Americans have a somewhat schizophrenic attitude to immigration. Most polls show that around two-thirds of the population would like to reduce it (with the most recent arrivals often among the most hostile); but the same proportion think that legal immigration is a good thing, and that family members should have the right to bring in their relatives. The explanation may be that immigrants encapsulate the American dream, but they are also responsible for an embarrassing secret. A country built by immigrants, the United States still derives much of its youthful vitality from their presence. Pick up the biography of any American figure, and it will begin "He/his parents/his grandparents came to America with nothing, but..." Silicon Valley is merely the latest American showpiece to be built in large part by immigrants.
The embarrassing secret is of importance to daily life of illegal immigrants. Every American politician claims to condemn their presence, but without them the domestic life of middle-class America would fall apart; food prices would climb steeply as produce rotted in the fields; hotel rooms would stand uncleaned; swimming pools would become septic tanks; and taxis would disappear from the streets. In short, the country would grind to a halt.
For the most part, the system that has evolved suits both employers, who get cheap and plentiful labor, and employees, who although badly paid earn much more than they would at home. But it still has its problems. Many of those gardeners and cleaners live in conditions that shame such a rich country. The system also makes an ass of the law; America spends a fortune trying to stop people coming in, often putting their lives at risk, but does next to nothing once they have arrived.
This survey will argue that the current wave of immigration should be viewed with guarded optimism. That is partly because, without immigrants, rich countries tend to get old fast. Europe is beginning to notice that, and so is Japan. But the main justification is the attitude of the immigrants themselves. Whatever the problems, those people came to America because they wanted to be there. Driving along the streets of Los Angeles at seven in the morning, and you will see groups of Latino men gathered at street corners and in car parks, waiting to work long hours for low pay; if America squanders their enthusiasm, it will not be their faults. What does the phrase "make an ass of the law" (Line 4, Para. 3) means