TOW #23: "The Progressive Case for Immigration" by The Economist

In “The Progressive Case for Immigration,” the Economist writes about how immigration can actually be economically beneficial than what many believe it to be harmful. It uses counterargument refutation, statistics, and an appeal to logos in order to convince readers to be more open to opening up their country’s borders to migrant workers.

This article is structured by bringing up a claim that an anti-immigration advocate would make and then refuting it with statistics. The Economist says, “On what grounds do immigration opponents justify obstructing this happy outcome? Some suppose it would be better for poor countries to become rich themselves.” And then it goes on explaining how this argument is invalid with facts from economists and statisticians. By structuring the article like this, readers who are against immigration can be more easily convinced about the benefits of immigration.

By using statistics, this establishes the author’s ethos. It says, “A Mexican worker can expect to earn more than 2.5 times her Mexican wage, in PPP-adjusted dollars, in America. The multiple for Haitian workers is over 10; for Yemenis it is 15.” This statistic supports the argument that the quality of life can greatly increase when foreign workers come to first world countries to work, which can help to boost the economy. By using statistics, the author becomes more credible and can easier believe the argument that the author is making.

In general, the author of this article uses a strong appeal to logos in order to logically argue his or her point. By doing this, he or she can convince the audience, who would want to know the facts on this argument, that opening up a country immigration is beneficial.

Overall, the author uses counterargument refutation, statistics, and an appeal to logos in order to convince readers to be more open to opening up their country’s borders to migrant workers. With ongoing issue on immigration today, the author could have opened up more on the cultural baggage of immigration and terrorism as this is more relevant to today.

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