Sometimes people let their fears of change and perceptions of the unknown drive their reaction toward new immigrants. The irony is that all states were shaped by people from other countries, and much of their future growth will be fueled by those who choose to make the U.S. their home.
In a recent Ipsos poll conducted for the Thomson Reuters news agency, a sample of 4,821 American adults were interviewed online about their views of immigrants. The broad results are depressing but not surprising. In the U.S. as a whole, 63 percent said immigrants place a burden on the U.S. economy, while only 37 said they strengthen the U.S. economy. In New England, 68 percent thought of immigrants as a burden, while 32 percent saw them as a strength.
While it would be helpful to know more about why exactly people fear that immigrants will take away their jobs and culture, research completed under Republican and Democratic administrations is clear: Immigrants by and large are not supplanting American workers. Immigrants contribute to the country’s long-term productivity growth, and, because their education levels tend to be either lower or higher than non-foreign-born citizens, their skill sets often complement those of American workers.
Immigrants and their descendants are expected to provide most of the nation’s population growth over the next half century. And for those who feel threatened by immigrants, the very jobs and cultures they appreciate now may not have been possible without the work of previous immigrants in their states, communities and families.
Acadians are the descendants of French settlers who, in the 1600s, arrived at present-day Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. In 1604, “[t]hese hardy souls wintered on Saint-Croix at the mouth of the St. Croix River, establishing the first European habitation in North America,” according to a history by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Today, 410 years and many struggles later, the Acadian culture is a celebrated part of Maine. The World Acadian Congress is drawing international attention over 17 days, until Aug. 24, with hundreds of events in Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec honoring Acadian heritage.
In 1870, the first Swedish colonists arrived in northern Maine. They built homes, cleared land, planted turnips and potatoes, and introduced an item familiar to us now: skis. Just a year later, Maine advertised for more immigrants, and they came by the hundreds. The town of New Sweden was incorporated in 1895.
The mid-1800s were also a time of upheaval for Ireland, causing many Irish to emigrate to Maine where they found labor-intensive work as domestics and in fish canneries. They were followed by Jews, Greeks, Italians and more. In response the Ku Klux Klan grew, which terrorized immigrants, many of whom were Catholic.
Some may know the story of Jesuit priest John Bapst, who was tarred and feathered by members of the Ellsworth Know-Nothings in 1854, because he dared to object to Catholic students being forced to read from a Protestant Bible and, in response, opened a Catholic school. Bangor’s private John Bapst Memorial High School, known as one of the highest-performing schools in northern New England, is named for him.
Immigrants have always tended to disrupt the status quo, with new ideas, cultures and religions. And they have always been met with resistance — before they become an integral part of this society. Despite ever-increasing examples showing immigrants’ value, people continue to hold fast to their fear. They may forget that the line between “us” and “them” is often very thin.