Gracias y QDEP Alejandro Hernandez Fuente, Miguel Luna, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Jose Mynor Lopez y Carlos de Mexico

As the nation gasped at the Baltimore bridge collapsing this week, I couldn’t help but feel it was more about the spectacle of the images or the baleful catastrophe of what could have happened to make the calamity worse.? At this point, the news coverage has pivoted to the potential economic impairment as access to the one of the top domestic ports continues to be closed.?

But what about the noble workers from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico who died in service to the Nation's workforce, which has historically put Latinos and other immigrant workers in hazardous positions and devaluing their contributions despite their sacrifice and impact on all American's every single day.?

Latinos make up about a third of the construction workers in this country in jobs that are designated by the Department of Labor as being highly hazardous in terms of death and serious injury, which has increased in the past year.?

These workers were not disposable as many have seen them. They are husbands, fathers, sons, friends, … they were powerful threads in the American fabric that hold the rest of us – and our bridges, homes, buildings and roads together.? ?

A brother of one of the deceased workers told NBC News that his brother said, “He always told us that you had to triple your effort to get ahead, that it didn’t matter what time or where the job was, you had to be where the work was.”?

Including a bridge in Baltimore …

Yes, it's because immigrants have had a significant impact on America's workforce, economy, population and culture throughout its history. ?Yet, immigrants are constantly targeted by hate crimes, divisive political strategies, biases, and perfidious harmful rhetoric.?

The United States NEEDS immigrants.

Between 2010 and 2020, America had the most lethargic decade-long, population growth since the 1930s. According to FWD.us projections, the U.S. needs to double immigration levels to remain globally competitive with other economies and without immigrants, the population would remain stagnant in 2050.? How is a country supposed to grow its economy, labor force, innovations, new businesses without the population growing?

And let’s get away from the notion that immigrant workers are taking someone’s job. Immigrants actually create jobs by over indexing as entrepreneurs and established new businesses double the rate of native-born Americans. ?In terms of the workforce, research indicates that immigrants complement instead of competing with native American workers for jobs, equipped with different skills and, oh yeah, ganas.? Jobs are not a zero-sum game, just because you get a job doesn’t mean there is one less job -- not with a nearly 50-year low in unemployment (think about waiting on a table at a restaurant that they tell you is at capacity but half full of patrons).? ?

Approximately 4.1 million Americans are poised to turn 65 this year and every year through 2027, according to a report from the Alliance for Lifetime Income. And get ready for the the biggest growth of retirement-age Americans ever with more than 4 million turning 65 this year and annually through 2027 according to a report from the Alliance for Lifetime Income. Who is going to fill that gap? Latinos will represent nearly 80 percent of all new jobs during that time.? Yeah, many being immigrants.?

And let me add how much immigrants add to our economy … According to the Center for Public Integrity, immigrant workers will add an extra $7 trillion to the U.S. economy within the next decade and an extra $1 trillion in federal tax revenue.?

Overall, immigrants do not just contribute but actually hold America in their capable hands.? Hands full of resilience, strength, tenderness, and pride.?

Gracias y que descanse en paz Alejandro Hernandez Fuente, Miguel Luna, Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval, Dorlian Castillo Cabrera, Jose Mynor Lopez y Carlos de Mexico.