Posted on Jan 10, 2023
New nation, new ideas: A study finds immigrants out-innovate native-born Americans
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https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2023/01/10/ [login to see] /new-nation-new-ideas-a-study-finds-immigrants-out-innovate-native-born-americans
Sergey Brin, co-founder Google; Satya Nadella, head of Microsoft; Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress who, quite incredibly, was also a pioneering inventor behind Wi-Fi and bluetooth; Elon Musk; Chien-Shiung Wu, who helped America build the first atom bomb; Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone; James Naismith, the inventor of basketball; Nikola Tesla, one of the most important minds behind the creation of electricity and radio.
What do all these innovators have in common? They were all immigrants to the United States.
Many studies over the years have suggested that immigrants are vital to our nation's technological and economic progress. Today, around a quarter of all workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are immigrants.
But while there's plenty of evidence suggesting that immigrants play an important role in American innovation, a group of economists — Shai Bernstein, Rebecca Diamond, Abhisit Jiranaphawiboon, Timothy McQuade, and Beatriz Pousada — wanted to find a more precise estimate of how much immigrants contribute.
Sergey Brin, co-founder Google; Satya Nadella, head of Microsoft; Hedy Lamarr, a Hollywood actress who, quite incredibly, was also a pioneering inventor behind Wi-Fi and bluetooth; Elon Musk; Chien-Shiung Wu, who helped America build the first atom bomb; Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone; James Naismith, the inventor of basketball; Nikola Tesla, one of the most important minds behind the creation of electricity and radio.
What do all these innovators have in common? They were all immigrants to the United States.
Many studies over the years have suggested that immigrants are vital to our nation's technological and economic progress. Today, around a quarter of all workers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are immigrants.
But while there's plenty of evidence suggesting that immigrants play an important role in American innovation, a group of economists — Shai Bernstein, Rebecca Diamond, Abhisit Jiranaphawiboon, Timothy McQuade, and Beatriz Pousada — wanted to find a more precise estimate of how much immigrants contribute.
New nation, new ideas: A study finds immigrants out-innovate native-born Americans
Posted from npr.org
Immigration
Refugees
Economics
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 2
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."It's Hard Being An Immigrant These Days
Many immigrants working in innovation sectors are here on H1-B visas, which allow around 85,000 people to come to the United States each year, and create a potential pathway for them to become legal permanent residents. These visas tether immigrants to a particular job. But, as our NPR colleague Stacey Vanek Smith reported last month, "if they lose that job, a countdown clock starts." They have 60 days to find a new job or they must exit the country.
With financial turmoil roiling the tech sector, companies have been laying off tons of workers. As Stacey reported, there are now thousands of unemployed H1-B visa holders frantically trying to find new jobs so they can stay in the country. But ongoing layoffs and hiring freezes are making that particularly difficult.
In a recent editorial, the editors of Bloomberg argue that the current struggle of immigrants in tech "underscores how a flawed system is jeopardizing America's ability to attract and retain the foreign-born talent it needs." This system, they argue, is "not only cruel but self-defeating... rather than expanding the pipeline for skilled foreign workers, the US's onerous policies are increasingly pushing them away, with pro-immigration countries like Canada and Australia becoming more attractive destinations for global talent."
With the United States taking an increasingly nativist turn in recent years, it's become more common to hear anti-immigrant rhetoric, about them taking jobs, committing crimes, and "replacing" us. The economists' new study serves as another potent reminder that immigrants have tremendous value for our economy. Not just as a cheap labor force, but as a group of innovators who help us build new businesses, create jobs, make our companies more productive, and produce products and ideas that enrich our lives and improve our standard of living. Call it the Great Enhancement Theory."
..."It's Hard Being An Immigrant These Days
Many immigrants working in innovation sectors are here on H1-B visas, which allow around 85,000 people to come to the United States each year, and create a potential pathway for them to become legal permanent residents. These visas tether immigrants to a particular job. But, as our NPR colleague Stacey Vanek Smith reported last month, "if they lose that job, a countdown clock starts." They have 60 days to find a new job or they must exit the country.
With financial turmoil roiling the tech sector, companies have been laying off tons of workers. As Stacey reported, there are now thousands of unemployed H1-B visa holders frantically trying to find new jobs so they can stay in the country. But ongoing layoffs and hiring freezes are making that particularly difficult.
In a recent editorial, the editors of Bloomberg argue that the current struggle of immigrants in tech "underscores how a flawed system is jeopardizing America's ability to attract and retain the foreign-born talent it needs." This system, they argue, is "not only cruel but self-defeating... rather than expanding the pipeline for skilled foreign workers, the US's onerous policies are increasingly pushing them away, with pro-immigration countries like Canada and Australia becoming more attractive destinations for global talent."
With the United States taking an increasingly nativist turn in recent years, it's become more common to hear anti-immigrant rhetoric, about them taking jobs, committing crimes, and "replacing" us. The economists' new study serves as another potent reminder that immigrants have tremendous value for our economy. Not just as a cheap labor force, but as a group of innovators who help us build new businesses, create jobs, make our companies more productive, and produce products and ideas that enrich our lives and improve our standard of living. Call it the Great Enhancement Theory."
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The study cited is The Contribution of International Graduate Students to US Innovation. The study only theorizes out-innovate native-born this is true. In fact, the report (1st Intro paragraph) states: "this basic proposition has not been systematically examined in an empirical context." The second article about patents was a study looking to validate a position. Missing from the article was the weight factor for "and the economic value of these patents." However, I suggest the most prosperous societies in the world provide strict immigration standards to those who are skilled and educated (See Northern Europe). Therefore, I suggest selective immigration is definitely beneficial. I support the H-1B Visa, but the premise that immigrants out-innovate native-born Americans was not provided in the article.
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