Contributions of Immigrants to the United States
 Immigrants,
both legal and
illegal, continue to be attracted to the
United States and its opportunities. Back in 1990 the number of
immigrants was
estimated at 28 million using figures the U.S. Census. Fourteen years later that
number increased to 32 million. Most of the 32 million immigrants are Hispanic
with the next largest segment being Asians. In a report published by the CEA or
Council of Economic Advisers, immigrants were found to positively contribute to
the U.S. economy. For example, immigrants add more than $30 billion in income
for American workers (U.S. born). In terms of innovation per capita, immigrants
in the U.S. beat the U.S. born workers. A greater number of immigrants
start up
businesses compared to native born Americans; their start up pace is estimated
to be 40% greater. Other report findings included that immigrants had a lower
probability of ending up in prison and committing crimes. It was not surprising
that the CEA report found that more workers yield greater output as this would
be expected in the United States as with many other nations. Immigrants play a
role in the country’s macroeconomic growth and their taxes help increase public
budgets. The study found that on average, immigrants and their offspring
contribute nearly $80,000 more tax revenue compared to natives. This will help
offset the problem that will arise with the nation’s
Social Security system but
it will not take care of the problem entirely. Due to the large number of “Baby
Boomers” retiring in the near future, the number of retirees will outnumber the
number of contributors. The Medicare program has also seen an increase in
enrollees and will also benefit from more tax revenue coming in.
A common claim among critics has been that immigrants take jobs away from
Americans and decrease wages in the United States. They believe this has also
contributed to a higher unemployment rate in the United States. A study done by
the Pew Hispanic Center last year found that there is not enough evidence to
support this claim. The Pew Hispanic Center receives its funds from the Pew
Charitable Trusts. It is a research organization that focuses on controversial
issues like genetics and climate change. The Pew Hispanic Center strives to
present unbiased information to the public. While this claim may hold true in
some states, the Pew Hispanic Center found that the claim cannot be applied to
the United States in general. In addition, the study found that there was no
significant correlation among employment rates and
immigration rates. The data
was taken from the U.S. Census Data, comparing data from 1990 up until 2004. In
one example, the study took the 10 states with the highest employment rates
during a four year period (2000 to 2004). Half of the states experienced high
immigration into the states but the other half had low immigration growth. Even
in times where there was some degree of economic slowdown, there was found to be
no significant correlation between immigrant growth and unemployment rate. In
the states with a lower influx of immigrants, 60% of American workers did not
post permanent gains in the employment sector. However, the study did not
distinguish between immigrants that are legal and those who are illegal in the
United States.
To increase their chances of achieving a better life,
immigrants tend to move to
areas where generally there is low unemployment and the economy is strong.
Sometimes they come alone, other times with family. Many risk all for a life in
the United States, sometimes dying in their attempt. Besides their contribution
to the economy, immigrants contribute in many other non-economic ways. They add
diversity to the nation and give us a better understanding of different cultures
by living side by side with them. In a study done by Harvard, they found that
many immigrant children value education more highly than young children born in
the United States. In many immigrant families, education is stressed as the way
to a better life. Many immigrant children end up pursuing higher education and
this adds to a greater number of individuals in the U.S. with a college
education. As a result, the U.S. can be more competitive in today’s global
market. The United States is a country where immigrants have played a
significant role and will continue to do so. Many Americans have immigrant
ancestors.
As of September 2007, the Congress has not been able to agree on a comprehensive
immigration bill. Proposed bills have included offering the approximately 12
million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
the opportunity to start the process toward obtaining
U.S. citizenship. Other programs
proposed have included a guest worker program
and greater penalties for employers who willingly hire illegal immigrants.
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