Immigrants Bolster Academic and Civic Engagement in the U.S.

New York Times (Room for Debate)

By Anne-Marie Nunez

September 3, 2015

Immigrants Bolster Academic and Civic Engagement in the U.S. 

Rather than draining American society of resources, immigrants significantly enhance the economic, educational and civic development of this country.

On the whole, immigrants have a limited, if any, effect on job growth for native-born U.S. workers. But they do add to the economy greatly.

In recent years, foreign-born immigrants have established a disproportionately large share of small businesses, start-ups in Silicon Valley, and international patents.

In some of the nation’s largest cities, including New York and Los Angeles, immigrant residents who are members of the work force account for a significant amount of economic productivity. Contrary to common assumptions, legal and undocumented immigrant workers typically do pay taxes, including on their incomes, just as U.S. citizens do. And immigrants, both legal and undocumented, are less likely to commit serious crimes.

When it comes to education, my particular area of study, recent immigrants overall tend to perform better on several educational outcomes than native-born counterparts whose families have resided in the U.S. for longer.

My colleague Johnelle Sparks and I have found that first-generation immigrant students enrolled in four-year colleges or universities are actually more likely than other students to finish their bachelor’s degrees within six years. Undocumented immigrant students in both the K-12 and college systems demonstrate significant resilience, academic engagement in their studies and civic involvement — often serving as leaders in their schools.

In a country where the historically predominant white racial/ethnic group is aging rapidly, recent immigrants infuse the American work force with a younger population. For example, Latinos, who are the largest immigrant group, had an average age of 27 years old in the 2010 Census, compared with the average white age of 42. Demographers have called the crucial capacity to replenish an aging labor market with younger individuals the “demographic dividend” — It is immigrants who significantly sustain the population of the U.S. work force.

That is not to say that many immigrant students don't face challenges in academic achievement and educational attainment, both at the K-12 and postsecondary levels. They often have less familiarity with American culture (often including limited English proficiency), come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and attend schools that are not well-resourced. But ample research indicates that, given the right educational support, immigrant students can succeed — a boon for the economy.

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