Elections & Voting
The growth in the immigrant population has helped to strengthen and remake America over the last two decades. Today, as thousands of baby boomers retire each day, working-age immigrants are filling gaps in the labor market, paying billions of dollars in taxes that help our entitlement programs survive, and buying homes in communities that would otherwise be in decline. Millions of immigrants have also earned U.S. citizenship and the right to vote while millions more are estimated to be eligible to naturalize.
After Receiving Legal Status, Child Immigrant Strives to Give Back
Arcela Nunez-Alvarez was just 12 years old when she left Mexico with her mother and sisters to move to the northern San Diego suburb of San Marcos in the early 1980s. Yet her immigration experience was vastly different than those of undocumented arrivals today. A beneficiary of former President Ronald… Read More
Tracking Hillary Clinton’s Promises on Immigration Reform
By 2050, minorities will become the majority in the United States. This is the first point Hillary Clinton made while speaking before the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in Washington D.C. this week. In a pointed speech, which she spent much of criticizing her opponent… Read More
The 2010 Census: The Stakes of an Accurate Count
Every 10 years, as required by the U.S. Constitution, the federal government undertakes a massive nationwide effort to count the residents of the United States, who now number more than 300 million. The results form the basis for the apportionment of congressional districts and the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds, as well as serving to guide a wide range of community-planning decisions across the country.DD The Census is, however, no stranger to controversy, such as the suggestion by some activists that immigrants sit out the Census this year to protest the federal government’s failure to enact comprehensive immigration reform.DD Yet, among demographic groups like immigrants and ethnic minorities who are typically under-counted in the Census, a boycott would be self-defeating. Moreover, anyone living in an area afflicted by a large under-count of any sort stands to lose out on political representation and federal funds.DD For instance, an undercount of Latino immigrants would impact anyone living in a state such as California, New York, or Illinois that has a large population of Latino immigrants—meaning that everyone in those states stands to lose political representation and access to economic and educational opportunities if their residents aren’t fully counted in 2010. Read More
One Pennsylvania Town Illustrates the Difficult Immigration Debate Ahead
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is a manufacturing town that has seen hard economic times. After the coal mining industry disappeared, factories involved in shoemaking, dressmaking, ironwork and television manufacturing moved in. These industries tended to employ less-educated workers. However, these factories are no longer faring well, and local workers have lost… Read More
Patricia Serrano’s Son Just Graduated from Williams College, But She Couldn’t Attend the Ceremony
As an undocumented immigrant who came to southern California from Mexico 22 years ago, Patricia Serrano has achieved part of the American dream: She raised a son who recently graduated from prestigious Williams College in western Massachusetts. However, she could not fly cross-country to see him receive his diploma, because… Read More
Immigrant Contributions to Pittsburgh Region Advance the Economy
CONTACT Sarah Roy, New American Economy, Sarah@renewoureconomy.org Pittsburgh, PA – Today, Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto and Allgheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced new research from New American Economy showing that the 82,308 foreign-born residents of the region have a significant impact on southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy through high rates… Read More
Assistant Public Defender for Prince George’s County Knows First-hand the Difficulties Many Immigrants Face
After growing up in the United States as the daughter of two undocumented immigrants, Llamilet Gutierrez decided to dedicate her career to protecting the rights of immigrants by becoming an assistant public defender for Maryland’s Prince George’s County. Yet current deportation fears have made life harder than ever… Read More
Donald Trump Poised for Record Loss of Latino Voters
There are roughly 27.3 million eligible Latino voters in the United States (up from 19.5 million in 2008). So it should come as no surprise that, for any modern presidential candidate, winning over a sizeable share of the Latino vote is key to winning the election. That’s what George… Read More
Advancing the Pittsburgh Region
New American Economy (NAE) has released a research brief that highlights the economic and demographic contributions of immigrants in the Pittsburgh region. The brief shows that the 10-county Pittsburgh region’s 82,308 immigrant residents have a significant positive impact on southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy through high rates of workforce participation… Read More
Immigrants Boost Economy of Akron, Ohio
CONTACT Sarah D. Roy, New American Economy, Sarah@renewoureconomy.org Akron, OH – New American Economy, with support from the Knight Foundation, released a new research report, Welcome to Akron: How Immigrants and Refugees are Contributing to Akron’s Economic Growth. The study highlights how immigrants play a critical role in… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.
