This paper addresses the socio-economic benefits of immigrant population in the United States of America (USA) and Canada. The USA and Canada have adapted stringent immigration policies aimed at either drastically reducing the influx of immigrants or selecting suitable immigrants to the two countries. However, the immigrants have greatly influenced the socio-economic landscape of the two North American countries.
Immigrants in the U.S.A and Canada contribute to the labor force of the two economies. The goods and services they produce are beneficial to the natives. Batalova and Fix (2008), posist that the ratio of native to foreign born doctors in the U.S.A is three to one, in every three computer engineers one is an immigrant. In addition, fortytwo percent of medical experts are immigrants. “In Canada, thirty eight percent of male in the labor force are immigrants with post graduate degree” (Jay, 2007).
In addition, immigrants to both the USA and Canada contribute to the two economies as consumers. The immigrant population aid in creation of new jobs as they increase demand for consumer products and services. This is also a credible foundation and emergence of new market groups. Mehta, Nik, Mora, and Wade (2002), reveal that illegal immigrants in the chicago metropolitan area are responsible for creation of over thirty thousand additional jobs,which is a significant boost to the local economy.
Furthermore, immigrants contribute to the economies of their host countries as entrepreneurs. The immigrants are likely to invest in sectors smaller than the main economic segment characterized by low entry barriers, limited technical and skill requirements. Rapid Immigration (2011), maintain that immigrants are more likely to go into business than the natives and they also contribute to cutting edge businesses.
Nonetheless, immigrants in the United States and Canada contribute more in taxes than what they receive as public benefit. The difference between taxes they remit and benefit cost for an individual immigrant is approximately $ 2,000. The net tax an individual immigrant remits together with his or her descendants at federal level is between $80,0000 and $105,000. At State level it is $ 25,000 (Smith & Edmonston, 1997).
The immigrant population in the United States and Canada has influenced culture in the two countries. “Initially, this was the basis of U.S. immigration: There existed an American identity, and people of all creeds and races could take on that identity. In other words, they could become Americanized” (Trumpet.com, 2005).
California and New Mexico have adopted the use Spanish language while Lousiana has adopted French (Dicker, 2003). Immigrations has impacted the crime scene of both the US and Canada. The Department of Homeland Security(DHS) reveal that twenty percent of inmates in prison and jails are immigrants (Camarota & Vaughan, 2009).
In conclusion, it is evident that immigrants play a vital role in the economies of their host countries. This paper delves into details the contribution of the immigrant community and their role in the economic development. The information to used in the proposed essay are derived from some of the following sources: Primary sources, Anderson (2005) and AnnaLee Saxenian (2000). Secondary sources are Hebert (2011), Dukakis & Mitchell (2006), Fitzpatrick (2008), De Córdoba & Kehoe (2009), Lochhead (2003) and Kelley (2008).
References
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Anderson, S. (2005). The Contribution of Legal Immigration to the Social Security System. Arlington: National Foundation for American Policy.
Camarota, S. A., & Vaughan, J. (2009). Immigration and Crime: Assessing a Conflicted Issue. Web.
De Córdoba, G. F., & Kehoe, T. (2009). The Current Financial Crisis:What Should We Learn from the Great Depression of the Twentieth century? Minesota: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
Dicker, S. J. (2003). Languages in America: A PluralistView. Multilingual Matters, 216, 220–25.
Dukakis, M., & Mitchell, D. ( 2006). Raise Wages, Not Walls. The New York Times.
Fitzpatrick, M. (2008). Majority of recent immigrants to Canada have degree. Nationa Post.
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Mehta, C., Nik, T., Mora, I., & Wade, J. (2002). Chicago’s Undocumented Immigrants: An Analysis of Wages, Working Conditions, And Economic Contributions,. Chicago: Center for Urban Economic Development, University of Illinois.
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Smith, J. P., & Edmonston, B. (1997). The New Americans: Economic, Demographic, and Fiscal Effects of Immigration. Washington DC: National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences Press.