by John Flórez
Hispanic Link News Service
Japan has the oldest population in the world, with a declining labor force and shrinking economy. Is the United States going the way of Japan?
As a matter of fact, the entire world population is rapidly aging, with Japan the oldest; one-fourth of its population is 65-plus, followed by Italy, Germany and other European nations, according to Paul Hewitt, former deputy commissioner for policy at the Social Security Administration.
Japan not only has a declining birthrate but one of the world’s most restrictive immigration policies. Nations replenish their working populations through growing birthrates and immigration.
Shrinking numbers of workers and consumers can combine to create tremendous economic adversity, Hewitt warns.
The United States has always seen immigration as a way of replenishing and meeting its workforce needs. While Japan immigration policies have resulted in a homogeneous society, we welcome immigrants from all nations. Now, we are undergoing economic hard times, compounded by the retirement of the baby boomers who comprise one-fourth of the nation’s population.
According to the Immigration Policy Center, “The retirement of the baby boomers will slow labor force growth significantly over the coming decade. Yet, at the same time, demand will grow for new workers to take the place of those who retire from the labor force.”
That’s the bad news.
The good news is the pool of new workers and taxpayers — immigrants. They are a young population with growing families, a strong work ethic and an entrepreneurial spirit. With each new wave, our ethos has been renewed by their willingness to dream, risk, work and persevere.
The taco stands now springing up all over our communities are reminiscent of other immigrants, such as Maurice Warshaw. Born in Russia, he became one of Utah’s great philanthropists and the founder of Grand Central super stores, now Smith’s Marketplace. He started with a fruit cart. Immigrants founded this country and keep renewing our economy and the American Dream.
Ours has always been the land of hope and opportunity. We welcomed the world to our shores. This is what made us strong. Unlike as in some other nations, our immigrants are not isolated. They assimilate into the fiber of our communities.
Rather than listening to those who are dividing us and weakening our economy, we ought to look for a future where we again see newcomers as bringing new eyes and new energy to our nation.
Immigration should be seen as reinvigorating. We should not let opportunistic politicians exploit our fears about the future. Rather, we ought to see immigrants as national assets.
Tomorrow’s workforce is sitting in our classrooms, waiting for doors of opportunity to open. That’s our investment in the future. Like all immigrants of the past, they ask for nothing except the chance to help their families and community.
A nation only becomes old when its people stop thinking new. It’s up to us to keep our dreams alive. (John Flórez writes a weekly column for The Deseret News. Formerly on the staff of U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), he has served as Utah’s Industrial Commissioner
and filled various White House appointments, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor and as a member of the Commission on Hispanic Education. Email him at jdflorez@comcast.net.) See this column in Spanish and more at www.HispanicLink.org.
