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December 11, 1995
by Julian L. Simon
Published by the Cato Institute and the National Immigration Forum.
Executive Summary
Table Of Contents
- SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION
- THE QUANTITIES OF IMMIGRATION
- THE QUALITIES OF IMMIGRANTS
- EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON NATIVE UNEMPLOYMENT
- EFFECTS OF IMMIGRATION ON NATIVES' EARNINGS
- RECEIPT OF WELFARE AND OTHER GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES
- TAXES PAID BY IMMIGRANTS AND THE NET BALANCE
- EFFECTS ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
- PUBLIC OPINION TOWARD IMMIGRATION
REFERENCES
Executive Summary
The rate of U. S. immigration in the 1990s is about one-third the rate of
immigration at the beginning of this century. The total number of immigrants--including
illegals--is about the same as or less than the number then, though the country's
population has more than doubled.
The foreign-born population of the United States is 8.5 percent of the
total population, which is significantly lower than the proportion--13 percent or
higher--during the period from 1860 to 1930.
Immigrants do not increase the rate of unemployment among native
Americans, even among minority, female, and low-skill workers. The effect of immigration
on wages is negative for some of these special groups and positive for others, but the
overall effects are small.
Total per capita government expenditures on immigrants are much lower than
those for natives, no matter how immigrants are classified. Narrowly defined welfare
expenditures for immigrants are slightly more than for natives, but this has been true in
the past, too. These welfare expenditures are only small fractions of total government
expenditures on immigrants and natives. Schooling costs and payments to the elderly are
the bulk of government expenditures; natives use more of these programs, especially Social
Security and Medicare.
The educational levels of immigrants have been increasing from decade to
decade. No major shifts in educational levels of immigrants relative to natives are
apparent.
Natural resources and the environment are not at risk from immigration. As
population size and average income have increased in the United States, the supplies of
natural resources and the cleanliness of the environment have improved rather than
deteriorated. Immigration increases the base of technical knowledge. That speeds the
current positive trends in both greater availability of natural resources and cleaner air
and water.
Dear Reader:
The Cato Institute and the National Immigration Forum have
taken the initiative in bringing together 40 organizations to
sponsor publication of a new report by Julian L. Simon entitled,
Immigration: The Demographic and Economic Facts, which we believe
merits your attention.
By cooperating in the publication of this monograph, we hope
to contribute to the ongoing discussion of immigration reform in
the Congress and among interested organizations and individuals.
The report focuses on one of the most important long-run
issues for the U.S.--the number of refugees and other immigrants
the United States will admit.
We, the organizations listed below, are happy to join in
this effort. None of the groups agree with everything in the
report but all agree with its general conclusions.
Alexis de Tocqueville Institute
American Immigration Law Foundation
American Immigration Lawyers' Association
Americans for Tax Reform
Asian Law Alliance
Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Business Leadership Council
Caribbean Women's Health Association, Inc.
Center for Equal Opportunity
Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights & Services
Competitive Enterprise Institute
Council of Jewish Federations
Diocese of Harrisburg, PA
El Rescate Legal Services
Empower America
Heartland Alliance for Human Needs and Human Rights
Immigration and Refugee Service of Catholic Charities,
Immigration and Refugee Services of America
Immigration Law Center
Immigration Law Project
Independent Institute
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Inc.
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services
Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota
Maryland Office for New Americans
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Mayor's Office of Human Services, City of Somerville,
Massachusetts
Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights
National Association for Bilingual Education
National Council of La Raza
National Immigration Forum
New York Association for New Americans
O.L.A. Raza, Inc.
Proyecto San Pablo
Reason Foundation
Small Business Survival Foundation
Texas Immigration and Refugee Coalition
United States Catholic Conference/Migration and Refugee Services
Acknowledgments
This compilation of facts about immigration draws upon various of
my previous writings about immigration and population economics.
I have not indicated which of the material has been previously in
print, in the belief that this would be only an inconvenience to
the general reader. Representatives of those writings are listed
in the References section at the end.
I am grateful to the Cato Institute, the National
Immigration Forum, David Boaz, Chris Brest, Helen Demarest,
Stephen Moore, Frank Sharry, Jeanne Hill, David Lampo, and many
others who assisted in getting this pamphlet into print in a
timely fashion.
I hope that you find this work useful.
Julian L. Simon
© Copyright Julian L. Simon, 1995.
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