January 28, 2019
Yesterday I had coffee with my cousin Mary in Lafayette, the Bay Area town where we grew up but where neither of us can afford to live anymore. We lamented the gentrification and the appalling traffic, even as we acknowledged that the increased wealth has led to more attractive city design and landscaping and a greater number of good restaurants. Our laid back small town has become part of the rapid urbanization of the Bay Area, so partly for that reason we both escaped to more rural communities.
I remember in the 1960’s when the population of the U.S. reached 200 million. Now it’s about 328 million, and growing fast. This has led in California and elsewhere to a loss of open space and farmland, more crowded schools, terrible traffic, and a housing shortage with a resultant huge increase in housing costs. And what is driving this dramatic population increase? Immigration.
In 1965, when I was 13, I was pleased that the U.S. government changed its immigration policy to allow greater numbers of immigrants from non-European countries. I wanted to see a more diverse population, especially in our all white town. Mission accomplished. But what I and the government didn’t foresee was the large number of family members who would follow the initial immigrants, and the high birth rates of these immigrant families. This has led to faster demographic change than anticipated by the government or the public, and a more crowded infrastructure. It’s the old saying, “Be careful of what you wish for; you might get it.”
I have read, in the New York Times and elsewhere, people arguing for open borders, saying that it would be good for the economy and that we need a much larger population to compete with countries such as China and India. Really? Yes, a U.S. population of 500 million or 1 billion would create a bigger economy, but at what cost to the quality of life? I’ve been to Hong Kong and India, and I wouldn’t want to live in such congested conditions. And I’m no longer convinced that the human race has evolved to the point that very diverse peoples can live together in close quarters harmoniously. Maybe someday, but not yet.
At the same time, the United States and the planet are changing at an ever increasing pace, whether I like it or not. And in all honesty, while I welcome some of the changes, I don’t like many of them. Yet there’s little that I can do to stop the changing world, other than voting and writing. So maybe I would be wise to make peace with what is happening, and let go of my resistance to what is. Change what I can, and accept the rest. A tough balancing act, but necessary if I am to keep any semblance of inner harmony.
I won’t vote for any candidate who advocates open borders. But whatever does or does not happen with immigration and population policy, I trust that in the long run the planet will be just fine. And I intend to enjoy and appreciate Lafayette and Planet Earth just the way they are now.
David Wigginton 