"Immigrants do the jobs Americans won't do"

[NMMNG]

Poll question: "Immigrants do the jobs Americans won't do"

This claim has been bantered about quite a bit on DU lately. I find it to be denigrating of both the the sorts of jobs of which such individuals speak, and of those who work at such jobs. It suggests that such jobs are lowly and beneath certain people. And, it follows that the people who work them are of lesser value than others.

Now, onto the poll itself. The claim is that Americans simply won't do certain types of jobs. Cleaning houses, changing adult diapers, picking fruits and vegetables, pushing a broom through a school, scrubbing toilets, tending lawns and gardens, stocking shelves in a store, and so on. So tell me, Americans:

[rucky]

1. Other: I would do it for a living wage.

but businesses won't pay a living wage for those jobs, so they've created a false "need" to hire illegals as an excuse to get cheap labor.

[Indy_Dem_Defender]

2. Part of one of my former jobs

was cleaning shit out of airplanes with a vacuum hose hooked up to a shit truck. I did the job because of the pay for the position, not because I liked it I'd do it again for the right pay. I'm sure airlines now would like to hire Illegals to do it for 5.15 an hour though.

[fasttense]

3. Brush as usual misspoke. It's not jobs Americans wont do.

It's jobs rich republican Americans wont do. He just left a few adjectives out.

[NMMNG]

7. Unfortunately it's not just Bush saying it

It's plenty of DUers saying it too. :shrug:

[ClintonTyree]

4. My answer wold span several of the choices...........

I've done them in the past, they were a stepping stone to a better job and I know people who do them now and see nothing wrong with it. Hey, you have to, "put food on your family"! :eyes:

[izzie]

8. I see nothing wrong with that work.

It is just work that some people do because they have to and some want to. Some people look at a job at anything to make some money so they can do other things they wish to do and some people look at work as a thing they do to make their life have meaning. What ever.

[Random_Australian]

5. Other: Haven't been employed yet, but would use

it as a stepping stone, until 2 days ago. (Laws changed over here.... I'd get screwed now)

[NMMNG]

6. Do tell

(Laws changed over here.... I'd get screwed now)

How do you mean?

[liberal N proud]

9. The immigrants are here because the corporations will not pay

a decent wage for the work.
Meat Packing houses - Dirty, smelly, hard work, they paid a good wage, until the 80's when the Reagan regime started busting unions. Meat Packing houses closed laying off people who were making $50K+ (1980 wages) and reopened a year later with immigrate workers. Wages went from $12 - $15/hr to $3 - $5. The workers they brought in would not complain for fear they would be shipped back to Mexico.
Entire towns in the mid west were transformed into Immigrant communities where the people live 15 - 20 per house to make the rent payment.

It is not that the American worker will not work in these jobs, it's that the corporations will not pay what it takes to live doing those jobs.
They want hard labor for McDonald's wages.

[NMMNG]

14. It's outrageous

Employers should be required to pay a living wage, period. In fact, the federal minimum wage should be a living wage, so there is no way an employer can get around paying it. Then there would be no more of this BS about jobs that "Americans just won't work" and a "need" for immigrant (e.g. slave) labor to fill them. It would be the end of exploitation of both Americans and immigrants.

[LaurenG]

10. I've held 3 at a time doing

whatever it took to make ends meet. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. Other. Because my answer covers many choices.

I've done this type of work in the past and would prefer not to do it again. However, if need be, I would because I don't find it to be demeaning, just very low paying. IMO, many employers look for immigrants for these jobs because they are easier to exploit as far as wages and benefits.

[Neil Lisst]

12. I've been a janitor and a butcher.

It's been many years, but I cleaned literally thousands of toilets and urinals, and I've handled more animals guts than a 16 wheeler can carry.

I've stuck my arm up the ass of a horse, because it was sick. I've shoveled enough horseshit to make a small mountain, and baled hay, which is the worst job in the world.

I'll leave all the other stuff out, but I've done as nasty work as there is.

--------------------------------------------------

By the way, in my personal experience, Mexicans are great with horses. I've known a lot of illegal immigrants who work with horses, and they're good with horses. I won't get into why, but I think there's a cultural difference between Americans and Mexicans, and that difference makes handling large, strong animals more difficult for your typical American.

Americans tend to want to treat their horse like it is their big puppy or cat, but you can't treat a horse like that or you'll never get on its back the first time. That's not to say you cannot have a very loving relationship with your horse, but first it has believe you are its daddy.

[Virginia Dare]

13. Go out and try to find an American born bricklayer...

they've disappeared. It used to be a very highly paid UNION job. No more. You can't tell me Americans aren't willing to be bricklayers. They're just not willing to do it at the same wage level that immigrants will. I know of a former bricklayer who now works in a grocery store.

[sheelz]

17. We need to support unions.

Don't knock grocery store workers. A thirty-pack of beer or case of water is heavy lifting off a truck. I know a guy getting a rod in his back from lifting at grocery stores. Grocery stores are often unionized and pay minimum wage.

/typo

[NMMNG]

18. I hear you

In Nickel and Dimed (the book I referenced in the OP), the author makes it clear that many of the lowest paid jobs in America are also the most physically strenuous on workers. ( I also know this from experience) Bending, stooping, lifting, carrying heavy objects, etc. Millions suffer injuries for which they recieve little if any assistance/compensation via health insurance, workers comp or sick pay. It's a crime.

[flaminbats]

15. I do this crap everyday..and I am a citizen!

I have a college degree and even a technical diploma on network communications. Why am I getting paid a 30 minute wage for a full hours work, why am I not allowed to mention any medical problems without getting fired, and why is my money mostly spent on driving to and from work?

I do this work...often without healthcare, transportation, or sleep. Others do this as well, but we have all earned more than what we are payed! :banghead:

[REP]

16. Other: Americans Would Do It For a Reasonable Wage + Benefits

Illegal workers don't have to be paid minimum wage; legal workers do. Not that minimum wage is a living wage by any streatch of the imagination, but many corporations would rather pay as little as possible for their labor. Why not mandate a living wage for all workers? I know, I know .... but let me have my moment!