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U.S. Immigration: Trends and Consequences

U.S. Immigration: Trends and Consequences. Population and Society SOC 331 08.13.08. Outline. Trends Size Composition Legislation Responses Consequences. Trends in US Immigration. Immigration History. Pre-1875 no laws, UK/Germany, Involuntary Migrants 1875-1920

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U.S. Immigration: Trends and Consequences

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  1. U.S. Immigration: Trends and Consequences Population and Society SOC 331 08.13.08

  2. Outline • Trends • Size • Composition • Legislation Responses • Consequences

  3. Trends in US Immigration

  4. Immigration History • Pre-1875 • no laws, UK/Germany, Involuntary Migrants • 1875-1920 • Limited Laws, SEC European, Heyday of US immigration • 1920-1970 • Very small flow, “inferior”, WWI and WWII • 1970-1986 • Kennedy Act of 1965 - eliminated national quotas, Unintended effect was Asian and Latin American Immigration

  5. Immigration History (cont) • 1986 • Simpson-Massoli Act: provided amnesty for undocumented immigrants who had been in US • Sanctions for employers who hired undocumented workers • Failed - no enforcement • Current • 800,000-1,000,00 per year

  6. Massey’s Return to Aztlan • Virtually everyone who wants to get to the U.S. eventually does • Equal flow in each direction (Circular Migration) • The Chances of begin apprehended at the border are declining

  7. Composition

  8. Consequences • Hotly debated in media but often citing little evidence • Impact on Workers • Empirical Studies find little impact (Bean et al 1988, Borjas 1994, Friedburg and Hunt 1995, Hamermesh 1993, Smith and Edmonston 1997) • National Research Council Report • Impact on Fiscal System • Pay lower taxes from lower wages • Less likely to stay to receive social security and Medicare • Welfare and health care costs are negligible

  9. Impact on Workers • Recurring fear about immigrants • Potential loss to native workers • But many get pushed up not out (Complement effect) • Empirical Study • National Studies of all cities comparing change in immigrants and change in wages • No evidence of job loss or lower wages for native workers

  10. National Research Council Report • “The weight of empirical evidence suggests that the impact of immigration on the wages of competing native born workers is small - possibly only reducing them by 1 or 2 percent.” (Smith and Edmonston 1997: 220) • “The evidence also indicates that the numerically weak relationship between native wages and immigration is observed across all types of native workers…” (Smith and Edmonston 1997: 223)

  11. Fiscal System • Often said that extraction exceeds contribution • NRC report showed that immigrants and their descendents pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits • Younger, so use more school money but use less social security and Medicare • Relieve some per capita fiscal burden of native-born for national debt and public goods (more people controbuting)

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