By Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson
Bricker and Ibbitson are big proponents of immigration and multiculturalism. In fact, they postulate "If America is to remain great, it must remain a nation that welcomes immigrants." (184) This in not a book of high-minded, politically driven platitudes. The authors explain why both immigration and multiculturalism are necessary -- and how the global and American birth rates back up their claim.
I found Empty Planet fascinating. The authors push back on the United Nations prediction that we are heading toward a global population malaise of eleven billion people. In doing so, they dispel a number of population myths. Here are three:
Myth #1: The world population is heading toward an unbearable 11 billion people. Poverty, conflict, and environmental degradation await us. Actually, the population will probably peek at nine billion and then begin to decline.
Myth #2: Fertility rates are astronomically high in developing countries. Actually, while many populations are high, in many if not most developing/developed countries (Thailand, India, Africa, China), birth rates are now below the replacement rate of 2.1 children.
Myth #3: African American and Latino Americans are overwhelming white America with their higher fertility rates. Actually, the rates of the three groups have converged. In fact, the birth rates among African Americans and Latino American actually declined in the recent American recession.
The authors note two factors that are driving down the birth rate: urbanization (the authors provide the numbers and the rationale) and "the universal tendency of immigrants to align their child-bearing habits with those of their adopted country."183
I have noted so many passages in this book, particularly at chapter 5, "The Economics of Babies" (Americans adopt more babies abroad than the rest of the world combined); chapter 7, "Shutting Down The Factory" (population decline not explosion is our future), and chapter 8, "Push and Pull Migration" (includes population nomenclature and the important distinction between immigrants and migrants). But chapter 10, "The Second American Century," is clearly my most "marked-up chapter." The authors state:
Although Australia and Canada bring in more migrants as a share of their population, the United States dwarfs all others in terms of the absolute volume of legal immigrants--typically around one million people per year, more than twice as many as any other country." And that is not counting the illegal stream crossing the border from Mexico. (177)
Setting aside the illegal issue for a moment, it is precisely that immigration -- and America's welcoming attitude toward immigrants (unlike Russia, China, and most of Asia) that will "secure the American hegemony" as the dominant world leader (175-6). This was a very interesting discussion with significant implications.
My takeaway? Immigration helps sustain a birth rate that sustains a country that sustains an economy, a cultural hegemony, and democratic ideal. Again, the reason is simple: the birthrate of white, non-Latino women has remained steady at 1.8 children per woman of reproducing age, while those of African American women and Latino women has declined steadily, most notably during the recent recession, when the birth rates of latter two groups were "dropping like a stone" (178). America needs immigration.
At the outset of this review, I noted, "This in not a book of high-minded, politically driven platitudes." There was one point when I felt the authors left their research-driven rationales and slipped into political swagger:
Today, many white Americans, either implicitly--through anonymous posts on the web, for example--or explicitly--through the so-called alt-right movement--complain that the United States is losing its identity as a mostly white, Christian nation, which is why they supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election, and support as well his plan to build a "big, beautiful wall" at the Mexican border to keep out "illegals." Others fear that immigrants of all kinds steal jobs from "real" Americans and depress wages.
No doubt some do hold those views, but I felt this was an unnecessary political jab. The author's primary argument has been immigration and urbanization, not a border wall. And why stain the Christian segment who work for immigration with "guilt-by-association" of those whose attitude lacks the Christian charity they should promote? Anyone who reads their book can see the numbers and draw their own conclusions.
That little disappointment aside, I highly recommend Empty Planet. As the author's note, "Poverty isn't a good thing or a bad thing. But it is a big thing." (3). This carefully researched and thought-provoking read will have you nodding in agreement.
I gave Empty Planet five stars for five reasons: (1) Strong research, (2) Engaging writing, (3) Providing a global perspective, (4) Making a compelling case, (5) Thoughtful implications and applications.