Jeb Bush says immigrants 'more fertile.' Is that right?
| Washington
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Friday told an audience of conservatives that the future of the US economy depends on immigrants in part because they are 鈥渕ore fertile鈥� than native-born Americans and thus will produce many young workers to help support the aging US boomer generation.
鈥淢ore fertile鈥�? Yes, that鈥檚 a formulation Mr. Bush has used before, but it鈥檚 now drawing a lot of criticism on Twitter and elsewhere on the Web. That鈥檚 because it鈥檚 not the right word. 鈥淔ertile鈥� means 鈥渃apable of reproduction,鈥� so what Bush was saying was immigrants are more physically able to have children. That鈥檚 not true.
鈥�Jeb Bush, a regular Bill Nye the Science Guy,鈥� read one typical Twitter comment.
What Bush meant to say was that immigrants have a higher birthrate. In the years ahead, the United States will need a large cohort of young workers to pay taxes to help support the Social Security and Medicare expenses of retirees. With the native-born birthrate sinking toward a record low, immigration could be a big help in this regard, runs Bush鈥檚 real argument.
鈥淚mmigrants are more fertile, and they love families, and they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity,鈥� was Bush鈥檚 full quote during his speech at the Faith and Freedom Coalition鈥檚 annual conference in Washington.
It鈥檚 true that immigrant women per capita have more children than native-born women. Last November, a comprehensive of the latest available government data found that the immigrant birthrate in 2010 was 87.8 live births per every 1,000 women of childbearing age. The equivalent figure for native-born women was 58.9.
(It鈥檚 also true that the immigrant birthrate is declining. Hispanics are having fewer children per capita as they assimilate into US culture, as did previous waves of immigrants throughout US history.)
To see why high birthrates might be a help, consider that preliminary figures show the 2011 birthrate for all women was 63.2 births per 1,000, according to Pew.
鈥淭hat rate is the lowest since at least 1920, the earliest year for which there are reliable numbers,鈥� wrote Pew鈥檚 Gretchen Livingston and D鈥橵era Cohn.
By contrast, the birthrate in 1957, at the height of the baby boom, was 122.7, nearly double today鈥檚 rate.
Aside from his weird word choice for his birthrate argument, Bush gave a 鈥渃ivil speech on serious issues,鈥� Domenico Montanaro.
Besides backing comprehensive immigration reform, he pushed for greater North American energy production; further changes to the education system, such as using student achievement to rank schools; and greater support for families, including nontraditional ones.
鈥淟et me remind you, families don鈥檛 look all the time like they used to, and that鈥檚 OK,鈥� Bush said. 鈥淲e have to be supportive of a single mom or dad, or the grandmother taking care of young children.鈥�
But on Friday at least, the right-leaning conference that Bush spoke to was not buying it.
鈥淏ush鈥檚 arguments for immigration reform were met with near silence from the conservative crowd Friday, and following his speech the former Florida governor received a polite standing ovation,鈥� .
In contrast, firebrand Rep. Michele Bachmann (R) of Minnesota received loud applause from the same crowd for opposing the current immigration reform effort.
In general, the tea party and anti-immigration-reform Republicans remain suspicious of Bush. Within the current GOP, he stands as a moderate.
鈥淲e need to embrace 鈥榗omprehensive immigration reform鈥� because ... fertility? Remember when Barbara Bush said, 鈥榃e鈥檝e had enough Bushes?鈥� 鈥� gibed the following Bush鈥檚 speech Friday.
