Florida State University
Improving Social Productivity:
An Analysis of Immigration Reforms impacting on High-skilled Immigrants and Economic Development
An Action Report Submitted to the Faculty of the College of Social Science and Public Policy in Candidacy for the Degree of
Master of Public Administration
Reubin O’D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy
Song Li
December 7, 2015
Tallahassee, Florida
Initial Proposal
Problem Statement
The United States has come across as one of the countries in the world that receives immigrants in large numbers as data from the past few centuries have shown. According to Watts (2002), factors such as global economic restructuring as well as restrictive immigration policies have made it possible for the creation of a growing population of economically, socially and legally precarious immigrant workers (Garza, 2001). There were more than 1 million skilled professionals who included scientists, doctors, engineers and researchers and their families who were in line waiting for the yearly allotment of 120, 000 permanent resident visas to the United by the end of 2006. Fast forward to 2014, there were 886,052 international undergraduate and graduate students who were
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The reason behind this is that migration of highly skilled professionals in pursuit of better opportunities is a growing concern in the present world (Watts, 2002). There are questions that arise from such situations including the reasons that prompt such professionals to leave their countries and the consequences of immigration especially on the sector of social productivity (Zweig & Changgui, 2013). Additionally, there is also a concern regarding the policies that should be put in place to monitor the immigration of professionals into the United
Globally, the United States has been known as "a nation of immigrants" almost from its inception. Beginning in the 1600s with English Puritans and continuing today, America is a melting pot of culture and ethnicity. In fact, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, immigration was the major source of U.S. population growth. Looking over our 200+ years we find that to clearly be true, with approximately 1 million immigrants coming to America during the 17th and 18th century. Almost 3 million arrived during the 1860s, and another 3 million in the 1870s. In the next four decades, the number of immigrants rose to over 25 million people, most from various European nations, most arriving in New York or one of the Eastern seaports (Damon, 1981). Despite the politicization, as of 2006, the United States actually was the number one country globally to accept legal immigrants into the country, with a current immigrant population of almost 40 million (Terrazas and Batalova, 2009). In fact, the peak of immigration was 1907, when over 1.2 million Europeans entered the country beginning a push towards legislation limiting immigration in the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1924 and the 1921 Congressional Quota Act. These immigrants came for two sociological reasons: the push factor (wars, famine, persecution and overpopulation) and the pull factors (jobs and the promise of freedom). Most came by ship, and a passage often cost the equivalent of an entire life's savings causing many
The issue of immigration has become a major debate for everyone. Although people argue over the negative impacts of immigrants living in America such as overcrowding, less jobs due to immigrants taking them, drug trafficking, and threatening of American culture, immigrants still have a huge impact in the American society. The United States is by far the largest destination for immigrants, annually receiving over a million legal immigrants and about seven hundred thousand illegal immigrants. Many people come to the United States to get a better life for themselves as well as for the education system for their children.
Over the years, the rates of immigration in the United States has fluctuated. As time progresses, the change in migration to America is undeniable. Between now and 1990, there have been various events, political conflicts, and new legislatures which have each had their own major impact on the flow of immigrants into the country. The Immigration Act of 1990 kick started a notable shift in this flow. Today, in the present, with struggles against programs like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement seeking people out, America is forced to see the unsettling turn which immigration has taken. The 1990 Immigration Act fueled skilled immigrants in their migration to America, causing an increase in visa distribution. Whereas, now, America’s
Do you know that the number of illegal immigrants in the United States was estimated at 11.5 million in 2011 and now
Immigration is both a domestic issue and global concern. It involves economics, politics, and culture. Unlike other current issues, it has been at the center of the American experience for hundreds of years (Tirman, John). Every year, hundreds of thousands of immigrants from around the world, come to the United States. These immigrants have many different motivations as to why they leave their home country; but as currents events indicate, it is injustice, poverty, and violence in their own country that generally make people move to save themselves and to ensure a better future for their families. Many of these people believe the United States is the best place to go, because there is more freedom, protection, and benefits,
The United States of America has the largest foreign-born population in the world. With nearly thirteen percent of the total population being foreign-born, one may find it hard to imagine an immigrant-free country (U.S. Bureau of the Census). Immigration has been an integral part of the United States’ overall success and the country’s economy since it was established and without it, would have never been founded at all. Although there are some negative issues associated with immigration and many native-born Americans believe to be more of a problem than a solution, overall it actually has a positive effect. Immigrants in America, among other things, fill jobs where native-born Americans may not want to work or cannot work, they contribute
In 2013, there were an estimated 41.3 million immigrants living in the United States. (Krogstad, 2014). According to present estimates, this foreign-born population consists of 18.6 million naturalized US citizens and 22.1 million noncitizens (Cenato, 2013). Among the noncitizens, approximately 13.3 million are permanent legal residents, while 11.3 million (28%) are unauthorized migrants. (Cenato, 2013). The majority of unauthorized immigrants are primarily from Mexico and other Latin American countries, they live Texas, Florida, California, New York and Arizona (Zong et. al 2015).
There are three sources that have been given, and I believe that there is only one source that would most likely be relevant to students researching the effects of current immigration policy on the lives of U.S citizens. The article, “The Immigration Debate/Effect on economy depends on Viewpoint” is the most relevant source for a student who is researching the effects of current immigration policy because it tells you how immigration affects the American society and how immigrants could help businesses in America becomes more successful. In the article, “ The Immigration Debate/Effect on economy depends on viewpoint,” Carolyn Said says “ Immigrants provide a ready source of relatively cheap
The global mobility of human resources between countries is a key driving force of the currently ongoing economic and regional development all over the world. It is indisputable that the immigration of international labour force would exert many positive and important impacts on the economic, cultural and social structure of both migrant-receiving and migrant-sending countries. Actually, the trend of temporary and permanent immigrants increasing in some western countries began to gain momentum in recent years. Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD 2004) reports indicated that there were more than 1 million new immigrants in the United States in 2001 and 2002, increased by 25% from 2000; in some European countries
Immigrants are a growing part of the labor force. As the foreign-born population has grown as a share of the total population,
Over the past two decades the number of low-skilled workers in the United States has increased because of immigration, both legal and illegal. (Chiswick, 2006)
Immigration is a controversial topic that has impacted our society for decades perplexed by policies media coverage, perceptions based on one’s own lack of knowledge, personal experiences and a host of other factors that influence how our society views immigrants and immigration policies. The United States is a diverse population of people and filled with experiences that come from various walks of life that contribute to enhancing our social culture, economic development, and cultural acceptance.
The United States’ quota based immigration system weakens the country’s ability to sustain its position in the increasingly competitive global economy. Although the United States has a substantial flexible labor market, huge international corporations and some of the best universities in the world, it faces great competition in the global labor market. With the increasing economic opportunities available in industrialized countries and the continually expanding economies of India and China the US needs to update its immigration policies to remain strong globally.
In recent decades countries have noted the substantial benefits these highly skilled and educated immigrants create once established in the visiting country. Which is why between the decades of 1990 to 2000 there was an increase in the migration of highly skilled immigrants in various developing countries around the world. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international organization assisting governments in tackling the economic, social and political challenges of a globalized economy, provides data of the worldwide distribution of high skilled immigrants. In 2000, the United States was the leading country containing more than 10 million highly-skilled immigrants an increase of over 5 million highly skilled immigrants
Over the years immigration has continued to be a discussion of intense national debate. The effect of immigration have been looked at as positive and negative. The economy and government has been affected in a multitude of ways. The immigrants are offered sources for work and also economic support for them and their families yet many American citizens are without jobs and struggle to keep a household. Also many Americans do feel as if they are being pushed to the side when it comes to availability in work sources and the taxes people pay are going to the non natives who don’t work but only live off of others benefits. Contrary to that, the number of immigrant men who have a job seems to be higher than native-born men.