Forget the dubious constructs of race and IQ for a moment.



Suppose there really was a genetically distinct race of white-skinned people inhabiting a large, hypothetical island in the Pacific Ocean; that IQ really could be reliably measured; and that we knew, for a fact, that while the measured IQs of Caucasians, blacks, Hispanics, Jews, Native Americans, and all other identity groups in the United States had converged to an identical average, members of this one hypothetical race had IQ scores that measured 5 points lower on average. Additionally, suppose that the average IQ of nations as a whole had been indisputably linked to educational attainment and GDP. Would it be legitimate to bar that lower IQ group from immigrating?

To me, doing so would be wrongheaded.



Even setting aside my strong preference for policies rooted in individualism and the dangerous, inherently problematic nature of singling out a specific racial group for disparate treatment, barring the hypothetical low IQ people would imply that intelligence determines worth, and that our project as a nation is intimately tied to constantly maximizing material wealth.



I wouldn't go so far as to say that recruiting human beings with impressive skills is illegitimate. In fact, I think it is prudent, and I'm glad that lots of talented scientists, athletes, artists, and programmers want to come here. More, please. I'm glad that lots of farm workers and janitors want to immigrate too. I recognize that the economic contributions of the two groups are different, but I don't conclude that the low skill immigrants are less worthy of citizenship or less valuable citizens. Are they kind? Honest? Wise? Fun? Hardworking? Inclined to embrace core American values as articulated in the Declaration of Independence? To what extent do they participate in the civic process? Do they raise children who flourish? Do the best of their ethnic traditions and cultural insights enrich the American character? Do they contribute to the common defense? Are they invested in their new country? It's amazing how often bygone immigration debates have focused on a couple narrow metrics to the exclusion of all else. There are so many important traits, and seemingly no one clamoring to measure or recruit for most of them.

Here's another trait: are we welcoming the fellow humans who most want to live here? That's a characteristic that has traditionally bound American communities. The cult of smartness is seductive, and when I've heard understandable calls for a focus on "high skill immigrants" (as distinct from maximizing immigrant IQ), I think I've nodded along too readily, as if that focus is common sense. On reflection, a country of self-declared meritocrats is probably prone to unduly emphasizing intelligence, whether the relevant task is seeking out Supreme Court justices or future immigrants. This is obviously problematic given the unreliability of intelligence measures. But even having reliable IQ scores wouldn't make a cult of intelligence wise or justified. As many ruling class catastrophes attest, selecting for smartness doesn't guarantee good results. And undervaluing other virtues and contributions is counterproductive and inhuman.

