Roger Karma

If you're a restaurant owner and suddenly you lose a big chunk of your workforce to the point where you either have to have higher labor costs and at the same time you have less demand, there's a good chance you have to go out of business altogether. And when you go out of business, that doesn't just hurt the immigrants who are working for you, that also hurts the native-born workers.

If you're a restaurant owner and suddenly you lose a big chunk of your workforce to the point where you either have to have higher labor costs and at the same time you have less demand, there's a good chance you have to go out of business altogether. And when you go out of business, that doesn't just hurt the immigrants who are working for you, that also hurts the native-born workers.

If you're a restaurant owner and suddenly you lose a big chunk of your workforce to the point where you either have to have higher labor costs and at the same time you have less demand, there's a good chance you have to go out of business altogether. And when you go out of business, that doesn't just hurt the immigrants who are working for you, that also hurts the native-born workers.

And so there are all these sort of synchronicities, all of these interconnections that allow immigration to have this positive sum effect. But then as soon as you – if you rip out the immigrants, then Native workers often get caught in the crossfire.

And so there are all these sort of synchronicities, all of these interconnections that allow immigration to have this positive sum effect. But then as soon as you – if you rip out the immigrants, then Native workers often get caught in the crossfire.

And so there are all these sort of synchronicities, all of these interconnections that allow immigration to have this positive sum effect. But then as soon as you – if you rip out the immigrants, then Native workers often get caught in the crossfire.

I think part of the fixation on the economics of immigration is a way for many people like us, elites, people in the media, to try to find a more materialist explanation for a set of instincts that I think many of us are uncomfortable with. And I think that is actually kind of a tragedy. I think...

I think part of the fixation on the economics of immigration is a way for many people like us, elites, people in the media, to try to find a more materialist explanation for a set of instincts that I think many of us are uncomfortable with. And I think that is actually kind of a tragedy. I think...

I think part of the fixation on the economics of immigration is a way for many people like us, elites, people in the media, to try to find a more materialist explanation for a set of instincts that I think many of us are uncomfortable with. And I think that is actually kind of a tragedy. I think...

If people oppose immigration or feel strongly about immigration because of certain cultural beliefs or concerns about national identity, it's important to take those concerns seriously. And I think it's actually a problem and even a bit patronizing that we tend to project these sort of more wonky economic concerns onto that.

If people oppose immigration or feel strongly about immigration because of certain cultural beliefs or concerns about national identity, it's important to take those concerns seriously. And I think it's actually a problem and even a bit patronizing that we tend to project these sort of more wonky economic concerns onto that.

If people oppose immigration or feel strongly about immigration because of certain cultural beliefs or concerns about national identity, it's important to take those concerns seriously. And I think it's actually a problem and even a bit patronizing that we tend to project these sort of more wonky economic concerns onto that.

I actually think that's a really important point. One of the greatest shifts in public opinion on immigration has happened in the last few years, where in 2020, according to Gallup, there were only 28% of Americans said they wanted immigration decreased. Four years later, that number was 55%. So it had almost doubled.

I actually think that's a really important point. One of the greatest shifts in public opinion on immigration has happened in the last few years, where in 2020, according to Gallup, there were only 28% of Americans said they wanted immigration decreased. Four years later, that number was 55%. So it had almost doubled.

I actually think that's a really important point. One of the greatest shifts in public opinion on immigration has happened in the last few years, where in 2020, according to Gallup, there were only 28% of Americans said they wanted immigration decreased. Four years later, that number was 55%. So it had almost doubled.

And that is much larger and much faster than even the public opinion shift on something like gay marriage. So this is like a huge, almost unprecedented shift. And as I dug into why, what came up over and over again is this feeling of chaos, this feeling that we are not in control of our own border. And when you actually look at questions about how people feel towards immigrants themselves,

And that is much larger and much faster than even the public opinion shift on something like gay marriage. So this is like a huge, almost unprecedented shift. And as I dug into why, what came up over and over again is this feeling of chaos, this feeling that we are not in control of our own border. And when you actually look at questions about how people feel towards immigrants themselves,

And that is much larger and much faster than even the public opinion shift on something like gay marriage. So this is like a huge, almost unprecedented shift. And as I dug into why, what came up over and over again is this feeling of chaos, this feeling that we are not in control of our own border. And when you actually look at questions about how people feel towards immigrants themselves,

they hadn't changed nearly as much. People weren't necessarily anti-immigrant as much as they felt like the immigration process had gotten out of control and the immigration process was no longer serving the country. And so I think it is really important to distinguish those two things. And I think a lot of the public opinion shift we've seen over the last few years, it isn't about economics.

they hadn't changed nearly as much. People weren't necessarily anti-immigrant as much as they felt like the immigration process had gotten out of control and the immigration process was no longer serving the country. And so I think it is really important to distinguish those two things. And I think a lot of the public opinion shift we've seen over the last few years, it isn't about economics.