In
an earlier
blog entry, I
spoke about the practical reasons as to why Korea ought to embrace
multiculturalism. Elsewhere on the Internet, however, I received
numerous objections.
A
few of the ‘arguments’ that I have heard were nothing less than
incoherent racist diatribes that were peppered with misogyny. I
initially thought about writing something that would not only condemn
but analyze racism and sexism. However, I decided against it for two
reasons. Firstly, such topics have been covered by others before
with much better penmanship than I could ever hope to achieve.
Secondly, considering the intellectual, philosophical, and moral
bankruptcy that are required for individuals to become racists or
sexists, I figured that no amount of rational or logical arguments
are likely to change their ‘minds.’
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| Source: http://familyandautism.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/brainless.jpg?w=300 |
The
arguments against immigration that piqued my interest the most were
the economic ones. Those arguments tended to deal with wages,
welfare, public expenditures, etc. The following are the economic
arguments that I received and my rebuttals.
1)
Immigrants from poorer countries who are willing to work for lower
wages depreciate everyone’s wages.
Currently,
the minimum wage rate in Korea is ₩4,860
(US$4.24) per hour. And it is certainly true that there are
businesses that knowingly choose to employ illegal
immigrants and pay them less than the legally mandated minimum
wage rate. However, there is little to suggest that their low wages
depress everyone’s wages. That is because immigrants from poorer
countries rarely
compete with Koreans over the same
jobs.
Low-income
and low-skilled immigrants tend to look for work in certain
businesses like farms,
restaurants, and factory floors. These are the kinds of jobs
that most Koreans no longer generally seek. In fact, it is the
presence of these workers that allows a lot of these businesses to be feasible. Without these immigrants, a lot of these businesses would
not be able to compete with their foreign competitors.
As
low-skilled immigrants and Koreans seldom ever compete with each
other for the same jobs, the threat of depressed wages is a red
herring.
That
being said, there will be individual
cases
of workers who get put out of work by immigrant competition.
However, using these anecdotal examples to argue against immigration
fails to take into account that whereas these individuals’ acute
suffering is immediately visible to all, the benefits of immigration
are divided among the general population and is not immediately
visible. Therefore, it must be taken into consideration that using
these few individual cases to support anti-immigration policies are
almost always nothing more than emotional arguments that often lack
rational thought.
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| Source: http://www.dumbecards.com/cards/CM_29.png |
2)
An increase in immigration will create or exacerbate unemployment.
This
argument is related to the first one in that the argument is based on
the assumption that immigrants and native Koreans compete for the
same kinds of jobs. The response to that argument need not be
reiterated.
However,
this argument, unlike the first, is based on a second premise –
that there is only a limited amount of work that can be done. This
argument is the epitome of economic illiteracy.
When
immigrants look for work, they are indeed supplying a commodity in
the market – their labor. However, where there is supply there is
always demand and vice versa. As immigrants earn wages, they
inevitably spend their money (if not all of it, at least some of it)
in order to buy goods and services. Their new demand for goods and
services, which had been absent prior to their arrival in Korea, will
in turn create demand for new labor.
Their
very presence in Korea serves to create a larger domestic population,
one that is comprised of native Koreans and immigrants. This creates
a bigger market, which serves as more potential customers for
businesses.
Furthermore,
if the premise that there is only a limited amount of available work
were true, besides opposing immigration, people
who adhere to that logic also ought to oppose any and all new
forms of technological innovation. Every new technological
advancement and new invention ought to make more and more jobs
disappear, thus eventually leaving every individual replaced by
robots. Therefore, for the sake of guaranteed employment for the
maximum number of people, not only should they oppose new
technological innovations, they also ought to push for the
disinvention of current technology. Think of all the jobs that
people would have if only we could disinvent the wheel!
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| At least we all have jobs. Source: http://www.avforums.com/movies/images/media/10493/capture4.jpg |
3)
Immigrants are a drain on the economy as they become welfare
recipients.
When
the National Assembly approved this year’s revised budget, it was
determined that the government would spend ₩342
trillion. Of that sum, ₩100
trillion was appropriated for welfare programs. However, what
is most surprising about welfare expenditures is that, contrary to
popular perception, most welfare programs focus on the elderly rather than the poor. In fact, most
of Korea’s welfare spending is focused on public social
expenditure (Social Security, free public transportation for senior
citizens), health services (which are inaccessible without paying
social security taxes), and separate old age expenditures.
Although
Korea spends
very little on welfare programs in general, Social Security and
the health services dwarf other social programs.
However,
most immigrants tend to be young. Therefore, immigrants who work in
Korea often end up supporting older Koreans, rather than ‘milk the
system.’ Illegal immigrants, on the other hand, either do not have
Social Security numbers or they have expired or fake Social Security
numbers. The ones who do not have them cannot access government
services at all. Those who have expired or fake Social Security
numbers, depending on circumstances, may have to pay taxes toward
Social Security, but cannot collect any benefits. Therefore, as far
as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance ought to be concerned,
illegal immigrants are a cash cow.
As
such, the argument that immigrants cost the government money in terms
of welfare is inaccurate.
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| They got a raw deal, except less eightiesmovies-tastic. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/45/Raw_deal.jpg |
The
fact of the matter is that much of the
anti-immigration rhetoric is usually egged on by demagogues. They
usually attempt to mask their ignorance (or insatiable political ambition) with either nationalistic
zeal or workers’ solidarity; all the while accusing their opponents
of “exploiting cheap labor” while sacrificing the Korean worker
at the altar of capitalist greed. In reality, what they pass off as
economic knowledge is no more than half-baked pseudo-economics.