"They Take Our Jobs!"

And 20 Other Myths about Immigration

By: Aviva Chomsky

Narrated by: Frankie Corzo

Revised and expanded edition of the groundbreaking book which demystifies twenty-one of the most widespread myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigrations.

Aviva Chomsky dismantles twenty-one of the most widespread and pernicious myths and beliefs about immigrants and immigration in this incisive book. "They Take Our Jobs!" challenges the underlying assumptions that fuel misinformed claims about immigrants, radically altering our notions of citizenship, discrimination, and US history. With fresh material including a new introduction, revised timeline, and updated terminology section, this expanded edition is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how these myths are used to promote aggressive anti-immigrant policies.

Critic reviews

“A must-read for anyone who wants to understand immigration in the US.”
—Eva Longoria, actress, businesswoman, producer, and philanthropist

“An indispensable guide to the current debate on immigration. If you are at all uncertain about how to deal with anti-immigrant arguments, you will find Chomsky’s book a perfect response. She makes her points with clarity and uses unassailable evidence while offering constructive short- and long-term solutions.”
—Howard Zinn, author of You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train

“[Chomsky] not only demolishes virtually every myth about immigrants and immigration to the US, but also offers policymakers and activists solutions for tackling many of the issues created by globalization and an immigration policy grounded in falsehoods, and in so doing destroys the greatest myth of all: that nothing can be done.”
—Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams

“Chomsky’s book provides us all with a much-needed sense of history and justice—and injustice—that must be included as we struggle for fair and humane immigration policies.”
—Catherine Tactaquin, executive director, National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights

Learned a lot, including several myths I believed

I really enjoy books like this that just lay out flawed arguments or beliefs and dispel them with data, history, logic, etc.

Narration is minorly disjointed cutting between recordings in a couple places but overall pretty good.

Truths most Americans can't handle

Until Americans can open their eyes and view the word capitalism with the same critical disdain as they so blithely, and ignorantly, regard socialism, nothing will change. The book does great work to demonstrate how the game is rigged, and how phony outrage about immigration is based entirely on the generation of money and the perpetuation of colonial imperialism. The hypocrisy of the situation is that the right-wingers know the words to the song, they just can't hum the tune. Railing against corporate control of government is on the correct track, but they fundamentally misunderstand the causes. Heaven help anyone who has to explain that their screeds against neo-liberalism is not actually targeting Bernie or AOC, but the sainted Reagan. And yet again, this book is a great educational resource, that they will never read, much less believe. Never.

informative

once I got into the book a few chapters, I was hooked packed with straight forward information

Not the takedown arguments I wanted

There are several strong arguments, but there are several underwhelming ones as well. I can't use a lot of these to contradict someone who doesn't share idealistic values.