The Immigration Divide: Who Are 'They' Really Taking Jobs From?
The Conversation That Changed My Perspective
We’re always told not to talk about politics at the bar, but sometimes, those are the most revealing conversations.
A while back, I was at a bar when an older man started in on a familiar talking point—immigrants are taking jobs from Americans. He didn’t stop there, either. It was the same tired argument:
“They’re either criminals or stealing jobs.”
“They come here and don’t contribute.”
“They don’t respect our way of life.”
I asked him what he did for a living. Retired accountant.
So I posed a simple question: If I were an undocumented immigrant who just crossed the border, what would I have to do to take your old job?
There was a pause. He knew the answer—but he wasn’t ready to say it.
Because the reality is, no one is crossing the border and walking into an accounting firm, an engineering job, or a hospital as a doctor.
The people coming here—many risking their lives—aren’t looking to take jobs. They’re looking to survive. And they’re filling roles that most Americans refuse to take.
Who Are They Really Replacing?
The jobs undocumented immigrants take aren’t stolen—they are largely vacant.
90% of U.S. farmworkers are immigrants. Without them, crops rot in the fields.
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. construction workers are immigrants. Without them, housing projects stall.
The meatpacking industry, essential labor, and domestic work rely on immigrant labor.
Yet, the people making these claims about job theft aren’t competing for these positions. They aren’t losing out on these roles because they never wanted them in the first place.
So, if immigrants aren’t taking their jobs—who are they really replacing?
The uncomfortable truth is: they are replacing people we have failed.
The working-class Americans who should have a livable wage.
The people who are forced into homelessness because corporations refuse to pay fairly.
The rural communities abandoned by the same wealthy elites who stoke this resentment.
Blaming immigrants is easy.
Blaming the system that allows this level of inequality? That’s much harder.
The Globalist Perspective: We Are More Connected Than We Realize
America is built on immigration. The economy thrives on immigration. But beyond the economy, we have to recognize a fundamental truth:
Borders don’t define humanity.
Barack Obama put it well:
"The world has always been more interconnected than some would have us believe. No wall, no matter how high, will ever truly be able to separate us from those who share our planet."
Nationalists want us to believe that people born in another country are somehow fundamentally different from us. That their pain doesn’t matter, that their struggles are their own problem, that we should build walls instead of bridges.
But in reality? The world isn’t meant to be carved into “us” and “them.”
Every policy we make—on trade, climate change, and foreign aid—impacts people beyond our borders.
When economic hardship forces people to migrate, it’s often because of decisions made in boardrooms and government offices thousands of miles away.
The Religious & Humanist Perspective: Love Thy Neighbor, No Exceptions
For those who claim America is a “Christian nation,” here’s a hard question:
If Jesus walked among us today, would he be building walls or feeding the hungry?
The Bible is clear:
"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt." – Exodus 22:21
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." – Matthew 25:40
Christian Nationalists who weaponize faith to justify cruelty toward immigrants aren’t following Christ—they’re following power.
And if religion isn’t your guide, Humanism offers the same moral foundation: compassion, reason, and shared humanity.
It reminds us that people matter more than policies and that our worth isn’t defined by where we’re born, but by how we treat one another.
The Call to Action: Challenging the Narrative
If we want to be part of the solution, we have to start by rejecting the narrative of fear and division.
When you hear someone say immigrants are taking jobs, ask them whose job, exactly?
When someone talks about a “border crisis,” remind them that desperation is not a crime.
When someone calls undocumented people criminals, remind them that crossing a border in search of survival is not an act of evil—it is an act of hope.
"The real issue isn’t immigration—it’s inequality.
Whether through faith, humanism, or simple decency, we have a choice: to divide or to embrace, to build walls or to build communities.
History will remember which path we chose
Stay Curious. Stay Human. And Always, Be Kind.
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