There were never any “No Irish Need Apply” signs in 19th-century shop windows; it’s what historian Richard Jensen calls “a myth of victimization.” But, incredibly, there are signs now that say, in effect, “No Americans Need Apply,” like this one in the window of an Asian restaurant in my town, seeking kitchen help and a dishwasher:
Think that’s intended for local teenagers looking for a part-time job?
It’s true that teenagers are less likely to work than in the past, even in places with little immigration. But, as my colleague Steve Camarota has calculated, the labor force participation of U.S.-born teenagers has declined twice as fast in high-immigration states.
As in so many other areas, mass immigration isn’t the only reason for negative social trends, but it’s a major contributor and the one over which we have the most control. And what the Senate is passing today, with its huge increases in permanent and “temporary” immigration, might as well be renamed the Anti-Teen-Employment Act of 2013.
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