Sure to grate Neal Tapio’s cheese is this new report from the Urban Institute offering evidence on refugees in America. Researcher Hamutal Bernstein summarizes her findings in this blog post:
Research shows that refugees contribute to the US workforce and society. After a period of adjustment after arrival, refugees integrate on economic, linguistic, and civic measures and contribute to communities across the US.
…On average, refugees participate in the labor force at high rates, their earnings rise, and their use of public benefits declines. Those who arrive when they’re young often graduate from college. Set on a fast track to obtain green cards and citizenship compared with other immigrants, most become US citizens, and many own homes and businesses [Hamutal Bernstein, “The Debate Versus the Reality of Refugees in the US,” Urban Institute: Urban Wire, 2018.04.09].
Newcomers and growing population always put stresses on existing structures. But the refugees we welcome into the American dream hit the books and the assembly lines and contribute to their communities right alongside their welcoming neighbors.
Contrary to Neal Tapio’s and his pal Al Novstrup’s contention, new Americans also don’t do much killing…
Antirefugee advocacy groups have pushed an anti-Muslim campaign, using misinformation to associate refugees with religious extremism and sexual violence. Despite strong evidence finding no connection between refugees and terrorist acts, security concerns continue to animate opposition to the refugee program [Bernstein, 2018.04.09].
…but they do end up paying their way:
In addition to halting admissions and requiring a review of screening procedures, the administration’s executive order mandated a government study of the costs of the refugee admissions program. A draft of the internal study, which was leaked to the press, found that resettled refugees’ tax contributions outweighed the costs of providing them with government services. This echoed findings from other research. The administration officially released a three-page version of the study that included only costs and not contributions [Bernstein, 2018.04.09].
Regular readers already know that refugees are good for the economy and tax revenues. This New American Economy report says that in 2015 (back when America was Greater), 2.3 million refugees earned $77.2 billion in household income and paid $20.9 billion in taxes. Go ahead, Neal, Al, try to find more than $20.9 billion in costs imposed on government. You won’t succeed: even the Tully/Kobach anti-immigrationites at the racist-rooted anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform can’t cook up taxpayer costs for resettling refugees and political asylum seekers of more than $1.8 billion a year. That leaked internal study that the embarrassed Trump Administration asked for found refugees from 2005 through 2014 bringing in $63 billion more in federal, state, and local tax revenue than they cost.
Refugees may even reject the gender roles that their home cultures and Neal Tapio would impose on them and adopt American ideals of equal work opportunity for women:
Refugee women are less likely than men to participate in the labor force upon arrival, but that changes with time in the US. On average, refugee women participate in the labor force at rates as high as native-born women, after the initial years after arrival. Capps et al. (2015) find employment among all female refugees is equivalent to that of native-born women (54 percent). Kallick and Mathema (2016) find similar patterns in their study; they find that newly arrived refugee women (10 years or less) are less likely than native-born women to be in the labor force, but rates for longer-term residents (more than 10 years) rise to nearly meet or exceed that of native-born women, except for the Hmong [Hamutal Bernstein, “Bringing Evidence to the Refugee Integration Debate,” research report, Urban Institute, April 2018, p. 12].
The world is a better place with more Americans. The evidence shows that America is a better place when we let in more refugees.
Wait—our values should make that read, America lets in refugees because America is a better place.
Here is Dave Owens, President of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, talking about immigration. Now here is a guy who is as far to the right as you can get. But listen to him here talk like a Democrat.
http://kelo.com/news/articles/2018/apr/24/owen-immigration-workers-needed-in-south-dakota/
You should check out the Europe news sometime and see the refugee problems here. They are major.
Legal immigration is a good thing. Only a few years ago Democrats were singing the song Republicans are now about borders and immigration.
Steve … Why do you think USA does such a better job welcoming refugees that the statistics in Cory’s post are so positive? Do we vett better? Are we more tolerant? Do we have more jobs that no one wants to do? Why are our refugees model citizens, Steve?
If only Europe and the U.S. had the same immigration problems.
This from Fortune.com :
“Despite the narrative that uneducated, unskilled immigrants enter the United States to dominate job markets, the data tells a different story. Foreign-born individuals in the U.S are just as likely as native born Americans to be college educated with 1/3 of immigrants holding a bachelor’s degree or higher according to the Association of American Colleges & Universities.”
Refugees are not a violent threat to the US. Let’s see. Who is? 🤔 Oh Ryan! You know. 😁
The ignorance of Americans is reflected in their nativity of thinking other culture think as Americans do.
Nativity?
That’s what I was wondering about Roger.
That and the fact that some cultures’ different thinking is better than ours. We could learn a few things.
Debbo,
And the ‘nativity’ coming from Beatle Bailey that is constantly calling DFP commenters ignorant.
All cultures have the good, the bad, and the ugly, it is up to us learn from all of them.
Debbo, you can’t stop thinking about me, can you? Me being white and male just bothers you so much. Your envy is as obvious to me as your prejudices.
Even your friend Roger understands that you shouldn’t judge people, even though he pretends not to sometimes when he is defending your bigotry. He says, “All cultures have the good, the bad, and the ugly, it is up to us learn from all of them.”
Any time you want some lessons in morality, equality, or common sense, Debbo, let me know. I have noticed those may be lacking in your life.
I guess Steve doesn’t have the answer. I don’t know for sure, either. The generally excellent character of USA’s refugees is well documented, though. One thing I do know is that Steve gets his so called “news” from some mighty dubious places and reposts items that have no basis in fact. Just a cursory glance at his Twitter feed finds these “news” sources. Heard of any, except FoxNews? So, when Hickey says, “Check out Europe news.” ~Beware The Zealot~
~ FoxNews – CharismaNews – The Intercept.com – theconversation.com – reason.com – christianitytoday.com – omaha.com – cnsnews.com – cbn.com – ihopkc.org
Take it easy. I was just teasing a little Ryan. Clearly a poor choice on my part. Nevermind.
Porter, good work. Beware the Zealot says “they [zealots] should not be considered human beings.” Unholy crap!
OldSarg again ignores the research: the evidence I cite suggests that, to a significant, practical extent, refugees do integrate sufficiently into American culture to succeed. They work hard, earn money, pay taxes, get more education… what more can a pluralistic capitalist democracy ask for?
Refugees work. They work for their families. They work for America.
Ryan sounds like this guy- I can talk these words that will sound so sweet
They will even make your little heart skip a beat
Heal the sick, raise the dead
Make the little girls talk outta their heads
I’m the one, oh I’m the one
I’m the one, I’m the one
The one they call the seventh son
Debbo, be vewy afwaid.
By the way, Owen’s article has these awesome quotes from David Owen:
The point stands: immigrants and refugees are good for South Dakota.
And David Owen’s comment indicates that, here in District 3, Cory the Democrat is the real Chamber of Commerce candidate.