Pierce 1 Shea Pierce Mr.

Hackney English 101: Rhetoric 16 September 2013 Statement of Scope for the Annotated Bibliography A popular political debate for several years now in the United States has been what to do about the increase in the illegal immigrant population. Statistics have been thrown out left and right trying to prove a point and amplify a claim. Working in the Shadows, a fairly new novel published by Gabriel Thompson, shows the hard work immigrants put in on a day to day basis. The novel portrays an entirely new side of the story and successfully changed my opinion on allowance of illegal immigrants into the country. While some would suggest the increase of illegal immigrants in America has a harmful impact on our country as a whole, I maintain that the benefits of having illegal immigrants by far outweigh the negatives.

This essay will explore both sides of the intense argument to further show the necessity of illegal immigrants in our country. I will examine specific issues such as the stealing of American jobs and the loss of tax dollars. Furthermore, I will discuss the brilliant work ethic and pride illegal immigrants show in America. In addition, I will provide information about the low wages immigrants receive and how, in the long run, they benefit the consumer of the product manufactured.

This selected bibliography includes sources that will examine the hard work immigrants put in on a day to day basis and clearly explain their necessity in our society. I have included one

Pierce 2 source, the Ian de Silva essay, from the opposite perspective in order to fully show the diverse opinions about the topic of illegal immigrants across the country. The Campbell, Chavez, and Weigand essays all specifically mention how immigrants help boost our economy and take jobs other Americans would rather not perform. Together, these sources provide information on many aspects of illegal immigrants and their importance to the United States.

Pierce 3 Annotated Bibliography Campbell, Doug. "The ( Illegal) Immigrant Effect." Region Focus Summer 2006: 19-23. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 6 Sept. 2013. Campbell argues that illegal immigrants are not stealing American's jobs as many claim to be true. He also believes that by companies paying the illegal workers less money, the company then in turn takes those savings and passes them on to the consumers. Lastly, Campbell also notes with the increase in illegal immigrants, there has also been an increase in consumption due to the growing population. Chavez, Linda. "The Realities of Immigration." Commentary July-Aug. 2006: 34-40. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 9 Sept. 2013. Chavez declines the popular opinion that illegal immigrants are free-riders, stating multiple times throughout her article that most of them do pay federal taxes. She also persists that our unemployment rate is lower than the average over the past four decades, proving that the immigrants clearly aren't the reason for our economic downfall. Lastly, Chavez strongly believes that the only requirement to enter America be the willingness to be an American. De Silva, Ian. "No Leniency for Illegal Aliens." Human Events 24 Apr. 2006: n. pag. elibrary. Web. 14 Sept. 2013. De Silva urges that as a naturalized American, he has the right to condemn illegal immigrants who are disrespecting the law by line jumping. He stresses that many immigrants wait for long periods of time in order to receive their green cards and by others overlooking this process, the system gets out of control and unfair. Lastly, de Silva voices how wrong it is that illegal immigrants plead for rights in a country their not welcome in.

Pierce 4 Tancredo, Tom, and Tamar Jacoby. "Does the U.S. Need Illegal Immigrants?" New York Times Upfront 12 Mar. 2012: 22. elibrary. Web. 6 Sept. 2013. Jacoby and Tancredo insist that the presence of illegal immigrants is far more beneficial than hurtful to America. They understand the concern of Americans for wanting jobs but also argue that the immigrants are willing to do jobs that no American would ever dream of doing. Lastly, Jacoby and Tancredo explain with the cheap wages of many of the illegal workers, prices overall are also on the decline. Wiegand, Steve. "Illegal Immigration." Mental Floss Nov.-Dec. 2007: 34-37. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 6 Sept. 2013. Wiegand emphasizes the importance of illegal immigrants due to their willingness to work in unpleasant conditions. He also explains how with the illegal worker's wages so low, the consumers reap the benefits in the long run. Lastly, Wiegand describes that, although many believe that illegal immigrants are stealing money from hardworking Americans, they actually have very little effect on your paycheck as a whole.