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Philip Cafaro

How Many Is Too Many?: The Progressive Argument for Reducing Immigration into the United States (Chicago Studies in American Politics) Hardcover – Illustrated, February 6, 2015

by Philip Cafaro (Author)

16 ratings

Part of: Chicago Studies in American Politics (53 books)

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From the stony streets of Boston to the rail lines of California, from General Relativity to Google, one of the surest truths of our history is the fact that America has been built by immigrants. The phrase itself has become a steadfast campaign line, a motto of optimism and good will, and indeed it is the rallying cry for progressives today who fight against tightening our borders. This is all well and good, Philip Cafaro thinks, for the America of the past―teeming with resources, opportunities, and wide open spaces―but America isn’t as young as it used to be, and the fact of the matter is we can’t afford to take in millions of people anymore. We’ve all heard this argument before, and one might think Cafaro is toeing the conservative line, but here’s the thing: he’s not conservative, not by a long shot. He’s as progressive as they come, and it’s progressives at whom he aims with this book’s startling message: massive immigration simply isn’t consistent with progressive ideals.

Cafaro roots his argument in human rights, equality, economic security, and environmental sustainability―hallmark progressive values. He shows us the undeniable realities of mass migration to which we have turned a blind eye: how flooded labor markets in sectors such as meatpacking and construction have driven down workers’ wages and driven up inequality; how excessive immigration has fostered unsafe working conditions and political disempowerment; how it has stalled our economic maturity by keeping us ever-focused on increasing consumption and growth; and how it has caused our cities and suburbs to sprawl far and wide, destroying natural habitats, driving other species from the landscape, and cutting us off from nature.

In response to these hard-hitting truths, Cafaro lays out a comprehensive plan for immigration reform that is squarely in line with progressive political goals. He suggests that we shift enforcement efforts away from border control and toward the employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. He proposes aid and foreign policies that will help people create better lives where they are. And indeed he supports amnesty for those who have, at tremendous risk, already built their lives here. Above all, Cafaro attacks our obsession with endless material growth, offering in its place a mature vision of America, not brimming but balanced, where all the different people who constitute this great nation of immigrants can live sustainably and well, sheltered by a prudence currently in short supply in American politics.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Chicago Press
Publication date

February 6, 2015
Dimensions

6 x 1 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

022619065X
ISBN-13

978-0226190655
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Paul Edward Gottfried
19
Paperback
26 offers from $26.23

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Immigration remains a vital domestic issue in the US and appears poised to play a prominent role in the 2016 presidential elections. With concerns about population control reaching the forefront of national debate, Cafaro bucks traditional ideological trends and strongly urges fellow progressives to note that mass immigration no longer aligns with progressive ideals. Chapters are dedicated to critical examinations of the unseen impact mass immigration has on labor inequality, working conditions, national economic maturity, and society’s relationship with nature. After presenting strong arguments as to why mass immigration must cease in the US if the country wishes to be truly progressive, Cafaro presents a detailed seven-point plan on how to best accomplish this goal. Included are suggestions for ending birthright citizenship, tying immigration allowances to the national unemployment rate, cutting immigration rates back to standards from 1965, and mandating a national employee verification program. Equally important to the policy proposals put forth are the efforts to dispel many of the anticipated challenges to the proposals, treated in the following chapter. A great addition to collections on American political issues and public policy. . . . Highly recommended.”
― Choice

Review

“Dealing with immigration to the United States―legal and illegal―is of the utmost importance, because immigration is the biggest driver of our explosive population growth, which is the biggest plight we face. Cafaro is our most trustworthy thinker and writer about immigration matters, because he does not demonize immigrants but rather sympathizes with them, while clearly showing that continued high immigration will be deadly to American wildlands and wildlife, as well as to our culture of liberty and tolerance. Read How Many Is Too Many? to understand the tangled problem of immigration.” -- Dave Foreman, author of Take Back Conservation

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Chicago Press; Illustrated edition (February 6, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 022619065X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0226190655
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.19 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #693,714 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #719 in Government Social Policy
- #995 in Emigration & Immigration Studies (Books)
- #1,935 in Political Conservatism & Liberalism

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16 ratings

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Philip Cafaro

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Almost Indisputable Logic

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020

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In the twentieth century, America had two great and one failed progressive Presidents. The great ones were Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and the failed one was Woodrow Wilson. (Other progressive Presidents ran the gamut from near-great to mediocre.) Theodore and Woodrow Wilson actually agreed on most things, but Wilson was more devoted to white supremacy and to victory in war, which is the reason he failed. Indeed, had Wilson called for a cease-fire in World War I in September or October 1918 in order to focus on that year's flu pandemic, I would not rank him among the failures.

Without doubt, however, Franklin Roosevelt accomplished more than either of these two for the average American. This is not because FDR's genius was greater or even because he got more political capital out of rescuing the country from the Depression. This is because the sharp limits on immigration put in place by the national origin quotas of 1923 had created space for wages to go up and progressive politics to succeed. Indeed, most American workers got Saturday off only during the Coolidge administration, after those same quotas were inscribed into law.

In a similar way, LBJ, who sought to be the ultimate progressive President, actually fatally sabotaged progressivism through his Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 by creating an inexhaustible stream of low-wage workers entering the United States. This stream of workers is what most progressive critics of the past fifty years in America are unwilling to criticize, but unless it is turned off, even the prosperity of the late sixties will be forever beyond the reach of most Americans.

One of the angles I have used to attack President Trump's policies is that if his curbs on immigration remain, the population of the United States will stabilize or even decline in the 2020s. In decrying this, I have been too influenced by the logic of books like Matthew Yglesias' "One Billion Americans," previously reviewed by me in this forum. A stable or declining population will increase wages and the bargaining power of low-skilled workers and make the reduction of economic inequality within the United States possible at last.

I was initially torn between giving Philip Cafaro's "How Many is Too Many" three stars and five stars. There are important recommendations within it with which I disagree, such as changing the Constitutional definition of a citizen. Ultimately, however, I was unable to deduct a star for these disagreements because every chapter of this book is downright excellent, but especially 6, 7 and 10. Also, I have sent him a Facebook friend request and hope he reads this review shortly before or after accepting.

2 people found this helpful

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Donald A. Collins

Fix Immigration Or See The End Of The Republic Our Founding Fathers Gave Us

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2015

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Sadly, quiet, scholarly, bi-partisan voices such as this clear, concise truth telling book written by a thoroughly knowledgeable professor will likely not get the attention it so richly deserves.
However, this thesis of how many are too many has NOW been so clearly answered on a global scale by events that cross American TV screens daily and are highlighted by powerful books such as the just published Adios America! that perhaps there will be enough voter action to make the current crop of toadying politicians worry enough about their failure to fix immigration to get Everify made permanent and our borders made secure.
How many boatloads of Africans migrants fleeing to Europe do we have to see before we do something?
Thus, we will soon begin to Fix Immigration Or See The End Of The Republic Our Founding Fathers Gave Us!!!

11 people found this helpful

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John F. Rebello

Real Common Sense Immigration Reform

Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2015

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Philip Cafaro paints a picture of what real common sense immigration reform looks like as opposed to what the Obama Administration and other pro-amnesty/open boarder advocates would have us believe it to be. Aware of his own progressive predilections, Cafaro is able to see past the ideological blinders that limit many of his fellow progressive’s ability to think critically and honestly on this subject.

Cafaro presents a well-reasoned and informed argument against the historic high levels of both legal and illegal immigration that is being perpetuated by the leaders of this country despite many polls through the years that suggest it to be contrary to the will of a majority of people in the United States.

Our immigration system may be “broken,” but not in the way pro amnesty open boarders advocates would have us think. It is not broken because it cannot handle an endless stream of would be immigrants from an ever growing world population. On the contrary, it is broken because it refuses to acknowledge that an ever increasing number of immigrates may not be beneficial and is, in fact, detrimental for our economy, our environment and our ability to become sustainable as a society. Whatever problems we face as a nation (or in the world), an increasing population does not make them any easier to deal with but only more challenging.

As Garret Hardin (a writer Cafaro may not be fully in agreement with) writes: “The most basic principle is the Epicurean one: the world’s wealth is limited. Arguments for perpetual, unhindered immigration presume a world without limits. Epicurus seems to be unknown to idealists and ambitious developers. We will not advance beyond our growth-intoxicated world until we have given up our belief in free lunches, in perpetual motion machines, and in the creation of infinite wealth by compound interest. That everyone is made better off by immigration is also an anti-Epicurean fantasy” (from Living Within Limits).

11 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Cafaro has combined points of view that are not usually ...

Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2017

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Cafaro has combined points of view that are not usually joined together. He is a humanist recommending restricted immigration via pressure on employers, not employees. He also recommends that the USA help other countries in a way that reduces the motivation to live here.

4 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Anexploration of issues around immigration,in common sense language

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2019

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This fair and balanced examination of the issues by a progressive author managed to change my thinking,a not easy task
author has definitely changed my previoudl

2 people found this helpful

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Michael Cates

A book every citizen should read.

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2015

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A book every citizen should read. Everything has a limit and this book details why we are at our immigration limit

7 people found this helpful

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William D. Morris