It is imperative for our society to further disseminate factual information on the vital contributions of immigrants to the U.S. economy. For over a century, the United States of America has been the largest economy in the world. The U.S. economy accounted for over 24% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2016.1 At the end of 2016, the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) was 18.57 trillion U.S. dollars.2 As per the United States Census Bureau the United States population on July 4, 2017 was: 325, 365,289.3 It is estimated that there are 43 million (13% of the population) immigrants in the United States of America. Multiple studies have been conducted by various groups on the issue of immigration; numerous universities, various lobbyists, political offices, and independent business organizations, have concluded that immigrants have had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the overall economy of the U.S. throughout history. One of the most comprehensive reports was prepared by Francine D. Blau and Christopher Mackie, of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Committee on National Statistics; Panel on the Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration. This report, too, concludes that immigration has an overall positive impact on the long-run economic growth in the U.S.4 There is a consensus among the majority of Economists that immigrants contribute over 14% to the U.S. economy. In addition to the consensus among Economists, there is an interesting article regarding immigrants and the economy published by Lena Groeger5, which suggests a way for the President Trump to boost the economy by 4%; a percentage higher than that posited from the suggestions by Federal Reserve and the Congressional Budget office. In the CATO Journal of Fall 2017, an Interdisciplinary Journal of Public Policy Analysis, the CATO institute, has also covered the Economics of Immigration6. This elaborate study also concludes that the overall impact of immigration policies is beneficial for the continuing success of the U.S.
Some political leaders and social commentators sometimes cite that more than 40 million persons living in the United States were born in other countries and almost an equal number-the second generation-have at least one parent who was born abroad. Together, they comprise almost one in four Americans.7 Those who want to create fear, anxiety, and hate amongst Americans, give this as evidence that the United States is facing a looming crisis that weakens the economy and the cultural fabric of U.S. society. But they fail to mention that it is a proven historical fact that the U.S. is a “nation of immigrants”8 (Kennedy, 2008; Martin, 2010) and the contributions of immigrants make this country one of the greatest country in the world.
In his book, A Nation of Immigrants, then- Senator John F. Kennedy claimed that the distinctive American culture of optimism and enterprise arises from our immigrant heritage. The children of immigrants are often distinguished by their ambition and creativity (Hirschman, 2013), helping to invigorate American society and sustain this nation’s world leadership in science and culture. In the coming years, immigration will be the primary source of labor force growth in an increasingly aging population.
President Trump proclaimed October 22 through October 28, 2017 as National Minority Enterprise Development Week, to recognize the contributions of minority owned business to our economy. The White House on their website on October 24, 2017, have released that President Donald J. Trump Recognizes Minority-Owned Business, “We are going to protect small business owners and their families so they can continue to run their companies with dedication and with love.” – President Donald J. Trump. Minority-owned businesses are a bedrock of the American economy and will be a critical component in the countries new period of economic revival. Minority-owned firms generate over 1 trillion (US Dollars) in annual economic output. In August, 2017, President Trump met with over 100 small business owners to reaffirm his commitment to them.
In February, 2017, Ivanka Trump joined a roundtable discussion with minority small business owners at the Greater Baltimore Urban League.
1. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/12/the-world-s-top-economy-the-us-vs-china-in-five-charts/
2. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=US
3. https://www.census.gov/popclock/
4. https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23550/the-economic-and-fiscal-consequences-of-immigration
5. https://projects.propublica.org/graphics/gdp, Lena Groeger is an investigative journalist and developer at ProPublica.
6. https://www.cato.org/cato-journal/fall-2017
7. The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration. https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0309444489
8. http://www.epi.org/publication/immigration-facts/
9. https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/24/president-donald-j-trump-recognizes-minority-owned-business
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