Note: The views shared in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the individual opinions of the other members of The City Voice.
Whether we like it or not, the American economy seems to be going downhill, at least that’s what it feels like to many Americans nationwide. The pain at the gas pump or the grocery store when the final total comes out, is such a relatable feeling to many consumers in the US now. Remember the dollar menu from McDonalds? That no longer exists, and can’t exist, because companies all around the US are increasing their prices more and more, and consumers are feeling the repercussions.
So what does the American government plan to do? Protectionism and Deportation.
As a second-generation immigrant, I’ve experienced the growing tension and racism within America. Sometimes, I get an unwarranted look from another, or I feel the discriminating eyes of others when I’m walking around. My mother, an immigrant from Malaysia, is ignored or shunned ever so slightly with microaggressions and no ‘hi-backs’ when she waves. My father, an immigrant as well, was called a ‘Chinese dictator’ at his work.
This growing, deep-rooted racism in our country is what fuels the new policies proposed by Donald Trump to deport millions of immigrants and increase protectionist ideals.
Protectionism is the idea of limiting foreign trade and increasing domestic production utilizing tariffs, subsidies, import quotas, and more restrictive policies. Some people say that protectionism grows a country’s economy and creates more jobs. I disagree, protectionism is frankly a cause of the skyrocketing inflation now.
It’s a chain reaction. An example of this is using tariffs. When a country implements a tariff on a foreign good, the importer has to pay the tariff of the foreign commodity. No one wants to pay the tariff, especially a business that utilizes foreign goods. So the business avoids the tariff by raising prices for the consumer. These increased profits cover the cost of the tariff.
The business doesn’t suffer, but the consumer wallets are emptying quicker.
Also, many of the fastest-growing economies are some of the biggest players in the global market now. As the US recedes from the international market, countries like China and India (which are two of the fastest-growing economies) are becoming stronger and creating more allies. More allies means more trading partners, and more trading partners means more profits.
The issue is the US is not capable enough to produce quality, but cheap commodities, yet we’re trying to do it anyway with protectionism. So while these countries gain profits through global trade, our prices will only continue to increase as we have to account for American labor costs and American-made goods in our expenses paired with overall increasing demand for commodities, making inflation crash through the roof.
If protectionism is only making our prices higher, then why are we doing it?
Trump ran a very racist campaign, playing on American fears of the degrading economy and the immigrants that will ‘take our jobs.’ If protectionism means driving out these foreign powers and making the country ‘All American,’ then that’s what we’re going to implement.
And it’s just not going to work.
The issue is we are not just blocking out foreign investments, we’re pushing out anything that’s really ‘foreign’ to the American majority in our country. Trump wants to impose the largest immigration deportation mission in history.
What Trump doesn’t understand is the devastating costs this will have on our economy. According to the American Immigration Council, mass deportation would “lead to a loss of 4.2 percent to 6.8 percent of U.S. GDP.” This would be detrimental to our economy now. Paired with protectionism which leads to increased inflation and shortages of goods, our economy will only spiral downhill.
Let’s not forget just how inhumane this mass deportation is. Sure, there are a lot of illegal immigrants, and illegal immigration is illegal. But keep in mind, the American Immigration Council states that, “…8.5 million US citizens live with undocumented immigrants, 5.1 million of whom are children.” Trump wants to separate 5.1 million children from their families. Most immigrants come to this country to flee a dangerous situation or begin a better life. Stripping that away from them is not just ethically wrong, it’s emotionally devastating.
Also, the policies listed by Stephen Miller aim for naturalized citizens in America. The policies suggest that naturalization can be repealed, and repealed naturalization means no citizenship. No citizenship means possible deportation. My parents are naturalized, good, hard-working citizens who pay their taxes and benefit the American economy. What does that mean for us?
In reality, immigration brings new global talent to our country. New talent means new innovation and a better economy. And are we going to disregard introducing new global talent just because someone’s skin is a different color than ours?
These actions that are claimed to ‘benefit the economy’ really don’t show significant benefits at all. Rather, these policies are rooted in deep, fearful, racism. Americans are afraid that other countries and the globe will advance and leave us behind.
So, we bar up our doors through protectionism and deport millions of people who contribute to our society? That to me, just doesn’t seem like a feasible solution.
Works Cited
American Immigration Council. “Mass Deportation: Devastating Costs to America, Its Budget and Economy.” American Immigration Council, 2 Oct. 2024, http://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/mass-deportation. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Guarino, Arthur. “The Economic Effects of Trade Protectionism.” FocusEconomics, 1 Mar. 2018, http://www.focus-economics.com/blog/effects-of-trade-protectionism-on-economy/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Smart, Tim. “What Is a Tariff and Who Pays It? Spoiler Alert: You Will.” US News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, 2024, http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-11-27/what-is-a-tariff-and-who-pays-it-spoiler-alert-you-will. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
- KENZIE LOW
