Mexican border when he was 16, wants to stay.

"I don't ask for handouts, I start work at 5 a.m. and work until 8 p.m., no time to eat lunch," he said. "It is a hard decision to leave everything behind -- I drank the whole way while I crossed the border so I wouldn't think about what I was doing. I walked four days and three nights, I was crying."

In Guatemala, he may have made 50 cents an hour; here, his carpentry work earns him $17.50 an hour.

source: http://www.northjersey.com/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjczN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk1MTgmZmdiZWw3Zjd2cWVlRUV5eTcxMzUzMzImeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXky

Ok, I don't think that everyone is getting the point of my question.

According to many, illegal immigrants are here to do the jobs that "Americans won't do." Well, this illegal has a carpentry job where he makes 17.50 an hour;is this a job in which an American would not do? Illegals are only supposed to do jobs such as gardening, cleaning, meatpacking, dishwasing, and other menial jobs that American "won't do" because we are supposedly so "lazy." Can you imagine how much a legal American citizen woudl make doing this same carpentry job (probably 20-25 an hour)?
With his $17.50 and hour carpentry job, doesn't this disprove the theory that illegals "do the jobs that Americans won't do?"

Please people, understand the point that I'm trying to make.

Answer 1

AMEN! He makes more than most people in America, to boot, especially in small, rural areas. I know of a small town in Texas where the unemployment rate is sky high and that's because the farm related businesses in the area have a work force that is about 90% illegal alien! No wonder the people in the town are having to move away! The economy of small communities are being underminded every single day because people hire illegals, who they pay less, than hiring the natural born citizens of the country! What a shame!

Answer 2

Too many Americans would rather sit ontheir asses and colllect workmans comp or some other government program...these aliens dont especially sincethey dont even qualify because they're not legal...maybe the illegals can teach us americans a little about not taking handouts....when most of our families first came here they knew the value of hard work. and te meaning of family. That knowledge has since then been lost upon many....the idea of what America should be along with it. Why not change the name to England2.0 or...better yet why not have New England refer to the United states as a whole....I'd rather help support soem oen who is trying to make a new start and become a productive member of society than...the chick with 8 kids and just as many baby daddy using her kids as ans excuse to have th egovernmetn support her

Answer 3

The biggest key is, Illegal Immigrants do not get the heavy Income Tax load that a legal citizen would get. So Immigrants can work at say, a department and make 12.50 w/o having to give any of it up vs. a citizen who would make 15.00 an hour and end up with 13.00 dollars persay.

Answer 4

I read the site that you posted here and I say...That not all illegals in the US are criminals...Don't matter where they are from...Not everybody some like the one from Guatemala he lack of legal entrance...And I say The US and the country where this people come from should get together to a solution for legal entrance even is just a work permit and then we will know who entrance here etc. And pay taxes etc. So doing the legal way it will decrease crime but I say is not even the illegal immigrants that much of a fault to come here illegally if company don't hire illegal workers then nobody will come here looking for job.
So I say good for him that he is doing good and his wish come truth...

Answer 5

In the Bay Area in California(San Francisco,Santa Clara counties)A union carpenter makes $35.00 an hour.Making 17.50 ain't sh%t for a living wage.

Answer 6

I am reading allot of stupid, and some good answers here. In my opinion we should completely close all of our borders to new citizens. Then weed out all of the illegal immigrants, while they maybe paying some taxes (as someone has said previously). They are still draining the hell out of our economy. How long can the media hide what is really happening to our health care system? How many hospital bills will go unpaid because the benefactor has no real reason to pay? How many American citizens will die this year at the hands (or bumpers) of illegal immigrants? How many times will you have to press 2 for English before you get fed up? Someone earlier compared the new immigrant to the immigrants of old when there is no comparison. Our forefathers strived to be American, they left their language and most of their traditions in their old country. You have never heard of marches and demonstrations put on by German immigrants who want Americans to speak their language and give them free and easy citizenship. It never happened. The new immigrant does not want to be American, they want America to be just like their home. Republica Del Norte.

Answer 7

In California, illegal immigrants are turning down $10 an hour jobs. Thats well above our minimum wage and its at or above the living wages, especially in the farmlands. THe reason I believe employers hire them is not to pay them less, but to avoid paying for insurance, workers comp and provide reasonable work environment. Also employers do not have to worry being sued by illegal immigrants. I'm sure an American will work for those wages. I don't think they are willing to work in those conditions. I had a friend who's brother cut his hand in construction. Workers comp paid for his time off and medical bills. If an illegal immigrant cuts his hand, they are sent to ER and get substandard care, and can't work for some time. I don't support illegal immigration, but the greater blame is on the employer who hires them

Answer 8

I will probably get reported for this (and unjustly, as I am just expressing my opinion), but you of all people should show some sympathy.

Africans were first brought here to do jobs whites WOULD do, only they did it for free.

And you could say they were not here because of they're own will. Whatever they case might have been, the people who brought them certainly didn't have planned for them to become equal to white Americans and discuss in the same places that they would.

Answer 9

Terry this is exactly why I support limited amnesty.....Because what many people ignore or are NOT aware of is the human element....This is just a kid, escaping poverty wanting a better life...He is NOT a harden criminal here just to sell drugs, in a gang, trafficking humans or lives on the welfare system....

Its great he makes $17.50 an hour and if that's what the market demands, why fault him? Do you want to keep a perpetual and permanent underclass and NOT allow these people to get ahead in life? Poverty keeps people oppressed and more likely to commit crimes....Its a good thing that Martin Luther King did NOT feel that why, where would civil rights be today?

Answer 10

I can understand why he would want to come to the U.S. If I lived in country where I faced a life of poverty I would probably do the same thing but we do have laws and we can't ignore the law for one person because we like him and then apply it to the next person.