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.
Many of America’s Best Ideas Have Come From New Americans, Says Immigration Historian
Dr. Shannon Anderson, associate professor of sociology at Roanoke College and author of Immigration, Assimilation, and the Cultural Construction of American National Identity, first became interested in immigration while pursuing her PhD at the University of Virginia. She researched the impact that the perception of immigrants had on the nation. Read More
Using Personal Experience to Help Undocumented Students Contribute more to South Carolina
When Jennifer Gutierrez-Caldwell thought about whether she wanted to attend college, her mother framed the choice in stark terms. “She said to me ‘Do you want to clean toilets with me or get an education?’” she recalls. Gutierrez-Caldwell, the daughter of former undocumented immigrants from Mexico… Read More
Welcome to Akron: How Immigrants and Refugees are Contributing to Akron’s Economic Growth
The “Welcome to Akron: How Immigrants and Refugees are Contributing to Akron’s Economic Growth” report highlights how immigrants play a critical role in supporting Akron’s growth and development—by starting businesses that create local jobs, participating in key industries in the labor force, paying taxes and contributing to consumer spending, and by increasing housing values in… Read More
Refugees and Immigrants Are of ‘Critical Importance’ to Maine’s Economic Development, Says Lewiston’s Deputy City Administrator
In the 1940s, the economy in Lewiston, Maine, was thriving thanks to a booming textile industry. But when many of those factories began closing in the late 1950s, and the city’s flagship department store, B. Peck & Co. closed in 1981, the jobs and the people who needed… Read More
Most Americans Reject Trump’s Nativist Agenda
Republican presidential contender Donald Trump may claim to speak in the name of the “American people,” but the fact is that most Americans continue to reject his nativist rhetoric of fear and hate. This is apparent from the results of a survey conducted by the Brookings Institution and Public… Read More
Demand for Bilingual Workers in Massachusetts More than Doubled in 5 years, Report Shows
CONTACT Sarah Doolin, Partnership for a New American Economy, sarah@renewoureconomy.org Boston, MA – Today, New American Economy (NAE) joins business leaders and education advocates at the Massachusetts State House to call for the creation of a state Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy, which formally recognizes… Read More
Language Diversity and the Workforce: The Growing Need for Bilingual Workers in Massachusetts’ Economy
On June 21, New American Economy (NAE) joined with business leaders and education advocates at the Massachusetts State House to call for the creation of a state Seal of Biliteracy. The Seal of Biliteracy, which formally recognizes high school graduates who are proficient in more than one language, has been hailed as an… Read More
New Americans in San José and Santa Clara County
New American Economy has developed a series of research briefs that examine the demographic and economic contributions of immigrant communities in counties and cities across the United States. The latest report in the series focuses on San José and Santa Clara County. The brief shows that Santa Clara County’s… Read More
Report on New Americans in San José & Santa Clara County Highlights Economic Contributions of Immigrants
CONTACTS Sarah Doolin, New American Economy, Sarah@renewoureconomy.org Zulma Maciel, Strategic Partnerships and Office of Immigrant Affairs, City of San José, Zulma.Maciel@sanjoseca.gov; (408) 535-8146 Silicon Valley Business Roundtable discusses local immigrant integration; new report shows foreign-born households… Read More
‘We Aren’t Protecting Ourselves When We Shun Talented, Hardworking People,’ Says Immigrant Entrepreneur
When he was 16, George Fernandez was forced to translate a devastating medical diagnosis to his mother, who didn’t speak English. “The doctor came in and told me she had cancer. I had to explain to her what this was and what was going to happen to her. I didn’t… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.