Immigrants’ Economic Impact

“Immigrants a Net Economic Plus, Study Says” (May 18) was concerned mostly with the economic and demographic impacts of immigration on the U.S. over the next 55 years. To me, however, the most important statement was the projection that “the nation’s population will approach 400 million by 2050, an increase of almost 50% over 1995.” The percentage increase locally will most likely be greater than 50%.

It is not hard to imagine how the accompanying increase in traffic, pollution, waste disposal and access to recreation will affect our quality of life. If, in addition, we recognize that a large population increase will inevitably be attended by a large loss of agricultural land, there is the serious question as to whether the U.S. will still have the resources to feed itself in 2050?

SIDNEY KASH

Manhattan Beach

* The article reporting that immigrants “add as much as $10 billion yearly nationwide and lower consumer prices” overlooked another success story. According to a Feb. 28 article in Business, a study revealed “that immigrants from Mexico and four other Latin American nations sent $4 billion in 1990 to their families in their homelands, an amount exceeding the U.S. foreign aid to those countries.” The study found that Mexican immigrants sent an average of 8% of household income to relatives in Mexico.

Immigration is profitable! We obviously ought to encourage more from other countries, maybe those we’ve furnished aid to, like Sudan and Zaire (Congo). Never seem to read stories of thousands of their refugees being welcomed into the arms, fields and factories of the U.S. populace? Why is that?

JOSEPH A. DENKER

Studio City