“As my friend Roy Beck told me, economic history demonstrates that every time immigration levels have risen significantly, inequality has grown as well. The reverse is also true….It simply means that if we want to create a fairer economy, we can no longer ignore immigration’s unique contribution to racial inequality.”

Politicians in both parties pay lip service to helping Black Americans. If they were truly sincere, they’d listen to generations of civil rights leaders who’ve recognized the best way to boost Black Americans’ fortunes is to ensure tight labor markets.

“…during the period of relatively restricted immigration between 1924 and 1965, the inflation-adjusted incomes of Black men grew 400 percent versus 250 percent for white men, and the proportion of Black middle class families tripled, from 22 to 71 percent.”

“Beck resurrects the calls to action of black abolitionists and civil rights leaders. Their unapologetic message about immigration was clear: put Americans first.” @PDeniseLong @Roy_H_Beck #backofthehiringline @

As Roy Beck notes in his book Back of the Hiring Line, when national policy reduced immigration to less than 500,000 per year between 1940-1980, “the real incomes of white males expanded two-and one-half fold. The Black middle class grew from 22 percent of African Americans to 71 percent.”

“Beck blames Congress, not immigrants, and he doesn’t claim that all problems facing Black communities are driven by immigration…[but the] numbers have played a largely unrecognized role…and Blacks have been especially harmed.”