Cushman D. Anthony of Falmouth makes the argument that those who come here illegally should be treated “with fairness and dignity” (“Letter to the editor: Obligation to immigrants began with our own ancestors,” June 19).

His argument rests on two facts: Each of us, or our families, originally came here as immigrants, and those here illegally “are escaping from violence and death threats in their home countries.”

There is, however, another side to the issue. Consider two arguments.

• First, there is an economic argument. Millennials are experiencing high unemployment rates. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for those 16 to 19 years of age was 19 percent in May.

On the assumption that treating those who come here illegally with fairness and dignity involves providing them with jobs, that can only drive up the unemployment rate of those already here.

• And second, there is a cultural argument. We have all had it drummed into us that diversity is a virtue, and that all cultures are equally valid and valuable, but we still have our own culture.

With roughly 600 million in Latin America, about twice the number of people in this country, it would not take many millions from south of the border to change the culture of this country.

As B.F. Skinner wrote in “Beyond Freedom and Dignity,” in response to a question about why one should work for their culture: “There is no good reason why you should be concerned, but if your culture has not convinced you that there is, so much the worse for your culture.”

William Vaughan Jr.

Chebeague Island

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