Immigrants & the economy: Lecture Notes Outline



Immigrants & the Economy & Government Budgets: Lecture Note Outline

Group Discussion Issues to consider:

1. Overview ala Portes & Rumbaut (Ch. 4)

• What’s the general picture like for immigrants in the US economy – education levels, occupations (professional, entrepreneurial, etc.), income, poverty level, etc.

• Any significant Nationality differences or patterns in that data? Note diversity!

o What accounts for some of this? Immigration Visa policy? Geography?

• How do we explain varying outcomes for different immigrant groups in US economy:

o Individual (human capital), Cultural explanations?

o Modes of Incorporations / Context of Reception: Govt. policy, Labor Market conditions, Ethnic Community (Social Capital)

3. What is the impact of immigrants on government budgets (State, Local, Federal), esp. undocumented / illegal immigrants? What is their impact on Social Security, esp. unauthorized immigrants? What are 3 main services govts. provide for immigrants, what services are unauthorized immigrants NOT eligible for? What taxes do immigrants pay? How does cost compare to revenue? (Cong. Budget Office, Pres. Council of Economic Advisors web rdg.; 4 short articles on Econ. Impact of Immgs. web rdg., Van de Water & Porter web rdg.)

4. What is the overall effect of immigrants on the US economy, & especially on the labor market (complement natives or compete) ? What is happening during recovery from current recession (more jobs for immigs. or natives)? (Pres. Council of Economic Advisors web rdg.; 4 short articles on Econ. Impact of Immgs. web rdg.; Peri web rdg.)

5. What has been the role of immigration in the growth of the US labor force, and the US economy? (Cohn rdg. in Rios et al. web rdg.)

6. How have immigrants (even the unauthorized) working in agriculture and as janitors worked to improve their conditions through union efforts – using what sort of campaigns, arguments & tactics? (Rios et al. web rdg)

• What is the “Moral dimension” and role of outreach to religious groups?

Lecture (& some Group Disc. report-in points):

Overview of topic – 2 key Themes:

1. How do immigrants do / fare in US economy – compare immigrants to natives, and compare immigrant sub-groups (re: education, income, occupation, entrepreneurship), and main explanations for the differences (P&R ch. 4)

2. Immigrant impact on Govt. Budgets and on overall US and State economies – Overall, positive, negative, or mixed? What are main pro’s and con’s (positives and negatives)

Showed sections of 2 videos on Immigrant workers in Ag and Meatpacking -- “Food Inc.” – Meat packing in NC. And Iowa, and Immigrant workers and labor issues (& threat of deportation) . & ‘Putting Down Roots” – segments on California Ag. field work & immigrants, & on Iowa and IBP meatpacking plant & immigration (& again, threat of deportation)

“IBP revolution” in the meat packing industry (Lecture only, not in readings) -- Deskilling, move to rural areas, break unions, cut costs, high injury rate & increase line speed, high-labor turnover rate, … Where immigrants fit in (labor recruiting, vulnerability to exploitation & role of deportation fear)

3 Historical Periods in Govt. regulation (or lack of) in Meat Packing (& many industries) [Lecture only, based on videos and other materials] –

1. Early 20th century, little govt. regulation and few worker rights,

2. Early-Mid-20th century (through 1970s), a lot of govt. regulation, worker unions strong,;

3. Late 20th century & Early 21st century, little govt. regulation, weak unions, falling worker pay and work conditions, etc.

& Where Immigrant workers fit in for each period (mainly # 1 & 3)

Split Labor Market theory : 1. Primary labor Market 2. Secondary Labor market

Immigrants fill labor demand in both, but especially Secondary (&recall types of immigrants form P&R: Professional, entrepreneurial, and Labor)

Explanations for differing immigrant outcomes in US economy? (P&R Ch. 4)

Mode of Incorporation / Context of Reception (Govt. response, Labor Markets, Ethnic Community/social capital)

Individual explanations (Human Capital), & Cultural explanations

Govt. budget impact of immigrants:

State Govt. level-- Key findings overall (Cong. Budget Office Study). What are main services state govts. provide for unauthorized immigrants? What are state taxes paid by unauthorized immigrants to state g? How does cost compare to revenue, in approximate terms (i.e., roughly what % of services used are paid for by taxes paid by unauthorized immigrants, at state level?)

Federal taxes -- undocumented immigrants tax contribution to Social Security and Medicare, & to federal budget (Van de Water & Porter web rdg.; Pres. Council of Economic Advisors web rdg.)

The overall effect of immigrants on the US economy, & especially on the labor market (complement natives or compete) ? Which US natives benefit or are unaffected, and which lose (& how much) (Peri web rdg.; Pres. Council of Economic Advisors web rdg.; 4 short articles on Econ. Impact of Immgs. web rdg.)

-- Unauthorized immigrant impact on Arizona economy (4 short articles on Econ. Impact of Immgs. web rdg.)

Tomato Pickers immigrant workers and how they have improved their economic situation via the Imokalee Worker Coalition (Rios et al. web rdg)

Texas Study of State-wide Economic and State Govt. Budget Impact of Unauthorized Immigrants (lecture only). [Compare to CBO study on State govt. budget impact, and to 4 short articles on immigrant economic impact.]

Immigration Key to growth of US labor market (which is key to growth of US economy) (Cohn rdg. in Rios et al. web rdg.)

Overview of P&R Economic data charts: On Immigrant education levels, income, occupation (professional & entrepreneurial), etc. Bimodal / Polarized distribution overall

Point is not to memorize all the data but to recognize patterns, such as which immigrant groups (regions of world & country of origin) tend to rank where on ed., income, etc. (Asian, Latin Americans, African, European, etc.) and some of the exceptions to those trends.

And how immigrants compare to US native population.

Other things to know but not covered by me in class:

How have immigrants working as janitors worked to improve their conditions in Justice for Janitors campaigns? (Rios et al. web rdg)

NC study. on general economic and fiscal impact of Hispanic immigrants in NC (in 4 short articles on Econ. Impact of Immgs. Web rdg)

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