Elementary Secondary Higher Ed Common Reads

Secondary Education


Guides
Collections
News
(0)
Wish List (0)
Wish List
Download high-resolution image

"They Take Our Jobs!"

And 20 Other Myths about Immigration

Part of Myths Made in America

Author Aviva Chomsky
Ebook
Beacon Press
On sale Apr 24, 2018 | 272 Pages | 9780807057179
Grades 9-12 + AP/IB
Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies
See Additional Formats
Revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book which demystifies twenty-one of the most widespread myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigrations.

Aviva Chomsky dismantles twenty-one of the most widespread and pernicious myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigration in this incisive book. “They Take Our Jobs!” challenges the underlying assumptions that fuel misinformed claims about immigrants, radically altering our notions of citizenship, discrimination, and US history. With fresh material including a new introduction, revised timeline, and updated terminology section, this expanded edition is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how these myths are used to promote aggressive anti-immigrant policies.
Aviva Chomsky is a professor of history and the coordinator of Latin American Studies at Salem State University. The author of several books, Chomsky has been active in Latin American solidarity and immigrants’ rights movements for over thirty years. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts.
Aviva Chomsky View titles by Aviva Chomsky
A Note on Terminology

Introduction, 2018

Introduction, 2007

PART ONE: IMMIGRANTS AND THE ECONOMY

Myth 1. Immigrants take American jobs
Myth 2. Immigrants compete with low-skilled workers and drive down wages
Myth 3. Unions oppose immigration because it harms the working class
Myth 4. Immigrants don’t pay taxes
Myth 5. Immigrants are a drain on the economy
Myth 6. Immigrants send most of what they earn out of the country in the form of remittances

PART TWO: IMMIGRANTS AND THE LAW

Myth 7. The rules apply to everyone, so new immigrants need to follow them just as immigrants in the past did
Myth 8. The country is being overrun by illegal immigrants
Myth 9. The United States has a generous refugee policy

PART THREE: IMMIGRATION AND RACE

Myth 10. The United States is a melting pot that has always welcomed immigrants from all over the world
Myth 11. Since we are all the descendants of immigrants here, we all start on equal footing
Myth 12. Today’s immigrants threaten the national culture because they are not assimilating
Myth 13. Today’s immigrants are not learning English, and bilingual education just adds to the problem

PART FOUR: HOW HAVE US POLICIES CREATED IMMIGRATION?

Myth 14. Immigrants only come here because they want to enjoy our higher standard of living
Case Study: The Philippines

PART FIVE: THE DEBATE AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM

Myth 15. The American public opposes immigration, and the debate in Congress reflects that
Myth 16. The overwhelming victory of Proposition 187 in California shows that the public opposes immigration
Myth 17. Immigration is a problem
Myth 18. Countries need to control who goes in and out
Myth 19. We need to protect our borders to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering the country
Myth 20. If people break our laws by immigrating illegally, they are criminals and should be deported
Myth 21. The problems this book raises are so huge that there’s nothing we can do about them

Epilogue
Timeline
Acknowledgments
Notes
“A must-read for anyone who wants to understand immigration in the US.”
—Eva Longoria, actress, businesswoman, producer, and philanthropist

“An indispensable guide to the current debate on immigration. If you are at all uncertain about how to deal with anti-immigrant arguments, you will find Chomsky’s book a perfect response. She makes her points with clarity and uses unassailable evidence while offering constructive short- and long-term solutions.”
—Howard Zinn, author of You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

“[Chomsky] not only demolishes virtually every myth about immigrants and immigration to the US, but also offers policymakers and activists solutions for tackling many of the issues created by globalization and an immigration policy grounded in falsehoods, and in so doing destroys the greatest myth of all: that nothing can be done.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams

“Chomsky’s book provides us all with a much-needed sense of history and justice—and injustice—that must be included as we struggle for fair and humane immigration policies.”
—Catherine Tactaquin, executive director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

About

Revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book which demystifies twenty-one of the most widespread myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigrations.

Aviva Chomsky dismantles twenty-one of the most widespread and pernicious myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigration in this incisive book. “They Take Our Jobs!” challenges the underlying assumptions that fuel misinformed claims about immigrants, radically altering our notions of citizenship, discrimination, and US history. With fresh material including a new introduction, revised timeline, and updated terminology section, this expanded edition is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how these myths are used to promote aggressive anti-immigrant policies.

Author

Aviva Chomsky is a professor of history and the coordinator of Latin American Studies at Salem State University. The author of several books, Chomsky has been active in Latin American solidarity and immigrants’ rights movements for over thirty years. She lives in Salem, Massachusetts.
Aviva Chomsky View titles by Aviva Chomsky

Table of Contents

A Note on Terminology

Introduction, 2018

Introduction, 2007

PART ONE: IMMIGRANTS AND THE ECONOMY

Myth 1. Immigrants take American jobs
Myth 2. Immigrants compete with low-skilled workers and drive down wages
Myth 3. Unions oppose immigration because it harms the working class
Myth 4. Immigrants don’t pay taxes
Myth 5. Immigrants are a drain on the economy
Myth 6. Immigrants send most of what they earn out of the country in the form of remittances

PART TWO: IMMIGRANTS AND THE LAW

Myth 7. The rules apply to everyone, so new immigrants need to follow them just as immigrants in the past did
Myth 8. The country is being overrun by illegal immigrants
Myth 9. The United States has a generous refugee policy

PART THREE: IMMIGRATION AND RACE

Myth 10. The United States is a melting pot that has always welcomed immigrants from all over the world
Myth 11. Since we are all the descendants of immigrants here, we all start on equal footing
Myth 12. Today’s immigrants threaten the national culture because they are not assimilating
Myth 13. Today’s immigrants are not learning English, and bilingual education just adds to the problem

PART FOUR: HOW HAVE US POLICIES CREATED IMMIGRATION?

Myth 14. Immigrants only come here because they want to enjoy our higher standard of living
Case Study: The Philippines

PART FIVE: THE DEBATE AT THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM

Myth 15. The American public opposes immigration, and the debate in Congress reflects that
Myth 16. The overwhelming victory of Proposition 187 in California shows that the public opposes immigration
Myth 17. Immigration is a problem
Myth 18. Countries need to control who goes in and out
Myth 19. We need to protect our borders to prevent criminals and terrorists from entering the country
Myth 20. If people break our laws by immigrating illegally, they are criminals and should be deported
Myth 21. The problems this book raises are so huge that there’s nothing we can do about them

Epilogue
Timeline
Acknowledgments
Notes

Praise

“A must-read for anyone who wants to understand immigration in the US.”
—Eva Longoria, actress, businesswoman, producer, and philanthropist

“An indispensable guide to the current debate on immigration. If you are at all uncertain about how to deal with anti-immigrant arguments, you will find Chomsky’s book a perfect response. She makes her points with clarity and uses unassailable evidence while offering constructive short- and long-term solutions.”
—Howard Zinn, author of You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

“[Chomsky] not only demolishes virtually every myth about immigrants and immigration to the US, but also offers policymakers and activists solutions for tackling many of the issues created by globalization and an immigration policy grounded in falsehoods, and in so doing destroys the greatest myth of all: that nothing can be done.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams

“Chomsky’s book provides us all with a much-needed sense of history and justice—and injustice—that must be included as we struggle for fair and humane immigration policies.”
—Catherine Tactaquin, executive director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Additional formats

Other books in this series

Other Books by this Author

Related Articles

English Language Arts Social Studies History

Books for Native American Heritage Month

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month this November, Penguin Random House Education is highlighting books that detail the history of Native Americans, and stories that explore Native American culture and experiences. Browse our collections here: Native American Creators Native American History & Culture

Read more

Books for Native American Heritage Month

English Language Arts Social Studies History
Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science

2024 Middle and High School Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and nonfiction from the children’s, adult, DK, and Grupo Editorial divisions, as well as publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts,

Read more

2024 Middle and High School Collections

Social Studies Books in Spanish The Arts History High School Middle School General Education & Professional Learning Graphic Novels English Language Arts Environmental Science Favorite Authors & Series Science
new penguin random house education high school collections sixteen thematic collections and resources for grades 9-12 curated by lorena german cicely lewis morgan taylor julia e torres and ronell whitaker
General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels

PRH Education High School Collections

All reading communities should contain protected time for the sake of reading. Independent reading practices emphasize the process of making meaning through reading, not an end product. The school culture (teachers, administration, etc.) should affirm this daily practice time as inherently important instructional time for all readers. (NCTE, 2019)   The Penguin Random House High

Read more

PRH Education High School Collections

General Classroom Libraries English Language Arts Advanced Placement High School Graphic Novels
education translanguaging collections affirming bilingual and multilingual learners
General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

General Graphic Novels Education & Professional Learning English Language Arts Favorite Authors & Series Classroom Libraries References Science Translanguaging Collections Social Studies The Arts History High School Middle School

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

About Secondary Education

Penguin Random House Education

Penguin Random House

Back to Top
0
    • 0
    Secondary Education
    Wish List (0)