What are the Effects of Immigration on America?
People move from their countries to other nations in search better lives, economic prosperity, religious and political freedom. America is one of the countries that receive immigrants from all over the world, as people believe that it is a land of economic prosperity. The immigrants in America got initially found in the cities near the border, but they later found their ways into the inland. They started to look for jobs, and this led to competition between the natives and the immigrants for the few available jobs. Immigration to America has caused economic, social, and political effects to America. Therefore this paper will discuss both the positive and negative impacts that the immigrants have brought in America.
Immigrants have led to competition in the American labor market. The immigrants get accused of taking the jobs of the Native Americans, but on the other hand, they increase the demands of the houses, goods, and services they consume daily, thus help in creating more jobs (Sequeira et al.). New jobs got created to meet the demands of the homes needed, the home equipment and other services that the immigrants need. The immigrants have increased their levels of educations, thus making it possible for people to specialize in their jobs, depending on their skills and abilities. The immigrants can compete effectively with the Native Americans as they now have the education to take up the posts in the formal sector. The less educated immigrants help to complement the Native American workers as they provide the manual workforce needed since most of them do not have the linguistic skills required. The less educated born Americans take advantage of their linguistic skills and can take superior positions in the manual industry. Most immigrants, even the educated ones, lack linguistic skills and therefore, they take jobs in the technical and scientific sectors.. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Immigrants have also affected the production sector. They have led to increased innovations since most of the immigrants are talented and very creative. A survey shows that at least one-quarter immigrants are the founder of the research companies, and at least three-quarters are top managers in research and innovation companies. The research also shows that most of the degrees awarded in engineering and science courses in America given to foreigners. It shows that most immigrants in America are the major contributors to the improved productivity as they are involved in most innovations, scientific, and technological advancements (Sequeira et al.). Immigrants own most of the patent-productivity as they produce twice the rate of patents produced by the natives. Immigrants contribute significantly to the growth of America’s GDP growth. A study has shown that more than three-quarters of America’s GDP gets derived from the improvements in research-based innovations and education, where most of the immigrants specialize. Therefore, immigrants have significantly contributed to economic growth in America.
Immigrants have led to overcrowding and increased pressure on the available education facilities to accommodate the higher number of immigrants’ kids as well as of the Native Americans. A study has shown that one out of four students in public schools come from homes with at least one parent who is an immigrant. Most of the immigrant students do not know how to speak in English, and this has forced the schools to make English learning as a lesson (Verma et al. 215). Therefore, the available resources get overstretched, which in most cases are not even possible. The available classes are overcrowded and this makes it difficult for all the students to get the required attention from their teachers. It makes the natives think that the immigrants are consuming the education resources inappropriately.
The Native Americans are never friendly to the immigrants, and in most cases, they stereotyped and discriminated them due to their racial differences. They subjected them to low waged labor with long working hours. The Natives mistreated them also because the immigrants brought stress and competition to the available resources and labor market (Ohnaka Kathryn). They are also accused of reduction of living and working conditions of the natives as they take up the best jobs for Americans due to their skills in science and technology. Due to the high unemployment rates among the immigrants, they engage in criminal activities such as theft and drug trafficking to find ways to survive.
Immigrants have many positive contributions to the American economy. Although the immigrants may affect the Native Americans in the short term, they may effect may not last for a long time. Most of the immigrants are taking the jobs that the elderly Americans could be doing, thus keeping the American labour market young and reducing the burdens of paying retirement benefits.
Works Cited
Verma, Saunjuhi, Patricia Maloney, and Duke W. Austin. “The school to deportation pipeline: The perspectives of immigrant students and their teachers on profiling and surveillance within the school system.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 673.1 (2017): 209-229.
Ohnaka, Kathryn. Do Immigrants Have the Right to Come to the United States? Enslow Publishing, LLC, 2019.
Sequeira, Sandra, Nathan Nunn, and Nancy Qian. Migrants and the making of America: the short-and long-run effects of immigration during the age of mass migration. No. w23289. National Bureau of Economic Research, 2017.