Economist new works break the American "immigration myth"

Immigration is one of the most controversial topics in American society today, but many discussions on immigrants are based on misunderstanding and false information. On May 31st, the US Public Affairs Publishing House published a new book by Ran Abramitzky, a professor of Economics at the University of Stanford University, and LEAH BOUSTON, a professor at the Department of Economics of Princeton University in U.S. University of Princeton University. "Golden Street: The Story of U.S. Immigrants' Unlikely". The book reveals the truth of the people's migrant population for more than a century with a vivid narrative method of the story of more than a century, focusing on social liquidity, assimilation, and impact on citizens of the country's economy and local births. "Immigration Myth".

Abramitzki and Bress have collected and checked the records of government agencies such as the US Population Census and the National Taxation Administration and other government agencies in ten years. After arriving in the United States, the settlement, occupation, marriage and children. They sorted out millions of data points and used big data and algorithm technology to analyze these data. Through inspections of immigration experience, the two scholars have obtained some important discoveries that are contrary to popular remarks.

Although immigrants who come to the United States in the family often engage in low -income work, their descendants have high economic liquidity. Including underdeveloped countries such as El Salvador and Laos, migrant descendants can almost enter the U.S. -medium and above income class. Researchers believe that the reason mainly includes: immigrants tend to settle in areas that can provide more opportunities for children; immigrants often engage in work lower than their own real ability (such as taxi drivers from scientists), but they can Passing skills and values ​​to future generations, which gives immigrant children the opportunity to catch up with their family's economic conditions but parents are their peers with similar economic conditions.

Immigration has not become the majority of the American population. At present, immigration accounts for about 14%of the total US population, which is similar to a century ago. Moreover, immigration and violent crimes are not necessarily related. In fact, as far as all types of illegal acts are concerned, the probability of immigrants being arrested and imprisoned is lower than that of American citizens born in the country. This is the case in the past.

Immigrants did not seize the employment opportunities of local citizens, but met the employer's demand that the employer failed through the latter. Whether it is necessary to receive scientific and technological work with higher education, or to provide low physical labor or service jobs (such as restaurant waiters and nursing workers) with lower education qualifications, immigrants are not competing with local citizens to compete for employment, but Fill the vacancy of the post.

Affected by political parties, people holding anti -immigrant stances are more polarized than before, but they are still a minority. In a public opinion survey in 2021, 75%of Americans said that overall foreign immigrants are a good thing for the United States.

Studies from Abramitzki and Bassan have shown that, from a whole, immigrants actively adapt to new environments, learn English, and participate in American cultural life extensively; many immigrants marry non -immigrant, leave the immigration settlement area after establishing a certain life foundation, and leave the immigration settlement area after establishing a certain life foundation. Essence

Source: China Social Science Network-Journal of Social Sciences of China

Author: Wang Youran/Compilation

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