Ten Myths About Immigration

1. Ten Myths About Immigration Katherine Fennelly Professor Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs University of Minnesota fenne007@umn.edu

2. For copies of slides: Humphrey Institute website Staff directory– Fennelly www.hhh.umn.edu

3. Learning Objectives: to separate myth from fact regarding: • The characteristics of immigrants in the United States • Motives for immigration • Assimilation • Reception in the US • Health status • Education and skills • Impact on economy and ‘costs’ • English language learning • Undocumented immigrants and public policy

4. Myth #1: Anti-immigrant prejudice is a new phenomenon

5. Fear of Immigration, 1860 Source: The Marchand Collection, UC Davis

6. Dorothea Lange photographs of internment of American citizens of Japanese Ancestry, 1942 Note: 2/3 of interred were US citizens. Source: Dinitia Smith, NYT 11-6-06;

7. Myth #2:’Assimilation’ Contemporary immigrants to the US ‘don’t assimilate’ as rapidly as immigrants who came in the 1900’s

8. In the 1920’s 46% of Italians and 33% of Poles who had emigrated between 1899 and 1924 returned to their home countries. Today about 25% of immigrants leave the US to return home

9. European-American Assimilation “For most European groups, the assimilation of the second generation was partial. Indeed, the well-known studies of this generation depict in general individuals whose lives were profoundly affected by their ethnic origins, who mostly resided in ethnic communities and exhibited in a variety of ways thinking and behavior characteristic of the group, as well as some degree of loyalty to it…It was only in the third, and in some cases the fourth generations that the powerful undercurrent of assimilartion came unmistakably to the surface.” Alba and Nee, 1997

10. Myth #3: ‘Assimilation’ is always a positive thing

11. Immigrant Health Advantages • Lower mortality • Longer life expectancies • Fewer disabilities • Better birth outcomes • Fewer chronic conditions

12. Percent with Physical Health Problems by Years in the U.S. Harris, 2000

13. Percent with Risk Behaviors byYears in the U.S. Years in United States Harris, 2000

14. Explanation “The more 'they' become like 'us,' immigrants and immigrant children fail to maintain their initial health advantages…The process is poorly understood, but may be the result of the adoption of our poor health behaviors and life styles, leaving behind resources (social networks, cultural practices, employment in their field of training, etc), and ways in which the settlement process wears down hardiness and resilience.” Noh and Kaspar, 2003

15. Myth #4: Welcome/Unwelcome Americans welcome new immigrants Americans do not welcome new immigrants

16. Pride in being “a nation of immigrants”

17. Largest number of immigrants in history 37.5 million in 2006

18. Refugee Admissions The United States is by far the largest of the 10 "traditional“ refugee resettlement countries; it has historically accepted more refugees for resettlement than all other countries combined.

19. American Attitudes Toward Immigrants

20. Gallup Polls on WhetherImmigration Should be Kept at Current Levels, Increased or Decreased Decreased Current level Increased

21. American Attitudes Toward Immigrants NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll, 2004

22. Myth #5: Immigrants are less educated and less skilled than US-born residents

23. Immigrants Have Higher Proportion of Workers at Both Extremes Academics and scientists Laborers

24. Percentage of immigrants and US-born adults with a college degree Source: census 2000

25. Bimodal Distribution Source: Census 2000

26. Myth #6: The US doesn’t need immigrant workers

27. The Graying of the U.S. Population Projected Increase in U.S. Population Over Age 65 millions Source: Fed. Interagency Forum on Aging, 2000

28. Aging Over the next 25 years the elderly population will increase by almost 80% due to aging baby boomers."

29. Minnesota’s Boom Generation Begins Turning 65 in 2011 Source: Stinson& Gillaspy, 12/05

30. Projected Changes in US Labor Force 1998-2008: ThreeMillion Fewer Workers Ages 25-44 Workers 25-44 Workers 45+ Source: Dohm, 2000

31. Aging in Minnesota By 2020 Minnesota will have more retirees than school children Source: Atkins et al. 2020 Caucus Strib 2/26/06

32. Median Ages of Health Professionals in MN 2005 • Nurses: 47 • Dentists: 50 • Physicians: 48 Source: MDH Monthly Update, Office of Rural Health Primary Care, May and June, 2006

33. “Job crunch ahead as boomers retire”Star Tribune, June 8, 2007 • 40,000 Minnesota workers turn 62 in 2008 • 52,000 in 2009 Source: Warren Wolfe, Strib, 6/8/07 citing data from Tom Gilllaspy on need for later retirements

34. Twin Cities: rank 11th out of 259 US metro areas with highest boomer shares Anoka County: ranks 8th out of 3,143 US counties with greatest elderly growth rate

35. Projected Number of Hispanic Workers in the US Labor Force by 2012 66% HispanicWorkers Source: BLS, 2004

36. Estimates of Unauthorized Immigrants in the US Labor Force, 2005 Source: Pew Hispanic Center Fact Sheet “The Labor Force Status of Short-Term Unauthorized Workers” , April 13, 2006

37. Myth #7: Immigration hurts the economy

38. “Immigration is a net economic gain for America and its citizens and "the greatest anti-poverty program ever devised." Open letter from 500 economists*, June, 2006 *including 5 Nobel Laureates

39. President’s Council of Economic Advisors, June, 2007 “On average, US natives benefit from immigration. Immigrants tend to complement (not substitute for) natives, raising natives’ productivity and income.”

40. Percentages of Unauthorized Immigrants in Selected Occupations, 2005 Source: Robert Pear, NYT 5/27/07

41. Increase in Low Skilled Jobs: Decrease in Workers • Between 2000 and 2005, the less-skilled native-born labor force in the United States shrank by 2.5 million workers (American Community Survey) • Nearly 6 million new jobs will be created between 2004 and 2014 that require only short-term on-the-job training (US Bureau of Labor Statistics). Source: Immigration Policy Center, 6/07

42. Myth #8: Immigrants Cost More than They Contribute

43. How much do you cost?

44. Most immigrants pay the same taxes as US-born residents • Income taxes • Property taxes • Sales taxes • Business taxes • Property taxes • Fewer tax breaks

45. Before and after Welfare Reform Poor immigrants lesslikely than native-born residents to be on Welfare (AFDC or TANF) or use food stamps Singer, 2005

46. Studies often over-state the cost of immigration by measuring costs before adults reach working age High cost investment Low cost investment

47. Under Minnesota Education Funding Forumlas: Schools gain an average of $6763 in funds for every pupil enrolled. Funds for Limited English Proficiency students average only $45

48. Myth #9: Immigrants don’t learn English

49. English Language • English proficiency questions on census not directly comparable across the years* • Now, as in the past, what determines the ease with which individuals learn English is • The age at which they arrived • How similar or dissimilar their native language is to English • Opportunities to learn English Gillian Stevens, Demography, 1999

50. Age at entry is the most important determinant of ease of English language acquisition