Appreciating the Economic Contributions of Hispanic Long Islanders

Amy Traub

Appreciating the Economic Contributions of Hispanic Long Islanders

Back in 1980, fewer than one out of every twenty Long Islanders was Hispanic. Today, the proportion is nearly one in eight. The swiftness of this demographic change has fueled ethnic tensions, with both anti-immigrant sentiment and generalized racism against Hispanic Americans on the rise.

Some of the nation's most virulent anti-immigrant proposals have erupted from Long Island's elected officials, from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy to local Congressional Representative Peter King, co-sponsor of the harsh and unworkable immigration bill H.R. 4437. At the same time, vicious hate crimes against Hispanics on Long Island have repeatedly made headlines.

Bridging the ethnic divide is a long process, but a new report published by the Horace Hagedorn Foundation may help Long Islanders begin to appreciate their Hispanic neighbors -- and their important contribution to the Long Island economy -- a bit more.

The report, which is not yet available online, finds that Long Island Hispanics contribute nearly a billion dollars a year in taxes and other revenues to local government, far more than they use in public services, producing a net benefit to the public of $202 million a year. Consumer spending by Hispanics produced an additional $5.7 billion impact on the Long Island economy, creating more than 52,000 jobs.

Critics have attacked the study for not singling out the impact of undocumented immigrants on Long Island's economy, but this critique misses the point: prejudice often fails to distinguish between legal immigrants, the undocumented, and Hispanics born in the United States. At the same time, the anti-immigrant proposals aimed at undocumented Long Islanders often adversely impact their U.S. born children and other family members who have legal status. It makes sense to analyze Hispanic Long Islanders as a community, and to recognize the positive impact they have on the larger Long Island community.

Comments

Why dont those who scream Illegal Immigrants, look at how much the Corporations they work for PROFIT and these Corporations, PAY TAXES On these Profits? Which are In The BILLIONS!!!!!!

If not for them these factories, small business would not survive.
Who Opened the most Businesses in the past 2 Years? I dont see many new ones in Bosie Idaho?

Every Human that works brings prosperity .
STOP THE FOLLIES and Look at the Positives that each person brings.

I am so thankful to Amy for making the point that the act of being prejudice does not distinguish between ethnic groups that are legal immigrants, undocumented immigrants, or those who are themselves citizens that were born in the United States (in this case the Hispanic race). Far too often the lumping and stereotyping of a people is an acceptable action. For the United States in particular, there is a distinct sentiment of Hispanics and what they do or don't do for this country. It does not surprise me at all to read that as a minority people becomes more widespread or prevalent in a community, that's when flare ups against the minority group begins to occur. The Hispanics within the Long Island community is an example of this. Minorities and immigrants need to be more supported than what they currently are, and not seen as the archenemy to the American existence. As a minority myself coming from two immigrant parents, it is disheartening to continue to read in 2007 about the negative views against immigrants as a whole. Some of these politicians need to remember themselves, that it is likely that at one point their family were immigrants to this country as well. As my personal motto goes (which is the Golden Rule), "do unto others as you would want done unto you" should be kept in the forefronts of the minds of many of these politicians who are promoting anti-immigrant proposals and policies.

Though I sincerely hope you are right and this study has a positive impact on the Hispanic community, my fingers are not crossed. Numerous other studies have shown the positive effect immigrants have on communities, to no avail. Easing of inter-ethnic tensions necessitates vocal and substantiated immigrant support from the federal government, stringent enforcement of hate crime laws, and, frankly, time. Large immigrant waves in this country have always produced opposition, and tensions have invariably eased as populations have assimilated. Hopefully, as more U.S. born Latinos age, we will see a decline in the negative sentiment witnessed in Long Island and around the country.