They Take Our Jobs!: And 20 Other Myths About Immigration, Expanded Edition by Aviva Chomsky Summary

1. Immigrants complement native workers rather than replace them, boosting economic growth.
2. US immigration laws historically enforce racial hierarchies through selective citizenship paths.
3. Global economic inequality drives migration more than individual choice.
4. Legalization pathways reduce worker exploitation and strengthen labor rights.
5. Immigrant assimilation mirrors historical patterns despite modern racial barriers.
6. Illegality is a legal construct enabling systemic labor exploitation.
7. Debunking 21 immigration myths reveals how scapegoating distracts from corporate greed.
8. Immigrants fill essential roles in agriculture, construction, and service industries.
9. Climate change migration ties directly to colonial resource extraction legacies.
10. US immigration enforcement perpetuates a vulnerable underclass for cheap labor.

About the Author

Aviva Chomsky, author of They Take Our Jobs! And 20 Other Myths About Immigration, is a distinguished historian and social justice advocate specializing in immigration, labor, and Latin American studies.

A professor of history and coordinator of Latin American studies at Salem State University, her work blends academic rigor with activism, informed by decades of research on global labor dynamics and U.S. foreign policy.

Chomsky’s expertise spans acclaimed titles like Undocumented: How Immigration Became Illegal and Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia, and the Making of a Global Working Class, which explore systemic inequities and migrant experiences. Her 1997 award-winning West Indian Workers and the United Fruit Company in Costa Rica established her as a leading voice in labor history.

A longtime immigrants’ rights activist, Chomsky’s critiques of immigration policy resonate in academic and advocacy circles. They Take Our Jobs! has been widely adopted in social sciences curricula and published in Spanish and Cuban editions, solidifying its role in contemporary debates on migration and inequality.

FAQs About This Book

What is They Take Our Jobs! by Aviva Chomsky about?

They Take Our Jobs! And 20 Other Myths About Immigration systematically dismantles common misconceptions about immigration in the U.S., arguing that myths like “immigrants steal jobs” or “immigrants don’t pay taxes” reinforce systemic inequality. Chomsky traces how immigration policies are shaped by racialized labor exploitation, historical patterns of U.S. intervention abroad, and corporate interests, urging readers to reframe migration as a human right rather than a criminal act.

Who should read They Take Our Jobs! by Aviva Chomsky?

This book is essential for educators, policymakers, activists, and anyone seeking to understand the structural forces behind immigration. Chomsky’s evidence-based approach makes it valuable for debunking stereotypes in classroom discussions, while her clear prose appeals to general readers interested in labor rights, racial justice, and the intersection of U.S. foreign policy with migration trends.

What are the key myths about immigration debunked in They Take Our Jobs!?

Chomsky challenges 21 pervasive myths, including:

• “Immigrants take jobs from citizens” (she shows how labor markets are segmented by race and policy).
• “Immigrants don’t assimilate” (she critiques assimilation as a colonialist demand).
• “Border enforcement protects national security” (she ties border militarization to corporate profit).

How does Aviva Chomsky’s background influence They Take Our Jobs!?

As a historian of Latin America and labor, Chomsky grounds her analysis in centuries of U.S. economic exploitation in regions like Central America, showing how migration is often a direct consequence of policies like free-trade agreements and military interventions. Her activism in immigrant rights movements informs the book’s urgent call for systemic change.

Why is They Take Our Jobs! relevant in 2025?

With ongoing debates about border policies, climate displacement, and global labor shortages, Chomsky’s framework helps readers analyze how scapegoating immigrants distracts from corporate greed and environmental crises. Updated editions address post-2020 shifts, including pandemic-era essential worker struggles and anti-immigrant rhetoric in elections.

What solutions does They Take Our Jobs! propose for immigration reform?

Chomsky advocates for decriminalizing migration, ending employer exploitation of undocumented workers, and addressing root causes like militarism and inequality. She emphasizes cross-border solidarity over nationalist “solutions,” arguing that open borders and labor rights are inseparable.

How does They Take Our Jobs! compare to other immigration books?

Unlike memoirs or policy-heavy texts, Chomsky’s myth-busting format offers accessible, conversational analysis. It complements works like Open Borders by Bryan Caplan (libertarian perspective) and The Devil’s Highway by Luis Urrea (narrative nonfiction) by focusing on systemic labor exploitation and historical context.

What are the most impactful quotes from They Take Our Jobs!?

• “Laws don’t stop migration—they just make migrants vulnerable.” Highlights how criminalization enables wage theft.
• “Today’s ‘illegals’ are yesterday’s braceros.” Connects past guest-worker programs to modern exploitation.

Does They Take Our Jobs! address climate migration?

While the original 2007 edition focuses on labor, revised versions briefly discuss climate-driven displacement as an emerging crisis, noting how industrial polluters disproportionately harm regions that then face migration pressures—a theme expanded in Chomsky’s later work Is Science Enough?

What critiques exist about They Take Our Jobs!?

Some conservatives reject Chomsky’s open-borders stance as unrealistic, while progressives critique the lack of LGBTQ+ intersectional analysis. However, the book is widely praised for its accessible synthesis of complex issues, with Publishers Weekly calling it “a vital corrective to mainstream narratives”.

How can educators use They Take Our Jobs! in curricula?

The book’s myth-based structure provides ready-made debate topics for civics or history classes. Instructors pair it with primary sources like ICE enforcement data or timelines of U.S. interventions in Central America to teach critical media literacy and policy analysis.

Where can I find discussion guides for They Take Our Jobs!?

Beacon Press offers free reading group guides on their website, featuring questions about structural racism, personal responsibility narratives, and comparisons to current events. Chomsky’s interviews and lectures on immigration rights also supplement book club discussions.