Immigrants Are Good for America

¶ … Immigrants are Good for America

In all of the recent debates about immigration, one of the things that is oftentimes ignored is the fact that immigrants have been and continue to be very good for America. Immigrants contribute to the economy by working, which is a contribution to the overall value of the American economy. Of course, like all employees, immigrants get paid for their labor, whether legally or illegally. However, also like employees, immigrants do not get paid as much as they contribute to the economy, creating a surplus. It is that surplus that gets redistributed back into society through taxes, dividends, and reinvestments. Therefore, even if one has not hired an immigrant employee, any working immigrant contributes to the economy. In addition, the fact that employees add value beyond their salaries can also indicate that employees are contributing to the economy, even if they are receiving some type of public assistance. Furthermore, there are some positions for which immigrants are needed. Even in an economy with growing unemployment, there are not enough American-born applicants to fill all of the positions, especially positions requiring specific degrees or educational backgrounds. In addition, as the American economy grows more global, American companies need to have the capacity to sell to foreign markets. The employment of immigrants, who know the current language and customs in foreign markets, can help American companies grow globally. In addition, immigrants consume goods and services, which boost the economy. Immigrants also tend to have higher savings rates than non-immigrants, which can help provide stability to the economy.

Of course, not all of the benefits of immigration are economic. Immigrants have absolutely shaped the face of modern America, which is a country composed almost entirely of relatively recent immigrants, when one views it against the backdrop of European countries. Immigration has led to cultural diversity, which has given America a vibrant and diverse artistic community. Take, for example, the entertainment industry; Hollywood has set the world's standard for movies, and that has largely been due to immigrants or the early-generation Americans. Americans have a diverse selection of art, music, and food, due to the immigrant population. Put succinctly, there would be no modern America without immigrants.

Immigrants from the Ukraine are particularly attractive as immigrants. Ukrainians are, in general, very pro-western and pro-American. English is taught in most Ukrainian public schools, so that many immigrants from Ukraine do not have a considerable language barrier when immigrating to the United States. Therefore, while Ukrainians may initially head to ethnic neighborhoods, they are not cultural isolationists like immigrants from some other non-English speaking countries. Furthermore, while the Ukraine is traditionally an agricultural area that does not mean that education in the Ukraine is sub-par. There are many highly-educated Ukrainians who have immigrated to the United States, bringing a unique perspective to the all different areas of U.S. business. Because the Ukraine has traditionally been a bridge between the East and the West, Ukrainians are able to offer a unique perspective, combining Eastern and Western ways of thinking. This had led to some significant innovations by Ukrainian scientists and researchers. Perhaps more significant is the contributions that Ukrainians can make as facilitators, because of their experience in dealing with the clashes between Eastern and Western culture.