Letters: On our declining population

Dear editor,

I find it intriguing that there’s little discussion about the declining population in the United States, particularly given its implications for funding future liabilities. Both China and Japan, countries with virtually nonexistent immigration pathways, express great concern over their plummeting birth rates, attributed largely to their ever-expanding costs of living.

Whether we like it or not, we require an increase in our workforce to compensate for our deficit. Indeed, our current immigration laws are antiquated and do not reflect the country’s labor needs, from manual work to positions requiring advanced degrees. However, beyond these facts, we need a significant wave of fresh immigrants, especially of childbearing age, to make up for the children we are not having. This brings up the uncomfortable truths about our misguided priorities at the family and national levels.

Rightfully, a negligible proportion of undocumented immigrants processed into our country will be sent back and those remaining will be granted work permits to streamline the taxation of their earnings. Eventually, a majority will be provided pathways to citizenship, as was the case with Ronald Reagan’s amnesty program.

The role of economic circumstances, both domestic and international, should not be overlooked, as we need taxpaying workers and others to seek opportunities to prosper. Regrettably, we, like China and Japan, have adopted the attitude that we don’t want our culture diluted by outsiders, even though America was indeed founded as a melting pot for diverse cultures. The implications arise when, to their political and economic benefit, social justice advocates selectively segment out and support certain groups, thereby stalling the necessary blending process that secures America’s identity as a nation.

Rob Wood

Las Cruces