The differing perspectives on immigration policy between a notable Marxist economist and his powerful political offspring have highlighted a profound ideological division within a single family.
According to the New York Post, Donald Harris, an emeritus professor at Stanford University, critiqued mass immigration policies in a 1988 treatise, suggesting detrimental effects, particularly on African American workers, contrasting sharply with his daughter, Vice President Kamala Harris, who advocates for pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants as part of her 2024 presidential bid.
In his scholarly work, "Black Economic Progress: An Agenda for the 1990s," Donald Harris argued that revisions to U.S. immigration laws have exacerbated the competition in low-skill job markets, heavily affecting native-born low-skill workers.
During the late 1980s, Donald Harris, evidently worried about the socioeconomic impacts, documented the challenges faced by African Americans due to increased low-skilled labor competition.
Donald Harris wrote in his treatise, emphasizing the negative implications of such policies, “Trends in international trade have moved against U.S. workers. U.S. immigration laws have been modified in ways that increase the influx of low-skilled workers, who compete with native-born youths and low-skilled adult workers for low-skilled jobs.”
"This shift has been a particularly serious problem for blacks, who constitute a high proportion of the low-skilled adult workers," he noted, underscoring a demographic significantly impacted by these legislative changes.
Conversely, Kamala Harris, currently serving as Vice President, has taken a significantly different approach toward immigration in her political career. With aspirations for the presidency in 2024, she has been actively promoting the implementation of legal pathways for undocumented immigrants.
On the very first day of the Biden-Harris administration, the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 was introduced, aiming to grant legal status to millions of undocumented residents, signaling a strong federal push towards inclusive immigration reform.
Donald Harris' perspective is bolstered by opinions from political analysts like Shermichael Singleton, who fears such policies may increase societal inequalities and further depress wages for the most vulnerable American workers.
Singleton elaborated on the potential pitfalls of expansive immigration policies, particularly as it pertains to low-wage competition and the broader societal impact. This influx of illegal immigrants and thus low-skilled labor advocated by Harris/Walz, exacerbates inequalities by driving down wages and creating competition among those already marginalized, particularly black Americans.
He added, "The welfare of native-born citizens, particularly those who have historically faced injustices like black Americans — must come first. The problem with illegal immigration isn’t merely economic but existential."
Despite the stark contrast between Donald Harris' warnings and Vice President Kamala Harris' endorsements of expansive immigration reforms, the familial division extends beyond politics into personal relations. The disassociation between father and daughter follows a prolonged estrangement since Donald’s contentious divorce from Kamala’s mother in 1972.
Currently, Donald Harris lives near his daughter in Washington, D.C., though the two reportedly have little contact. Regarding his critiques and the potential implications on his daughter's political agenda, the Harris campaign has remained silent, not responding to comment requests on the matter.
To sum up, Donald Harris' early warnings about the effects of mass immigration on low-skilled workers, particularly within the African American community, contrast sharply with Vice President Kamala Harris' current advocacy for immigrant rights and pathways to citizenship—a complex intersection of personal history and political ideology shaping public discourse as the 2024 presidential race approaches.
